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Worship as Warfare

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• Joshua chapter 5. Joshua chapter 5. We're going to be reading verses 13 through 15. I will not be preaching on this text, but I'm going to use this as an introduction and we're going to be looking at a large number of passages today. So I want you to keep your Bibles open and your fingers flexible. The title of the message is Worship as Warfare. Worship as Warfare. Notice Joshua chapter 5 beginning there with verse 13. And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked.

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• And behold, there stood a man over against him with a sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy, and Joshua did so.

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• This passage, of course, is known as a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament, where Christ appeared before he actually became flesh. And he appeared to Joshua as the head or the captain of the host of the Lord. So the message today is worship is warfare. We have a captain that leads us in holy warfare. He is indeed the mighty conqueror.

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• Let me ask you a question and I want you to think. Have you ever thought of engaging in warfare as you entered into a church building to worship the one true and the living God? Unhappily, most of us do not really understand either worship or warfare and certainly we do not understand worship as warfare. The Apostle Paul certainly understood this concept. I want you to turn in your Bibles if you would to the book of Ephesians chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 11. Ephesians chapter 6. And notice, if you would, verse 11. Here the Apostle Paul explains something very plainly. In fact, let's begin reading at verse 10. Ephesians 6 and verse 10.

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• He tells you, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. And then, of course, he delineates how that we are to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. He tells you in verse 11, Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation

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• and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Now, I want you to note very closely that the Apostle Paul not only tells us that we're to put on the whole armor of God, he then delineates each piece of armor and tells us that each piece is absolutely necessary just to stand in the evil day. Just to stand. Now, if the armor of God is necessary just to stand and or just to pray, how much more is it absolutely necessary if we are to worship the one true and the living God? I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1st Timothy chapter 1 and look at verse 18 and look at what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy. 1st Timothy chapter 1 and verse 18, over just a few pages. The Apostle Paul said, this charge I commit unto thee son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare."

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• Now you've got to understand that Timothy was a preacher. And here the Apostle Paul is saying that he is to war a good warfare. Even though he's a preacher, he says, you are in a war and I urge you, I call upon you to war a good warfare. But it's not just preachers. If you would turn right over to 2 Timothy, and look in chapter 2 at verses 3 and 4. Look what he tells, not only Timothy, but by application, all Christians. In 2 Timothy 2 verse 3, he says that, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Note he tells Timothy again, and by application all Christians, to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And then he likens the Christian life as one who wars. And he says the man who really wars does not entangle himself in order that he may please Him who has chosen him to be a soldier.

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• There's an old English hymn that used to be sung regularly by the saints in the older days. It's not sung much anymore. In fact, the truth is we have forgotten that we are saints, and we have forgotten that we are soldiers, and we certainly have forgotten that we are to be soldier saints. We have also forgotten that the Christian life is basically one of constant warfare. What was the name of the old English hymn? Onward, Christian soldiers. Listen to the stanzas. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.

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• Christ, the royal master, leads against the foe. Forward into battle, see his banners go. At the sign of triumph, Satan's host doth flee. On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory. Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise. Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise. Like a mighty army moves the church of God. Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we. One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but the church of Jesus constant will remain. Gates of hell can never against that church prevail.

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• We have Christ's own promise and that cannot fail. Onward then you people, join our happy throng. Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song. Glory, Lord, and honor under Christ the King. This through countless ages, men and angels sing.

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• Now I want you to pay close attention to the second stanza. Because the second stanza really illustrates worship as warfare when we sing At the sign of triumph, Satan's host doth flee. All men Christian soldiers on to victory. Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise. Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise. Praise, song, and anthems are involved in worship. Praise, songs, and anthems are involved in worship. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 15 and I want you to see what Israel did as Pharaoh's armies were destroyed. Notice Exodus chapter 15 and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Exodus 15 verse 1. Watch this passage very closely so that you can see exactly what Israel did. Exodus 15 verse 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord. And spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously.

