TITLE: THE BATTLE CRY OF PRAISE
SCRIPTURE: II SAMUEL 22:4
Would you agree with me that this world is full of traps and snares.
• You know sin brings negative consequences to your life
• You know you are going to face temptation to sin every day
• You probably even know what some of those specific temptations are
You have an enemy who comes only to steal - kill - destroy and who is prepared to do battle with you every day. However, if you want to experience victory, then you also need to prepare.
• The soldier who enters battle unprepared will experience defeat rather than victory
• If you want to overcome sin and temptation, you need to prepare for battle
• And so that’s what we are looking at today
• How do you prepare yourself for battle with the enemy?
The first way you prepare for battle is to engage in praise and worship of God. Now that may seem strange to you at first, but it makes sense once you think it through. Let’s face it when you’re going through trials, struggling through praise is probably the last thing you “feel” like doing. But this one act of sacrificial submission moves mountains of despair. It weeds out complaining and adverse thoughts because you can’t praise and complain at the same time. you don’t feel your way into worshipping, you worship your way into feeling.
Praising in the midst of your storm doesn’t mean your problems don’t exist or that the situation you find yourself facing is not real because they are.
• Praising means you are choosing to believe more in your God and His ability than in your problems and your inability
• When we praise, we are declaring for all who see that our God is bigger, that He is faithful, and He is more than able to deliver us
Yes, my brothers and sisters - Praise! It is not always weapons of iron and steal and fiery bombs that wins the day. Often it is simple praise, hands lifted in prayer, voices raised in praise. Never underestimate the power of the liturgy to change world history, to turn back threats and see the devil’s power crushed. Indeed, scripture says, PSALM 8:2 “OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS HAST THOU ORDAINED STRENGTH BECAUSE OF THINE ENEMIES, THAT THOU MIGHTEST STILL THE ENEMY AND THE AVENGER.”
• What is it that comes out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings?
• It’s Our Praise!
Let’s sing our battle cry of praise and use worship to halt the enemy's progress. News flash --
• You don’t have to be a Worship Leader to worship
• You don’t have to be a Singer to sing
• You only have to be a child of God, which is a good thing, because there are many battles we win in song!
There is such power in praise. I believe when we sing God’s Word, we make the enemy shake and tremble. Now hear what I just said.
• Our Praise does not Scare the Enemy
• Our Praise does not Confuse the Enemy
• I know it sounds good when we sing those type of songs
• Devil has been at this for a long time
• We don’t scare him
• Even had the audacity to try to tempt Jesus in the wilderness
• Our praise begins to reshape the atmosphere
• Keep on Praising your way through
As we wield words of adoration and gratitude — often spoken as songs — heaven is accessed, and an audience in the courts of our Father is granted. The combination of musical instruments and song has the power to alter the very environment that surrounds us.
• When we sing, God is magnified
• His dominion is declared over our situation
• So when we choose to praise Him in the midst of battles unseen, He fights for us
• That’s THE BATTLE CRY OF OUR PRAISE
As you open the gates of your heart through intentional gratitude and thankfulness for what God has done, you come in contact with all that He is.
• Our songs in the night move Him into our day, and the enemy’s progress is arrested as we are brought into God’s presence
• What a magnificent thought!
• I challenge you this week to ask God where you can step out on the battlefield with your Praise
• Let’s sing our Battle Cry of Praise!
I don’t want to downplay this or make it sound too simplistic. Waiting on God can be hard and trying. We can feel forgotten, unseen. Perhaps, even unheard. We wrestle with thoughts of worst-case scenarios, what if, and if only. In all of this, what we are focusing on is us and our eyes become filled with the death of our situation. But, when we choose to Praise Him, we are drawn out of “us” and into His presence.
• PSALM 100:4 says, “WE ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE”
• Moving into God’s presence is, in itself, “the first and fundamental human act that constitutes worship
• As we begin to Thank and Praise Him, we are redirecting our eyes off of our finite perspective and drawn into His throne room of presence
In II CHRONICLES 20, we read about Jehoshaphat who is attempting to defend his land against a vast enemy army. In VS. 12, he says, “FOR WE HAVE NO POWER TO FACE THIS VAST ARMY THAT IS ATTACKING US. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU.”
• When we face a battle, we must turn our eyes to the one who does know what to do
• VS. 15, “THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS TO YOU, DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED BECAUSE OF THIS VAST ARMY. FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD’S. SO TAKE UP YOUR POSITION, STAND FIRM AND SEE THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU”
• Although we are a part of the battle, the battle does not belong to us but rather God
• He is fighting for us
• Remember, we are not fighting FOR Victory but FROM the Place of Victory
• Oh my goodness, I just said something there!
VS. 21, Jehoshaphat had prepared his men to move out, “HE APPOINTED MEN TO SING TO THE LORD AND PRAISE HIM FOR THE SPLENDOR OF HIS HOLINESS AS THEY WENT OUT AT THE HEAD OF THE ARMY, SAYING: GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.”
• Jehoshaphat didn’t send out his best, strongest warriors
• He sent a “praise team” ahead of the battle, which set the stage for those following
• Declaring in the spiritual realm what they had yet to see in the physical realm
• Yes, this is THE BATTLE CRY OF PRAISE
They praised and gave thanks to the Lord before they won the victory. VS. 22, we see “AS THEY BEGAN TO SING AND PRAISE,” the Lord sent an ambush into the enemy armies, and they turned on each other completely annihilating each other. The forces of evil cannot stand against the praises of God. Our praises send the enemies darts of confusion back across enemy lines completely annihilating him and setting ablaze his plans to destroy us.
