praise team thank you Cam your leadership leading us to to the throne room today all of our singers all of our musicians I'll talk about it briefly today a little bit David gave us a very good road map for where we are today he did this is in the Bible folks and we're going to talk about it today we're going to lift him up today and we're going to see God do great things in Jesus name praise team thank you music team thank you body of Believers thank you for worshiping God for lifting him up for magnifying and praising him for he's worthy amen amen you that are in the front you can begin to make your way to your seats remain standing we will read a portion of scripture I do say welcome to John and selinda Nichols thank you for being here with us today they're right here on the third row you can't miss him he's the tallest man in the room so Linda thank you so much for for all that you do uh for what you do for global missions you're representative for them and she every year because the times helps us with our uh home missionary kids so we we give you great honor thank you for for helping us with our our missions program if you have your Bibles Psalms 22 and 3 Psalms 22 and 3 it is one that I'm almost positive everybody in the room can quote if you have your scripture love to see you read it from your Bible it will be on the screen Thou Art holy oh thou that inhabit us the Praises of Israel I'm going to talk to us today praise His Dwelling Place praise is his dwelling place you can be seated this morning I certainly don't mind if you help me Preach Today have you enjoyed what you have felt here today I have too it's felt good in the house of the Lord we have experien the moving of God's spirit or another way of saying it we have felt the very presence of almighty God can be very easy for us to take for granted the fact that the god of the universe chooses to meet us here each and every week and he'll meet you anywhere not just here if we aren't careful we can allow a very human thing to occur we can begin to take moments that we just experienced we can take it for granted it's a very human thing you see it happening in the west right now people taking for granted what we have here this great country we have become fat on our own success lack of commitment people don't want to work hard anymore they want to get their colleges paid for when we got veterans living on the street that can't afford to eat we've gotten so fat on our success that we have taken for granted what we have here and you see the West beginning to decline because people aren't appreciating what has been given to us through hard work and almighty God so the very thing can happen in the spiritual realm the exact same thing we can take for granted on a weekly basis that the god of the universe meets us right here that Jesus meets us here continually that's something very special when you really think about it it's not these four walls ladies and gentlemen that brings God to this place it's it's not our very nice facilities it's not our well manicured campus that keeps Jesus wanting to come back to church every week what invites Jesus inside these four walls and no I'm not talking about the fact that God is spirit and yes he is omnipresent and his spirit is everywhere I'm I'm talking about that tangible presence of God that you can't deny that you begin to feel when the people of God begin to join together and lift him up what invites the presence of God here on a weekly basis is the Gathering Together of God's people and our willingness to lift him up our willingness as a United body to magnify and to glorify the King of Kings the Lord of lords and in case you didn't know it this morning he is still worthy of all the praise Glory and Honor that we could ever give him he is still great and greatly to be praised because he's great he's worthy of great praise not just little praise he's great so he's worthy of great praise [Applause] I know society's trying to write him off I know this post-water world that is so enlightened with their science and their knowledge they're so educated that they are doing everything they can to call this Jesus a historical character they're doing everything they can to explain away God and explain away his book but it's still standing let me tell you you this morning God's still here God's okay he's not just some historical character he's still alive in well his tomb is still empty you can't explain it away there's still a presence of God that we feel on a weekly basis that you can't just write off he's still doing the miraculous turnes he's still doing the miraculous sister Monica and I'll let you testify about it someday you should not be here you died multiple times he's still doing the unexplainable he's still delivering he's still giving people hope in a hopeless World he's still giving people joy in a world that is joyless [Applause] to all the John the Baptist that are on the limb the LI the blind are seeing the lame are walking the dumb are talking the dumb are are are are are talking and the dead are still being raised you can keep trying to explain him away you can keep trying to prove that this Bible is some fallible document that has been painted by the hand of man when it is absolutely nothing but the inspired God breathed God L word breed from [Applause] heaven I'm just going to keep praising him the more they try to disprove him I'm just going to keep lifting him up the more they try to keep saying he doesn't exist I'm just going to to praise him no more for there is none like him there is none beside him he is still Alpha and Omega he is still the first and the last the beginning the end the one who was is