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• The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. He is my God. And I will prepare Him a habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea. His chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea.

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• The depths have covered them. They sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellence hast thou overthrown them that rose up against thee. Thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with a blast of my nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as in heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is likened to Thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is likened to Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchest out Thy right hand, and the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed.

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• Thou hast guided them in Thy strength into Thy holy habitation. And the people shall hear and be afraid. Sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed. The mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold upon them. All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them. By the greatness of thine arm thou shalt be. They shall be as still as a stone till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place of O Lord which thou hast made for thee to dwell in. and the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established, the Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

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• Watch, and the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters upon the sea upon them, but the children of Israel went on dry ground in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels, and with dances, and Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea."

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• Now I want you to note something. Not only worship as warfare, but worship is warfare. And I want you to note that worship is especially due unto God, not only at the redemption of his people, and the deliverance of his people, but at the destruction of his enemies. Rejoicing is part of worship, and rejoicing is to be done specifically by the people of God at the destruction of the Lord's enemies.

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• Stop and think about that. I want you to turn to Psalm 58. Psalm 58, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. I'm just trying to show you that there is more to worship than just simply coming into a building and sitting down and listening to a sermon. There's more to worship than just simply saying, I'm giving my tithe, I'm giving my offering. There's more. And I want you to watch carefully what the Bible says about giving God glory at the destruction of His enemies. Notice Psalm 58, beginning there with verse 6. Psalm 58, verse 6. Oh, David prays against the enemies of God. He says, Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

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• Let them melt away as waters which run continually. When He bendeth His bow to shoot His arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. God doesn't miss. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. before your pots can feel the thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in His wrath." Watch carefully.

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• "...The righteous shall rejoice when He seeth the vengeance. He shall wash His feet in the blood of the wicked, so that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth." Where? In the earth. In the earth. What are the righteous going to do? They're going to rejoice. when they see God's righteous vengeance upon His enemies, rejoicing as part of worship.

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• I want you to turn to the passage that I'm sure that you have already thought of, Revelation chapter 19, and let me show you what the saints do at the destruction of the wicked. Look in Revelation chapter 19, and let's read verses 1 through 6. Revelation chapter 19. Beginning there with verse 1. I love this passage. It's so plain. And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Hallelujah!

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• Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are His judgments. For he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah! And the voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great." Verse 6, And I heard, as it were, a voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Notice, if you would, praise, honor, and worship at the destruction of the Lord's enemies. That means this, that worship is warfare. Worship is to be given to the glorious Lord at the destruction of His enemies.

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• Let me ask a simple question. Why should we not consider worship as warfare now even while He is conquering His enemies? Do you remember that passage in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 21 where we are told, listen carefully, for He must reign till He has put all His enemies under His feet. What is He doing now? He is reigning now. He is subduing. He is conquering. He is putting all of His enemies under His feet. So Christ is just as victorious while He is subduing as He is when He will have subdued all things. Now let me ask you a question. I don't know if you've ever thought about this question. What is it?

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• that the enemy really desires. I'm not just talking about the enemy of God's, God's enemies, but I'm talking about our enemies as well. What is it that the enemy really desires? I'm going to give you just a second, I want you to think, I'm going to give you an answer. The enemy of God, and you can say the enemies as well, really and truly, desire worship. They want the worship, honor, and recognition that belongs to God alone. I'm going to prove that to you just momentarily.

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• Unhappily, many years ago, the comedian Flip Wilson made popular a very well-known saying, the devil made me do it. Consequently, since then, and probably even before then, there have been numerous people that have blamed their sins, their fornication, their drunkenness, their lying, their cheating, their stealing upon the devil. And they will say something like this, the devil made me do it or the devil tempted me. Well, let me tell you something, folks. Evil powers do not need to tempt you to commit fornication or to get drunk or to lie, cheat, or steal. That's really not even the enemy's territory. How can I say that? Well, turn back in your Bibles to the book of Galatians.

