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You may be seated. God bless you. Can we thank the Lord for our musicians and choir and beautiful worship this morning? It's actually been 34 years, Patrick. Pastor Patrick trying to make me older than I really am. It's been 34 years. I preached here for the first time in 1991 and I've been coming every year, many times a year, except for the COVID years. I have been privileged to come and serve under three senior pastors, three leadership over the decades, three men of God, Pastor David Wilkerson, Pastor Carter Conlon, Pastor Tim Delina. And I have been praying as I've been praying for them all over the years, coming to serve this house. Even recently when I was praying, the Lord just grabbed my heart, seized my heart. The Holy Spirit just moved in my spirit and gratefulness for the spiritual leadership that God has given us. You're watching from all over the world and Times Square Church is a light to the world. And I was brought to my knees with a passage in Ezekiel that says in Ezekiel 34, 2, 6, woe to shepherds who do feed themselves. They should not the shepherd feed the flocks, the weak. You have not strengthened nor bound up the broken, nor brought back that was driven away, nor sought what was lost. And my flock was scattered all over the face of the earth and no one was seeking or searching for them. And after 41 years of full time ministries in over 50 countries of the world, I am saddened and broken to tell you that this description of shepherds that have lost the true heart of God is a terrible reality to this day. And scriptures prophesy it will be until Jesus comes. But can we be grateful, profoundly grateful for the generations of pastors and shepherds that God has given us in Times Square Church that care for souls, but also have a. I was just stricken with the words that no one is sitting seeking what was lost and even over all the face of the earth. And I want to thank God over all the generations. There was a vision from this pulpit, not only for New York City, but in every generation. And when you think about it, with Pastor Dave and Pastor Carter, through conferences and the ministry of the Word and books, but then with Pastor Tim and the vision that God has given our pastor to reach the laws all over the earth, all over the earth through the ministry and online and through the many languages, watching even now and then. And the following verse says, I will establish a shepherd over them, my servant David, and he shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season and there shall be showers of blessing. Please know that the showers of blessing that have been upon this church over generation and generation, three generations of leaders, is because of a passion for souls and the loss in this city, in this nation and all over the world. And I want to honor that legacy in that ministry. Now the Bible says that guards us and warns us against flattering lips, but admonishes us to give honor to whom honor is due. And I know that sometimes Pastor Tim will watch this message. Maybe he is right. Now Pastor Tim is on vacation and at 5:35 this morning he texted me. I'm praying for you for a thank you for coming down. We text almost every Sunday around 5 o'. Clock. I said thank you for your prayers. Go back to bed, you're on vacation. Can we honor the man of God for the vision for souls? Oh, come on. Fill the house with praise all over the nation, language by language, by the grace of God. I want to speak today. And the second part of the message will be Tuesday night on. Worship is our weapon of warfare. Worship is our weapon of warfare. Now thousands of churches around the world have reduced worship to a 15 minute performance that people watch all over the world. You have congregations that come in and there's a 12, 15 minutes and the congregation is standing in the dark and watching the show and then 30 minutes of message and then we are right of there and we go watch eight hours of football. Why should worship be so important to us? Because it is supremely important to God. Because when we enlarge our understanding, our conviction, our knowledge, our relationship and communion with God in worship, we grow into new dimensions of spiritual maturity and possibilities as vast as as God's divine plans and intentions. For for all of us, nothing defines us more than our worship. Nothing is more directly the fulfillment of God's deepest desire for us. And nothing is more important to the heart of God. Worship is the only thing that you give to God that He didn't give you first. He gave you breath. He gave you life. He gave you salvation. He gave you his forgiveness. He gives you grace, he gives you his presence. And in return give him the love of our heart. And we give him the devotion of our heart in praise and in worship. Oh, that we would worship the Lord. It is wonderful to be touched in worship, to have testimonies of beautiful moments in worship. But God wants his children, wants us to grow in a biblical and strong theology of worship. Not only the touch of Worship and testimonies of worship, but a theology of worship. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 4:23 24. