Pursuing God's Presence Through Worship in Trials
Summary
Today, I explored the profound theme of pursuing God's presence in the midst of our problems, drawing from both personal experiences and biblical narratives to illustrate this vital spiritual practice.
The sermon began with a reflection on a challenging time in my life when, as a young church planter in Myrtle Beach, I faced a series of setbacks, including a significant issue with a new laptop that was struck by lightning. This incident, though frustrating, served as a poignant reminder of the necessity of seeking God not just in times of ease but especially in moments of difficulty.
I then delved into the biblical story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, where we see an entire community turning to God in the face of overwhelming odds. Jehoshaphat's response to imminent attack was not to prepare for battle in conventional terms but to appoint men to sing praises to God. This act of worship and reliance on divine intervention led to a miraculous victory, as their enemies were thrown into confusion and defeated themselves.
This narrative parallels the New Testament account in Luke 7 of the woman with the alabaster jar, who, despite her sinful reputation and the judgmental gazes of many, displayed an extravagant act of worship by anointing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume. Her actions exemplify a total and costly surrender to Christ, a theme that resonates deeply when we consider our own acts of worship in difficult times.
Throughout the sermon, I emphasized that worship is not a passive act but a vigorous, intentional choice. It is an expressive, not passive, endeavor that involves our whole being, regardless of our circumstances. This is vividly illustrated in the story of Jehoshaphat, where the act of singing to God was a strategic and bold act of war.
In closing, I shared insights on the power of prophetic declaration, as seen in Ezekiel 37 with the vision of the dry bones. This act of speaking life into dead circumstances is something we are all called to engage in, as it aligns our perspective with God's vision and power.
### Key Takeaways
1. Worship as a Strategic Act in Battle - In the story of Jehoshaphat, worship was not just a spiritual exercise but a strategic act in the face of battle. This teaches us that our worship can be a powerful weapon against the adversities we face. When we choose to praise in the midst of trouble, we align ourselves with God's promises and power, often leading to divine interventions we could not orchestrate on our own. [01:03:05]
2. The Cost of True Worship - The woman with the alabaster jar exemplifies the cost of true worship. She gave what was most precious to her without reservation. This act of worship was not only a personal sacrifice but a public declaration of her allegiance to Jesus, challenging us to consider what we are willing to lay down in our worship. [01:12:10]
3. Prophetic Declaration Activates God's Promises - Just as Ezekiel was instructed to speak to the dry bones, we are called to actively declare God's promises and truths over our lives and circumstances. This isn't just positive thinking; it's a form of spiritual warfare that brings God's creative power into our situations. [32:48]
4. Worship in Spirit and Truth Transcends Circumstances - True worship isn't dependent on our external circumstances but on a heart fully devoted to God. It requires a focus on God's nature and His deeds, not on what we might receive in return. This kind of worship often leads to spiritual breakthroughs and deeper intimacy with God. [01:21:22]
5. Community Worship as a Reflection of Unity and Faith - When Jehoshaphat led his people in worship, it was a communal act that reflected their unity and collective faith in God's promise. Similarly, when we worship together with other believers, we reinforce our shared trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to deliver us from any adversity. [01:04:44]
### Youtube Chapters
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [32:48] - Prophetic Declaration: Speak Life
- [01:00:00] - Jehoshaphat's Faith in Crisis
- [01:06:59] - The Power of Worship in Trials
- [01:08:52] - The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
- [01:13:40] - Passionate Worship: A Choice Not a Feeling
- [01:21:22] - Worship Centered on God, Not Circumstances
- [01:31:53] - Expressive Worship in the Psalms
- [01:38:49] - Invitation to Worship with Abandon
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. 2 Chronicles 20:1-22 - The story of King Jehoshaphat and the battle won through worship.
2. Luke 7:36-50 - The account of the woman with the alabaster jar anointing Jesus' feet.
3. Ezekiel 37:1-14 - The vision of the valley of dry bones and the prophetic declaration to bring them to life.
### Observation Questions
1. In 2 Chronicles 20, what was King Jehoshaphat's unconventional strategy for facing the vast army? How did the people respond to this strategy? [01:03:05]
2. Describe the actions of the woman with the alabaster jar in Luke 7. What was the significance of her actions? [01:12:10]
3. What did God instruct Ezekiel to do in the valley of dry bones, and what was the result of his actions? [32:48]
4. How did the community of Judah respond to Jehoshaphat's call to worship in the face of battle? [01:04:44]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jehoshaphat chose to lead his people into battle with worship rather than traditional weapons? What does this teach us about the power of worship? [01:03:05]
2. The woman with the alabaster jar made a significant sacrifice by anointing Jesus' feet. What does this tell us about the nature of true worship and its cost? [01:12:10]
3. In Ezekiel 37, what is the significance of speaking life into the dry bones? How does this relate to the concept of prophetic declaration in our lives today? [32:48]
4. How does the communal act of worship in 2 Chronicles 20 reflect the unity and collective faith of the people? What can we learn from this about the importance of community worship? [01:04:44]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant challenge. How did you respond? How might choosing to worship in that moment have changed your perspective or outcome? [01:03:05]
2. The woman with the alabaster jar gave what was most precious to her in worship. What is something valuable in your life that you might be holding back from God? How can you offer it to Him in worship? [01:12:10]
3. Think about a situation in your life that feels "dead" or hopeless. How can you begin to speak God's promises and life into that situation, as Ezekiel did with the dry bones? [32:48]
4. Worship is described as a vigorous, intentional choice. How can you make worship a more active and expressive part of your daily life, regardless of your circumstances? [01:21:22]
5. Community worship was a powerful act of unity for Jehoshaphat's people. How can you encourage and participate in communal worship within your church or small group? [01:04:44]
6. Passionate worship is not about our feelings but a choice we make. How can you prepare your heart and mind to choose worship even when you don't feel like it? [01:14:16]
7. Reflect on the idea that worship should be centered on God and not on what we can get from Him. How can you shift your focus in worship to be more about honoring God for who He is? [01:21:22]
Devotional
Day 1: Worship as Warfare
Worship is not merely a spiritual routine; it is a strategic act in the midst of spiritual warfare. In the story of Jehoshaphat, worship was employed as a powerful weapon against overwhelming adversities. When faced with imminent danger, Jehoshaphat and his people chose to praise God, aligning themselves with divine intervention rather than relying solely on human strategies. This act of worship led to a miraculous victory, demonstrating that when we praise in the midst of trouble, we invite God's power into our situations, often leading to outcomes we could never achieve on our own. [01:03:05]
2 Chronicles 20:21-22: "And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.' And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed."