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• Notice chapter 5, if you would please. And let's begin reading there with verse 19. Watch this. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 19. The problem is this. The enemy does not need to tempt you to do those things, because your flesh already tempts you to do those things. Here it is spelled out, Galatians 5 verse 19, Now the works of the flesh are these, their manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, which I tell you before have I also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Now did he just not tell you what the works of the flesh were? This is what your flesh desires. This is what your flesh will do without the temptation of the evil powers. Your flesh tempts you to do these things. Now, let me just show you, and I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 4, and I want to read to you the temptation of Christ.

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• And I want to read this so that you can see, and let me emphasize what the enemy actually desires. Notice if you would Matthew chapter 4 beginning there with verse 1. Matthew 4 and verse 1 the Word of God states, Matthew 4 verse 1, Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, I don't know if you remember this or not, but I preached on this passage several years back.

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• But the if here is not a question. The Greek construction is a with the indicative, which means this could be translated as since thou art. So it is a statement of fact. He says, If thou be the Son of God, or since thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. And he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taking them up into the holy city, and setting them on a pinnacle of the temple, and said, If or since thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down. For it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Watch verse 8, again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee Thou wilt fall down and worship me."

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• Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Now let me show you something. By our Lord's obedience to His Father, what did He receive? Everything. He's Lord of everything. What was Satan doing? Satan was saying, I'll give this to you. You don't have to go through all that suffering. You don't have to go through all that will be. You just fall down and worship me.

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• What is it that the enemy really, genuinely desires? The enemy really desires worship, honor, and recognition. They want exactly what belongs to God. So the end result of this temptation was to get Christ to worship the enemy.

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• Now, I read this earlier, you don't have to turn back there, but let me quote again Ephesians 6 and verse 12, where the Apostle Paul said, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Unhappily, many times when people read that, They just simply think, well, we're struggling against evil spirits, satanic power, and that's our main battle. Well, that may be true. But please do not think, for one instance, that just because Paul wrote that, that does not negate or nullify or rule out physical enemies. Who is controlled? by evil powers when they are wicked, rebellious, ungodly, the evil men. In other words, it's the evil power then that inspires them and motivates them and empowers them and controls them to live in rebellion to God.

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• I want to show you something. It's not just Satan who wants the worship of God. It's those who follow him. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 21. Watch this. Matthew 21. And let's begin reading there verse 33. Because our Lord is giving us a parable of the vineyard. I'll give you another scripture concerning it in just a moment. Notice if you would, Matthew chapter 21 beginning there with verse 33. Our Lord says, hear another parable. There was a certain householder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a winepress in it.

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• and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did unto them likewise. But last of all, he sent unto them his sons, saying, They will reverence my son, But when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said among themselves, this is the heir, come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance.

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• And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him." What did the evil husbandmen want? That which belonged to the Son. They wanted His inheritance. What did our Lord inherit? worship, honor, power, glory, control. In Mark 12 and verse 7, you have exactly the same parable, but verse 7 says it like this, But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. We will have it.

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• It will belong to us. So what then do wicked rulers and wicked men want? The worship and honor and glory that belongs to God.

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• Now I'm trying to set the stage just to show you something. Worship is warfare. When you come into the building, you should be coming in not only to give honor and glory and worship to the one true and the living God through His Son Jesus Christ, but you should be coming in to do battle and to do war with any and everyone and everything that opposes Him. Let me show you.

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• Look in your Bibles to Psalm 2. I want you to grasp the situation very clearly that is presented to us in Psalm 2. Look at the first three verses. Psalm 2. Watch, if you would, verse 1. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? And the word vain means that which is useless and worthless. Now, let me show you what is useless and worthless, but yet they are imagining it. Verse 2.

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• The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us." What? And the kings of the earth, the civil rulers, set themselves and the rulers take counsel together. What are they taking counsel together for? Against the Lord And against His anointing, that is Jesus Christ, and what are they saying? Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. In other words, the wicked rulers do not like the boundaries and the bands and the limitations that have been placed upon them by the sovereign God. Let me say it more plainly, they do not want to be in subjection to God, they want to be God. They do not want to be recognized as a servant of God. They want to be worshipped as God.

