WORSHIP INVOLVES WARFARE
INTRO:
Why are we here? [There are several ministries of the church: dedications, funerals, weddings, etc.
Typical answer may be to worship. Are we fulfilling our goal?]
What is the main purpose of the church?
[Look at the OT church with sacrifice, honor, worship, atonement for sin.]
But, worship is a constant battle.
I have difficulty with worship, don't you?
Are we losing the battle?
Theme Scripture: Psalms 149:6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; READ the entire Psalm.
I. GOD AND SATAN
God and Satan have this in common: each desires our worship. God wants us to worship Him because He is worthy and He graciously wants to transform us. Satan wants our worship because he wants to destroy us, and worship is the easiest way to achieve that diabolical purpose. This explains why worship involves warfare: whenever we bow to worship God, the Adversary will oppose us.
II. GOD'S RIVAL (Contents for worship.)
A. Satan's origin Isa 14:12-14
1. He had a desire to be worshiped. It was sin in the form of pride.
He said, " I will be like the Most High."
2. Apparently a number of angels were willing.
3. Perhaps a population of Pre-Adam men also were willing.
4. This satanic army opposes God and His people and can only be defeated
by God-given spiritual means.
B. Satan tempted Eve
1. He promised, "You will be like God." Genesis 3:1-7
2. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, they "exchanged the truth of God
for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator."
Romans 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
3. Satan received worship that he was seeking, and he is still receiving it wherever
people substitute the creature for the Creator and believe the lie that they can
be their own god.
III. GOD'S SON
A. Christ deliberately humbled himself. Phil 2:1-11 READ
B. Christ has been and will be exalted.
IV. THE CHARACTER OF OUR WORSHIP
A. Cain and Abel both believed in God and both came to the altar to worship.
1. Cain was rejected, Abel was accepted.
2. Cain was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.
I John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
B. The character of our worship depends on the condition of our heart.
Purify your hearts.
C. Our spiritual worship of God hinders Satan's work, defeats his plans, robs him of
territory, and increases his hatred of God and God's people.
V. SATAN'S RELIGION
A. Satan's religion is a religion of substitutes: worship anyone or anything but the true God.
B. Satan offers the Lord kingdoms of this world. Matt. 4:1-11
Satan will give you the world and religion. v. 9 “fall down and worship”
VI. GOD'S WORSHIPING WARRIORS
A. A worshipping church must of a necessity be a warring church, for true worship is
spiritual warfare.
B. Exodus 15:3 "The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name."
Psalms 45:3 “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and
thy majesty.”
Rev 1:16 “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went
a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
Rev 19:15 “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
C. Israel was a worshiping army, fighting the battles of the Lord.
*The success of their warfare depended on the success of their worship.
D. Faithful ministry in the tabernacle was essential for victory on the battlefield.
I Sam 4 READ (May need some background from Ch. 2 & 3 about Samuel and
Eli’s sons v. 22 and v. 27)
E. The spiritual battle was fought at the tabernacle; the physical battle was waged in the field.
F. Singers on the front line? II Chronicles 20 READ (Jehoshaphat, Moabites, Ammonites)
1. God was worshiped
2. God fought the battle.
3. God was glorified.
4. The people were satisfied.
VII. ARMED FOR THE BATTLE
A. It is a battle that we cannot escape and that we dare not lose; and the key to our
victory is worship.
We pray, “God give us the victory.” The Spirit responds, “Worship.”
Satan does not care what the church does so long as it does not worship.
B. The enemy is well defined as to who it is and who it is not.
Eph 6:12 “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.”
The church must keep in mind that we are fighting a spiritual battle, using spiritual weapons.
The battle is within in the minds, hearts, and wills of men; and only the Word of God
and prayer can prevail.
II Cor 10:4 -5
(v. 4) “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”
(v. 5) “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
C. Our armor is defined. Put on the whole armor of God. Eph 6:10 -20
1. Loins girt with truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness.
3. Shield of Faith.
4. Helmet of Salvation.
5. Sword of the Spirit
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Amplified Bible Version of Hebrews 4:12
(v. 12) “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power--making it active, operative, energizing and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [that is, of the deepest parts of our nature] exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and
purposes of the heart.”
(v. 13) “And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”
This is why many who are carnal avoid the Word.
6. Praying always.
Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
VIII. THE THREAT OF UNWITTING DEFEAT
A. The average congregation today may appear to be lukewarm about spiritual things;
and yet that same congregation will boast of it financial and material sufficiency.
B. Why is it that church letterheads and bulletin covers usually picture buildings?
C. The Laodicean church was a defeated army that did not know it was defeated.
READ Rev 3:14-19