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father is seeking. What a thought that all over the world and all over this city, without all that goes on in the world, God is seeking, God is searching. God is longing today for a people that will worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Worship, from the Old English word worship. To ascribe, to give, to offer the highest value, the highest dignity and reverence and honor, to determine to what and to whom you are going to give your utmost respect and love and commitment and passion, obedience, surrender. And in the words of Oswald Chambers, classic words of Oswald Chambers, our utmost for his highest. That's worship. The Father is seeking for true worshiper. The word for true worshiper, Alitimos in the Greek, speaks of being genuine worship, authentic, not merely external, not defined by rituals, by culture, by religion or tradition, or even emotionalism. This is a heart and soul and spirit in relationship with God in a revelation of who he is and His Word. We worship him in spirit. In Pneumati in the Greek, does not speak here specifically, only exclusively of the Holy Spirit, but of our Spirit being regenerated by the Spirit of God, the human Spirit regenerated by the Holy Spirit, a living inner communion with God. Never only in outward manifestations, never only in songs or in singing or in church. It is to be heartfelt and personal and passionate and renewed and truthful and powered by the Spirit and the truth of God's Word, its commandments anchored in God's revealed truth. There are 11 words in scripture to define worship. Six Hebrew words in the Old Testament, five in the original Greek of the New Testament. Eleven facets, description, principle, commandment, expression of our worship, how God wants for us to grow in worshiping him in spirit and in truth. Now, there are many styles, there are many genres, there are many perspectives of worship and worshipers. In modern Christendom, you have liturgical or historic worship. You have ritualistic or routine, a lifeless worship all over the world. You have a performance worship that's growing all over the world, people coming in, watching the performance. You have legalistic worship, people that say our way of worship is the only way, legalistic worship. You have egocentric worship instead of crystal centric worship. You have emotional, cultural, sometimes very sensorial, very emotional. It could be mystical worship. You also have what I would call replacing worship. People that are deceived into the idea that they can live their life the way they want during the week and daily in very significant aspects of their lives become completely contrary to the word of God and live their own way and pick from the Bible as a buffet what they like and come on Sunday and have a good time. That's replacing worship. No, he is seeking those that will worship him in spirit and in truth. Could you say yes please? It always has to be it always more. It's more than words, even fancy words, even beautiful words. I asked ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence I asked ChatGPT Compose for me a 60 second prayer. Prayer or praise? Here it goes. This is ChatGPT's answer. Heavenly Father, I lift my voice to praise you, the God of all grace and glory. You are holy, perfect in love and rich in mercy. Thank you for choosing me not because of what I've done, but because of your unmerited favor. Through Jesus Christ, I adore you for the cross where justice meant mercy and grace was poured out with measure. Jesus, you're my righteousness, my joy, my peace. You rescued me when I was lost. You loved me when I was still a sinner. And you called me your own holy Spirit. I thank you for your presence, for dwelling in me, renewing me, empowering me to live for the glory of God. Last 10 seconds. Lord, I give you not. Lord, I praise you not for what you give, but for who you are. Faithful sovereign, endlessly good. May my life be a song of worship to the one who saved me by grace alone. In Jesus name, Amen. Some of you are thinking ChatGPT prays better than me. But is this present worship? No. It's words from a machine. There's no heart. There's no affection. There's no devotion. There's no truth. There's no life behind it. There's no spirit. There's no relationship. There's no obedience. It's the product of artificial intelligence. And God is not seeking artificial worship. He's seeking those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. Now I felt led with our people in Canada to begin to teach our people in one aspect of worship that is often ignored or neglected. But it's so crucial, so precious and so important in our life. The worship as our weapon of spiritual warfare. Now let me read this pattern is found in all over scriptures. But let me read a classic psalm of praise. Worship is our weapon of warfare. Psalm 149. 1:5. Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a New song and his praise in the assembly of the saints. Now in my notes it said, as I read this verse, this is your testimony and your story. So amens are going to start popping up and people are going to start praising. