In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of praising God as a key to breaking through prison doors in our lives. He highlights the connection between faith and praising God, stating that when we truly believe in God's words and promises, we will sing His praise. The preacher also explains that the Holy Spirit now dwells in our hearts, working both within us and outside of us to deliver us from our sinful nature and make everything work for our good. He challenges listeners to give up complaining and instead trust in God's sovereignty and almighty power, expressing their faith through praise and thanksgiving.

To think about a key that God has given us in his word through which we can break through many prison doors. It's the key of praising God. Today we want to look at a very important part of the Christian life which is often misunderstood and in most cases not understood at all. And I want to begin with reading a verse in Psalm 106 and verse 12. Here it says, concerning the Israelites who saw the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea, then they believed God's words and they sang his praise. Notice there the connection between faith and praising God. We could say that when a man has faith he will praise God. But when a man has unbelief, when he does not believe, God's word or God's promise, then he will grumble and complain and murmur and criticize and find fault and be dissatisfied and discouraged and depressed. So if these things that I just mentioned are found in your life, it would indicate that even if you think you believe in God and in Jesus Christ, you don't really believe. Because if you believe his words, you will sing his praise. You will never have a complaint in your life concerning anything if you believe in God and in his promises. Now the Israelites mentioned here in Psalm 106, they could praise God only after God had destroyed their enemies, those Egyptians, before their eyes. Today we live by faith. The Old Testament people, like the Israelites, they live by sight. To live by sight means that they would see something happen before them, a miracle that God did for them, and only then could they believe. It says here in this verse we read, After all their adversaries were drowned in the Red Sea, verse 11, then when not one of them was left, then they believed God's words. That's living by sight. That is, after all your problems are solved, after the storm has been stilled, after the enemies have been drowned and the last one of them has been killed, then we praise God. That's to live by sight. And that's all they could do in the Old Testament. Anybody can do that. Even an unconverted heathen person would be thankful when all his problems are solved. But in the New Covenant, now that Jesus has come, we don't walk by faith, we don't walk by sight, we walk by faith. We can believe the word of God even before we see the enemies drowned in the sea. We can praise God while our enemies are still in front of us. Like David said, you have set a table before me in the presence of my enemies. That means my problems may not be solved, but I have faith in God and I can praise Him. And as I praise Him, I find that the problems do get solved. But they'll never get solved if we are always murmuring and complaining. Do you know, dear friend, that the more you murmur and complain, you're really adding to your problem. It's not going to get solved at all. Maybe somebody harmed you. The more you get bitter against that person, what are you doing to yourself? You're just destroying yourself. And the more you keep that bitterness in your heart, it'll destroy you more and more. It'll destroy your body, destroy your soul, destroy your spirit, destroy your relationship with God. You won't be able to enjoy life at all and you get ulcers in your stomach and all types of things. You see, when God gives us laws, they are for our good. They are for the good of our body, good of our soul, good of our spirit. There's a very close connection between faith and praising God. We see that also in the New Testament, in Hebrews chapter 2, where we read some amazing words mentioned about what Jesus Himself does in the midst of the church. In Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 12 and 13, it says, Jesus, this is quoting Jesus, I will proclaim your name, that is the Father's name, to my brethren. You see, the previous verse indicates very clearly this is Jesus speaking. I will proclaim the Father's name to my brothers, that is, to you and me. And in the midst of the church, I will sing thy praise. And again, I will put my trust in Him. Notice there again, the connection between praise in verse 12 and trust in verse 13. Because we put our trust in Him, we sing His praise, exactly what we read in Psalm 106. And here we're told in verse 11 and 12 that we are the younger brothers of Jesus. And He's our elder brother who's praising the Father in the midst of the church. And we are called to follow Him and His example and join with Him in exalting our Heavenly Father. Now, God is a very great King. He's the greatest King of all, the King of the universe. And He does not sit on any cheap throne of silver or gold. Such thrones would be too cheap for Him. But we read in Psalm 22, the