Praise. It’s an interesting word, isn’t it?
Associated with honoring the good things, but defined by how you handle the bad.
Meant to be carried out in the highest of highs, but most meaningful when also carried out in the lowest of lows.
Praise is an action and a way of life, a calling and a decision. Praise can be a testimony, a worship service, a sermon or even just the way you quietly live your life. In the purest of moments, it can be all of the above.
Tonight, for the first worship service of GA22, our theme was “I Will Never Lose My Praise.”
We were led in a powerful time of worship by anointed musicians and ministers, including the beautiful voices of Geron Davis & Kindred Souls, Aaron & Amanda Crabb, Taranda Greene, Voices of Lee, Javaris Wright, and General Overseer Dr. Tim Hill.
We were encouraged and we were pushed. We celebrated and we sang. More than anything, we praised the goodness, mercy, and faithfulness of the King of Kings.
Following the worship, Dr. Hill came to the pulpit to bring the word of God to this assembly, and what a timely word it was.
He spoke to praise as a commandment, as a way to carry out and finish the great commission.
“We must be a church of critical presence,” said Dr. Hill. “It HAS to make a difference that we are here.”
If you’ve been involved with our Church of God family, you’ve no doubt heard about the finish commitment - our calling as the Church of God to find, intercede, network, invest, send and harvest unto the Lord as we preach His name and bring forth His Kingdom.
“God has called the Church of God to play a leading role in helping to FINISH the Great Commission,” proclaimed Dr. Hill. “God is calling the COG to Find the unreached, Intercede in prayer, Network together, Invest our resources, Send disciples, & Harvest the field of souls!”
So tonight, as we sit here in San Antonio and praise the Creator of all, we must ask ourselves - will we protect our praise?
When times get hard, will we protect our praise?
When we are feeling empty, will we protect our praise?
When the obstacles seem large and the walls high, will we protect our praise?
In the face of failure, disgrace, and disenfranchisement from the world, will we protect our praise?
We are called to make a difference. We HAVE to make a difference.
In order to make a difference, we must BE different. We must praise Him in the sun and the storm, with the good and the not-so-good.
We must be different. We will be different. We were CREATED to be different.
WE. WILL. NEVER. LOSE. OUR. PRAISE.
