The Gates of Praise - Pastor Kenneth Woolf

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New Life COTR Sunday July 1, 2007
THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS
“The Gates of Praise”

INTRODUCTION: Some of you know that in August I’ll be traveling to Uganda with “Global Advance” to be part of a team that is conducting a “Frontline Shepherds” Pastors Conference.
One of the team members is a man by the name of David Bell who is the mission’s pastor at Covenant Church in Pittsburg. He e-mailed me recently telling me that he had preached the same message on June 10 that I had preached to our church.
It’s encouraging to hear things such as this because it confirms that God is trying to speak something not to just our church but to Body of Christ.
Another church, Bethel Temple Community Church in Evansville Indiana just completed a 21 Day Campaign called “NO COMPLAINING- Philippians 2:14”

YOUR WORDS HAVE POWER, THERE IS POWER IN YOUR WORDS
When God wanted to bridge the gap between Himself and mankind He sent His Word to do so.
John 1:1(NIV)- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
SO HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH GOD?
John 14:5,6(NIV)- “Thomas said to him, Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
So what is the “Way” to use Jesus to get to the Father?
Romans 10:8,9(NIV)- “But what does it say, The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
It is Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh, that makes a relationship with God possible. I love introducing people to Jesus Christ.
I love helping people discover the joy, peace and power that comes from spending time in the presence of God!!
One of the benefits of being a child of God is spending time in God’s presence. As a Christian you and I can experience a personal relationship with God!
Exodus 33:14,15(NIV)- “The Lord replied, My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Then Moses said to Him, If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
TRANSITION: How can we experience daily this Presence of God?
There is a man in the Bible by the name of Jacob who had a breathtaking dream.
He saw a multitude of angels moving between Earth and the throne of God in heaven. Have you ever heard the term “Jacob’s Ladder?”
Genesis 28:16,17(NLT)- “Then Jacob woke up and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it. What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God-the gateway to heaven.”
No study on the power of your words would be complete without an examination of the most powerful and amazing thing your words can do.
I’m talking about bringing you into the presence of the all powerful Creator of the universe.
The kind of words I’m referring to are words of praise! Such words are a literal gateway into God’s throne room, or your might say the presence of God!
Isaiah 60:18(NIV)- “……but you will call your walls Salvation and Your gates Praise.”

HOW DO YOU PASS THROUGH THE GATES
1. Open the Gates Corporately.
Have you ever heard the term corporate prayer or corporate worship? It means a group of people coming together to do something in a “united way.”
Corporate praise and worship are a biblical concept. Throughout the Bible God encourages His people to enter His presence through corporate praise and worship.
Psalm 100:4- “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.”
This verse was addressed to an assembled group of worshipers in Israel during the reign of King David. But it is just as valid today.
If you are in a church service where the congregation is actively worshiping and praising God through music and son you may have experienced how easy it is to sense God’s presence.
You know the Lord is near and you can feel His love!
Psalm 22:3(KJV)- “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
When we corporately praise the Lord, He shows up and inhabits our praises and makes Himself known to us.
It’s no wonder we often sense His beautiful presence when we come together in worship.

HOW DO WE PASS THROUGH THE GATES
2. Open the Gates Individually
Hears the Good News. We don’t have to wait for a Sunday Service to connect with God and experience the refreshing that comes from His presence.
We can go through the gates of praise as individuals, in our own private times with the Lord. It isn’t difficult to communicate with Him.
1Corinthians 6:19,20(NIV)- “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your Body.”
Because God’s Spirit lives in you, you can worship Him any place any time-and He will inhabit your praises!
The Word makes it clear, “praisers” always get God’s attention!!!
Equally true, grumbling and complaining is a gateway to self-pity and will get you no-where with God!
Philippians 2:14(NIV)- “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
Only thankful people can march right into His courts and come into His presence through gates of praise!!!!
Psalm 16:11(NIV)- “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Doesn’t that sound appealing? Fullness of joy! Everlasting pleasures! These are the things you find in God’s presence!
Satan has deceived us and persuaded us to be afraid of God’s presence. Sometimes we thing we’ll find condemnation, criticism and rejection.
But the Bible says we will find pleasure and joy in the presence of God!
WORDS OF PRAISE OPEN THE GATE INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD!
Here’s a truth: Every need in your life can be met in God. No matter circumstance or situation you find yourself in, all you really need to do is connect with the Heavenly Father who loves you.
How do you do that: Through your words you speak to Him.
If you’re in debt, you need to get in His presence and find out His wisdom for financial freedom.
If you’re addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, you need to be in His presence where you will find the power to break that hold on your body and soul.
Are you on the brink of a divorce? You need to be in His presence and obtain is grace to help you save your marriage.
God’s manifest presence in your life is the answer in these and all other situations you may be facing.
It is an awesome thing to realize that you can enter into God’s presence through the gates of praise and receive what you need from Him.

CONCLUSION: So let’s do that in bringing this service to a close. Let’s take some time and praise and worship Him.