Reflection: How can you incorporate worship into your daily battles, trusting God to work through your praises?
Day 2: The Price of Devotion
True worship often comes at a high cost, as illustrated by the woman with the alabaster jar. She poured out her most precious possession without hesitation, demonstrating a profound act of worship and surrender to Jesus. This story challenges us to consider the depth of our own devotion. True worship is not about the external act but the internal posture of giving God what is most valuable to us. It's a personal sacrifice and a public declaration of our allegiance to Christ, inviting us to reflect on what we are truly willing to lay down in our worship. [01:12:10]
Luke 7:37-38: "And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment."
Reflection: What is the 'alabaster jar' in your life that you need to surrender to God as an act of worship?
Day 3: Speaking Life into Deadness
The act of prophetic declaration is not merely positive thinking; it is a form of spiritual warfare that brings God's creative power into our situations. Just as Ezekiel was commanded to speak to the dry bones, we are called to declare God's promises and truths over our lives and circumstances. This aligns our perspective with God's vision and power, activating His promises in our lives. By speaking life, we participate in God's transformative work, even in the most desolate areas of our existence. [32:48]
Ezekiel 37:4-5: "Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.'"
Reflection: Identify a 'dry bone' situation in your life. How can you start speaking God's life-giving words over it today?
Day 4: Worship Beyond Circumstances
True worship transcends our external circumstances and is rooted in a heart fully devoted to God. It requires us to focus on God's nature and His deeds, rather than on what we might receive in return. This kind of worship leads to spiritual breakthroughs and deeper intimacy with God, as it is centered on Him alone. By choosing to worship in spirit and truth, regardless of our situations, we open ourselves to experiencing God's presence and power in new and profound ways. [01:21:22]
John 4:23-24: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a practice of worshiping God in spirit and truth, independent of your current circumstances?
Day 5: Unity in Communal Worship
When Jehoshaphat led his people in worship, it was not just an individual act but a communal one that reflected their unity and collective faith in God's promises. This story underscores the power of community worship in demonstrating our shared trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to deliver us from adversity. When we worship together, we reinforce our faith and encourage one another, standing together in the belief that God is in control and will bring victory. [01:04:44]
Acts 4:24: "And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, 'Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them...'"
Reflection: How can participating in communal worship strengthen your faith and unity with other believers?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Passionate worship is a choice, not a feeling. Too many times I watch folks come to church and I can tell whether they have had a good week or they've had a bad week by how they respond when worship starts. Because generally, if I've had a bad week, I come in with this kind of bless me attitude. Now you don't, you probably didn't think that coming in. You know what I'm saying? You probably are just, you know, down in the dumps. You know what I'm saying? Like you just don't feel like you're sad or frustrated or angry and you just come in and you walk in and you just kind of plop down and you just kind of stand there. And you may even, you know, kind of lift your hand every once in a while, but there's really no passion behind it because let's be honest, you just don't, you're just not feeling it." [01:14:16]
2. "When you feel surrounded, worship. When you feel like your life is, there is an assault on your life, whether it's spiritually or physically, when you're in the middle of a problem, take your eye off the problem and turn your eyes toward the Lord." [01:06:59]
3. "I will passionately worship, I will passionately pursue my more. It's easy to passionately worship when things are going right, but when things are going wrong. So I want to give you three things, three things that you need to understand about passionate worship in the midst of your problem. That if you'll take them to heart, if you'll, if you'll, don't just commit them to memory, put them in the recesses of your heart and live it out. I believe it'll change the way you approach God." [01:13:40]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Tomorrow, march down against them. Now God, now we know the whole story, right? So you already know how this ends, but think about it from the perspective of Jehoshaphat. They're sitting there. They have nations that are coming against them to wage war. They've been told, they're going to go to Jehoshaphat. They've been told this. They're trying to prepare themselves, and a trusted prophet stands up. And the prophet says, listen, this battle is not yours. This battle is God's. God has just promised to take care of it all. So now we just should be able to lean back, you know what I'm saying? Crack open a nice cold Pepsi, and just watch as God takes care of this entire thing. except, he says, tomorrow, go down against them." [01:01:40]
2. "And after consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying, saying, give thanks to the Lord for His love or His mercy endures forever. So Jehoshaphat goes, here's the plan, guys. After thinking about it, praying about it, talking about it, strategizing, this is the plan. God said He's going to take care of it, but we've got to go down. So I want you to put your sword, your shield, put all that stuff up." [01:03:05]
3. "Passionate worship is centered on God, not me. There's been a lot of teaching over the years, and it's like, if you worship, worship, God gives you like, it's almost like this transactional thing. You worship and God does for you. You worship and you can get your healing. You worship and, you know what I'm saying? And it's this transactional thing. And the issue with that is, it's focused not on God. It's focused on me. I'm going to worship because I need something from him. And so if I can manipulate the situation, then I can get what I need." [01:21:22]
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