Praise Goes First | Pastor Travis Greene | Forward City Church

My family, thank you so much for hanging out with us on this day. I do have a message from God for you. We're beginning a new series here at Forest City Church called Level Up. And first things first, this Sunday, I had to kick it off. Before we level up in our finances, our relationships, and even in our spiritual disciplines, we got to level up in our praise.

I preached a message called praise goes first. From 2 Chronicles chapter 20, there's a story about how there's a vast army, a great army coming against Jehoshaphat and against Judah. And the Bible says before they drew any weapons and before they even tried to fight their own battle, a prophet rose up and reminded them that the battle was not theirs, but it belonged to God.

And so the Bible says that King Jehoshaphat put the praisers out in front of the army. And the praisers walked out and they began to lift up worship to our God. And as they praise God, the Lord set ambushes. He set a trap against the enemy on their behalf.

Ladies and gentlemen, before you give God your excuses, before you give God your preferences, before you give God your complaints, remember that praise goes first. I love you. Remember, God is for you. He's with you to send your praise up even as you watch this message. See you soon.

Today's message is simply called praise goes first. Do me a favor. Grab three people and tell them you got to send your praise first. You got to You got to send your praise first. You got to send your praise first. I'mma read a little bit. I'm going to get you out of here. 2 Chronicles chapter 20.

There's an amazing story and I'm going to just tell you what's happening in the story for the sake of time. But the Bible says in verse two that some people come to Jehoshaphat the king and let them know that a vast army is coming against them. And so in verse three, the Bible says that Jehoshaphat inquires of the Lord and the people come in verse four.

In verse 14, it says that a prophet, the spirit of the Lord comes upon this man named Jehaziel and and he prophesies and he tells him, he says, "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all of you who live in Judah and Jerusalem, this is what the Lord says. Don't be afraid.

I need you to hear this for your life. Don't be afraid and don't be discouraged because of this vast army. If you don't catch nothing else in this service, please take this phrase with you. For the battle is not yours but God's. I could fight it, but I probably won't win.

And some of us are in this room today tired because you've been fighting God's battle. Bible says in verse 18, he bows down before the Lord and the people join him. They bow before the Lord. Then the Bible says in 19 that the Levites stand up and they praise the Lord with a loud voice.

I love that. Verse 21, it says that he appoints men to get ahead of the army and they walk out in front of the army and they say, "Give thanks to the Lord for his love." Imagine this. There's a bigger army in front of you. And the Bible says Jehoshaphat sends the men out front.

And they said, "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever." Verse 22 always sends me up as they begin singing and praising the Lord. God set ambushes, traps against their enemy. When they looked out on the battlefield, ladies and gentlemen, the enemy, all of the armies, the three of them killed each other.

And all they did was praise God. I'm telling you, when you begin to touch heaven with your praise, he'll touch your situation. And the devil wants nothing more than you to get so frustrated that you remain quiet. But my praise have power. What money can't do, praise will do for me.

Ah man. When I'm not smart enough or wise enough to do or figure out, praise will do for me. when I'm not strong enough to open a door, praise would do for me. Do me a favor. Tell your neighbor, "Your praise got power." Your praise got power and it goes first because whatever goes first determines what will follow.

I was I was praying through this message and I'm telling y'all the entire time I was extremely convicted. I was convicted because if I'm honest, it's something that I often forget. I often forget to send praise first. Like when someone come against my wife or kids, my instinct is to run and then it dawn on me that I'm a man, so I got to stand up for him.

How many of y'all if the alarm go off in your house, the first thing you start saying is hallelujah? I have a friend, he's in he's in Ghana, and uh he's a prophet. He's an amazing prophet. And uh these two men came to his house to rob him and they put a gun on him and commanded him to give all his stuff to him.

And my friend, he's a prophet. They didn't there's no way he could fight them that had got guns on him. So he started praying in the Holy Spirit. He just started speaking in tongues. The two men put their gun down, got on their knees, got saved, and now they're on the security team at his church.

Y'all looking at me like that's that's just crazy. The problem is the devil has convinced us that our praise is powerless. If you knew how strong your praise was, there is anxiety that you have accepted in your life that only your praise will be able to drive out.

