Worship: A Lifestyle of Connection and Authority

Summary

### Summary

Today, we embark on a new series titled "Going Vertical," focusing on the essence of worship and its integral role in our lives as Christians. Worship is not confined to the walls of the church or the moments we sing hymns; it is a lifestyle that permeates every aspect of our existence. Whether we are at work, raising our children, or engaging in daily activities, everything we do should be an act of worship to God. This perspective eliminates the false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular, reminding us that we are called to be influencers in the world, not the influenced.

The sermon delves into the origin story of our enemy, Satan, and why he harbors such animosity towards us. Satan's hatred stems from three primary reasons: we are created in the image of God, we have taken his place as worship leaders, and we are part of his punishment. Isaiah 14 and Genesis 1 reveal that Satan's fall was due to his desire to be like God, a status that God bestowed upon humanity. This divine likeness infuriates Satan, as he was cast out of heaven for aspiring to what we were freely given.

Furthermore, Ezekiel 28 describes Satan's original role as a beautiful, anointed cherub who led worship in heaven. His fall from grace left a void that we now fill, reflecting God's glory through our lives. This reflection is not just a passive act but an active engagement in worship, showcasing God's glory in everything we do. Worship, therefore, is not just about singing songs but about living a life that honors God in every way.

The sermon also emphasizes the power and authority we have as believers. We are not powerless; we are representatives of God's kingdom, endowed with His Spirit. This authority allows us to stand firm against the enemy, knowing that he is a defeated foe. Worship, in this context, becomes a form of spiritual warfare, a declaration of God's sovereignty over our lives.

In conclusion, worship is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is a means through which we connect with God, receive His blessings, and reflect His glory to the world. As we continue this series, we will explore the various dimensions of worship and its profound impact on our lives.

### Key Takeaways

1. Worship as a Lifestyle: Worship extends beyond church services and hymns; it is a lifestyle that encompasses every action and decision. By doing our jobs, raising our families, and living our daily lives as acts of worship, we honor God and reflect His glory. This holistic approach to worship eliminates the divide between the sacred and the secular, reminding us that every moment is an opportunity to glorify God. [01:16]

2. Understanding Our Enemy: Satan's hatred towards us is rooted in our divine creation. We are made in the image of God, a status that Satan coveted and was cast out of heaven for desiring. This divine likeness infuriates him, making us targets of his schemes. Recognizing this helps us understand the spiritual battles we face and the importance of standing firm in our identity in Christ. [03:24]

3. Our Role as Worship Leaders: We have taken Satan's place as worship leaders, reflecting God's glory through our lives. Ezekiel 28 describes Satan's original role as a beautiful, anointed cherub who led worship in heaven. His fall left a void that we now fill, showcasing God's glory in everything we do. This reflection is an active engagement in worship, not just a passive act. [14:31]

4. Authority in Christ: As believers, we are not powerless. We are representatives of God's kingdom, endowed with His Spirit. This authority allows us to stand firm against the enemy, knowing that he is a defeated foe. Worship, in this context, becomes a form of spiritual warfare, a declaration of God's sovereignty over our lives. [11:50]

5. Worship as Connection and Warfare: Worship is a means through which we connect with God, receive His blessings, and reflect His glory to the world. It is also a powerful form of spiritual warfare, declaring God's sovereignty and pushing back against the enemy's schemes. As we open ourselves up in worship, we create a receptacle for God's presence and blessings in our lives. [51:16]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[0:45] - Introduction to "Going Vertical"
[01:16] - Worship as a Lifestyle
[02:17] - Understanding Our Enemy
[03:24] - Satan's Hatred Explained
[05:04] - Isaiah 14 and Genesis 1
[07:06] - Created in God's Image
[09:44] - Dream of Spiritual Authority
[11:50] - Authority in Christ
[13:15] - Satan's Limited Power
[14:31] - Our Role as Worship Leaders
[18:02] - The Anointed Cherub
[21:07] - Reflecting God's Glory
[24:18] - Worship in Daily Life
[29:47] - Worship as Connection and Warfare
[51:16] - Worship's Impact on Our Lives
[54:17] - Invitation to Accept Christ
[55:56] - Closing Blessing

