BE STRONG IN THE LORD

SLIDE 1 BE STRONG IN THE LORD

SLIDE 2

Ephesians 6:10–11 (NASB95)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Easier said than done in these times today

I have been praying to the Lord lately “Why are the ways of the world able to drag us down?” to temp us? , to distract us from God?, to cause us to sin and stumble, to turn our hearts away at times?

I found the Lord directing me into the topic and study of worship

Lets look into God’s word and I think He can help us sift through some of this

If anything after today’s message the Lord can help us recognize signs of our hearts getting turned away or distracted by the ways of the world.

Look what Isaiah says what we struggle against

SLIDE 3

Jeremiah 16:19 (NLT)

19 Lord, you are my strength and fortress,

my refuge in the day of trouble!

Nations from around the world

will come to you and say,

“Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage,

for they worshiped worthless idols.

We see in this passage a example of like a tug of war for worship or struggle in commitment

Its the 1st commandment

No wonder Jesus had to come and rescue us, to make a covenant with us, an everlasting covenant in His body and blood because ours will fail us.

How long has there been worship, when was it started? We see as early in the times of Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve had another son Seth and he had a son named Enosh

SLIDE 4

Genesis 4:26 (NLT)

26 When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

We know later Abraham built altars and worshipped the Lord, before that he was called out of a land of idol worship

SLIDE 5 BE STRONG IN THE LORD

Abraham was called and promised into a new land. Even as this promise was passed on the one warning for the people to carry the promise was.......do not worship other gods or idols

The tribes of Israel from that point on in their journey to the promised land and then the kings, the prophets and the people all throughout the old testament...... the warning after warning after warning, do not worship other gods and idols.

It was always the snare of the enemy

No wonder the devils fights our worship to the One True God

And we can say .....there are no carved idols, no pillars, no altars and false gods we really worship today.....but let’s keep going and I pray the Lord will show us

What did these idols and worship of these gods do to the people? Why did God give warnings against this?

SLIDE 6

Deuteronomy 11:16 (NLT)

16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods.

Look at the underlined, see the step the enemy uses

SLIDE 7

DECEIVE (Hebrew Definition)

*persuade, flatter, allure, silly, be open, be wide

*be in a state of holding a wrong view

*the one being deceived bears responsibility

We know this stuff is in our world and in our culture. We have the Holy Spirit to help guard us and be aware of these influences of the devil

How are they present in our times? How might we be tempted or enticed in our world out there?

SLIDE 8

Deuteronomy 13:6 (NLT)

6 “Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.

SLIDE 9

Judges 2:12 (NLT)

12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord.

Now King David really brought a heart of worship in Israel and set a great example

SLIDE 10

Psalm 5:7 (NLT)

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;

I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.

How does worship of our God help us and guard us? To keep the schemes of the enemy at bay?

King David again makes the case for that here

SLIDE 11

Psalm 89:15 (NLT)

15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Remember the promise of Jesus the Messiah came through the dynasty of King David

But still in our day, the church age the days of grace in Jesus, we don’t seem to struggle with a physical carved image or idols........maybe not the extent we see all the the old testament

SLIDE 12 BE STRONG IN THE LORD

Jesus never missed a detail and He has so much for us in His word, let’ move on

Israel was exiled and scattered throughout Babylon and other places because of false god and idol worship

After that exile, many returned to Jerusalem under the guidance of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerrubabell etc.

Some settle on a nearby mountain in Samaria, they were so used to worshipping other gods in Babylon, God even sent lions to kill many of the people because no one knew how to worship the Lord

SLIDE 13

2 Kings 17:26 (NLT)

26 So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: “The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly.”

SLIDE 14

2 Kings 17:34 (NLT)

34 And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.

Jesus is so amazing, you wanna know why He visited the woman at the well, this is what sets the standard for our commitment, our worship and allegiance to Our God through Jesus. This is why He was trying tell everyone to see things spiritually, have faith in spirit

Looks what the woman ask and how Jesus answers

SLIDE 15

John 4:20 (NLT)

20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

SLIDE 16

John 4:21 (NLT)

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

SLIDE 17

John 4:22 (NLT)

22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

SLIDE 18

John 4:23 (NLT)

23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

SLIDE 19

John 4:24 (NLT)

24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

WORSHIP TEAM

SLIDE 20 WILLIAM TEMPLE QUOTE

CLOSE PRAYER

SLIDE 21 BE STRONG IN THE LORD