There are circumstances that you have accepted for your family that only praise has the power to drive out. And I just wish I had 20 people who have a revelation that my praise has power that will just take a moment and clap your hands and send your praise up first.

((applause)) ((music playing)) The Bible says in Acts chapter 5 that there are these Pharisees and they want to kill Peter, John, and the apostles because they keep preaching in the name of Jesus. The Bible says that they get jealous of them because people are getting saved. And Peter is walking down the street and the shadow was killing people and they get intimidated by this and then they start really getting in their feelings cuz pre cuz Peter is preaching the bold gospel.

He basically telling them y'all the ones who killed Jesus. The Pharisees are like, "We don't like that." So the Bible says they put them in prison and the angel unlocks the door and they come out and the angel says, "Go back and keep preaching." They keep preaching and then the Bible says they arrest him and watch what happens.

I got to read this for you because this thing really got messed up. The Bible says in Acts 5:38 there's a there's a teacher there's a teacher named Galiel and he speaks up on their behalf and he says therefore in the present case I advise you this is what he's telling to the Pharisees.

Leave these men alone. Let them go. Watch this. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. You ain't even got to mess with them. If they doing this in their own strength, it's going to fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men.

There's a part I like. You'll only find yourselves fighting against God. They're people who thought they were coming against you and they had no idea that they was fighting against God. Now watch verse 40. This is really messed me up. His his speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged, beaten.

Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let him go. They beat him up. They curbside stomped them. They they they cripwalked all over him. They beat him up real bad. But watch verse 41. It says, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin." This messed me up.

Rejoicing. Now, you know, you can't just read the Bible. The Bible says they were rejoicing because they have been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Ladies and gentlemen, I need you to just imagine you downtown at Five Points and you just walking around. You're like, "Jesus loves you."

And a few people come to you and just start punching you in the face. Pull your weave out. How many of y'all are going to get up off the ground and say, "Thank you, Jesus. You're calling me worthy to get beat up for your name's sake." These men do not start a GoFundMe page.

They don't make a selfie video. They don't march around the city. No, ladies and gentlemen, they rejoice because they had a revelation that their praise must go first. My praise can do much more than my complaining will ever. Praise goes where? First. First. This thing convicted me, man.

Cuz praise ain't often the first thing on my radar. I'm be honest. I'm going be honest. I was having a conversation. I think it was just a couple days ago and some young adults were talking to me and they said, "Travis, uh, how you feeling about this tour, man?"

And I said, "I'm not I'm not feeling good at all. I haven't toured in six years. It cost me a lot to go on tour. No carbs for about a month. Exercising, dieting, voice strain, fatigue, long. I got like three 20our flights on this tour. I gotta eat nasty food and act like it's good because you got to make everybody feel special about their Thank you.

So, I'm giving them all the reasons why I'm not anticipating this tour. As if for 30 years I didn't pray and ask God to open doors. And now I got a nerve to allow my preferences to precede my praise. Now I know I'm just confessing by myself and you can look at me like you ain't never do this before.

How about the parent that be complaining about your child? They never clean up their room. He act just like his daddy. Come on, don't do that. You're complaining instead of giving thanks that God allowed you to give birth in the first place. I remember I remember the day when my son was when my wife was on bed rest for two months and we're just believing God for the birth of my first son.

We didn't care what condition he made it in. We just wanted him to breathe. And now I got a nerve as a father to complain more than I praise God for the child that he gave me. How about the spouses that be complaining? You better be glad you got something on your left hand.

I remember being single, wanting a wife that'll love me for me. And I remember just a few years ago when her ATV went off a cliff in the middle of Mexico and I wasn't care. I didn't care about if she would ever walk again. I just wanted her eyes to open.

And I got a nerve to get in my feelings sometime. This ain't a sermon. It's a confession. And complain about the very thing that I prayed for. Complaining about your job. You better be glad you even getting a check. I remember having a degree and a bunch of debt applying for anywhere online just trying to pre feed my family and God has opened doors and I got a nerve to complain and not send my praise first.

I got a nerve to complain about people leaving a church when there's pastors praying and begging God for a building to put people in. I got a reason to I don't need everybody, but if I can have 10 people who know you got a reason to pray. I got a reason to complain, but I got an even better reason to praise when I think about what he's already done for me.

