Worship as Spiritual Warfare

Worship Review

Two Greek words translated as worship in our English Bibles.

Proskuneo – to bow, fall on your knees, make a request

Example: Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magifrom the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship (proskuneo) him.”

Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped (proskuneo) him.

While bowing is an outward act of submission and honor, I’d like to suggest that the other words in the NT for worship is a higher form of worship.

Letreuo – to serve, to sacrifice

Example: Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship (letreuo).

Both worship words are found in one verse – Matthew 4:8-10 – 8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9“All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship (proskuneo) me.”

“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship (proskuneo) the Lord your God and serve (Letreuo) Him only.’”

We can distinguish between these 2 types of worship by determining their motivation:

1. bowing worship – fear
2. serving worship – love

If you appeared before your king, whom you didn’t know, you would bow in fear because you know that he can determine if you will live or die. So, you bow in fear. But if you are the king’s servant, you know him and want to please him and bring joy to him. So, you serve in love.

Today’s message, Worship as Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-17 – ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Worship is our greatest weapon in this conflict, but it’s much more than just singing.

4 Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

1. Scripture (Word of God) -Matthew 4:1-6

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

The devil will often tempt us, and Jesus shows us here the best defense against temptation. GOD’s WORD.

• Prayer and Fasting – (Daniel) – Daniel 10:10-14

A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

The man in the vision said Daniel’s prayer was heard immediately, but the answer to Daniel’s prayer was delayed because of a war in the heavenlies between the forces of good and evil. (Michael the Archangel and the Prince of Persia)

What does this mean for us today? We don’t persist in prayer long enough.

• Singing – II Chronicles 20:15-22

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” ¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” ²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his^[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” ²² As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Worship is the tip of the spear – the worshipers were at the Head of the Army

There is not much that causes the Devil to tremble more than God’s Children praising him in song – Especially, when we sing together in corporate worship, like we do here when we gather to worship the Lord

4. Word of our Testimony – Revelation 12:7-11

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;

Application

Reading Scripture, Praying and Fasting, Singing, and Proclaiming the Word of our Testimony are ways we worship our way through the battles we face.

What is the biggest battle (greatest temptation) you face?

Women: Jealousy, Anger, Sex, Self-Worth, Food, Comparison

Men: Money, Sex, Pride, Envy, Lust (pornography)

Do you know what your most powerful weapon is? Is it God’s Word, Prayer and Fasting, Singing, or the Word of your Testimony?

Do you use all the Spiritual Warfare Weapons?

WELCOME- GLAD YOU ARE HERE

3^RD WEEK OF A SERIES ON WORSHIP

BEYOND THE SONG- A LIFE OF WORSHIP

WEEK 1: WORSHIP ISNT JUST FOR SUNDAY AM

WORSHIP IN SCRIPTURE CAN’T BE CONTAINED IN 1 WORD

 CONSECRATION- ROMANS 12:1-2 PRESENT YOUR BODIES

 ADORATION–IN AWE OF JESUS

 PARTICIPATION- HE INVITES US TO DO WHAT CREATION ALREADY IS DOING

CELEBRATION-YOUR HEART/MIND AND EVEN BODY RESPOND AT TIMES.

WE ARE HARD WIRED FOR WORSHIP (MJ/T SWIFT/SPORTS

WEEK 2: PASTOR BILLY SHARED PASSIONATELY

   WE ARE NEVER NOT WORSHIPPING

WE ARE ALWAYS DIRECTING OUR ATTENTIONS/AFFECTIONS/ALEGIANCE TOWARD GOD OR IDOLS THAT CAN NEVER SATISFY

 “BEHAVIORS IN A BELIEVER THAT REFLECTS THE AWESOME MAJESTY AND WORTH (WORTH-SHIP) OF ALMIGHTY AND HOLY GOD. “

“WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS FOR US BUT WE HAVE AN ENEMY WHO IS AGAINST US AND THE ENEMY OF OUR SOUL HATES OUR WORSHIP.”

