IF YOU WILL PRAISE GOD, HE WILL LET YOU LIVE
IT IS WISDOM TO HAVE A THANKSGIVING LIST OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU
THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
WHEN WE FOLLOWED GOD, THOSE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL SAID WE WERE WASTING OUR LIVES
WHEN I SAW BISHOP AND MAMA OYEDEPO WITH OTHER DIGNITARIES ON MY 50TH BIRTHDAY, I SAID “SO THIS IS HOW TO WASTE LIFE?”
HOW GOD DELIVERED A WOMAN FROM A PLANE CRASH AND SHE DID NOT TESTIFY.
WHAT GOD DID IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE IS THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT HE WILL DO AGAIN.
DANCE IN CHURCH IS NOT AN EXERCISE, IT’S A VERY SERIOUS PROPHETIC ACTION WITH SERIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
DO YOU WANT GOD TO STEP INTO BATTLE FOR YOU? MOVE HIM UP WITH A SHOUT!
WITH GOD, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DO BUT THE MOTIVE WITH WHICH YOU DID IT THAT MATTERS
WHENEVER YOU NOTICE THE HELP OF GOD, DON’T JUST SAY ‘THANK YOU’ WITH WORDS.
IF YOU’RE FULL OF APPRECIATION FROM YOUR HEART, IT WILL BE REFLECTED IN YOUR GIVINGS.
- Dr. Pastor Paul Enenche on “DIMENSIONS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP” || Power Communion (Midweek) Service || Dunamis International Gospel Centre || The Glory Dome, Abuja.
The best place to be is the House of the Lord. Anyone believe that, say Amen.
Welcome and this evening, very briefly, I am going to speak on the subject of “DIMENSIONS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP”. Church Gist. Our objective tonight is to understand the dimensions or expressions of praise and worship.
The Bible made it clear that we were created to praise and worship God. Psalm 150:6. That is, you were given your breath for the sake of the praise of God. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”, the reverse is true, let everything that praise the Lord have breath. Church Gist. That is, if you’ll praise the Lord, no devil can cut off your breath. Psalm 119:175. “If only you’ll allow me to live, I’m living to praise you”. That is, if you’ll praise Him, He’ll let you live. If you’ll praise Him, He won’t allow the things that take others out before their time to take you out. Church Gist. If you’ll praise Him, you can’t be cut short like others in your family are cut short. Isaiah 43:21. Hallelujah.
So, if we live to praise God, we want to know the dimensions or the expressions of our praise. What dimensions? When we talk about praise, is it just about songs? Church Gist. Yes, it is included but there are different expressions that praise can have and we are going to look at some of them.
- Thanksgiving.
Psalm 100:4. Jeremiah 30:19. Thanksgiving, regular daily thanksgiving for the ability of health, the ability to be strong.
I met a footballer many years ago, he was playing for one of the national teams at that time. Suddenly, he was afflicted with a situation that made him weak in his legs and literally paralyzed. Church Gist. When they brought him to me, maybe 10 years ago in Area One Church, he said, “Pastor, I didn’t know the value of legs. I didn’t know how important my leg was until I realized I couldn’t use them anymore”. That is, “I took for legs for granted. It was available, so it didn’t mean much to me”. This leg you’re standing on right now, there are people whose prayer request it is to be able to stand on their feet. Church Gist. Your two eyes, there’s somebody whose prayer request it is to be able to see with two eyes. Your ears that hear, to stand free of pain. There are people who are not sleeping in the night or in the day on the grounds of pain. Thanksgiving, preliminarily.