My praise goes first. Sometimes I forget. Your boy forget that praise is primary. Sometimes I send my excuses first. Sometimes, oh man, I know I'm the only one who do this. Sometimes I send my resume to God first like how you gonna use me. I don't I don't I don't have this.

I don't know them. I can't go there. I can't afford it. I know I'm no longer did that. I tell God my limitations as if he's not God enough to handle them. As if he don't have other options or who we can call. God does not stutter. He knew exactly who he was calling when he called my name.

And yet sometimes I got a nerve to give him my reason, my experiences, my educational background instead of just sending my praise up and saying, "God, thank you for choosing me." Sometimes I send my anger up first and my offense instead of praising God. Praise goes first, not your request.

That's why before I preach, I asked you to lift your hands if you need a breakthrough. But then I told you not to ask for anything. Because before you ask for anything, you're supposed to thank him for everything. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing.

But in everything, in every situation, by prayer and petition, watch this. With thanksgiving, present your request to God." Don't you ask him for nothing without thanking him for what you already got. Praise comes first. When I begin with thank you, I'm starting to relearn the power of thank you.

Even in my prayer time with God, I'm starting to remember the power of thank you. When I begin with thank you, I put everything else in its proper place. I got bills, but thank you. I got something to pay off. I stumped my toe, but thank you. I got a foot to walk on.

They broke my heart, but thank you for exposing who's really for me and against me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank. Does anybody have a thank you in the room? See, complaining adds weight. It adds unnecessary weight to you. Life is weighty all by itself, but when you complain, you're just putting extra weight in your bag.

Praise takes weight and places it on the one who can actually handle it. My God, I'm learning to send my praise first. I love the chapter of Psalm 33. I'm going to ask you to read it when you get home. I'm just going to read the first opening verses.

And it says this. Sing joyfully to the Lord. You're righteous. It is fitting for the upright to praise him. It's natural for the upright to praise him. It's unnatural to be quiet. It's more unnatural for you to hold your praise back than it is to praise him. He says it's fitting for the upright.

Praise the Lord with the heart. Make music to him with the 10 string light. Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully and shout for joy. That's one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Shout for joy. Do you know you can command joy to show up when you shout for it?

Some of us only unhappy because we're quiet. You got to confuse the devil. Next time you about to get in argument with your spouse, just look at them before you say, "I can't stand." Just say, "Hallelujah." They probably start laughing and joy will just come and flood the bedroom.

You got to shout for joy. Next time your child come in late for for curfew, open the door. Hallelujah. Shout for it. Shout for it. Shout for it. Shout for it. Don't meddle in depression. Don't sit there and just think about all the bad things that are happening, all the people who left you, all the pain you in.

Sometimes you got to psych yourself out. Sometimes you got to confuse the devil and shout. I need a few people to just take a moment and shout for joy. For the joy of the Lord is your strip. Shout for it. I'm wrapping up. I'm going give you five good reasons to praise.

Five good reasons to praise. You ready? Number one, God's heart is for you. The Bible says in Psalm 33:5, "The Lord loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of his unfailing love." God's heart is for you. His heart beats for you. He's not against you. He is for you.

God wishes that no one would perish. He is for you. Number two, God's word is with you. My God, that's a good reason to praise. The Bible says in verse six, "By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made. The story of host by the breath of his mouth.

His word sustains. His word is with you. Even when it feels like hell is against you. You are being sustained by the very word of God. The Bible says no word can return to him void. His word is with you. That's a reason of praise. Number three, God's mind is on you.

His men that you're so mindful of them. His mind is on you. He's concerned about you. The Bible says in verse 11, "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever." for the purposes of his heart through all generations. His mind is on he's thinking about you. The Bible says in Psalm 37:23, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly and he delights in every detail of your life.

He's mindful of you." Number four, here's another reason of praise. God's hand will hold you. Is there anybody in the room that can testify that you've been kept by the hand of God? My God. His hand will hold you. When they let you go, he'll keep holding you.

His hand will hold you. The Bible says in Psalm 33:7, he gathers, watch this, the waters of the sea into jars. What? I had to read that twice. God's hand is so big, he can gather water. You ever tried to do that before? You ever tried to just get a little bit of water to drink it, and all the water just go running through your hand?

