When Worship Goes to War | Jentezen Franklin

0:48 I'm going to begin reading with verse 22 of Acts 17. Then Paul stood in the midst of Arpegeus and said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious. But religion is not Jesus. Religion is not, that's not what he's about. you're very religious, for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, that's in reference to the idols in Athens, Greece, I even found an altar with the inscription to the unknown God. Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing, You worship him without knowing. That's a way of saying ignorantly.

1:44 Him I proclaim to you. God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. nor is he worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything. Please understand you're not doing God a favor raising your hands and even being in church this morning. He doesn't need anything from you. He, we need him. He doesn't need us. He needs nothing. as though he needs anything since he gives to all life, breath, and all things.

2:41 And he has made us from one blood. This is so important. You think you're better than somebody because the color of your skin or the lack thereof. this is telling you where the human race came from for he has made us from boy don't isn't this a time for that verse to be highlighted in the world he has made us from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling. God knew you would be right where you're sitting, right where you're living. God had preordained the boundaries of your dwelling, everything preordained by the hand of God.

3:36 So, verse 27, that they should seek the Lord in hope that they might, the King James says, feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each of us. He's preaching to these people who are very religious, but they do not know God. And he says, for in him we live and we move and have our being. Also, as some of your poets have said, for we are his offspring. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold. He's talking about statues, idols that they were worshiping. They had them all over the place.

4:29 Silver or stone, something shaped by art or man's devising. truly these times of ignorance God overlooked this worshiping of idols God has overlooked the ignorant worship of idols God has overlooked for a season but now commands all men everywhere to repent meet. because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man, the man whom he has ordained, that's Jesus. He has given assurance to this, to all by raising him from the dead. He just preached the resurrection and death and resurrection to all of these people.

5:25 I want to preach to you about the reason and the ways that we worship and what it's really all about, what we're doing. I can do it quickly this morning. But when the United States of America launches war against a nation, they do it from warships. they take off and they fight battles they launch our attacks from warships and spiritually we're in a war with principalities and powers and rulers and we launch our attack spiritually through worship when we worship we are releasing the forces of spiritual weaponry against the forces of darkness. That's why it's so important that we understand who we worship, why we worship, and how we worship. Praise is the address of God, and we're called to be people who are worshipers. The scripture said that we are to praise the Lord, Worship him when your strength is small.

6:48 Worship him when you're on the mountain and worship him when you're in the valley. Worship him when the sun is shining and worship him when the rain is falling and tears are streaming down your face. Worship him. What Paul said to them was so powerful. He said, you're caught up in the emotional, the emotionalism of worship.

7:12 But you're not educated. You're emotional in your worship of these idols, but you're not educated in worship. And you worship the unknown God whom you ignorantly, he said, worship. You have the emotion, but you don't have the education. You don't know what you're worshiping. And God doesn't want ignorant worship. God doesn't want people just making a bunch of noise. But he wants us to understand the reason that we have assembled here today to worship him. Psalms 47 and 1 said, clap your hands all you people and shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalms 149 and 3 said, praise the Lord in the dance for he takes pleasure. He takes pleasure in his saints.

8:09 Psalms 150 talks about praising him with the musical instruments, praising him in the sanctuary. Praising him for his greatness and his exceeding greatness, his excellent greatness. Praise him with our mouth. Let the saints be joyful with the high praise in our mouth and the two-edged sword in our hand. We are to praise him because he is worthy of our praise. He ends Psalms 150 by saying, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Let beer breath praise the Lord. Let cussing words praise the Lord, even if you've used your mouth to cuss this week. Open your mouth and praise him, because if he doesn't give you your next breath, you won't have one. And that's why anything breathing, and let me put it this way, everything breathing is praising the Lord. Even the first time they pop a baby on the behind, in Jewish, in Hebrew theology, the baby breathes in.