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• I hope you understand, since God is sovereign, and He exercises sovereign control over everything, if men claim to be God, then they have to exercise that control over everything and everyone as well. Now you see why there's so many bureaucracies, so many regulations, so many statutes, so many laws, so many airheads, because they're playing God. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 4, and you're going to see how Luke shows us this same truth. Acts chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 25. Acts 4. and verse 25. I want you to note how Luke quotes from Psalm 2. Acts 4, verse 25. In fact, let's read verse 24 just so you can see the context.

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• And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God, and will and accord said, Lord, thou art God who has made heaven and earth, and has seen all that is in them is. Who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? Now watch, the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done." What did Luke do?

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• He took Psalm 2, verses 1 through 3, and says this is exactly what they did when they crucified Christ. Why did they crucify Christ? I'm not talking about the fact that that was ordained by God, but think about it from a human standpoint. They wanted Him out of the way. What did the Sadducees and the Pharisees say? If we let this man live, the Romans are going to come and take away both our place and our nation. We'll lose our power. We'll lose everything.

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• I want you to look in Matthew chapter 2 and verse 8. You see, if Herod the Great had had his way, Christ would have been dead much earlier. In Matthew chapter 2 and verse 8, after the wise men had come and said, we've seen his star, then Herod then very deceitfully and cunningly told the wise men in verse 8, and he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search diligently for the young child, and when you have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him also. Now here's my question, did Herod really want to come and worship Christ?

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• In the end, it's just no. What he wanted was to find out where he was so he could murder him. And that's very plain because when they went back a separate way and Herod found out that, hey, they're not coming back, what did he do? He had all the children from two years of age and under murdered. His plan was to do away with Christ. So here's the question. Do men fight against Christ? His rules?

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• His reign and His people? The answer is most assuredly they do. In fact, that's what's going on today. Do you realize in practically every war, you can see evidences of men fighting against Christ, His rule and His reign. For instance, during the American War for Independence, Trinity Church in New York was burned in 1776. The British seized all the non-Anglican churches in the city and used them as prisons and barracks. That does not mean that they paid particular respect to Trinity Church because they fenced off the churchyard and hung lanterns in it and used it for a pleasure garden so that they may drink and play. St. George's Episcopal Church in Schenectady, New York was also used as a barracks by the British.

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• A little closer to home, Pastor Moses Allen of Midway, Georgia. General Augustine Prevost, military commander of the British East Florida headquarters at St. Augustine, not only dispersed the people of his church, but then burned the church building to the ground along with other dwelling houses. And then when Savannah fell, Moses Allen, the pastor, was captured and put on a prison ship. The British destroyed over 52 churches, looting, burning, and abusing the facilities.

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• The Yankees did the same thing in the South. Many pastors were arrested. The pews, the pulpits, and the furniture in the churches were chopped up and used for firewood. And the buildings were used for barracks, for corrals, putting their horses in them, as well as for hospitals. What were men saying? We have no respect for Christ. We have no respect for God. We have no respect for any of His people, His rule, His reign. No, no, no, no. When you read what many states and many counties are doing today in fighting against Christ, I hope you understand that worship is warfare.

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• Let me give you two illustrations. I'm going to read these. This is unbelievable. Phoenix, Arizona. The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a Phoenix man who was fined $12,000 and who is serving a 60-day sentence for using his home to host a weekly Bible study, allegedly violating city building codes. Institute attorneys are challenging the sentence based on the First Amendment right to religious freedom and assembly, as well as the city's claim that holding Bible studies or any form of religious worship at a residence requires the owner to comply with local laws pertaining to a public church and, of course, get a permit and a license. Michael and Suzanne Salmon have hosted Bible studies for family and friends in their home since 2005, eventually building a 2,000-square-foot structure in their backyard for the weekly studies. So here the man is fined $12,000 and given a 60-day sentence for having a Bible study on his own property, in his own home. In Orange County, California, a Southern California couple has been fined $300 for holding Christian Bible study sessions in their home and could face another $500 fine for each additional gathering.