I had said sometime ago that it is wisdom to have a thanksgiving list, possibly, 3,4,5,6 things. One, the gift of life, two, the gift of health and strength. Church Gist. In fact, number one is the gift of relationship with God. And then, any other thing that just occurs to you. This is, the things that could have killed you that didn’t kill you. You know what you’re going to do one of these days? Write down all the times that you could have died that you didn’t die including anytime you encountered the gunman. Church Gist. Because even if he didn’t plan to shoot you, an accidental discharge could happen. You’ll be shocked. In case you’re talking about “what are those kind of times?” My Medical Doctor colleague died in the teaching hospital of typhoid perforation. That is the guy that treats everybody under the nose of the best specialists, consultant physicians, consultant surgeons, everybody was there in the teaching hospital, yet he died. So, you called it ‘ordinary typhoid’, enteric fever perforation. Church Gist. So, thanksgiving is our first expression where you woke up in the morning and you don’t need to wait to return back home to give thanks. Right by the roadside there, that vehicle almost ran into your vehicle, “Lord, thank you for sparing me”. And like I said, it’s only in eternity will we recognize and realize all the things that the devil planned that God never allowed to happen. The things that happened are the things you know, the ones that didn’t happen are the ones you don’t know, only Jehovah knows. Church Gist. When they poisoned your drink and you couldn’t die. When they placed something on your seat and you sat and nothing happened to you. When they fired an arrow in the night, it backfired to sender. Church Gist. In fact, it is good thing to say, ‘Lord, thank you for all things the enemy planned against me that didn’t happen”. It can be a part of the thanksgiving list.
- somebody say a loud Amen.
Did you hear the story that I shared some time ago? It was in the Healing and Deliverance Service in Area One, I believe it was on a Wednesday or so. I came and I said, “There’s somebody travelling this Friday to the Far East, Not Eastern Nigeria, Far East, China area, that kind of area. Come let me pray for you so you can go and return back in safety”. Church Gist. So, she ran out, woman, I prayed for her and she was going to China on Friday. She went to China. On their way back, between China and Dubai, plane lost bearing and then I think, lost engine. From 35,000 feet, the plane began to drop and dropped by 10,000 feet in five minutes. Dropping like stone. Pilot said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am out of touch with the tower”. Next thing they heard, “Get ready for a crash”.
Everybody began to scream and cry. “So I’m going to die like this, so this is how we are going to die.” The woman said; the person seated by her said: “So this is how we are going to die just like that.” She looked at the woman and said: “If you are going to die, I am not about to die, my pastor told me: “See you when you come back! Church Gist. And he will see me because I will come back!” So she stood up in the aircraft and began to blast in tongues (Speaking in tongues). While she did that, within five minutes, aircraft regained control. The pilot heard what was going on in the cockpit, came out and greeted her, I mean: “Thank you!” When they landed, she said everybody surrounded her. This one from Kenya, this one from Uganda and appreciating her for saving their life. “Take complimentary card, this is my name” and so on.
This lady came back to Nigeria for one reason or the other, she never gave thanks or testified or anything until one year later, the exact anniversary. When it was a year later, at that time, Church in Area One would be 6 a.m. for the First Service. Around 4 a.m., the anniversary of it was a Sunday morning. Somebody tapped her in the morning, he said: “Get up! Today is Sunday! A year ago, the Almighty sent us in response to the command of your pastor and we saved your life and you have not yet testified. Church Gist. She did not know it was one year, she didn’t know the record but Heaven never forgets. He said: “It is a year today, this is the first anniversary of your preservation from death by plane crash and you must testify today!” She ran to Church that Sunday morning, “I am sorry, this is what happened!” You see what I said? That there are things that God delivers you from, you are not aware! So for those things that you are not aware, put it under the blanket covering of appreciation for unforeseen disasters! Appreciation for frustrated satanic agenda. Appreciation! That is our first expression of praise! Thanksgiving.
- Testimonies.