is to come the almighty he is still Jehovah Gyra he is still Jehovah nii he is still Jehovah Rafa he is still Jehovah Shalom you can't explain it away you can't science it away he's is proving it every day when I was sleeping he got up and made the sparis funeral this morning he closed all the summer flowers of the field and he's taken care of me I love him I worship him I exalt him I extol him I lift him up today I Magnify Him in the midst of a world that hates him I Magnify Him I glorify him I give him the praise the glory and the honor he deserves you see what I'm trying to do right now you see what you're trying to do right now I'm doing my very best to make sure his presence is still here I'm doing my very best to keep lifting him up cuz I don't want his presence to go [Applause] anywhere his presence makes itself felt when we begin to lift him up like we're doing and when his presence shows up anything is possible with man things may seem impossible but With God all things are possible so if he shows up if he shows up anything's possible so how do I get him to show up I lift him up I praise him I tell him how great he is I tell him how awesome he is I tell him that there's nobody else like him that there is no God beside him why wouldn't I want to get him to show up right here right now why wouldn't I want to have the chance at my miracle why wouldn't I want to have the chance at my blessing why wouldn't I want to have the chance at my salvation I'm going to lift him up if that's what gets him here in the midst of what I'm going through it's where he dwells it's where he lives it's where he inhabits the Praises of his of his people his presence can break chains asked Paul in silence his presence can destroy the arm armies of the enemy ask Aman and Moab and mount Seer his presence can take you from a whale's belly and put it on dry ground ask Jonah his presence can extend your life asked King Hezekiah who looked at God and said that PR that grave ain't going to praise you that grave is not going to lift you up you put me in that grave there's not going to be anybody to lift you up he got his life extended we used to sing that song when Praises go up the glory comes down blessings come down favor comes down that song wasn't just made up out of thin air it follows the pattern of the Bible when you begin to glorify God when you begin to lift him up when you lift your voice when you clap your hands when you dance and Shout he shows up when Praises go up his glory will come down his presence will make itself known you can feel it right here right now anything is possible that song followed a pattern the closest you get to his Praises go up the glory comes down is Psalm 675 through 7 let the people praise thee Oh God let all the people praise thee then shall the Earth yield her increase and our God even our God shall bless us God shall bless us and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him what a scripture let the people praise thee and the Earth will yield forth increase and God shall bless us us why wouldn't we want to praise God when we are told that that's where he lives that's where he inhabits that's where he dwells that's where he sets up shop if you will in the Praises of his people when we gather as the body of Christ when we begin to praise God together that is what makes his presence so strongly felt in this in this room not these four I'm thankful for what God has given us we are blessed here at the POA it's the greatest Church anywhere in the world but it's not great because of this it's great because of this it's great because we join together is the body of Christ and we lift up and we magnify God it's about you and it's about me we are what causes the presence of God to show up we are the ones who enti the god of the universe to make himself felt and when he's here Anything Can Happen 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us that the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Freedom abounds in Praise because when he shows up there's liberty there's freedom in his presence there's victory in his presence there's provision in his presence I can't make it without his presence folks that's where I am sustained that's where I get my victory that's where I get my freedom it's where I'm LED that's where I'm guided is the presence of God when Moses was leading the Israelites through the Wilderness on they had a cloud that covered them when that cloud began to move it was time to pick up and go that cloud represented the very presence of almighty God that was with the Israelites you know isn't it amazing that through those 40 Years of wondering some difficult times some difficult situations moments of great faith moments of lack of faith moments where they were God's people and then moments where they were still God's people but they were stiff necked and rebellious as God called them it's amazing that Moses throughout those 40 Years of difficulties and trials and tribulations never said to himself you know what why don't we try something else why don't we let the cloud go that way and we'll go this way no way Moses had a keen understanding of the presence of God in fact if you will remember in Exodus chap 33 God makes a bargain with Moses God tells Moses you can take the people into the land that I promised him I'll even send an angel before you to clear out the land clear them out of all the inhabitants you can step into your land flowing with milk and honey it's yours go the victory's already won but here's the catch I'm staying here I'm not going with you Moses didn't like that bargain he said we need to have a talk god yes the Bible says Exodus 33 that that cloud