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• City officials in San Juan Capistrano, California say Chuck and Stephanie Fromm are in violation of Municipal Code 9-3.301 which prohibits religious, fraternal, and non-profit organizations in residential neighborhoods without a permit. Stephanie hosts a Wednesday Bible study that draws about 20 attendees and Chuck holds a Sunday service that gets about 50. The Fromm's appealed their citations but were denied and warned future sessions would carry heftier penalties. A statement from the Pacific Justice Institute which is defending the couple in a lawsuit against the city said Chuck Fromm was also told regular meetings or gatherings of three or more people require a conditional use permit which can be costly and difficult to obtain.

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• I like his wife's attitude. Here's what she had to say. How dare they tell us we can't have whatever we want in our own home. We want to be able to use our home. We paid a lot and invested a lot in our home and backyard and we should be able to use it and be hospitable in our home. I agree. 100%. But can you see this? How in every state just about in every county Man, you can't have these Bible studies now. Oh, no, no.

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• You have to have a permit. Do you realize the states and the counties that take this attitude are siding with King Herod in his attitude and his conduct? Let me just quote it for you. In Luke 23, verse 11, here was the attitude and conduct of Herod. Listen carefully. with his men of war, set him at naught, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate." What did they do? They set him at naught. You're nothing. We'll mock you.

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• We will laugh at you. We'll make fun of you. We will ridicule you. We will scorn you. That is the attitude that those in power today have toward Christ and Christianity. If we worship Christ as He is fully and freely revealed in His Word, as the Sovereign God of heaven and earth, we will be warring against those who oppose Christ and scorn Him. You remember our Lord said it very plainly in Matthew 12 and verse 30.

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• He said, He that is not with me is against me. And he that gathereth not scattereth abroad. There is no neutrality. There is no middle ground. There's no king's ex. You are either with Christ or you're against him. Isn't that simple? And when some airhead comes along and says, well, we're just trying to uphold the law because the law is written. I don't care what the law is written. If it's contrary to God's Word and contrary to Jesus Christ, the law is wrong. You can try to uphold every statute and every regulation that you like, But you're still against Christ if you're working against His Word and His people and His truth.

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• You remember that passage I quoted in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12, where the Apostle Paul talks about we're fighting against principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness in high places. I want to read to you the comment of Albert Barnes on Ephesians 6 and verse 12. And I want you to think, because I'm trying to teach you that war, warfare, and worship go together. Worship is warfare. Albert Barnes said this. It is a war on a large scale with the entire kingdom of darkness over the world. Yet in maintaining the warfare, the struggle will be with such portions of that kingdom as we come in contact with and will actually relate.

  #52 | 41:16 to 42:20 | cleaned

• Now let me just stop right there. Here's what he's saying. The warfare is basically over the entire kingdom of darkness in the entire world. Can you and I fight the darkness in the entire world? The answer is no.

  #53 | 42:20 to 42:39 | cleaned

• Now we may pray against it, but we can't actually fight against it. But there is that wickedness that we come in contact with on a daily basis, which we can fight against. He lists five things with which we can fight. Listen carefully. To our own sinful propensities, which are part of the kingdom of darkness. To our own sinful propensities. Isn't it amazing that we're inclined to have wrong motives, wrong desires, And we have to fight against those things. That is a daily struggle.

  #54 | 42:39 to 43:35 | cleaned

• What did the Apostle Paul say? I die daily. And then he went on to say, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. I'm not a shadow boxer. But he said, I fight to keep my body under subjection. So we have to fight against our own sinful propensity. We have to war with the evil passions of others, their pride, ambition, and spirit of revenge, which are also a part of that kingdom. When you listen to that, their pride, their ambition, their spirit of revenge, how can you not think of bureaucrats?