I already mentioned that! 🎶 For I found in You a friend that I can trust and that is why You will remain my Great Physician… 🎶 Psalm 105:1-2. Thanksgiving, you can do it by yourself, that is on your own. You are thanking God but in testimonies, you are doing it among the people. Psalm 150:1-2. “Brethren! I am here to appreciate God and praise Him for what He did for my life. I am here to praise Him, I am here to appreciate Him.” Praise Him in His Sanctuary! Talk about His acts in the Assembly of the people. Church Gist. That was what David was doing when he confronted Goliath, he was talking to everybody. 1 Samuel 17:34. Somebody say a loud Amen. What God did before is the foundation for what God will do again. Did you hear what I just said? What God did in your life before is the foundation for what He will do again. If He has delivered you from the Lion and the Bear and you testify about it, then He can deliver you from the Goliath. There are people who are asking for deliverance from Goliath but they have not mentioned about their deliverance from the Lion and the Bear. They have not mentioned about what God did for them before. If you forget His past benefits in your life, you forfeit future benefits. That is thanksgiving! And that is testimonies. - Songs of praise.
This is where the singing is. This is what we thought is praise but this is a part of it. Songs of praise. Psalm 28:7. Psalm 40:2-3. Hallelujah. Psalm 69:30. When we followed God, there were those in medical school who felt we were wasting our lives both students and lecturer. In fact, there was a lecturer who was so mad. He said: “If you want to carry the Bible, now you are talking of preaching. Why don’t you go and do it after secondary school? Why should you? After they have trained you to become a medical doctor then you say you want to become a pastor. Is that not a waste?” There were some who were so angry as if it was their time and their brain that was used to study. People pitied us! When we came to ministry, some pitied, so much! Some pitied us! Which one is this small boy? This small girl? In fact, there was a woman, they invited her to Dunamis then, she said she wouldn’t attend ‘small boy’s Church’. “That small people, small boy’s Church!” The person has come to ‘small boy’s Church’ since with affliction for prayer. So, ‘we wasted our lives, wasting our time’. And then during my last major birthday, President of the country, he was Acting President then but he was President; was seated in person. Speaker of the House of Representatives, in person. 2 or 3 or more Governors from different states were seated with their wives, Senators, all manner of people. My Father in the Lord, Bishop Oyedepo; seated in person, with his wife. Bishop Abioye with his wife, seated in person. God’s Servant Papa Adeboye who couldn’t come physically, he sent a video recording but sent his 2 sons to represent him. All manner of people came and sat and I watched and I looked and I said “So, this is how to waste life?”
🎶 So, I’ll waste my life again and again on you. There is profit in being wasted Lord… 🎶
Everybody here today hearing the sound of my voice, anyone who thought you are wasting your time, wasting your time following God, wasting your time coming to Church, wasting your time doing the will of God, everybody who felt and thought you are wasting your time, in a very short time from now, the benefit of that wastage of life and wastage of time shall be made clear for all eyes to see in the name of Jesus.
The most important thing was not who came but the most important thing was that people, that people think matter recognized that “you didn’t waste your life”. If they felt we had wasted, they won’t be here (at the birthday celebration). Church Gist. Do you understand what I’m saying? So, you may not be able to generate a new song or receive a new song automaticallyally like that, but your spontaneous singing to God, appreciation, any song at all that relates to what you are experiencing. Maybe they suddenly honoured you…
I didn’t know, you would honour me this way…
—Singing—
Give the Lord a big clap and a shout of praise!
-and I want you to know that this is a song that is a prophetic song for somebody right now. Church Gist. Get ready because honour is coming your way! Before these next 7 days are out, honour, unusual honour is coming your way! Shout the loudest Amen!
I am going to run very fast now so that we can step into the practical of what I’m talking about
4: The dance. Psalm 149:3. Psalm 150:4-6. So the dance is part of your praise. Church Gist. If no devil can tie your leg in dance, no devil can tie your leg in a prison and your dance is a seed that says ‘Very soon, I will celebrate’ I’m sure you know the way they dance during naming ceremony, child dedication, house dedication.