descended and God spoke to Moses as a man face to face and in southern boy vernacular Moses looked at God face to face and said if you ain't going I going we ain't going you're the one that has led us this far you're the one that spared us you're the one that has destroyed our enemies you're the one that parted the Red Sea you're the one who made The Bitter Water sweet you're the one that's provided for us you're the one that is sustained us you're the one that's taken care of us what do you mean go without you we can't make it without your presence I can't go without your presence I don't know what I'm doing without you we're nothing if you don't go with us we're just four walls if you're not with [Applause] us if he said we're going to go this way and let the cloud go that way you know what would have happened where would the food have been tomorrow where would the Mana have been how would their clothes have held up how would their shoes have held up how would you get water in a desert if it wasn't for a rock that was following you every step of the way providing you water if you weren't under that cloud how would you get it the presence of God Paul wrote to us for wrote to the cor Corinthian Church to US 1 Corinthians 10 1-4 over Brethren I would not that you should be ignorant how that our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized under Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ let me tell you something ladies and gentlemen Christ is still providing Christ is still feeding spiritual meat he's still delivering in spiritual drink he's still parting the spiritual Waters he's still leading he's still guiding he's still protecting he's still providing to those that are in the presence of God and if I want to be in the presence of God I've got to guarantee that he'll show up on my behalf if I will praise him that's where my sustenance is that's where my hope is that's where my joy is that's where my Miracle is in the presence of God so I tell us all again praise ye the Lord it brings his presence there's provision in his presence there's Deliverance in his presence there's salvation in his presence presence there's freedom in his presence your Miracle is in his presence your blessing is in his [Applause] presence and if we praise him we give that presence a Dwelling Place there was a young man after God's Own Heart who understood the power of His presence who understood that singing and praising would bring down the glories of God yes the Ark of the Covenant that also represents the very presence of God that wooden box overlaid with gold that had on the inside of it Aaron's Rod that had budded representing the power of God had on the inside of it the Ten Commandments representing his laws and his truths not my truth his truth and a pot of Mana that represented God's provision a god of power a god of laws statutes and principles and a god of provision that's all wrapped up in his presence that powerful symbol of God's presence and his mercies was lost Eli who wasn't a very good high priest had two sons half n finaz and when they saw Israel being defeated in battle because Israel had turned from God and Israel was wicked because they didn't have any solid leadership the Philistines were winning the battle and these two young men thought that they could just run the ark out on the battlefield and God would do his thing that's not quite how God works he doesn't do things that we want him to win we want him to especially if we hadn't been spending any time with him of course the ark is stolen Eli the high priest Falls backwards breaks his neck and dies when he hears that the ark is gone that's true we know the story very well I won't go through every single detail but the Philistines try to put the Ark in their place of worship next to deeon and poor deeon keeps falling on his face he falls down one time and his head and his limbs fall off the Bible says just a stump remained and in three different cities they send the Ark of the Covenant the very presence of God in every city that the ark visited God would Smite the Lords and the men of that City with um a physical discomfort and also mice and after seven months the Philistines say we don't want this thing anymore make a cart they get some special animals together they put the ark back on the cart and they send it towards Israel on that cart you have the Ark of the Covenant it's covered in jewels and with special gold commemorations of what God had done to them golden hemorrhoids and golden mice I don't know man I wasn't there they made replicas of hemorrhoids that were golden to pay tribute to get God off their back the ark arrives at sheesh in the field of Joshua the presence of almighty God has made its way back home the Levites take the ark off the cart they Rejoice they give they offer burnt offerings and then they look inside the Levites should have known better because of this mistake God strikes down 50,7 men so needless to say the people of Beth shesh they don't want it either they send the AR to kir Jeth jiram and they bring it to AB badad house which is on a hill they sanctify Eleazar who was his son to take care of the Ark the ark is in abad's house abinadab the son of Saul Eleazar the grandson of King Saul and yet we never see where Saul ever inquires where is the presence of God that's true the very thing that can bring hope to the Hopeless the very thing that can set at Liberty them that are captive the very thing that can bring us Victory the very thing that can help lead and guide and help me as I'm trying to be king here the presence of God Saul never inquires about it and it was in his own family's house abinadab was killed in