Welcome to message number four of seven in our current series: “7 Hebrew Words for Praise”. We’re almost finished with this series, and then it will be time to check with the Holy Ghost to see where we go from here. I am really enjoying the opportunity to write this series of messages, and am hoping that you’re all getting as much out of these messages as I am. It truly is an honor and a privilege to be able to do this, and have the unction and backing of the Holy Ghost. It’s a lot of fun to write these messages, and just wait for the Holy Ghost to take control.
So, I’m excited to see where the Lord will take us today as we talk about this fourth of the seven Hebrew words for praise. Please join me as we find out together what the Lord would have us to know about this form of praise.
I think today’s message is really going to be excellent. I have a sense that the Lord has some things to say similar to what He’s already been speaking to us, and continuing to challenge us to become more radical and as we found out on day one…clamorously foolish when it comes to worshiping our King of kings and Lord of lords…Amen!?!
Well, that’s pretty simple isn’t it. The correct way to pronounce this word is this way: shaw-bakh’. I realize that doesn’t sound to easy…so the way we say this word is Shaw Bach…I hope that’s a little more helpful than shaw-bakh’. Maybe I can search Google for an image of what we’re about to talk about. I know there’s several songs that use Psalm 47:1 in them “shout unto God with a voice of triumph…shout unto God with a voice of praise (shabach).” That’s what “Shabach” is, that’s what it means…when we shout unto God…that’s exactly what Shabach is.
Instead of finding an image, I found a video of Hillsong’s version of “Shout Unto God” to listen to while you read this message.
Okay, you know exactly where we’re going because we’ve been going here for the last three messages. This goes back to the shouting clamorously foolish for our favorite sports team, but when we are in church for some reason we can barely muster up a voice to shout “Jesus” or “Hallelujah” or “Praise the Lord”. Now, before you think that I’m only speaking to you…I have inserted the “we” here because I am just as guilty of standing in church some times with passionless worship while I can be excited and shout out “touchdown” or “homerun”.
Listen, (I guess I have adopted Charles Stanley‘s “Listen” as my catch phrase when the Lord gives me something important to say.) I’ve had the Holy Spirit deal with me about these things that’s why and how I know they’re done in the church pew or seat or in the midst of an amazing conference. All I know is that when I can’t shout for God, but I can for the Redskins or White Sox or Badgers or whomever it is I’m cheering for…then the problem isn’t with the worship band, it’s not the song choice, the melody or rhythm of the song…the problem is within me. That problem is what I touched on a little bit in the last message…it’s know as PRIDE.
Before you say it. I understand that some of you are from religious places that frown upon shouting to the Lord as well. I know that there are congregations out there who prefer you to sit quietly while the worship team sings their songs, and when they’re finished then you can clap and maybe say a few amen’s, shake some hands, and then be seated quickly so the sermon can be given. I’ve been there with you. I know what that’s like, and that’s why I’m no longer in those places…because I can’t be in a place that’s passionless about their worship and pursuit of the heart of God. Not anymore because my passion and pursuit of the heart of God demands that I do something other than sit or stand in a place that has no passion for God.
Christlike Ministries NWA Family, the Bible says that God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth, and a lot of folks focus on the spirit and truth part of that. However, what I hear when I read that verse is that God is looking for people who will worship HIM. Christlike Ministries NWA Family, we know that our God is a jealous God so why is it that we can shout “Woo Pig Suey” for the Razorback games, but when we’re standing in church the worship leaders have to practically beg us to get out of our flesh, press past our situations and circumstances and maybe muster up enough of a voice to shout out a half-hearted “Amen”.
Look, I’ve come to realize and to the point where I don’t give a rip who is around me or what anyone else thinks of me. God has done so much for me, with me, through me, and now because of me that there’s no reason I can think of that prevents me from worshipping God with passion and love and awe because of who He is and what He has done. Therefore, if I feel the urge to shout while I’m praising and worshiping God…then that’s what I’m going to do. If I feel the need to “Halal” God (get clamorously foolish for Him), if I feel the need to “Towdah” God (raise a hand to Him when I’m driving), or if I feel the need to “Yadah” God (extend my hands in praise and worship of Him) or in today’s case “Shabach” God (shout unto God with a voice of triumph and praise)…I’m going to do that because for no other reason…He is worthy of my praise, my adoration, and for me to worship Him in the way that He is seeking.