God's hand is so big, he can gather the waters of the sea. And if the big hand of God can gather an ocean, surely he can hold the little life of Travis and Jackie together. Surely he can hold my future together. Surely he can keep my kids together.

Surely he can hold my life in his hand. He gathers the water. His hand will hold you. Number five, here's the fifth reason of praise. Not only are his hands holding you, not only is his heart beating for you, not only is his mind only you, not only will his word be with you, but his eyes are on you, man.

The Bible says in verse 13 of chapter 33, from heaven, the Lord looks down and sees all mankind. My God, he's looking at you. When they turn their back on you, he's still looking at you. He's watching at you. He's the father who never missed a ball game.

He showed up for your graduation. He was there at your wedding. His eyes are on you from his dwelling place. He watches all who live on earth. Verse 18 says, "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him." My God, whose hope is in his unfailing love.

His eyes are on you. This is why I praise cuz he's looking at me. I praise him because he sees me and he delights in it. And now just imagine King Jehoshaphat getting this bad news. Hey bro, there's a big army coming against you. And the Bible says he gets on his face, starts seeking the Lord, and the prophet says, "Hey, hey, this battle ain't yours.

It's the Lord." And that's all Jehoshaphat needs to hear. So the army starts lining up say, "Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I need I man. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I need Reggie. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I need Whitney. Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I need Elijah. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I need Lambrite." And they come walking to the front and everybody looking like, "Yeah, I don't know how to fight." And the mind said, "I'm from Florence, actually." But Jehoshap. And the Bible says, "As the praise started going forth, the Lord started doing for them what they couldn't do in their own strength."

Now, I know you feel weak, and I know you feel unqualified, and I know you feel like there's no way in your own power that you can make happen what God's promised you. The good news is you don't have to make it happen. All you have to do is remember to send your praise first.

And when you send your praise first, God can do for you what you can't do for yourself. Give me 30 people who will just practice for a moment and send your praise up. Come on, we about to go home. Send your praise up. Stand with me. Stand with me.

Last and final point. Praise is not denial. I need you to hear this. Praise is not denial. I'm not lying to myself when I praise God. If a doctor give me a diagnosis, I don't start covering my ears and just start going crazy in the hospital room. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. No, I'mma listen to them. Doctors aren't evil. Many of them have given their lives to saving lives. My wife is a doctor. Doctors aren't evil. Medicine ain't demonic. I rebuke this Tylenol. Tell take that medicine. Know how many crazy people came to me and said, "The Lord told me to stop taking my medicine.

You crazy. Take that. That ain't a demon. You just crazy. You need. So, I thank God for doctors. Hear me. But I don't mean I have to agree with everything they say. And I listen to the counsel and I listen to their advice. But the moment that the doctor start feeling like he or her has the final word, that's when I'm like, "Wait, hold up, hold up, wait a minute, wait a minute. you good at what you do.

We asked one doctor one time, she was a high-risisk specialist, was like, "What's what's your percentage rate for this this operation?" She said, "Well, it's a 50% chance that your child will make it and 50% that it won't." One doctor said it's 10% chance. But I know a God who ain't a 5enter, ain't a 20enter, ain't a 50enter.

I know a God that when he makes up his mind about anything, the God who breathed out the stars, uh the God who collects the waters with his hands is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or think. My praise is not denial. My praise is a declaration that I know a bigger God.

I know another doctor who is still in control. And the doctor told us, "My wife water broke." Really, she didn't have to tell us. My wife saw it. She felt it. We weren't in denial about it. She was at 21 weeks. 21 weeks with her water broken for our first child.

We weren't in denial, but we did know how to send a praise first. So, we got in that. Thank you, Holy Ghost. We got in that hotel room and day and night, we kept worship playing. We kept worship playing. Every day I sat there. I was I was still in school.

I was getting a masters at the time and I I remember I have my books open for theology, but I just kept on repeat. You provide the fire. I provide the sacrifice. You pour out your spirit. I will open up inside. Fill me up, God. Fill me up, God.