battle with his father Saul the ark had been in his house at this point 13 years and yet Saul never asked to see it to use it to build a tabernacle for it nothing stays in abinadab house under under the care of Eleazar for seven more years when the young man who has been King over heon for seven years is now made King over all of Israel in his first order of business where is the presence of God because I'm not going to try to lead without [Applause] it just like Moses David knew he couldn't go one step without God's presence the story continues with David ready to take the ark back to Jerusalem they tried carrying the ark the wrong way it begins to fall off the cart usza who is another one of abinadab sons tries to steady touches the ark and he dies David says we have to figure out how to properly carry this thing because there is a proper way to carry the presence of God right he stores the ark at OED edom's house for three months everything that OED Edom in his house touches turns to Gold not liter literally figuratively he and his family are blessed beyond measure you know what the Bible says about OED Edom he was a gittite a gitite is a Philistine from gath he's eventually listed as a levite and is allowed to be a doorkeeper for the ark later so there's some scholarly arguing which I'm certainly not going to do here today over is this man a gentile who converted to Judaism or is he a levite who happened to live in gath for a little while but the Bible says very clearly he's a gitite which is a Philistine in my opinion which I could very well be wrong this is a gentile who is sojourning in Israel and this is where David chooses to place the ark the presence of God the Bible never says anything about God blessing abinadab or Eleazar being royalty of King Saul and Jews but he chooses to bless a Philistine remember folks it's never up to us who God chooses to bless whether they're in the church out of the church who they are where they're from it's not up for me to judge God chooses God chooses who he wants to bless and God chooses who he wants to pass over God chooses who he wants to heal and who he chooses not to God chooses who he wants to set free at a particular moment instant Deliverance or those who may have to seek many many years for deliverance God is Sovereign and God chooses he does what he wants but that doesn't change the fact he can do anything when his presence shows up and he did he blessed OED Edom David learns how to carry the ark they get the staves back in the Rings and they carry it and they would stop after six steps making their way towards Jerusalem and they would offer a sacrifice the Bible says that David danced that's what it says or praised not just a little bit with all of his might 1 chonicles 15 tells this story a different way he says that he took singers and people to play Brass symbols and Sury and harps with him so there's a whole band there's people singing there's people playing they're on the stringed instruments they're on the brass instruments right letting it go and every six steps that'd take a praise break yes that's right because he understood he understood that's how I keep the presence of God with me this is where he dwells and if I want to get the presence of God to show up on my behalf I better praise him with all my might he praised him with all his might so much so that his own wife ridiculed him made fun of him for what he was doing said it was beneath him to be doing what he was be what he was doing that didn't stop him he just kept on praising he just kept on lifting him up no matter who was chirping in his ear no matter who was telling how goofy he looked no matter who was telling how crazy he looked he just kept on going at it no matter who his neighbor was no matter who his husband or wife was no matter what the kids thought no matter what the friends thought David just kept on praising no matter what Society said no matter what the world said David just kept on mightily praising God don't let anybody steal your praise don't let anybody shame you from praising God why you think the devil fights you so hard because he wants to steal your [Music] praise that's why he'll send people to make fun of you and mock you and talk about you and laugh at you he'll do everything he can to steal your praise cuz he knows when you praise he's coming down he's showing up Don't let let anything steal your praise don't let any situation don't let any circumstance don't let any offense don't let any heartache don't let any pain don't let any person steal your [Applause] praise we used to sing that old song I I got a praise I've got a praise and I got to let it out I got a praise I I got a praise I got a praise and I got to get it out I got a praise don't let anybody take it don't let anybody steal it don't let the devil lie to to you you've got a praise has God been good to you you've got a praise get it out let it [Applause] out nobody's going to steal my praise nobody's going to take my praise because if I allow them to it will take away from me the thing I need most the presence of God I'm closing you go you there already you you learning [Applause] sucker Hall I've got a praise [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh Hallelujah David gets the ark back to Jerusalem where he had a tent that had been pitched to house the ark he had promised that he would make the presence of God the center of his kingdom you can read about that promise in Psalm 132 yeah where people are recalling the promise that he had made David puts the ark under a tent on Mount Zion and he begins to appoint people he appoints priests to act he appoints ministers he appoints praisers and