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them pray. I'm talking about you. Let them praise his name with dance. Let them sing and praise to him with timbrel and harp for the Lord. And our brother said it word for word today. For the Lord takes pleasure in the praises of his people. This is so amazing. He will bring beauty. He will beautify the humble with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory. Let them sing aloud on their beds. How many of you. God has brought beauty in your life. Whatever is good and beautiful is because of what he did in my life. Give him praise. If God has beautified your life of salvation. Oh, he finds pleasure in our, in our worship. That is his pleasure. He makes. He makes the humble and the broken find beauty, restore beauty to his life. This is the beauty of worship. So beautiful, so pleasing to God. But the enemy of your soul wants to keep your worship in verse one to five, wants to keep you there. To limit us to the worship of joyful song and praise and dance and timbrel and harp. Please understand. It is wonderful and biblical and pleasing to God for us to worship him in love and adoration and surrender and rejoicing and celebration and shouts. But he wants you to continue on, for you to continue on in your worship to verse 6 to 9. Because the same Psalms that continues with these words, Psalms 149, 6, 9. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and the two edged sword in their hand to manifest his authority to bind enemy kings and to execute the verdict and the victories that have been written. Hallelujah. This honor is for all saints. Praise ye the Lord. Do you see? This worship is more than a song. It's a spiritual, supernatural sword. It is not only for blessing, it's for battle, is for breakthrough. It's not only approaching in adoration, it is to advance the kingdom of God by His authority. Worship is shouting with praise, but it's standing in power. It's standing with power. Let the high praises of God be on their mouth. Don't stop at verse five. Did you realize that when you come into worship here, in your house, wherever you are, when you enter worship, God has established worship so we can manifest his authority, whatever his desire, on his will in heaven, manifested on earth the authority of his name so we can in worship manifest his authority, bind enemy kings in the spirit and execute the verdicts and victories that have been written and promised to us. That's worship. You did not come here today in a music and talk religious gathering. This morning you have entered into a war zone in the invisible. This is a place and a people of combat in the spirit. This calling is not for an elite. It's not just for super Christians. It's not just for stage people with amazing voices and gifts. The psalm says, dishonor have all the saints. It's for every believer. It's for you in your home and for your children and your family. It's for you to stand. If you just retain anything today, you have to understand that worship is a calling. Calling for every one of us, no matter how weak and feeble we feel, to manifest his authority and bind enemy kings and execute the verdicts and victories that have been promised to us. He says this is the honor that God has given to all saints. And there's many words for honor in the Old Testament, but beritina that is found here means this blessing is for all saints. This privilege, this position of responsibility and authority, this solemn and sacred call. Calling is the mandate of all believers when they praise God. Worship is your weapon of warfare. 2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They are mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds. This is not wherever you are watching around the world. This is not only for church. This is every day. This is for your family. This is over your life. This is over our nation. This is over your city. This is protection, your calling. This is walking in a dimension. When I'm worshiping God, I am manifest. I am used of God to manifest his authority and bind enemy kings and execute his victories. The celebration, this pattern of celebrating, of calling, graduating from singing songs only in worship to spiritual war, from songs to sword and from music to his mighty power is find all of the scriptures I gave you one for as Psalm 149 one more. Psalm 68, 25, 26. The singers went before the players on instruments, followed after. Bless ye God in the congregations. This is what took place this morning. Brother Ricardo came and the musicians came and Elder Vicki came and led us in worship. And it is beautiful and anointing and passionate and filled with praise. And God finds pleasure and it is our hearts going up to him and it is A throne. He lives. He enthrones the praise of his people. Next verse. Your God commands you to be mighty. Seven people responded to that. Your God commands, say to the person next to you, your God commands you to be mighty. We had Cece Winans at our church a few days ago, and she's been serving the Lord for 40 years. And she came up, the place was packed, and she came. I think she's five foot two. And she came up and she said, I didn't come here to play. I came here. And here she went. She understands