Slugfest
Pt. 2 - What's Your Fight Song?
I. Introduction
People show up to the fights to see the contenders stand in the ring and throw bombs at each other in a test of strength and strategy. However, there is a part of the fight that begins before the fighters ever step foot inside the squared circle. It begins with the lights dimmed. Surrounded by their training partners and coaches the fighters exit the tunnels that lead from the bowels of the colosseums and make their way to the ring. The crowd's yells swell as the fighters enter to "walk out" music. It is the fighter's song of choice. The fighter often bobs and weaves to the beat. His eyes focus into a straight ahead stare. It is his fight song. It is intended to motivate. It is used to intimidate. Mahammad Ali is the one who recognized the power of the song to set the scene for the battle. Late in his career, The Greatest broke new ground by entering the ring to face Earnie Shavers to the majestic sound of the theme from Star Wars. Others realized the importance of this tool. In 1988 Mike Spinks, stood in the ring as the undisputed heavyweight champion with a record of 31-0. His opponent, a young boxer by the name of Mike Tyson, walked out to a nightmarish experimental music composition. It was a song filled noise and chains rattling. As the song plays you can literally see Spinks start to tremble in his shorts and 91 seconds later Spinks wakes up from a forced nap! Perhaps the best example of the impact of a song connected to boxing is of course this (START theme song of Rocky - Eye of the Tiger) . . . Just the first few bars and you are ready to strap on gloves and jump in a ring. However, real warriors have knew long before Ali or any modern boxer that music matters. All you have to do is backtrack to today's text and you discover that God is the One who instituted the fight song. It really isn't the first account (you would have to back up to Miriam’s composition following the Red Sea escape to find an earlier version) nor is the last (Paul and Silas in Acts) however, it is perhaps the one account that best outlines the importance and necessity of using praise in a fight.
Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-3 (MSG)
Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, joined forces to make war on Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: “A huge force is on its way from beyond the Dead Sea to fight you. There’s no time to waste—they’re already at Hazazon Tamar, the oasis of En Gedi.”
Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast.
After prayer and fasting a prophetic word comes to the people that God will fight for them and they won't have to lift a hand.
20:21-23
After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, Give thanks to God, His love never quits. (Your love never fails, It never gives up, It never runs out on me) As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead. The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed.
Before we get into the part of this account that addresses a fight song. Let me first mention that the king gets word that the enemy is close. 91 miles away from his capital city of Jerusalem. The enemy is inside the boundaries of the kingdom. How many of us are unaware or perhaps we are aware, and we allow the enemy to take up positions inside our territory? Not quite overtaken. Not quite in control but just on the outlying edges. Before they ever get to the capital the king is informed and concerned! Don't become satisfied with giving up an inch. Don't grow comfortable with forfeiting any area in your life. Don't ever come to the conclusion that that area is just one you will have to live with! No, prepare for battle. Fight for what is yours.
I also want you to notice the combined forces of enemy. Not one enemy but multiple are coming for the tribe of Judah. They are ganging up on them. Ever felt like this. Not an attack on one front. Multiple attacks. Multiple enemies. Now perhaps more than ever before multiple affronts. The enemy is an old dog with very few new tricks. He continues to use the same tactics to this day. He will gang up on you. He won't just bring sickness. He will bring sickness coupled with a big bill and an upset family member. He will combine a virus, with social unrest, with political upheaval. Wake up. This isn't new. He is just combining forces in hopes that we will tuck tail and run. Notice the effect . . . the leader, the appointed one, the mighty one is afraid. Notice the effect today? People trained for a day like this. People of faith. People of promise. People of power. And yet all I hear is we are afraid. We are scared. We are uncertain. The intended effect is the same. But also notice what the trembling king got right! He prays. He fasts. I wonder if the reason some of us continue in defeat is because instead of increasing prayer and fasting we increase Facebook? I wonder if some of us would get back to prayer and fasting if we might also be able to get back in the fight? Listen these accounts are just for fun reading they are strategic manuals. These are war manuals that still work today. I recognize the armies are amassed against us. Follow the manual! Remember we aren't fighting for victory but from victory. It will work.
And since we are talking about strategies that work let's not miss the strategy that wins the battle. These people discover what we need to know today.
Worship is warfare!
The king puts the worshippers out front. They lead the way into battle against an overwhelming army! He learned that worship is warfare!
Too many of us view worship as what we do before the preacher preaches. Worship isn’t warm up. It isn’t entertainment. It isn't a talent show. Sunday's worship shouldn't even be our first day of worship this week. It should be the culmination of an entire week warring in worship. That is why the worship team and I are pulling on you to take your worship to a new level. We shouldn't have to prime you or pump you. That is what we have to do if you haven't worshipped all week. When we gather there should be a fortified, forceful, built up, wave of worship already flowing out of you so that it not only spills onto the person next to you, but it puts the enemy on notice that he is already defeated. It should have the Mike Tyson effect on Spinks. The sound that comes out of here on Sundays should cause our enemy to tremble. Why? Worship is a hay maker that the enemy doesn't see coming.