One day, we were dancing in Area One Church and I was doing my leg like this (dancing) and I said the purpose of leg is so that you can dance. A man was brought paralyzed from Jos and he said “So, the purpose of leg is so I can dance and the devil said I shouldn’t use my own leg to dance” He stood up by force and he began to dance, paralysis disappeared. Church Gist. They shared a testimony of a paralysed child in Lagos watching the television with the parent all the time and every time I begin to do like this (dance) that child with the stiff leg begins to move. Long story made short, in a short while, the legs were loosed, child began to dance.
- Somebody, say a loud Amen!
- God will give you a change of story.
Psalm 149:5-9. When you begin to lose your own feet in the dance, you begin to tie the enemy with the chain. “To bind their kings with feeters”.
- somebody is receiving freedom tonight?
That is the dance, it’s not an exercise, it’s a very serious prophetic activity, action with serious significance.
- The Shout.
- somebody give the Lord a loud shout of Hallelujah!
Psalm 47:1. Psalm 32:11. Psalm 47:5-6. Do you want God to step into battle for you? Move Him up with a shout. Church Gist. He moves into your battles, He moves into situations with a shout. Psalm 47:5-6. - somebody give Him another shout or victory.
So, the shout communicates both praise to God and victory in battle. “God is gone up with a shout”. That is, you move ‘Obadabada’. That is what happened to the Wall of Jericho in Joshua 6:20. Church Gist. As the people shouted, God went up with a shout. - is there somebody here who is going to give God a loud blast and a shout of victory.
- every Wall of Jericho before you is collapsing tonight.
- Every battle is breaking tonight!
- Shout the loudest Amen!
The shouting side is always the winning side. Anytime there’s a game, whatever kind of game it is, when you hear the shout on one side, you’ll know that is the side winning. Church Gist. When the others are quiet, you’ll know they’re losing. The losers don’t shout. Winners shout. Victorious people shout! Hey!
- look at your neighbour, say, ‘losers don’t shout, winners shout. Are you a winner? Are you winning in the game of life? Then, shout!
- give the Lord a big clap and a shout of praise.
Hallelujah! Everytime they say ‘give the Lord a shout of victory’ in Church, don’t think it’s just an exercise. All these things have spiritual implications. Church Gist. When it is time to dance, even if you don’t know how to move your body, you can dance the way some of our Caucasian brothers and sisters dance. They’ll just jump, “🎵 You’re the God who can never fail🎵”. They’re very happy to dance that. Praise the Lord.
When it comes to song, it doesn’t have to do with the singing voice, it has to do with the heart of gratitude. When it comes to the dance, it doesn’t have to do with the dancing ability, it has to do with praise to God. I can tell you without singing voices who praise God more acceptably than expert singers because there are some expert singers that are singing to impress you, not to praise God. Church Gist. And with God, it’s not what you do but the motive with which you did it that matters. With God, the Bible said, actions are weighed. Hallelujah!
- Sacrifice or worship offering.
Your giving is a worship. Genesis 22:5. When Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, he called it worship. Psalm 54:6. Church Gist. Sacrifice and praises, they go hand in hand, pari passu, hand in glove. 1 Chronicles 15:26. You remember somebody called Uzzah was carrying the Ark and tried to touch the Ark and he died. The Levites carried the Ark after that point from the house of Obed-Edom, the Gittite where the Ark was abandoned because somebody died with the attempt to hold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Church Gist. I’m sure you remember the story. The Levites carried it and when they arrived their destination and they didn’t die. 1 Chronicles 15:26. “Lord! What other people tried to carry they died. Is that what we carried and we didn’t die? Thank You Lord!” And they dropped appreciation. Hallelujah!
Many, many years ago my wife had some slight confrontation. This should be almost 15 years ago, right? About 17 years ago! God rescued her, it was pregnancy-related. God rescued her from a confrontation that could have led to a negative story – 17 years ago and she was rescued. Church Gist. When I praised God and I appreciated Him and I thanked Him, I laid down a thanksgiving sacrifice; sacrifice, offering massive! That is as at that time. That time, six zeros may be a billion (naira) today. I said: “All I’m trying to do is to thank You for intervening, arresting the agenda of hell and securing my life and my future and my wife’s life. Appreciation!
