THE WEAPON OF WORSHIP

PART 1

 

 

Worship is a response of respect at the revelation of God. It is not necessarily singing, as we see from Biblical examples. Abel sacrificed animals to God out of respect (Genesis 4), Abraham gave a tithe as a part of his worship (Genesis 14), Moses removed his shoes in reverence to God (Exodus 3), and David danced before the Lord (2 Samuel 6). And as we see in today’s passage (Isaiah 6), the prophet Isaiah has a life-changing experience as God reveals Himself and calls Isaiah into ministry.

 

We are mostly going to talk about worship as it pertains to music

 

Where did it come from?

 

It is widely believed that Satan was “The Praise and Worship Leader of Heaven”

In Eziekial and in Isaac the description of satan tells us He was highly favored

“The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created,”  

was the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). He was adorned with every precious jewel imaginable (Ezekiel 28:13). He was “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12b). Likely he was the highest of all angels.  And bc the angels were in constant worship, he likely lead that worship.

He was persuasive enough to lead a third of all angels astray and get them worship him instead of God

 

Satan fell

 Revelation 12:7-12

   Luke 10:18 states Jesus saw satan fall

 

When Satan was kicked out of Heaven and we became in charge or worship. 

Ephesians 1:11-12

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

 

Breakdown

  

 

The Heavenlies still praise God….

Rev 5

   9 And they sang a new song with these words:

   11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

​

…but on earth it’s up to us

  

And how we use worship to conquer our issues, darkness, Satan, and to OVERCOME

 

It's an action like love, not a feeling. It doesn't matter if you "feel" like it!

 

 

Mississippi River (That HUGE powerful flowing water) is only guided by 2 things:  The left bank and the right bank.  The HUGE powerful flow of the God is guided by only 2 things:  spirit and truth

 

Woman

From here, Jesus steers the conversation to reveal that this woman is broken inside and living in sin.  She recognizes that He is special and calls him a prophet.  Then she points out the differences in the worship practices of Jews and Samaritans.  What is His reply?

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:21-24

Jesus says that we can worship the Living God anywhere, under any condition.  True worshipers only need spirit and truth, not Jerusalem, a special mountain, or a live band.

 

You don’t need lighting, a perfect guitar solo, your favorite song, or your preferred style of music to be played in order for you to enter into worship

 

You need spirit and truth. that’s it

 

What is spirit and truth

 

Spirit:  Who God is

 

Truth:  Who you are, says The Lord

 

How?

 

Prepare Your Heart

In Matthew 15, as the Pharisees complain about the disciples breaking tradition, Jesus replies that their traditions are not what matters to Him. He says in verses 7-8, "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.'"

 

We are unworthy to be in His presence, except through that which Jesus has done for us.

 

 

Block Distractions

The Gospel of Luke gives an account of two sisters about to host a large dinner with Jesus as one of their guests. Martha is busy preparing for the meal, while Mary is captivated by Jesus' words as she sits at his feet.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42

Martha wasn't self-serving, but she was allowing other things take her attention away from the Living God right there in her home. Jesus wants our attention and He wants to spend time with us. So put your cell phone aside and let go of the conversations you a rehearsing in your head. Sit at His feet and let His presence captivate you.

Mary KNEW what she was meant for…what she had to do, no matter what else was going on.  She KNEW who she was and what she was made to do!….Worship the King

 

 

 

So how do we use it as a weapon?

by turning to worship so much, that it becomes….automatic!

 

 

 

Drama…they’re automatic response is….they fall apart

 

When we respond to a situation by worshiping the Lord, then we will not be shaken.

Think about a recent trial you have faced. When the trial came, you received two sets of information: the devil’s lies and God’s truth. 

 

The devils lies appear as fearful information in your head—I’ll never get another good job, I’m only going to fail, I’m going to be broke, I’m never going to get married or have a family, etc. He wants you ever-focused on your weaknesses and limitations to discourage and mislead you. If you drink in this perspective, you are allowing Satan to control you and kill your hope.

 

But information about a situation is different than truth. 

 

God desires you to worship Him according to the spirit and truth He has given you in His Word. Stop believing the lies and believe the truth.  So what is the truth? It is a focus on who God is, how He has been faithful in the past, and how He has promised to love and never leave you in the future. His truth is prevailing, lie-scattering, and eternal.

When you respond to a crisis by focusing on the truth of God and worshiping Him in the face of fear, He can teach you a lesson and stretch you into maturity in Christ; suddenly the burden changes, your perspective changes, and your reaction to your trial is completely different (and drama-free).

 

In today’s passage from 2 Chronicles 20, the King of Judah, Jehoshaphat, receives word that “a great multitude” (v. 2) of three tribes is about to attack His people. What is his response when he hears the news?

*         He gathers his people so they may hear. (v. 5)

*         He speaks the truth of God’s character.

*         "O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (v. 6)

*         He acknowledges God’s past faithfulness.

*         “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" (v. 7)

*         He asks God to intervene on their behalf.

*         “…here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them?" (v.12)

*         He acknowledges his own weakness and the power of God.

*         "For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (v. 12)

God responds by speaking through a prophet, instructing his people not to be afraid. He says the battle is not theirs, but His. They should position themselves, but they will not need to fight because He will be with them. (v. 14-17) God honors His promise the next day by confusing the enemy. They attack one another and are defeated.

So what can we learn from Jehoshaphat’s worshipful response to a devastating crisis?

 

 

 

Scripture references on the slides but not the actual scriptures

1. Worship places the battle in the Lord’s hands. 2 Chronicles 20:12-17

God can teach you through your errors and He is ready to write another chapter of your life.

 

2. Worship reminds Satan of his weakness before God. Ephesians 6:12, 13; 2 Corinthians 10:4

Satan may have little victories on this earth, but you can still praise God, knowing that in the end, Satan is defeated; Jesus has already conquered death. God wins the war, and Satan knows it. This is why in Matthew 4, Jesus battles Satan by saying, “It is written…” He models for us that God’s truth is Satan’s weakness. It eternally scatters his lies and thwarts his evil intentions.

 

3. Worship reminds our hearts of our real hope. 2 Chronicles 20:12-17

You may well feel discouraged about a situation if you are relying solely on your own power. But it’s not about you! Can you make your heart continue beating? You’re not even in control of your own body, much less your life. Your real hope is not in yourself or in any person, but in the Lord.

 

4. Worship must take place before, during and after the battle. 2 Chronicles 20:18, 22, 28; Ephesians 6:12, 13; 2 Corinthians 10:4

Practice a heart of worship day and night. Learn to walk with Him each moment and see things as He does before disaster strikes. Then when a trial comes, your heart will automatically go to God, trust in His faithful character, and be ready to adopt His viewpoint.

In the midst of trial, worship admits your weakness and God’s strength. It’s much better to hope in the God who actually has the power to change hearts and change situations than to rely on your own limited perspective and power. In this way, you show God that you anticipate His help.

When the trial has passed, don’t just walk away like nothing happened! Acknowledge God’s intervention, His favor toward you, and the love He has for you. Give thanks and praise His name!

 

 

 

Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

I propose if this is true, and Satan is a lover of music and wishes that he would lead his followers the way he lead once before, in singing and praising.  What better way to defeat all the darkness in our lives, all the struggles, all the temptations, etc. than with the singing, the praising,and the worshipping of God.