that. Worship for your God commands you to be mighty, not in your own strength. But we have to understand. He continues saying in Psalm 68, Strengthen, O God, what you have done for us. O sing praises to the Lord. The God of Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people. God commands us to be mighty. Worship in truth and in spirit is never to be passive. It is a power. It is a power to strengthen, to give strength, to give divine capacity to what Jesus has already done for us. Worship is a weapon of warfare. Give strength what you've done for us, O God. In worship he gives strength. He renews strength to our salvation and to his grace and his forgiveness. You've experienced this. In worship, he gives strength to our peace and to the fruit of his spirit and the gifts of his spirit. He gives strength to his direction in our life and his will and his victory over the devil and darkness. Activated, strengthened, empowered by the presence and the word of God. In worship. Together. Now we're going to look. So how. So how can worship become a weapon of warfare? There's many texts in scripture. We're going to look at a foundational text in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. Now, this is a familiar scripture to many believers. The conclusion part. We're going to read the last, almost the last part of the chapter. 2 Chronicles 20. Worship is our weapon of warfare. And the last part, the conclusion, is well known to a lot of believers. But oftentimes we have neglected. We have neglected to learn from the path and the principles that led to the enemy's being defeated. Second Chronicles 20:22. You know this. Now, when they began to sing and praise, would you say out loud, when they began to sing and praise? Now, when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. The Spirit of God gives us over this chapter. Five principles, pursuit and practices, Five spiritual steps, five simple but supernatural Laws for everyone to grow, every one of us to grow in learning to spiritual warfare in worship. We will begin this morning and we will continue Tuesday night. Both messages for you online will be online. But for you here in New York, lean over to the person on the other side and say to them, I can't imagine how you would miss Tuesday night. Say that to somebody next to you. Principle number one, worship is our weapon of warfare. Principle number one, worship is our weapon of warfare. To remind us, we read in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 1 to 4. And it happened that after this that the people of Moab and the people of Ammon and others with them besides the Ammonite came to do battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, a great multitude is coming against you. And from beyond the sea, from Syria, and they are in Hazazon and Tamar, which is en Giddai. And Jehoshaphat feared. I was terrified. The variation of the Hebrew word is the darkest shades of fear and terror. Jehoshaphat feared. But he set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. This is what we'll do in a few weeks, right here in August, Thames Square Church. So Judah gathered together, asked help from the Lord and came in all the cities. They came from all the cities of Judah. And they came to seek the Lord, and they came to seek the Lord. This is what we do every week. This is what we do with you online. From all different Cities, from all 50 states, from 40 countries of the world coming together to seek the Lord, coming together to seek his face. And the scripture begins with these words. The passage begins with, this worship is our weapon of warfare, of warfare. To remind us. And we read the first word, said, it happened after this. Since it's interesting when you see things like this in scripture, to read what comes before, after what. But if you read before, you will find that it was an amazing season of blessing. You read chapter 17, 18, 19. It was a season of blessing and progress and victories and growth in the life of Jehoshaphat and his ministry, his kingly leadership, wonderful model of leadership according to the heart of God. But also you will find patterns of spiritual development that God intends for all of us, his people, his church. Read the preceding chapters. You will read sentences like, he strengthened himself against the enemy. He developed and mentored leaders. He established his kingdom throughout the nation. God was with him. He walked with God. He honored God's commandments. He refused to imitate the nations around him. God strengthened him. His Kingdom in his hands, his heart increased in the ways of the Lord. He continues to bring down idols. I can't read that without stopping and asking, because the Holy Spirit asks me, do you continue to bring down idols in your life? Do we continue to bring down the idols in our life? He continued to bring down idols. He was blessed. The last verse of the preceding chapter. He was blessed with an abundance and became increasingly powerful. But after these things, a terrifying attack, an attack that he couldn't have never prevented. He didn't cause. He could not. Could not plan for it, could not prevent it. So question. Do you need to be reminded that you are in a spiritual warfare? Do you need to be reminded, even in seasons of blessing, that really the pattern of our lives is that the blessing is always on the other side of fire? So we go through floods, we go through fire. Psalm 65. He pulls us out for abundance, and then we go through floods, we go through fire, and he pulls us out for abundance. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. And one of your greatest weapons is not to come in and watch the worship. It's to come and enter into his presence and lift your hands before God and your heart to him. In his fear. In his fear, he set. He set himself. There was three enemies. Set his heart. He aligned his heart to seek God. There was a terrifying attack, three enemies. Three enemy armies coming against him just miles away. There's nothing he could do. He can't stop it. He can't prepare for it. He can't. Three main spiritual enemies in our lives, the world, the flesh and the demonic. The ethos, Antichrist, ethos around us, the ego in us. And the enemy. A terrifying enemy. So close. But in his fear, he set himself to seek the Lord. Now insert your word. I was meditating on this because you have to put yourself in the story. Insert yourself, insert your name there. And in his fear, Jehoshaphat set himself. So in Holy Spirit, I was walking and praying in you and in my life, and insert your name. And in yours, seasons of worst fear. Who do you run to? To what do you turn to? Jehoshaphat had learned a lesson that marked him for life. That in seasons of fear and everything in his service, every song, the prayers that were prayed, the testimonies that our brother Ricardo shared, there are people. This message is especially for you that is under attack right now. You are under attack, and it's got. And yeah, there's no way you don't understand it. You can't fix it in your fear. Set your heart to seek him and him alone. In his heart. He set his heart to seek the Lord. Worship is the best disinfectant for the soul. It will cleanse of fear and of anger and of. Your worship is more than a song. It's a spiritual positioning. Worship reminds us and brings us back. Reminds us and brings us back to a dimension beyond our panic into his promises. No, no. Worship is not a denial. It's a decision to depend on God and on God's defense alone and no one else. Jehoshaphat never forgot this, the constant need that we have to be reminded and brought back to our hearts turning and being set on God and God alone. Because in 2 Chronicles 18, a couple of chapters before, in a season of amazing blessing that I described, he receives an offer to join in battle with King Ahab, which is an ungodly enemy of the kingdom. And yet in 2 Chronicles 18, 3, Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as you are and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war. In that moment, Jehoshaphat is bringing down his guard. This is why worship is so important. Worship. Jehoshaphat is risking everything, risking losing everything by fighting the wrong fight with the wrong alliance, the wrong project, the wrong relationship. Jehoshaphat set his heart in chapter 20 to seek God because he had been marked for life. And how dangerous it can be so spiritually to bring down your guards in seasons of blessings. Worship brings you back to depending on him and him alone. So the enemy came against Jehoshaphat, and he almost lost it all. Chapter 18, verse 31. So it was when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat. That's the enemy, they said. It is the king. The king of Israel. Therefore, they surrounded him to attack. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. How many of you. You've been there. You bring yourself in the mess. You bring your guard down. You're doing alliances and projects and things that are bringing you to the brink. And in your despair, you cry out to God, and isn't he faithful? Isn't he amazing? Oh, come on, remember something and give him praise. Say to somebody next to you, you don't know how many troubles he got me out of. Say that somebody next to you. Worship is a weapon of warfare to remind us to set our hearts Toward God, at God's disposal only not only for my problems, but also to receive and to be renewed in his plan, his protection, his project, his revelation. Even in seasons of blessing. Worshiping in truth and in spirit is power and battle. But it's protection. Blessing without worship, in truth and in spirit, to remind me I will get mixed up with the wrong battle and the wrong weapons. That's me. When you get on the human realm, sometimes in worship, the Holy Spirit will say to you, get out of that battle. Don't fight. That battle is not for you. Without prayer, without worshiping truth and in spirit, to remind me, I have a tendency to climb up on the throne. Oh, don't look at me like that. You do too. Everybody went, yeah. No, you have a tendency to. Oh, my accomplishment, my past, my. No, no, no. In worship you come back and you say, the throne is yours. You have to reign. I have to depend on you. Without worship to remind me, I end up listening to the wrong voices. There's a voice that came to Jehoshaphat. There came some and told Jehoshaphat saying, a great multitude. Have