Can I tell you - there is also power in God’s presence. The Bible says in JAMES 4:8 “COME NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU.” When you draw near to God in Praise and Worship, you invite God’s presence into your life. There is power in God’s presence to protect you from sin and temptation. Satan doesn’t want to be anywhere near God and walking closely in God’s presence will protect you from many temptations. Remember –
• ST. MARK 5 / ST. LUKE 8 – Jesus encountered the demons on the hilltop and they wanted to get away from Jesus and entered into a herd of swine and ran off the cliff
• ST. LUKE 4 – Jesus was in CAPERNUM A CITY OF GALILEE encountered a man with a demonic spirit cried out with a loud voice, “SAYING, LET US ALONE; WHAT HAVE WE TO DO WITH THEE, THOU JESUS OF NAZARETH? ART THOU COME TO DESTROY US? I KNOW THEE WHO THOU ART; THE HOLY ONE OF GOD” Jesus cast the demon, demon wanted to get away from the Lord
• The Battle Cry of Praise brings us into the Power in God’s presence and the devil does not want to be anywhere around us when we are able to invoke the presence of the Lord in this place
There is also power in developing positive affections for Christ.
• When you spend time in Praise and Worship of God, you will grow in your love and affection for Jesus
• And the more you love Jesus, the less attractive sin will be to you
As with the story of Jehoshaphat, praise is not a response to what our physical eyes see, nor is it a response to our situations. Rather, praise is a response to our king, and this response releases His power into the atmosphere – piercing through the darkness with His light.
In ACTS 16, PAUL and SILAS had freed a slave girl from an evil spirit, which had allowed her the ability to earn lots of money for her owners. Because of this, these two brothers were severely flogged, placed in stocks (chained) and thrown into prison. As they sat there in a dirty, stone jail with blood streaming down their backs from open wounds, having done God’s work, wrongly accused, did not receive a trial, severely flogged, chained, and thrown into jail, they had every reason to complain. But as we see in VS. 25, they chose a higher route. Like that song we like to sing “I Won’t Complain.” The song goes on to say “I Could Complain, But I Won’t.”
• “AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS WERE PRAYING AND SINGING
• I don’t know which of them Prayed and which one sang
• Perhaps Paul being diplomatic said since my name starts with ‘P’ I will Pray
• Silas since your name starts with ‘S’ you go ahead and Sing
• THEY SANG HYMNS TO GOD WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS SUCH A VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PRISON WERE SHAKEN. AT ONCE, ALL THE PRISON DOORS FLEW OPEN, AND EVERYBODY’S CHAINS CAME LOOSE”
When we choose to praise him, a divine exchange takes place. We are exchanging Pain – Wounds - Bondage For --- Healing – Deliverance - His Unspeakable Joy.
• The foundations of hell are shaken
• The dungeon doors fly open
• Strongholds fall powerless
• Not just for ourselves but for those around us
Praise opens the door for others to be saved. Others are watching your response to life; both believers and non-believers stand as spectators of your life and your response to it. It doesn’t mention the other prisoner, but we know they were listening. What we do know from Scripture is the jailer, and his entire family went from death to life because Paul and Silas chose to Praise God in the midst of their painful wounds and their unfair situation.
• Anybody been Mistreated – Just Praise
• Anybody been Falsely Accused – Just Praise
• Anybody been Talked About – Just Praise
• Anybody been Lied On – Just Praise
• Anybody been Wounded – Just Praise
• THE BATTLE CRY OF PRAISE
The battle you’re facing might not just be about you. Had Paul and Silas not been wrongly accused, this jailer and his family wouldn’t have an encountered Jesus.
• God has strategically placed people in your sphere to influence for His kingdom
• You are paving the way for others to encounter Jesus
Pastor Rick Warren opened his bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life, with these words, “it’s not about you.” Warren was talking about purpose and mission in life. He’s right. When you’re motivated to do something because of how it advances the Gospel and glorifies Jesus, you will have the encouragement you need to see it through. Even during the tough times of life, Praise your way through it and watch God give you just what you need to make it through.
When we praise, we are declaring for all who see that our God is bigger, that He is faithful, and He is more than able to deliver us. we were created for praise. Scripture is full of God’s adoration and praise.
• PSALM 19:1 -- THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD.
• PSALM 150:6 -- LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD
• ISAIAH 43:21 -- THE PEOPLE WHOM I FORMED FOR MYSELF WILL DECLARE MY PRAISE
• PSALMS 66:4 -- ALL THE EARTH WORSHIPS YOU AND SINGS PRAISES TO YOU; THEY SING PRAISES TO YOUR NAME
• ISAIAH 55:12 -- …THE MOUNTAINS BREAK FORTH INTO SINGING, AND ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD SHALL CLAP THEIR HANDS
• REVELATION 5:13 -- …EVERY CREATURE IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH AND IN THE SEA, DECLARES PRAISE TO THE ONE WHO SITS ON THE THRONE
--So, if we are created for praise, it’s no wonder the enemy tries to stop it because he knows just how powerful the tool of Praise and Worship is
--When we choose to turn our problems into Praise, God turns our battles into blessings
--Praising God during trials has powerful results
WILLIAM MURPHY said it like this --
Praise is what I do
When I want to be close to You
I lift my hands in praise
Praise is who I am
I will praise Him while I can
I'll bless Him at all times
I vow to praise You
Through the good and the bad
I'll praise You
Whether happy or sad
I'll praise You
--That’s THE BATTLE CRY OF PRAISE