throne on which God sits. And that's good for us to know that. Psalm 22 and verse 3, it says, Thou art holy, O my God, Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel. And today, the praises of the church. So, how do we make a throne for God? By our praises. Praise forms the throne on which God sits as a King. That's why heaven is a place of perpetual praise, like we read in the book of Revelation. The angels are constantly praising God. That's the throne on which God sits. And when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, He brings heaven down into our hearts. And we can prepare a throne of praise for our God to be enthroned upon. In our hearts, in our homes, and in the church. So, when we praise God, we are actually saying, God, You are King. And here is a throne we prepare for You to come and sit upon. Do you want God to dwell in your heart? Very simple, prepare a throne for Him. Do you want God to dwell in your home? Prepare a throne for Him there. Do you want God to dwell in your church? Prepare a throne for Him there. What is the throne? A throne of praises. In other words, let your life be filled with a spirit of praise. Not necessarily words. We can't always be praising God 24 hours of the day. We've got work to do, we've got to sleep, we've got to do so many things. It's a spirit of praise. Let your home be filled with a spirit of praise. In other words, totally eliminate all grumbling, all complaining, all murmuring from your life. Completely. Because that destroys the throne on which God is supposed to sit. On the other hand, when you grumble and complain, or get angry and lose your temper and get irritated, you are actually preparing a throne for Satan. So we see two thrones that you can make in your life, in your home. One is a throne of praise, giving thanks to God always for all things in the name of Jesus Christ. A throne on which God will sit. Or, a throne of complaining, murmuring, grumbling, dissatisfaction, discontentment, which you offer for the devil to come and sit, whether it's in your life, or in your home, or in your church. And that's why the Bible says in Philippians 2 and verses 12 onwards, 12 to 14, it says there that when the Holy Spirit is working in our hearts, He seeks to eliminate all grumbling, disputing and murmuring from our lives completely. Because He wants to prepare a throne in our hearts for our Heavenly Father. That's what the Holy Spirit has really come for. You know, we've lived all our lives with our own self sitting on the throne in our hearts. That means we listen to self. Whatever self wants, we do. Whatever he likes, we do. We please ourselves, we live for ourselves, we want to enjoy ourselves. And then one day we say Jesus Christ comes into our heart. But what place do we give Him in our hearts? He's not going to come in like a visitor or a guest. But many Christians treat Him like that, you know. How can you prepare a throne for Christ, for God, in your heart? This is how we do it. By praising Him under all circumstances. And in the New Testament we can do that. You see, in the Old Testament they couldn't praise God all the time. Because, first of all, the Holy Spirit was not dwelling in people's hearts in those days. And there was no guarantee that God would make everything work together for their good. How could you praise God for something when you're not sure whether it's working out for your good? But today things are different. Today the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in our hearts. He's made that His permanent home. And there He prepares a throne for the Father. And He works in us to deliver us from our sinful nature. And He works outside us. We are told in Romans 8.28 that God is working in all the circumstances of our life to make everything work for our good. Now, if everything is working for your good, outside you and inside you, is there any reason for you to have a complaint about anything? Certainly not. Then why don't you give up all complaining and praise God? Here's the answer. Because you don't really believe. You don't really believe what God says in Romans 8.28 that He causes everything to work together for good. You see, it's only when we believe that word, that God is almighty. God is sovereign. Look up at the stars sometimes and see how great God is. Do you think it's difficult for Him to handle that small, puny situation that you're facing? Maybe a difficult boss or a difficult landlord or some particular problem you're facing. Do you think that person or that circumstance is too difficult for God to handle? Of course He can handle it. What is there that God can't handle? But He can't do that for you till you start praising Him. Till you say, Lord, here is the proof of my faith. I praise you. I want to thank you. I want to exalt you. I want to acknowledge that you are on the throne of heaven. And I don't have any complaint about the way people are treating me, about my circumstances or about anything in my life. I believe that you are in total control. Is it enough to say that in words? No. We praise Him. As we praise Him, we acknowledge that God is in total control. That's how we honor Him. And when you do that, you will discover how God makes a way for you out of that situation too.