TODAY PART 3 OF WORSHIP- TWO UNLIKELY WOMEN

STORY IN LUKE 21 AND HERE MARK 12:42

JESUS CONDEMNS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WIDOWS RIGHT BEFORE THIS.

MARK 12:41

   ⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 

 MARK 12:42

   ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. (DROP)

   JESUS IN -LAST 5 SECTIONS IN OPOSITION

 MARK 12:43-44

  ⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

WE WORSHIP IN OUR GIVING/GENEROSITY

• OUR TIME- ITS AN ACT OF WORSHIP
• OUR TALENT- GIVE THAT- WORSHIP
• TOUCH- SHARE THAT-ACT OF WORSHIP
• TREASURE- OFFER IT IN WORSHIP

TRUTH IS THIS:

• SOME HAVE THOUGHT- I KNEW HE’D TALK MONEY
• SOME IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME HERE
• PEOPLE ARE SITTING NEAR YOU CRINGING NOW
• I COULD ADDRESS RACIAL DIVISION
• I COULD TALK ABOUT SEX TODAY
• I COULD TALK ABOUT POLITICS- LESS OF ISSUE
• BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MONEY- IN CHURCH?

TODAY ISN’T ABOUT MONEY- ITS ABOUT WORSHIP

• SOME THOUGHTS THOUGH ABOUT FINANCES
• MORE THAN ½ PARABLE JESUS TOLD
• MONEY AND POSSESSIONS
• 500 VERSES IN BIBLE SPEAK ABOUT PRAYER
• LESS THAN 500 ON FAITH
• OVER 2000 VERSES DEAL WITH FINANCES
• 1 OUT OF EVERY 7 VERSES IN NT REFERS TO FINANCES AND POSSESSION

 PICTURE OF THE TEMPLE

• DO YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THIS STRUCTURE?
• DO YOU SEE THE RENDERINGS OF THE PEOPLE?
• COURT OF GENTILES- EVERYONE (NON JEWS)
• THEY CAN’T GO TO WOMENS COURT
• COURT OF ISRAEL- 15 STEPS UP
• COURT OF PRIEST

CLOSE UP COURT OF WOMEN

• STRUCTURE WAS 37 ACRES
• 18,000 PEOPLE TO BUILD IT
• ITS PASSOVER WEEK
• JEWISH HIST JOSEPHUS POPULATON 2.7MILL

COLUMNS-COURT OF WOMEN PORCH

• THERE ARE 13 RECEPTICLES AROUND COURT
• PEOPLE EVERYWHERE-

TRUMPET LIKE STRUCTURE

• METAL STRUCTURES
• 6 FOR:
• 7 FOR :
•    ⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 

ALL THIS COMMOTION- A SOUND- CATCHES JESUS EAR

JUST TWO LITTLE COINS-

JESUS HAD JUST RAISED LAZARUS- PEOPLE WANT TO SEE

AMONG ALL THE CHANGE WIDOW- 2  SOUNDS RING OUT

WE ALL ASSUME SHES OLD- 2 SOUNDS

SOME OLDER PEOPLE THINK SHES YOUNG

A SOUND– A MINIMAL- SHORT RATTLE SOUND

JESUS GRABS HIS GUYS- DID YOU HEAR THAT?

DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT? SEE WHAT JESUS- 2 COINS

THEY HEARD ALL THE SOUNDS OF THE RICH-NOISY

JESUS SAYS- YOU SEE THAT WIDOW- SHE GAVE 2 MITES

SHE GAVE MORE THAN ALL THE REST-

WAIT JESUS WHAT? 2 MITES? WORD WAS LEPTA

WORTH ESSENTIALLY A PENNY OR LESS

SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO GIVE BOTH- JEWISH LAW GIVE 1

THE EQUIVALENT OF 6 MINUTES OF A WORK DAY

A NO NAME WIDOW- DEPOSITS HER WORSHIP

JESUS DOESN’T CONDEMN THE WEALTHY

HE JUST SAYS SHE GAVE MORE-

OTHERS GAVE IN RELATIONSHIP WHAT THEY COULD KEEP- WE DO THE SAME

• SCRIPTURE SAYS “JESUS POSITIONED HIMSELF SO HE COULD SEE WHAT PEOPLE GIVE”
•  LUKE 12:34

   “FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.”