9:16 And when he does, he says, Yah. And when he exhales, Yahweh, which is the name of God. The very breath of God is praise to God. The birds are praising him. The cattle are praising him on a thousand hills. The animals and the wildlife in Africa are praising the Lord. And I'm telling you, you've got a reason to praise him more than any of them. You've been redeemed by his blood. Don't be embarrassed and don't praise him ignorantly. I don't think you're ignorant if you want to take time to praise the Lord when you come to church. I think it's kind of stupid to come to church and get all dressed up and sit there. Everybody take a praise break and give God glory.

10:06 We're not crazy for doing that. Praise is found 200, the word praise, 246 times in the Bible. Worship, 109 times. That is a total of 355 times praise and worship is mentioned, and that's how many days are on the Jewish calendar. God surrounded himself with the angelic host created to worship him. I want you to see this in the book of Revelation. We're going to the throne room now. We're going where God is right now. I know he's here by his Holy Spirit. He's omnipresent, but he sits upon a throne. Jesus sits upon a throne. And this is what the scripture says about it. Verse two, and immediately I was in the spirit.

11:02 This is John. And behold, a throne set in heaven. And one, one, one sat on the throne. And he who sat there was like a jasper and a sardis stone in appearance. And there was a rainbow around the throne. The rainbow belongs around the throne of God, not attached to a demonic doctrine and group of lifestyle that is forbidden in the word of God. That's not mean. That's a preacher telling the truth. It is written. It is written. And that rainbow, isn't it just like Satan that he's been in heaven. He was cast out of heaven. He's seen the rainbow around the throne. And isn't it just like him to steal it and put it on a cause that He knows we're down people if they don't repent, just like adultery will, just like fornication will.

12:02 It's sin. And you will perish if you don't repent and turn away. The rainbow around the throne is holy in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were 24 thrones. And on the thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting. The Old Testament, those 24 elders would be the 12 tribes of Israel. and then the New Testament, the 12 disciples. They will all be sitting on thrones. And I saw 24 elders sitting clothed with white robes. And they had crowns of gold on their heads.

13:00 And from the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. before the throne there was a sea of glass. Now if you've got a loved one in heaven, you just think about this. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion. Everybody say a lion. And the second living creature was like an ox or a calf. Everybody say an ox. The third living creature had the face of a man. Everybody say a man. And the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Everybody say a flying eagle.

13:54 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. and they do not rest day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne who lives forever and forever, the four and 20 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever and casts their crowns before the throne saying, you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.

14:40 You have created all things and by your will they exist and we were created. You mess with me, I'll stand up here and just read the Bible. The Bible is powerful. Don't need no preacher, none. And all you need is that book right there. And it's just, it speaks for itself. Now I'm going to preach.

15:10 And I'm going to get it all done. And you're going to know what I preached. John said, I was in the Spirit. Once the Spirit gets in you, when you get saved, the Spirit gets in you. When you get filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit gets in you. Once the Spirit gets in you, you need to learn how to get into the Spirit. when problems come you need to get into the spirit if you live by the flesh the flesh you you'll lose the battle but when you learn how to get into the spirit and some of you say well I wait for the spirit to move me well if a if a tornado was coming through your neighborhood would you wait for the stairs to come get into you or would you go get into the basement you're supposed to come to church to get into the spirit get into the worship get into the word get into a cleansing of your mind a renewing of your mind get into it quit waiting on the spirit to get into you and get into the spirit give him your full attention don't let your phone be sitting there looking at it when you're supposed to be worshiping God get into the spirit. Get into this thing. You got up, you got ready, you might as well get into it a little bit.

16:30 And then we see these four living creatures, which I think are a beautiful picture of the four seasons and times and ways we are to worship God. They represent something around the throne in heaven. And God wants worshipers on earth that are doing what they're doing in heaven. And he said, the first one that I saw was a lion. And that lion is symbolic of strength and courage and boldness. A lion can roar up to, and the sound of that roar can be heard for five miles. The roar is just letting everybody know, I'm here. And it's letting the enemy know that may be thinking about coming into your territory.