you ever seen a small multitude that's exaggerating, terrifying, intimidating voice of your enemy? A great multitude. A great multitude is coming against you. Without worship, I become. I'm bombarded with all the other voices. That's why the enemy wants to put your worship on mute. Has your worship been on mute? You need to open your heart and say, oh, God, I'm lifting my voice to you so your voice can silence all the other voices in my life. The liar knows Worship is your weapon to remind you and bring you back to God's faithfulness and God's supreme power and sovereignty. Please listen to this. Understand this. Worship is not an escape from reality. It's an entrance into a higher reality. Oh, please, give him praise. Worship is a weapon to remind us. And worship is a weapon to renew us. To renew us. Verse 5 to 9. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord, before the new court. And he said, o Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? And do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nation? And in your hand is there not power and might so that no one is able to withstand you? Are you not God who drove all the inhabitants of his land before your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend forever, and they dwell in it and have built your sanctuary in his, build you a sanctuary in it in your name, saying if disaster comes upon sword, judgment, pestilence or famine. And we will stand before this temple in your presence. For your name is on this temple and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save. Weapon is that worship is a weapon of warfare to remind us, but also to renew us. He gathers. He gathers the people. And when in worship, we realign our spirit with when in worship, we realign our spirit with our father. Realign our spirit with our Father of lights. We stop reacting in our fears and our human limitations. There's an alignment that brings rest. There's a realignment that brings rest to our spirit. Worship allows us to walk in the very valley of the shadow of death and say, I will fear no evil. Worship is our weapon of warfare to renew us in the revelation of his person. Oh, you. Are you not. Are you not God in heaven, but also our Father? Do you not rule in worship? You are brought back to the God of the universe, all powerful. That's also our Father now under the new covenant in Romans, he says, that's when the spirit gives witness to your spirit. You're a child of God. And in worship, there's a cry that lifts up. He's not only the creator of the universe, he is Abba. He is my father. He's my father. Worship is a question, not a question about my power, my capacity, but rather, who do I belong to? Who do I belong to? Who made the promises? Who alone has the power to turn evil into good and to turn the darkest thorns into deliverance stories. Hallelujah. In worship, we are renewed in his person and in his past faithfulness. He says, are you not the God who drove out all of the enemies time after time? If you stay away from worship, the enemy will blind you. The enemy makes you forget, literally forget this past faithfulness in your life. It happened to you this morning. Happened to me this morning. You come in the presence of God. And as we begin to worship him, he reminds, something arises in us, renews in us. Are you not the God who gave me so many victories in the past? Who's been so faithful? Who's turned the ugliest things into beauty? Beauty for ashes and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness in the river, in weapon of warfare. Because it renews us. It renews us in the revelation of his presence. This is even the very essence of what we do when we come here, when pastor calls for a time of fasting and prayer, when we're coming here Tuesday night, when we go into Prayer and worship. We are reminded. We hear the voice of Jesuit that says, are you not the one who commanded us to come? And when we would come into your house and we would lift our hands and our hearts to you, whatever enemy would come against us, you would heal and you would deliver and you would. It reminds us of our protection. Your name is upon us. Your name is upon us. Oh, God. Your name is upon. Let me say to someone who needs to hear it, what God has given birth to, he will protect. There's something that. Something that God gave. Something that God gave is something that's birthed in you. And it's been attacked. And it's been attacked on all sides. I want to say it again. What belongs to God, he will protect. He will protect. The name of God is upon Times Square Church. No matter what happens in this city, no matter what happens on human levels, his name is upon this place. And as long as we cry out to him, his hand of protection will be upon us. Without worship. Without worship. We become obsessed with our fears, filled with our fears. In worship, we open our heart to his truth and his faithfulness fills us. I would say it this way. Worship is a thermometer, and it's a thermostat. Worship is a spiritual thermometer because worship reveals the real condition of your heart. It reveals what's really going on. And it's a thermostat because worship can redirect the currents of your