Jeff Maness – May 3, 2020
Psalm 66:4 4 Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.
Psalm 19:1-2 1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
Luke 19:40 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Big Idea: Worship is not just the way we sing to God, it’s a weapon we have from God.
Big Question: How is worship a weapon? Main Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20
2 Chronicles 20:6; 10-12 6 “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!
10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing… 11 …For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. 12O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.
1. It refocuses my perspective
Psalm 22:3 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
2 Chronicles 20:13-19 13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, 14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. 15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.
2. Reminds me of God’s promises
I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies, louder than the unbelief, my weapon is a melody, Heaven comes to fight for me
3. It releases God’s power
2 Chronicles 20:20-21a 20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and 2 2 Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21a After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor.
2 Chronicles 2:21b-26 21b This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. 24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped. 25 King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all! 26On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.
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