Our praise literally confuses the enemy.
He has tried to hit you so hard that he knocks the song out of you. He can't figure out how we can still sing. How can people who have endured decades of delay still raise their hands? How can someone who receives that kind of report still show up with praise on their lips? How can that person who has been dealt knockout blow after knockout blow still throw their head back and let loose with a guttural shout? It confuses him. He doesn't expect those who were intimidated and fearful to be able to muster the strength to sing. He doesn't expect those who have been pummeled by problems all week to be able to shout. He doesn't expect to encounter people who have been hit by a deluge of delays and detours to be able to dance. Our worship is an ambush! We gather and open our mouth and we ambush the enemy. What you thought would silence us only incenses us to worship more. What you thought was a gut punch that would take the wind out of us only causes us to dig deeper and worship more. Worship strikes a devastating blow to the enemy.
It is our fight song!
Our enemy has learned to weaponize fear, sickness, strife. It is time for us to weaponize worship. Don't come in here willing to sing some cute songs. Don't come in here and go through the motions. Don't get in your car and turn on praise and worship as background noise just to get you from point A to point B. Don't become a worship critic. Don't become a worship spectator. No way. Weaponize your worship! Participate. Wade in. Worship like your life, you family, your kids, your destiny, your future depends on it!
We must position praise properly.
The king sends the praise team out first. In front of the fighting men. In front of the chariots. In front of the horses. We need to learn to praise before battle not afterwards. Send Judah up first. Why? People who have a fight song have learned that prior victories were proving grounds. We worship before battles because it helps us to fight present battle with confidence knowing that God has already proven Himself and the outcome is already secure.
We worship before battles because it forces us to realign our trust.
We worship before battles because it forces us to get our perspective right.
We don't have our eyes on the gathering army of enemies! No, our attention is reserved for and fixed on the undefeated One! The mighty One! The One who is great in power. Sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
Worship fixes our perspective. Worship forces us to elevate the spirit over our sight. Don’t wait to sing until you see. Instead, we sing until you see. We don't wait until we see the jail cells opened. We worship until the jail cells are opened. ail cannot contain my praise. Chains can’t silence me just makes me sing louder.
We worship before battles because it forces us to surrender.
Wait I thought we were talking about winning and now you are talking about surrender. Listen, when we worship, we are beating our body and emotions into submission to the Father. When I worship when I would rather sulk, rather crouch in fear, rather curl up in the fetal position and wait for defeat, rather sing doom and despair and agony on me . . . when I worship when I don't feel like it, I am literally surrendering my own will into submission to God and He hears and gets involved!
I close by taking you to Acts 7. There is a trial going on. Stephen has been accused of blasphemy for preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. After his incredible testimony and accusations that the religious leaders are guilty of always treating prophets badly the crowd rises in anger and protest. They are so angry that they surround Stephen prepare to stone him to death. I want you to see Stephen's position.
At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God (His perspective was fixed, his will is submitted), whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!” Another version says . . . He fixed his gaze into the heavenly realm and saw the glory and splendor of God and Jesus, who stood up at the right hand of God.
I would submit that Stephen had a fight song. I know there is no music playing. I recognize there is no soundtrack, no organ, no drums, no wailing guitar or softly strung harp. However, I believe what you are seeing is a man that had learned to weaponize worship. How could he kneel calmly in prayer while rocks reign down on his head? It wasn't that he wasn't fighting back, it was that he was fighting right!
I want you to see the impact of his worship. The Gospels state that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. The book of Romans, Colossians, Hebrews, and Ephesians all attest to the fact that when Jesus was resurrected, He took a seat at the right hand of God. But now, Stephen warring in worship sees Jesus standing. (Sit in a chair) I can see Jesus sitting at the right hand of God when all of a sudden, He hears a sound that cuts through the sound of the Angels who are twirling in worship around the thrown singing holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. Wait a minute. Shhhh. I thought I heard something. I guess not. Go back to it. Holy, Holy . . . wait I heard it again. I think He scooted to the edge of His seat. I thought I heard . . . I did. I am hearing the sound of a song. Wait not just a song. I think I hear a . . . a fight song. I think He leans over to get a better listen. There it is. I am tuned in. I was right Father. Do you hear it? It is the clear sound of a man in battle. I know I am supposed to be seated at Your right hand, but I can't help myself I have got to get up and hear this. I have to give that man my undivided attention. Does anybody in the room have a fight song in them that can get Jesus on His feet? Does anybody who is a battle that they are not sure they can win by themselves have a shout, a song, or a dance in them that causes Jesus Himself to stand up and participate?
You can't fight my fight song!