soul. There's something happening with the air. Pastor Tim doesn't use notes. I have notes. And right now my notes are going in every direction. So I don't know how this message is going to end. We'll have to see. My wife and I have a 38 year battle. I'm always hot, as you can see, and she's always cold. So we go up and up. And this is all your winter, summer, always. I bring it down and she brings it. And it's a constant battle in worship. If your soul is cold, you can come into presence of God. And by his love and his grace, he can bring fire back to your soul. And sometimes turns the dice, sometimes when your soul is a bit too hot, hot with anger and frustration and impatience. Oh, nobody says amen. Nobody feels that. When your soul is too hot and there's anger and impatience and frustration, worship cools it down. Worship can become a fresh ointment on a burning wound. Worship is a weapon of warfare because it's. It renews us in a divine capacity by the Holy Spirit to speak to our Soul and not listen to it. To speak to our soul, not listen to it. You don't have it on the screen. But in Psalm 42. 5, you know this verse well. The Psalmist says, and when you read the preceding chapters, he's in the midst. He's like Josaphat in the worst of storms. He says, why? Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you tormented within me? Hope in God, and yet I will praise him. He says he's actually speaking to his soul. He's speaking to his emotions. He's speaking to the turmoil in sight. He says, bless the Lord, O my soul and worship his holy name. You don't listen to your soul. You learn to speak to your soul. And in worship, we speak to our soul. The verse continues. Verse 7 says, Deep calls unto deep. Psalm 42, 5, 7 Deep calls unto deep. As your waters and your currents, your billows pass over me. In this modern life, there's all kinds of billows that pass over us. Of anger and of rancor and of division and of fear and of threats and of wars and of ego. And all these billows and all this are passing over us. But when you go into the presence of God, you are made able by the spirit of God to speak to your soul, not listen to it. Speak to yourself. Hey, my soul, you will worship the Lord. And as you worship the Lord, his billows, his billows of peace, his river of peace, his river of strength, his river of confidence fills your soul, my soul. Bless the Lord. Hallelujah. I'm going to ask the musicians to come. I'm getting ready to close. Worship is our weapon of warfare, to renew us. Please understand this. Well, worship is the bridge that allows you to cross over from what is going on around you, indivisible to what God wants to do in you and for you in the invisible. True worship does not rest. True worship does not rest on a perfect control or understanding of everything that is going on in our battles. But at peace, resting on deep conviction. You don't have to understand everything. And then. And God allows us, and sometimes when we're about to preach on things, I'm not going to give you details, but after 41 years of ministry in the last few weeks, one thing after the other that I seem to be going in a certain direction, one very sad, very mourning situation. And then a project of years that seemed to be completely going in, and then just all these billows, all these currents going over my soul. And true worship does not rest on having perfect control and understanding of the situation. But as Ricardo gave the testimony where you are at home and here at Times Square Church, I believe God gave me this message because you're facing something that you like Joseph, at. There's no control over it. I don't know why, or it already happened, and I don't know why I got allowed it. I don't know why. I don't understand what we wanted was so legitimate, was so right. And how come? Why, Lord? How come, Lord? You have to remember. You have to remember that when you are under attack, you have to remember why you are under attack. You are not under attack because you are of less value. You are under attack because the enemy sees in you the seed of what God has put in you, what he's called you to be and to become. I read something that this stuff goes through on. On YouTube. And it was a. A little video from South Africa where they had the. The safaris. And it said this. When the lion charge. When the lion charges, don't run. My first reflex. If the lion charges, I run. And so I looked at the video, and it's an actual video of that, because the video, the experience where they're going on this safari for a day and these photo safaris, and there's actually a lion, and it's quite close, and the tourist gets silly. So this man is getting forward and forward, and he's advancing towards the lion, and all of a sudden, the lion just rushes. And all the experts, all the guides are saying, don't run, don't run, don't run. When you. When the lion charge, don't run. And of course, the guy doesn't listen. He's running like crazy. And then the view cuts off. They then explain. He says, no, when the lion charge, don't run. And this is word for word, when the lion charge, don't run. Just stand your ground and lift your voice. Speak to it. If you run, it's catching you. Hey. