Title: The Battle of Worship
Truth: Worship is a response to who God is and what He has done. The true conflict of worship is not form but the object of our worship.
Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Worship is spiritual struggle – Our word worship comes from the old English word “worth-ship” To see what God is worth and give God what He’s worth. The world is not divided into those who worship and those who don’t. We give ultimate value to someone or something.
- Satan vs. God (Isaiah 14,12-14)
Satan questioned that God should be only worthy of worship. Leaving his God-given position
“I will ascend” Positioning himself above all angels “above the stars of God” divine authority
“I will set my throne on high, “I will sit on the mount of the assembly” Proclaiming himself worth of Worship just like God “I will make myself like the Most -High” Judgment of God “But you are brought down.
Result
- Sin entered creation
- Satan in stripped of heavenly office, position and authority
- Satan is thrown out of heaven down to earth
- The Holiness of God will always resist the proud.
- Satan vs. Man (Genesis 3)
“Whatever controls us is our lord, the person that is controlled by power will seek power, the person controlled by acceptance will seek acceptance, the person-controlled comfort will seek comfort, we worship and have a Lord in our lives.” Beck Peipert
- Man vs. Man (Genesis 4:1-8)
“Internal conflict leads to external conflict”
- Satan vs. Christ (Matthew 4:1-11)
“We worship what we serve, and we serve what we worship”
- The final conflict
- Righteous Judgement (Mat 25,41)
- Everlasting Worship (Rev 22:3-4)
Conclusion
Worship is a spiritual struggle about who gets the worship.
Struggle – Satan vs. God “The holiness of God will always resist the proud.”
Struggle – Satan vs. Man “Since the fall, man is always in cosmic spiritual conflict.”
Struggle – Man vs. Man “In a sin -controlled world there will be conflict over worship.”
Struggle – Satan vs. Christ “True worship of God is in the best interest of man.”
Struggle – Man vs God “True joy is reflecting God not rivaling God”
Struggle – The final conflict “Perfect worship is the holy response of a nation before the face of God.”
So How?
1.Decide what’s Real (Hebrews 11:6)
2.Decide to Surrender (Romans 12:1-2)
3.Say No to the Culture (Romans 12:1-2)
4.Practice worship moment by moment