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Going Vertical"

#### Bible Reading
1. Isaiah 14:11-14 - "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy vials: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
2. Genesis 1:26-27 - "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
3. Ezekiel 28:13-17 - "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to the sermon, what is the significance of worship being a lifestyle rather than just an activity confined to church services? [01:16]
2. What are the three reasons given in the sermon for Satan's hatred towards humanity? [03:24]
3. How does Ezekiel 28 describe Satan's original role in heaven, and what happened to him? [14:31]
4. What authority do believers have in Christ, and how does this relate to worship as a form of spiritual warfare? [11:50]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding that we are created in the image of God impact our daily lives and actions? [06:12]
2. In what ways does recognizing our role as worship leaders influence our approach to worship and daily living? [14:31]
3. How can the concept of worship as spiritual warfare change the way we face challenges and spiritual battles? [11:50]
4. What does it mean to live a life that reflects God's glory, and how can we actively engage in this form of worship? [23:34]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily activities. How can you transform mundane tasks into acts of worship that honor God? [01:16]
2. Think about a recent challenge you faced. How might viewing worship as spiritual warfare have changed your approach to that situation? [11:50]
3. Identify an area in your life where you feel powerless. How can you apply the authority you have in Christ to stand firm in that area? [11:50]
4. Consider the ways you currently worship God. How can you expand your understanding of worship to include more aspects of your life? [23:34]
5. Reflect on the idea that we have taken Satan's place as worship leaders. How does this responsibility affect your view of your role in God's kingdom? [14:31]
6. How can you actively reflect God's glory in your workplace or community? Share specific actions you can take this week. [23:34]
7. Worship is described as a means of connecting with God and receiving His blessings. How can you create more opportunities for worship in your daily routine? [51:16]

Devotional

Day 1: Worship as a Lifestyle
Worship extends beyond church services and hymns; it is a lifestyle that encompasses every action and decision. By doing our jobs, raising our families, and living our daily lives as acts of worship, we honor God and reflect His glory. This holistic approach to worship eliminates the divide between the sacred and the secular, reminding us that every moment is an opportunity to glorify God. [01:16]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Think about your daily routine. How can you intentionally turn one mundane task into an act of worship today?

Day 2: Understanding Our Enemy
Satan's hatred towards us is rooted in our divine creation. We are made in the image of God, a status that Satan coveted and was cast out of heaven for desiring. This divine likeness infuriates him, making us targets of his schemes. Recognizing this helps us understand the spiritual battles we face and the importance of standing firm in our identity in Christ. [03:24]

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV): "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

Reflection: Identify a recent challenge or temptation you faced. How can understanding Satan's motives help you stand firm in your faith?

Day 3: Our Role as Worship Leaders
We have taken Satan's place as worship leaders, reflecting God's glory through our lives. Ezekiel 28 describes Satan's original role as a beautiful, anointed cherub who led worship in heaven. His fall left a void that we now fill, showcasing God's glory in everything we do. This reflection is an active engagement in worship, not just a passive act. [14:31]

Ezekiel 28:14-15 (ESV): "You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent moment when you felt God's presence. How can you actively engage in worship in your daily life to reflect His glory?

Day 4: Authority in Christ
As believers, we are not powerless. We are representatives of God's kingdom, endowed with His Spirit. This authority allows us to stand firm against the enemy, knowing that he is a defeated foe. Worship, in this context, becomes a form of spiritual warfare, a declaration of God's sovereignty over our lives. [11:50]

Luke 10:19 (ESV): "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you feel powerless. How can you exercise your authority in Christ to stand firm and declare God's sovereignty over it?

Day 5: Worship as Connection and Warfare
Worship is a means through which we connect with God, receive His blessings, and reflect His glory to the world. It is also a powerful form of spiritual warfare, declaring God's sovereignty and pushing back against the enemy's schemes. As we open ourselves up in worship, we create a receptacle for God's presence and blessings in our lives. [51:16]

2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (ESV): "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: Consider a current struggle or battle in your life. How can you use worship as a form of spiritual warfare to invite God's presence and victory into that situation?

