A Hand Raising Church
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415 – Christ the Lord, All Power Possessing
415 – Christ the Lord, All Power Possessing
War Stories
War Stories
New Sermon Series
“War Stories”
Stories:
Battle of Amalekites
Jericho
Gideon
Hezekiah
Why retell war stories?
First,
Bible is real.
Does not hide
bad stories.
Second,
these are not
just physical battles.
these are actually
spiritual battles.
Just like
battles we face
every day.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus promised us
spiritual battles
daily.
Be he did not leave us
defenseless.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Let’s look at
our key story.
Focus on
spiritual lessons.
The begining
almost sounds pedestrian
if it was possible
for war to sound pedestrian.
Moses recounts
story in more details
at end of His life.
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
Now we see,
how deviant
Amalekites were.
What they did
totally unprovoked
cowardly surprise attack
against unprepared
tired people.
He specifically mentions
Amalek “did not fear God.”
Why?
Let’s go back
in the story.
What has just happened?
10 Plagues
Passover / death 1st born
Exodus
Red Sea
Egyptian Amy dies
God gives manna
Water from Rock
Going to Mt. Sinai
God is leading
profound
spiritual movement
of destiny.
Amalek is trying to
defy the God of Israel.
To reject
stories of
supernatural leading.
He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Here Moses says,
Amalek was attacking
the Throne of God
by attacking Israelites.
The people were
weary
tires
unprepared for Battle
Moses instructs Joshua:
So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
There was not army...
So they create one...
Joshua is the general.
leading to battle.
Moses part?
Stand on hill
staff in hand...
If we didn’t know
the previous stories
this would seem like
odd war tactics.
This staff
was more than
a little stick.
This staff
turned into snake
created plagues
Nile - staff touches water
Frog - staff reaches to rivers
Gnats - staff touches dust
Hail - staff reach to sky
Locust - staff reaches over land
parted red sea
parted red sea
This staff
instrument of God!
“staff of God”
So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
There is an important
message in this verse.
God did not create
a special miracle
while they
stayed in tents.
God was going to work
but they had to
go to battle.
Today,
God will fight for us.
But,
we must participate
in the fight.
participate in the battle.
What next?
Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Remember
not physical battle
but, spiritual.
Raising and lowing hands
should not affect
outcome of a battle.
What did the
raise of hand mean?
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;
10’s of verses
people raising hands
in prayer!
Moses didn’t have
sword in hand
But he was fighting
in this spiritual battle.
The battle was
as real for him
as for Joshua.
His battle
was the battle
of prayer.
Notice direct correlation
between hands up
and success.
This teaches,
if we desire
spiritual success
it comes with
earnest prayer.
midst of
We are in midst
of fierce battle.
fi
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We are fighting too.
Our greatest weapon
is prayer.
But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
How many,
as you begin to pray
lose train of thought?
lose train of thought
forget you are praying?
fall asleep?
Jesus says,
has entire parable
about this problem:
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
What is the story about?
Unjust Judge
Persistent Widow
Moral of Story?
Persistence in Prayer
Wrestle in prayer
Fight in prayer
Moses was
getting tired.
What happened?
But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Moses getting tired
others help him.
Who is:
Aaron?
Hur?
Other leaders.
Other leaders.
One one starts
getting weak
another brother
strengthen them
through prayer.
This teaches,
Perseverance in prayer.
Supporting leaders in prayer.
Prayer is center of battle.
What was the result
of the battle?
And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Success on the battlefield
was the result of
success in the prayer closet!
Question:
What battles
are you facing today?
Are they:
relational?
struggles with temptation and sin?
spiritual laxity?
desire the share your faith?
Fight them spiritually.
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
The key is
more earnest prayer.
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
At the Japanese surrender General MacArthur said: "Military alliance, balances of power, League of Nations all in turn failed. ... We have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advance in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past, two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh."
359 – Hark! the Voice of Jesus Calling