17:27 If you come into this territory, into my neighborhood, around my family, there's going to be a fight. And that is that strong, courageous lion roar. It's a manipulation technique that says to the enemy, I'm here. One of the faces of worship is the face of the lion in heaven. Sometimes your praise needs to be strong. Sometimes your praise needs to be victorious. Sometimes your praise needs to be bold. Sometimes you need to come in here and say, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will be continually on my lips. Sometimes you need to get to that place that you let the devil know five miles away. I'm going to praise the Lord.

18:23 It's what Paul and Silas got a hold of when they were in that jail cell and their backs had been beaten. And at midnight, they began to wake up and give the devil nightmares with praising the Lord, with singing and praising. And it's the lion of the tribe of Judah in you that you need to release. When you put on the face of the lion, it's saying, I'm going to attack you, Satan, with worship. Because sometimes the battles that you're fighting are so great, if you don't attack them with worship, they will attack you with worry. and if you're worrying more and more it's because you're worshiping less and less because the more you worship you step into another world and you get that face of the lion that says I am not a victim I refuse to be a victim I may have been victimized I may have been hurt I may have been laughed at I may have been used and abused and thrown and spit upon, but I have a lion inside of me. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah that prevails over shame, over guilt, over pain, over brokenness. I will roar my praise. The bigger you better stay out of my territory. And you know, some of you are like, well, I don't want to get to talking too big. It has nothing to do with you. The lion is in you. It's not you. He gives you the face of the lion. And when the devil sees him coming through your praise, he says, I better back off.

20:10 there's no such thing as a cowardly lion the righteous are as bold as a lion proverbs 28 said you never see a chihuahua chase off a lion but you will see a lion cause a chihuahua to go running the devil is the chihuahua. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Tell somebody I got a line inside of me. The second face is an ox.

20:50 You see, that lion is the attack. It's the attack. It's the offense. The offensive against the enemy. But then there's other times when you're going through something and you need the face of the ox. What is an ox? An ox, if you look it up in the dictionary, it says it's strong, it's steadfast, it's stubborn. Then it has a picture of your mother-in-law right beside, no, no, not mine. I love mine. I'm talking about your mother-in-law. An ox is determined, is stubborn. The lion is the praise on the offense, but the ox is just worship like an ox means I'm going through something, but I'm going to put my head down and I'm determined I'm going to get through it. I'm going to plow through this thing. I'm going to plow through this trial. Every day is a fight and every day is a struggle, but I will not give up and I will never stop praising you, Lord. And I'll never stop being grateful. And I'll never forget how you found me. And you didn't leave me dying in the ditch, but you poured in the oil and the wine and washed me and put me up and restored me. And I'm not, I'm still struggling with this addiction, struggling with this problem, struggling with this shame, but I'm going to plow my way through because I know God is able to give me a brighter future than I have today. I don't know who I'm preaching to, but you just need to keep on plowing on through. Put your head down and plow on through.

22:52 Hosea 10 and verse 11 said, Judah shall plow. Judah means praise. Praise plows through the tough, hard ground and territory and season that you're in. You don't stay quiet. But you praise when you're going through it, plow through with the spirit in that face of the ox. That's what God has before his throne. It must mean, look at the people who refuse to give up. Look at my servant, Job. He's lost everything. Watch him plow on through. But I know my Redeemer liveth. The Lord gives. The Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I'm going to get through this. I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to plow my way through with praise to the land flowing with milk and honey.

23:59 Praise the Lord. I think about blind Bartimaeus and how that the scripture said the disciples told him to be quiet. I believe it's in Mark chapter 10. And they said, be quiet. Stop praising the Lord. But he got the spirit in the face of that ox. And the Bible said he cried out the louder. The more they said, be quiet, he cried the louder. And he got his miracle.

