Getting Vertical Part 3  2 Chronicles 20

 

Blessed by Worship tonight –

 

Worship is to be a VITAL part of our Christian life

A) God loves it when His people worship!

 

B) Many encouragements in the Word to worship!

 

Psalm 111:1-3

 

“Praise  the LORD!

I will praise the LORD with my whole heart,

In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

The works of the LORD are great,

Studied by all who have pleasure in them.

 His work is honorable and glorious,

And His righteousness endures forever.”

 

Psalm 30:4

“Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,

And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. “ 

 

Psalm 63:3

 “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.”

 

John 4 Woman at the well – Hung up on where to worship, here or Jerusalem

John 4:23-24

 “ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

A) There Jesus revealed that the place isn’t really the issue – but it is Who you are worshipping, the Father

 

B) And How – In Spirit – Sincerity and truth – according to the Scriptures

1) We come to God thru Christ !

 

C) So Who is the most important – How is also important –

1) But so is the When – when do we worship

 

Exodus 14:1-3

 

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.”

 

God leads Israel into this boxed in Situation –

A) Here comes Pharaoh

 

10 “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.”

11 Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."

 

Complaining, ready to Kill Moses – Stand still, see the Salvation of the Lord

A) God parts the waters – they march thru – Pharoah and Egypt are destroyed

 

B) Ch.15 They break into this glorious time of Praise

1) It was right for them to do that

 

C) But you know what would have been better – if they had praised God when they were boxed in

1) Praised Him on the other side { Hard to do

 

That is what we see in 2 Chron 20 – turn there

A) 3rd week in our series Getting Vertical – Worship plays a huge part in that process – see tonight

 

B) Scene 3 nations – Moab/ Ammon / Edom are coming against Judah

1) King Jehoshaphat gets the word – coming – Freaked – Heart full of fear

 

C) Normal – afraid – But he doesn’t stay there

Verse 3 He set his heart to seek the Lord !

A) V.4-7 He offers up this prayer that Focuses on Who God is – that He is mighty / faithful / God who keeps His promises

 

Verse 12 Gem

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

 

B) Great prayer- Great heart – that is the heart God is looking for in us

 

C) Powerful when God’s pp confess their inability –

 

D) God, I don’t have any power

God I can’t do this …..  Eyes are on You.

 

God responds, sends a Prophet with a great word

A) Don’t be afraid – or dismayed - the battle is not yours – but is the Lord’s

 

B) Position yourselves to see the salvation of God – He was going to work!

 

C) They were blown away – encouraged – worshipped the Lord because of the word

1) We are going to pick up the story – the next day!

 

D) Learn some insights about worship

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

 

Now it almost seems here that Jeh. sensed some reservation from the people in the morning – night to sleep on it – fear creeping back

 

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, NIV the splendor of His holiness as they went out before the army and were saying:  

"Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever."

 

Note 4 things we learn from this story about how worship works in our lives.

 #1 It dethrones our flesh.

 

Not going to be ruled by my emotions – my fear –

A) Self is taken off the throne -  Believe and be established in my spirit

 

B) It is declaring in our Hearts that He is the CENTER OF ATTENTION

 

C) Now if You Think about it /the very act of Worship Announces the Abscense of Self Absorbtion  & Self Centeredness

D)) In Worship we are Preoccupied w/ God – there is no other – No one else in the room –

2) All that Matters is Him !!!!!!

 

 

#2 Declares my Faith! - 

A) Note this is huge – they are worshipping before they saw God work – Praising before the Victory –

 

B) Easy to praise God – after the victory after the prayer is answered – after the healing miracle

1) But what about in the Jam

 

C) Declaring – God I am trusting you.

 

Consider a few of the words for worship in the Bible.

1st Word is Halell - which is the most common word for praise found in the Bible - 99 times in O.T. & in 1/3 of the Psalms

A) Halell is the root of the word Hallelujah which literally means to praise the Lord.

 

B) Halell means to shout / to celebrate / to rave / to boast / & to sing loudly !

1)  It is a word that speaks of a radical outward expression of worship- a real letting go - and worshipping the Lord.

 

 

 

2nd  word is Yadah means to throw out the hands: It is used in 2 Chron. 20:21 and in several of the Psalms

A) The idea with this word is to throw out the hands to touch the throne of God!

 

B) It speaks of a thankful expression of worship

 

 

3rd word Towdah also involves the hands - Towdah means to lift our hands - it is the most common word for thanks in Israel today.

A) It speaks of lifting the hands in thanks for what God is going to do!

 

B) The outward lifting of the hands speaks of the inward lifting of the heart.

1) Lam. 3:41 declares let us lift our heart with our hands

 

C) Yadah speaks of giving - Towdah anticipates receiving – daddy, pick me up

1) The need or attitude of the heart is displayed in the way we lift our hands

 

4th word is Shabach = to commend to triumph to glory and shout with a loud voice !

A) – Get the idea that God intends worship to be a loud very expressive thing.

 

B) Excitement about the Lord and His presence in our lives!

 

Someone once said that Loud praise is not because God is deaf or hard of hearing - or far away , but it is because He deserves great commendation, His glory & majesty are worthy of praise

 

#3 Worship defeats our Foe

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

 

So as they began to worship – God moved set AMBUSHES,  they just stood there amazed

A) God wants us to lay hold of this today.

 

B) Believe and be established – In Faith – Worship

 

C) God is going to set up Ambushes – today – begin

      to work in your situation

 

The Enemy was defeated when? When  they began to worship!

A)  So too our enemy: Satan hates worship - / Kicked out of heaven

 

B) See, He desires people to worship Him / last thing he likes to see is people worshipping God.

1) Fingers on a Chalk board / Drill in the dentist Chair / Drives him crazy – he bails the scene!

#4 DELIGHTS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER :

A) Nothing delights me more than when my kids come up to me and plant a big kiss on me or climb up on my lap.- Big Hug 

1)    You parents know the feeling.

 

B) There is NOTHING that delights you more than to be kissed and embraced by your Kids

 

C) Our Heavenly father feels the same way about His kids. NOTE:

1) Did you know that the New Testament Greek word for worship means just that.

 

D)) It is the word proskuneo-. It means to turn towards and kiss.  It is an act of intimacy.

1) Desires intimacy

 

God was pleased to move on their Behalf

 

Read Verses 24-32

Took 3 days to gather the spoil

 

B) Their biggest trial became the source of of their greatest blessing

 

C) What they first thought was going to destroy them ended up enriching them.