  #55 | 43:35 to 44:17 | cleaned

• I realize this is in a lot of people, and it's in everybody, but it is preeminent in some. And then he says, thirdly, with the evil customs, laws, opinions, employments, and pleasures of the world, which are also a part of that dark kingdom. You stop and think of the evil customs that we have, the evil laws and regulations and statutes. I showed it to Alice. It's on YouTube. I think it was in San Jose, California.

  #56 | 44:21 to 44:56 | cleaned

• three or four cops body slammed and beat, what was it, a 14-year-old boy for skateboarding on the wrong side of the street. And you can see the video. And it's not just four or five. By the time they get through, there's probably a dozen cops there, and cop cars everywhere, and they're telling everybody, disperse, disperse. And on top of this young boy, they broke his cheek, I think, did two or three, for skateboarding on the wrong side of the street.

  #57 | 44:59 to 45:34 | cleaned

• You talk about evil customs, laws, opinions, employments. And fourthly, he says we have to war against error, superstition, false doctrine, which are also a part of that kingdom. There's plenty of that. And number five, he says, with the wickedness of the heathen world, the sins of benighted nations, also a part of that kingdom. Now listen, with the wickedness of the heathen world, why did he not just say, with the wickedness of America? I mean, you know, I know there are other wicked nations. I understand that. But listen to what he said.

  #58 | 45:36 to 46:18 | cleaned

• I didn't read it all. Here it is. With the wickedness of the heathen world, the sins of benighted nations, also a part of that kingdom, wherever we come in contact with evil, whether in our hearts or elsewhere, there we make war. Wherever we come in contact with evil, there we make war. I want to give you some encouragement. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 17 first. Here's the good news.

  #59 | 46:19 to 47:01 | cleaned

• As difficult as warfare is, the Scripture teaches us that we're already the victors. In Revelation chapter 17 and verse 14, the Bible says this, These, the wicked, shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. For He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. The Lord shall overcome them. Look in Revelation 19 and verse 11. Revelation 19 and verse 11. The Scripture says, And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Worship is warfare. So when we come to worship God, positively, negatively, we war against anyone and anything that is contrary to the one true and living God. When we enter to worship, we engage the enemies of Christ. And we learn to plead the way our Lord taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

  #60 | 47:02 to 48:49 | cleaned

• Thy kingdom come. Do you realize when you're praying for the fullness and the manifestation of the kingdom of Christ, you're also praying for the overthrow of all the kingdoms that are against Christ. Worship is warfare. I want to close with this. Isaac Watts, a great hymn writer, wrote the hymn, Am I a Soldier of the Cross? Listen. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb?

  #61 | 48:52 to 49:30 | cleaned

• Or shall I fear it on His cause or blush to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sail through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend of grace to help me unto God? Sure, I must fight if I would reign. Increase my courage, Lord.

  #62 | 49:31 to 49:56 | cleaned

• I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word. When the illustrious day shall rise, and all Thine armies shine, in robes of victory through the skies, all the glory shall be Thine. I love that second stanza. Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fought to win their prize and sail through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to fight? Must I not stem the flood?

  #63 | 49:56 to 50:27 | cleaned

• Is this vile world a friend of grace to help me unto God? What's the answer? No. So we must fight. Worship is warfare. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee, and we thank You for Your Word, for Your truth, for Your greatness and Your kindness. And Lord, I pray that You would indeed make us real, genuine soldiers of the cross. Help us, Lord, to watch and to march onward as the soldiers of Jesus Christ. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, May we fight to bring our minds and our bodies in subjection and conformity to Thee. And may we be holy and godly. We're thankful that we're already more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. And we are the victors by His grace and by His mercy. And we give Thee praise and honor and worship for Thou art God of gods and King of kings and Lord of lords. And besides Thee, there is none else. We give Thee praise through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

  #64 | 50:28 to 51:48 | cleaned

• Amen.

  #65 | 51:48 to 51:48 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:32:22Z