For crying out loud, friends. If we have nothing other than Jesus to shout over…then that is more than enough for us to shout about from here to eternity. That’s not adding into all of the things that He’s done in, with and through our lives. That’s not including the countless people He’s used us to touch, or the countless number of people He’s used to touch our lives. That’s not including the many things that He’s blessed us with, the grace that He gives us every time we fail Him, the mercy He shows when we fall, and the love He gives us that makes us inseparable from Him once we’re His children. There is so much that God has done that I can hardly keep from shouting as I’m writing this message.
“Shout unto God with a voice of triumph”. God IS victorious, friends. He has already fought the battle and secured the victory for us…and He won the battle. God has NEVER lost. He has a perfect record. There is none or no one that has defeated Him. Just as a short list…He has defeated death, hell, the grave, sin, sickness, disease, and more just by sacrificing Jesus upon the Cross…in your place and mine. Jesus made an open spectacle of satan as He took back the keys, He took back the authority that Adam lost in the garden, and He brought satan through the streets like the old solders used to do with kings that they defeated in battle to embarrass and bring them to an open shame. That is what the death, burial, and resurrection did…it allowed Jesus to drag satan through the streets of hell in an embarrassing fashion. In fact, there is scripture in Isaiah that says that when we finally get to Heaven…we’re going to take one look at satan…and we’re going to say to ourselves: “this is who gave us so much trouble?”…because he is stripped of all his power. The ONLY power he has over us and our lives is the power and access we give him…because if we’re believers and in Christ…then we’re fighting against an enemy that’s already been defeated.
So…how can I not shout unto God because there’s so much that He has done and won for us without us doing anything. The best part is the ONLY thing we have to do in order to take part in all of this is to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior…and EVERYTHING that God did for us through Jesus is ours…EVERYTHING.
Listen, there wasn’t anything left out when it comes to the Cross. God thought of absolutely EVERYTHING and nailed it to the Cross with Jesus. So, whether it’s sin, cancer, or whatever it is you can possibly think of…God has already defeated it! He’s already purchase the victory. He has already won every battle we will ever face. He is victorious…and through Jesus so are we. If that doesn’t get you to wanting to shout…then you may need to have someone hold a mirror in front of your face to see if you’re still breathing or check your pulse to make sure your heart is still beating. I can’t even write this message without wanting to shout.
Christlike Ministries NWA Family, I understand that some times we’re tired from work or we have a million things going on. I understand that some times we have situations and circumstances we’re facing that the devil tries to use to keep us quiet. I can imagine there were many times that those people who were walking around the walls of Jericho that they had many opportunities to think that what they were doing was stupid or useless. I’m sure there were lots of solders watching them march around the walls thinking what a bunch of morons they must be. I’m sure there was a lot of ridicule. However, when they shouted and those walls came down…I would’ve liked to have been there as faith arose in them like never before.
Christlike Ministries NWA Family, can I ask you a couple of questions? What walls are standing in your life? What’s going on in your life that a good shout unto God with a voice of triumph could bring down? After all, the best line of that song to me is “the enemy has been defeated”. It doesn’t say “the enemy will be defeated”, “the enemy might be defeated”, or “the enemy could be defeated”. It says the enemy HAS been defeated. That’s past tense, Christlike Ministries NWA Family! That means the enemy was defeated before we did anything…we’re just shouting unto God because He’s the One that secured the victory. Amen!?!
Do you need victory? Do you need breakthrough? Maybe you should try swallowing your pride and giving God some shouts of triumph and praise…and see if those walls of your own Jericho come down.
I hope that you have enjoyed this message. Please understand that I’m not trying to pick on anyone. I’m just trying to challenge you to be more clamorously foolish in your worship of God. If it’s been a while since you’ve felt His presence, you need an encounter with Him…then some times we need to do something different. Some times we need to praise Him in a different way. I’m trying to encourage you to see God in a different way so that maybe it will fill your heart with more passion and love and the more you think about what He’s done in, with, and through your life…the more difficult it will become to contain your praises and worship of Him.
There’s no malice or any ill-will when it comes to writing these messages. The sole motivation and intent with all of my messages is love and the truth in love. If you feel condemnation…then understand that isn’t coming from God or me…condemnation is from the devil. However, if what you’re feeling is conviction, and that small voice inside of you is speaking to your heart…that’s the Holy Ghost…and He’s trying to let you know that you need to look at your heart…and that perhaps there’s more of you that needs to decrease so that God’s presence in your life can increase.
As always, I wish to thank all of you who take the time to read these messages, and pray that it helps you to begin, develop or maintain your relationship with Him.