he appoints singers yes he appoints these praisers and singers to praise and to sing around the ark 24 hours a day yeah seven days a week as we would say it there was never a moment where the praise ceased around the ark their full occupation they didn't have any other service in in David's Kingdom their full occupation was to sing into praise before that Mercy Seat day and night in Moses's Tabernacle there was a veil that separated the ark and only the high priest could go beyond it once a year when Solomon builds the temple the ark once again goes into the inner Chambers and it's only visited by the high priests all we ever hear about Solomon's Temple is how beautiful it was and how glorious it was let me tell you something folks Solomon's Temple could not compare with David's Tabernacle because for 33 years there was unceasing praise and worship that kept the presence of God dwelling with Israel you know what it was called the sacrifice of praise David chose 24 different families in groups of 12 288 people to help accomplish this task of unceasing praise and worship around the ark yes that wasn't four walls that brought the presence down that was men and women who without ceasing praise God entertaining the presence of An Almighty God in the Tabernacle of David just a tent covering open walls not even a badger scan tent it was an open air Tent Revival it wasn't the building that created the atmosphere it wasn't the gold or the precious wood that would come later with Solomon's Temple what made David's Tabernacle so special is that there was United praise that kept the presence of God dwelling with his people that's why David could go on to write about it I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth he would write again every day will I bless bless thee and I will praise thy name forever and ever David refused to quit praising God he wouldn't let the ark go a single second without somebody praising around it because he understood this is what's going to keep his presence around my kingship that's why David could go on and write in Psalms 16 and11 in his presence there's fullness of joy and at his right hand there's Pleasures forever more there is complete Joy there's complete peace there's complete satisfaction in the dwelling place of God and the dwelling place of God is when I lift him up that's where he dwells that's where he lives there's a reason we encourage people who are seeking the Holy Ghost in their life to open their mouth and praise because God sees a place where he can dwell yes praise is God's Dwelling Place David was quite the Visionary 24 families around the ark unceasing praise I believe Revelation tells a pretty similar story 24 Elders around the Throne of God casting their crowns bowing down and with the angels worshiping unse ceasing saying holy holy holy holy ladies and gentlemen if the presence of God dwells in our praises and anything is possible in the presence of God what is keeping us from praising God here today what's keeping us from inviting a powerful move of god let's all stand together I'm done if you have excuse me if you have a need here today you need something from God I ask you to come on down you need healing you need restoration you need Deliverance you need a miracle you need blessing you want to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost you want to be baptized in Jesus name you want to repent of your sins come on somebody you need something from God today we're about to praise and his presence is going to show up and anything is possible then those in the balcony you can come come to the rail if you don't feel comfortable coming all the way to the front due to crowdedness please come to the second aisle we consider that an altar as well come on down the presence of God is about to meet us and anything can happen when the presence of God shows up walls fall down chains are loosed [Music] keep coming we still got people [Music] coming you need a miracle from God come on down come on folks there's still plenty of room up here here's what I want us to do I want us to throw our hands in the air they're going to play a song and I want you in whatever way you see fit to not give up just ordinary praise but as David did Mighty praise whether you lift your voice whether you clap your hands whether you dance and Shout we're about to magnify the Lord together are you [Music] ready let's lift him up lift up your voice in the name of Jesus clap your hands in the name of [Applause] Jesus I got a praise I got to praise that I got to get it out I got to PR I got to I got to PR I got got to praise and I got to get it out I got to praise praise I got to praise I got to praise and I got to get it out I got to praise I got to I dancing the Lord finally Hallelujah why don't you grab the person next to you take them by the hand take them by the hand grab your neighbor get a little shout going I got to praise I got to praise and I got to get it out I got to pray I got to pray I got to praise I got to praise and I got to get it out I got to praise I got I got to praise I got to praise and I got to get it out I got to praise [Music] can't stoping his name I just can't stop praising his name I just can't stop praising his name [Music] Jesus can't stop prising his name just can't stop prising his I just can't stop Jesus stop pring his name I just can't stop pra his name I just can't stop pring his name Jesus can't stop can't stop praising his name I just can't stop praising his name I just can't stop praising his name Jesus [Music] four times Psalms 107 [Music] a passage comes for our encouragement oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works [Music] [Music]