Praise and Worship
Power to Proclaim
Introduction: Last week we saw what praise would do in the face of the enemy. Today we will see what praise will do when our faith in our words of praise is spoken. We will see how the enemy will flee when God fights our battle in the heavenly realm.
I. Here is a great example from World War II.
A. The
Battle for Britain was under way.
Dunkirk.
1. Night
after night German bombers came, air raid sirens sounded, London was
bombed.
2.
Germany was preparing to add England to there empire.
B. Winston
Churchill called for a “A Day of Prayer”, September 8, 1940.
1. This
was just one of many that was called.
2. A
minister, Rees Howells, was holding a midday prayer service.
a. Air
raid! Just as he was going to speak.
b.
There was a tremendous air fight going on overhead.
c.
Instead of running for shelter, they just stood and prayed and praised God
for
protection, deliverance and total victory.
d. They
gave SHOUTS of VICTORY, not of fear and defeat.
C.
Churchill wrote in his “War Memories” this account:
1. I
went into the Air Operations Room and asked what were our reserves?
2. Their
reply, “All we have is in the air now; there are no reserves.”
3.
Germany had England beaten; all now was to invade.
4. For
no apparent reason, the planes turned toward home, the raid was over.
5. No
reason? A leader called for a Day of Prayer, people responded and God
worked
a miracle.
6. The
Day of Prayer was on the 8th; the victory came on the 15th.[7 days]
II. Now look at Isaiah 61:2
A. A
contradiction in God’s Word?
1. God’s
intentions toward His people are good.
a.
Note: There is always opposition that must be broken.
B. God
shows grace to His children, and at the same time opposition to
those
who oppose His promise.
C. For
instance:
1.
Melchizedek prepares a covenant meal with Abraham.
2. He was
also preparing vengeance on Sodom
3. God was preparing faithful David, at the
same time He was preparing
blasphemous Goliath for vengeance.
D. God must
bring judgment and vengeance upon spiritual foes.
1. Some
battles must be fought in heaven.
2. We
must pray and praise in times like this.
3. 2
Corinthians 10:4
E. Daniels
prayers were resisted for twenty-one days.
1. God
sent Michael to defeat Daniel’s spiritual enemy.
2. Daniel
10:13
F. A lesson
for us from Daniel and the Hebrew children.
1. Six
major conflicts with Daniel and his friends.
2. These
are recorded in the first six chapters of Daniel.
a.
First conflict: 1:8-15, Abstinence from the kings food.
Abstinence wins!
b.
Second conflict: 2:1-47, Pagan magic and heavenly wisdom
Divine wisdom wins!
c.
Third conflict: 3:1-30, Heathen idolatry arrayed against loyalty to God.
Loyalty to God wins!
d.
Forth conflict: 4:4-37, A pagan king’s pride arrayed against divine
sovereignty.
God
wins! The king driven out to eat grass
e.
Fifth conflict: 5:1-30, Great sacrilege displayed against sacred things.
Reverence wins! The hand writing on the wall.
Belshazzar dethroned.
f.
Sixth conflict: 6:1-28, Between malicious plotting and the providence
of
God over His saints.
Providence wins! The lions’ mouth shut.
2. All
this because these men refused to bow, but vowed to pray and worship
the
true and living God.
III. Note connection between God’s favor/judgment
and our praise and worship.
A. Psalm
23:3. God is on His throne hearing our
praise.
1. He is
there all the time, always awake, never bigger or smaller.
2. When
we praise Him, our awareness of HIM grows larger.
B. We sing,
“Oh magnify the Lord with me.”
1. The
word magnify means “to enlarge the Lord in our vision.”
2. Look
at Psalm 68:1-4, it explains the process.
a. Vs
1, “Let God arise - - - enemies flee”
b. Vs
2, “The wicked perish”
c. Vs
3, “Rejoice - - exceedingly”
d. Vs
4, “Sing - - praise -- extol”
e. Vs
19, 35 “God’s benefits and His strength and power.”
Conclusion: As you praise the Lord, He rises on your
praises. As He does, two things happen:
He executes judgment on the wicked and vindicates the righteous.