24:27 Then thirdly, the flying eagle. What is that about? What is the flying eagle about? some trials that are so severe that if we're to be honest the problem is so severe that we think we can't escape it we're in it and we're going through it but he said if you'll praise me with the face of the flying eagle I'll get what you can't get away from you have to go through it I'll get you over it because he's a flying eagle. Praise when you're going through it will get you over it. Some of you can't get over what somebody did to you, but if you'll learn to put on worship when there's nobody there but you and Jesus and begin to glorify and praise and magnify him, He'll take you up, up out of the fog and the pain and the hurt.

25:29 And there is a place above it all. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Worship says if I can't get through it, I'll get over it.

25:55 If I can never, this is, some things happen and you'll never be the same again. But it's okay. There is a praise that can get you over it. but let me close with this.

26:15 The last thing that I want to talk about that I'm so appreciative of, and I'll call y'all in just a minute. Let me preach just a minute. you've got the powerful, bold, victorious lion roar. Sometimes you've got the determined plowing through, not quitting. I will not give up. God, I'm struggling, but I won't give up. Then you've got, it's happened, but I can get over it praise the flying eagle but there's one face that I am so thankful was there and he said then I saw the face of a man the face of a man I saw someone who worshiped like a human a human is frail a human is full of mistakes a human has sin and failure in their life but they came into my throne I invited them I want the humans to come in and you may not have a lion praise yet you may not have you may not have an ox determination you may not have the victory over what's happened. You'll never get there until you approach him as a flawed, messed up human being who can't fix yourself. You're broken. I think of the people in the ministry that we have of new beginnings and good landing and made for more and all of these wonderful ministries, It's a rehab ministry type ministries, regeneration, we like to call them.

28:19 And sometimes you don't feel like a lion or an ox or an eagle. But I appreciate the fact that right there around the throne, I can come in as a human being. Messed up. Hadn't got it together. Weak. A failure. Hadn't done everything I should have done. Hadn't lived everything I should have lived. But he says you come in with all your flaws, with all of your mess ups. Come in with your depression. Come in with your anxiety. Come in with your addiction. Come on in with your bad marriage. Come on in with your children and your broken heart. Come on in with your shame, with your abuse. Come on in. Come on in. And if I ever see you worshiping me as a frail human being, I have pity and I have love for you. I love that verse in the book of Psalms 103 and verse 4 that says, listen to this, he knows our frame.

29:20 He remembers we are just dirt. And yet this holy God says, I won't end the whole makeup of the great disciples and the great tribes of Israel leaders. and I want all these angels and seraphims and creatures that are created to worship. I want human face.

29:49 I want people to come to me in their weakness and worship me. And if they'll come get in my presence, one day they'll have a lion praise and an ox praise and a flying eagle praise. And they'll be singing, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive glory and honor and power. I don't know what you're going through. But I know what will get you through. And I can only speak for myself. The thing that gets me through is when I show up and I say, Lord, I don't have anything but a hallelujah. and I'm frail, and I'm weak, and I'm weary, and I'm struggling, and I'm fighting battles. And I'll tell you, the last few weeks have been some kind of warfare.

31:12 But it's not our strength that God needs. He doesn't need you to be strong. Be strong. No, he said, come, just come. If nothing's going right, if no good news is coming, just come in your frailty. Come in your hurt. Come in your questioning. Where are you, God? Why don't you do something?

31:48 Come just like you are and just worship me. I'll take you just like you are frail and you belong in this mix too because it's my blood that was shed for you. I didn't die for any of those animals, but I died for you. and it's your praise that I love the most.

32:14 So I'm going to ask you to lift up your hands all over this room if you will and just say, Lord, I'm here to worship you and I'm here to praise you. And if they're doing that in heaven right now, I want to be your voice and your praise on earth. I want my face to be around that throne in human form with all of my frailties and weakness. You make my weakness strong. you said your strength would be seen even through my weakness as I worship. In Jesus' name.

33:08 I really want to say thank you for joining us this week. If you haven't already, make sure you click on the subscription button and leave us a review. It helps this podcast reach even more people when you comment, when you give us your feedback. For more messages and inspirational materials, download the Jensen Franklin app, or you can head over to jensenfranklin.org. I want to thank all of you who give generously.