Fill me up, God. Fill me up. And I didn't know why. I just kept it playing and playing and playing. Back then, they had iPods. I just kept it playing and playing and playing and playing. I had no idea that as my wife was laying there with the legs lifted up on better as we were sending our praise first.

See, life will hit you in a way when money don't matter. uh you ain't live long enough. Life will hit you in such a way, child, where it don't matter what kind of car you got. It don't matter what kind of degrees you got. It don't matter what your status is, what your tax record.

Life will hit you in that hospital room where the only thing you got left is a Hallelujah. The only thing you got left is a thank you Jesus. The only thing you have left is a song. Our praise went first. I was away with the Carters a few weeks ago and I've heard Pastor April's testimony for years.

I've known them for years. But it hit me a little different cuz she pulled her phone out and showed me a picture. And my eyes got filled with water when I saw one of my best friends laying in the hospital bed a few years ago with no nails, no hair, eyes blackened.

I said, "Baby girl, you was at the doorstep of death. Death was in the hospital room waiting to take your life." And my brother Mikon said that he sat there. He said every conversation they had, he knew this could be the last time I hear my wife voice.

When she closed her eyes to go to sleep at night, he said, "I don't know if she's going to wake up tomorrow. My platform don't mean nothing in this room. My my name and notoriety don't mean nothing in this room. All I got left is a song." So when that mixed brother get on stage and start singing, he ain't new to this.

He true to this because before there was a stage, he had to learn how to praise God in the dark. And I don't know what you're going through in this room or watching online, but I wish you knew how to send a praise up. I don't have a lot, but I got a hallelujah.

I don't have a lot of money, but I got a hallelujah. I don't have a lot of accolades, but I got a Thank you, Jesus. Somebody help me lift up a shelf like you know your praise has power. Praise goes first because what goes first determines what will follow.

I was praying about this message and the very first thing I felt like the Lord told me and reminded me was about his name Yahweh. Yahweh. They were singing it earlier. Yahweh. The name Yahweh was what they would call him in the Old Testament. That's before they had the name Jesus.

And it was such a revered and holy name that they wouldn't use it casually. Matter of fact, they were scared to say it. But what's really phenomenal about this name Yahweh is that it don't even have to be said. Your very breath pronounces it when you inhale and exhale.

((applause)) before you ever could speak a word. ((music playing)) They had my baby boy in that incubator for two months. He was laying there in that machine and every other baby was bigger than him. I remember it was this little Asian baby. He got on my nerves cuz he was about 12 lbs.

He's just laying there like a sumo wrestler like, "Yep, I don't even know why I'm in here. I'm good actually." And little Jace the size of my finger. They did two blood transfusions on him. One time he flatlined cuz the nurse messed up. He was in that little incubator.

But you know what I put in the incubator with him? a mini iPod and for two months before he could be breastfed and before he could breathe on his own even with the oxygen hooked up to him. And this is why the Bible says in Psalms 8:2 that out of the mouth of babies You were a praiser before you were a complainer.

You were a praiser before you were a student. You were a praiser before you were molested. You were a praiser before you were abandoned. You were a praiser before the bankruptcy. You were a praiser before the divorce. You were a praiser before the abortion. You were a praiser before the prison sentence.

You were a praiser before you were a single mother. You were a praiser before you were a father. You were born created to praise. And this is why the Bible says, I'm done in Psalms 150 verse 6. Let everything that has breath praise ye the Lord. You got 30 seconds to use the breath in your lungs and give him Come on.

Send your praise first. Send your praise first. Send your praise first. Send your praise first. Come on, Diane. Open up your mouth. Open up your mouth. Bless that wonderful name of Jesus. He's my rock. He's my fortress. He's my deliverer. In him will I trust. Hey friend, thank you so much for checking out this week's message.

I pray that it was a blessing to your life. Remember this week, praise goes first. Level up in your praise. Offer up a thank you before you offer up anything else to God. Before you offer a complaint, an excuse, even your logic or reasoning, your experiences, your preferences, make sure you give him your praise because praise goes first.

I love you. Remember, your past is gone. The future is waiting. Move forward. Leave a comment below. Tag somebody. Send this link to someone and let them know that God is fighting for them. This battle that you're in is not yours. It belongs to the Lord. Praise goes first.

We'll see you soon.