• 2 SOUNDS INDICATE WHERE HER HEART IS

QUOTE

   “ITS NOT EQUAL GIFTS-ITS EQUAL SACRIFICE.”

GIVE/SAVE/LIVE

• 3 WAYS MOST PEOPLE HANDLE FINANCES
• THEY LIVE FIRST
• SAVE SECOND
• GIVE LAST

Matthew 6:24

  ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS FOR US BUT WE HAVE AN ENEMY WHO IS AGAINST US AND THE ENEMY OF OUR SOUL HATES OUR WORSHIP.”

JOHN 12

1. Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief;

VIDEO THE CHOSEN

• DID YOU MISS IT?
• SHE IS SO FOCUSED ON HIM AND HIM ALONE
• NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

2 SAMUEL 24:18-24

¹⁸ That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. ²⁰ When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. ²¹ “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.

David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

²² “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. ²³ I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.”

2 SAMUEL 24:24

   “BUT THE KING REPLIED TO ARAUNAH, “NO, I INSIST ON BUYING IT, FOR I WILL NOT PRESENT BURNT OFFERINGS TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT HAVE COST ME NOTHING.”

WHAT IS IT THAT SHE DID THAT DREW HIS ATTENTION

I WONDER IF THE SOUND CAUGHT HIS EAR BECAUSE

HE WAS REMINDED OF THE SACRIFICE HE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE

EXPRESSING OUR LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR WHO HE IS, WHAT HE IS, WHAT HE’S DONE, WHAT HES SAID, AND WHAT HE’S PROMISED TO DO. (R WARREN)

WIDOW DOESN’T COME BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT JESUS WOULD NOTICE HER

https://www.bible.com/events/49405668

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus

Beyond The Song: A life of worship Part 3

Take your everyday, ordinary life, and place it before the Lord as an offering.

Today we are continuing in our 4-part teaching series called Beyond the Song: A life of worship.

Throughout this series, we want to be challenged to re-frame our thinking on worship. That we would not only think of worship as somewhere we go on Sunday mornings, or a certain song we sing, but that we would see all of our lives as an opportunity to worship the Lord.

Today we are going to focus in on the idea that worship is all about offering or giving our very Best to the Lord.

According to Romans 12, Worship is all about giving.

Giving your life, you might sing songs to him, you might give your time to serve at the church or in the community, you give your talents to help provide for others, you give of yourself, to comfort loved ones and support them.

John 12:1-3

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Mary’s worship through giving was motivated by love. This act of worship was an act of love and adoration for Jesus.

1 Corinthians 13:3 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

We also see that Mary’s worship was intentional. Mary planned to worship. She planned to give her best. She gave careful and intentional consideration of how she would worship the Lord.

Mary worshipped without reservations.

She gave her best and she gave all of it.

Jesus doesn’t uphold Mary’s gift as an example for future generations. No, he upholds her example of worship for future generations.

To show future generations what true worship looks like. A life of worship is giving your best and giving all of yourself to the Lord.

That’s worship beyond the song, that’s a life of worship.

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Then this poor widow comes in, drops in two of the smallest known coins in the money system. And Jesus sees her.

He is moved by her worship. Not because she gave a lot, but she gave her best, she gave her all.

He turns round and says to his disciples- Boys, this right here is how it’s done. This is how you worship.

You might be here today and following along feeling like you are left out because you don’t have much money to give, or a nice car to donate, or whatever.

Look, it’s not about that. This is not even a message about our money, it’s about worship. You already have your best, and you are already giving it to something or someone.

What we are desiring to see today is that true worship, our true response in loving and serving Jesus is that HE gets our best.

Will you give the Lord your best?