Quotes

1. "Worship is a lifestyle is in everything we do. We do our job as worship because God gave us the skills. God gave us the ability God gave us the opportunity and us actually doing our job is worship to the Lord. There is no separation between sacred and secular as somebody wants has tried to tell us, you know. Here's all the sacred stuff, but we that's all secular so we don't want to be part of that because something might jump on us and all this kind of stuff. Wait a minute. We have the greater one inside of us." [01:16] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Jesus said the enemy comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Now, see, I would have put them in a different order. I say kill, destroy, or steal, destroy, and kill, but he put steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to kill us. He wants to steal from us. Anything he can do to stop us. But I love Jesus didn't stop there. He said, but I have come that you might have life. Oh, that's great. But he said, and have life more abundantly. Amen? Amen." [03:24] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We are made in the image of God. And Jesus came to earth, died, and then sent the Holy Spirit. And God's spirit. The spirit of God lives inside of every believer. We have access to the spirit of God. Jesus did not do one thing on earth just as God. He did it as a man filled with the Holy Spirit to be our example. Come on. We're living well below our capabilities. That's not what this sermon is about, but I just felt like I needed to say that. We are not powerless." [08:36] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We are representatives of the greatest kingdom that ever existed and has existed forever. We are representative. We are Christ's ambassadors. In other words, we can stand and we can declare what we want to see. We don't have to get up there and start fighting devils ourselves. We don't have to get into a tussle. Listen, the Satan is... He's your enemy, but he's no match for you. Again, I'm off my subject, but I just feel like I need to go here. He has... And we've given him way too much credit." [11:50] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "He is a created being. He is not omnipresent. In other words, he's not everywhere. He's not everywhere all at the same time. He's not omniscient. He doesn't know everything. He's not omnipotent. In other words, he doesn't have all power. Only God has those three attributes. Devil does not. He is a created being that was cast out of heaven. We're going to talk in a minute a bit about what he did in heaven. But he has fooled you. Last week, remember, I wore the masquerade mask. He has fooled you to thinking he has the power over you." [13:15] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "This is how we worship God is we let the glory of God shine through us. We show the glory of God everywhere we go in everything we do. We show it just through our attitudes, through our faith, through our faithfulness, but also through our skills and through our gifts. There are reasons why you have giftings and you have skill sets. You have... I mean, Andrea, when you cut my wife's hair, you are so skillful. She comes out of there. I don't know how she gets prettier, but she comes out of there prettier. That's an anointing. That's the glory of God being shown." [24:18] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "We are made to worship God with our life. That's why the enemy hates you. He had a great job, and he got too full of himself. How many of you know that you can get too full of yourself too? Scripture says, don't think more highly of yourself than you ought. It doesn't say don't think highly of yourself. It says don't think more highly than you ought. We ought to think highly of ourselves because of who we are. Okay? Because we are children of the most high God. Come on, somebody." [24:55] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "We worship God because as you open yourself up to worship God, you cannot praise somebody at the same time that you're hitting them in the face and not mean it. Okay, you can say, oh, praise you, praise you, praise you, but you don't mean it. But you can't open your heart to somebody and praise them or worship them without opening up and opening yourself up. It's like being in love. You cannot experience the fullness of love until you open yourself up and you make yourself susceptible to be hurt." [30:30] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "When we worship God, it's not all about us, you know, standing here, oh, it's putting ourself in the place of honoring him. Worship is honor him. Honor him. So let's go to the first reference of worship in the New Testament. Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 through 2. Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. Again, these aren't born again believers. They're not Jews. They're wise men from the east, saying, where is he who is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him." [38:07] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Every one of us are God's crowning achievement, when he created the world, every day for five days, he looked at things and he said, oh that's good, oh yeah, he put the light in the sky, that's good, made the animals, that's good, made the trees, that's good, made the oceans, oh that's good, mountains, everything, everything we see, he looked at and he said, that's good, but on day number six, when he got his hands dirty, and he reached down in the dirt, and he formed us from the dirt, and then he put his mouth against our nostrils, and breathed his spirit into us, and we became a living being, he said, that's very good, oh I outdid myself there, come on, you're God's crowning achievement." [49:33] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

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