There are those who just walk away. “It has happened, so thank God.” No!! For me, it wasn’t! So, a major part… Whenever you notice the help of God, as much as it is within your power, don’t just say “Thank You” with words (say): “Thank You” in kind. 🎶 Lord! When I survey the Wondrous Cross, on which the Prince of Glory died 🎶 That is, “If I was to own the whole world, it would still be a small offering compared to how much You love me.” Church Gist. It will be an offering far too small. In fact, that is why some people say: “I praise God, I do this but I don’t see the things I need to see, no!!! There are dimensions of praise. Where your treasure is, your heart is. Matthew 6:21. If your heart is with God and you’re full of appreciation from your heart, it would be reflected in your treasure, it would be reflected in your release. It will be reflected in your givings. This is worship offering, sacrifice, it’s part of your praise. 🎶 When I survey the Wondrous Cross 🎶
- Godly character.
Your character is a praise. Isaiah 43:21. 1 Peter 2:9. I called you from darkness to show forth My praise. This is the meaning of it: Let people see your life and give God praise who has the capacity to change lives. Church Gist. There are some people, their character invites people to Church – That brings glory to God. There are some people, their character drives people away from Church. And I want to let you know that all manner of people are in Church. Am I communicating? All manner of people are in Church.
Many years ago, I was in the University, I preached to a man, I invited him to Church and he said “No, I can’t go to that Church. If it’s another Church, invite me” Church Gist. Why? He has somebody he is actively in sin with who is in that Church serving very importantly. What’s that? That woman’s character has driven somebody almost from God.
A young sister talked about somebody who met her in Church and all manner of people are in Church and the man said “You look so fine, can you move over to me and live with me?” She said, “Like how?” He said “How old are you? Don’t you think it is time for you to start making babies?” Church Gist. Is that how it is made, just like that, no process, no marriage, no official process? You may meet such people. Those are the kinds of people that make it difficult for some people to go to Church. But your godly character is a dimension of your praise.
When people look at you and they want to serve God because of how humble, how loving, how lovable, how kind, how gentle, how sincere and honest you are in transacting with them, how truthful. Church Gist. They just interacted with you and they realize they have seen a Christian for the first time, then they’ll follow you to God. Godly character
8: Excellence delivery. When what you do…this new music video that came out, somebody sent it to her friend in the US in Houston, after watching it, she said “Wow! I want to attend that Conference. I’m coming for that Conference” The Conference we have in Houston in 2 weeks time. Church Gist. When you are releasing more potential than your contemporaries in your workplace, they’ll be forced to follow you to know your God. Your excellence is more evangelistic than your utterance. I didn’t think I’d preach for this length of time.
Matthew 5:14,16. Let them see your works, let them see your practice, your legal practice, your medical practice, your professional practice. Let them see how outstanding you are. Church Gist. You carry the Bible and you’re better than them in the secular world. They say “Oh no! Then there’s no need to serve the devil if serving God can produce such dignity. If serving God can make somebody look like this, I want to follow God”
- I see excellent people coming out of here!
- They are already here and I’ll talk about that shortly.
- I see people that are front liners, role models, history makers, world shakers, I see them coming out of here.
- and if you’re among them, you shout the loudest Amen.
Brethren, in conclusion, what are the expressions of our praise? Thanksgiving, Testimonies, Songs of Praise, the Dance, the Shout, Sacrifice or Worship Offering, Godly Character, Excellence Delivery.
Concluding: As we give full expression to God in praise, we are qualified to expect the full manifestation of the impact of praise. As we give full expression of praise, that is, when it is time to give thanks, you gave thanks, time to testify, you testified. Church Gist. Time to dance, you danced. Time to shout, you shouted. Time to give the offering, you gave the offering in worship. Your character is not driving people away from God. You are doing your best to be at the top of your game in your realm.
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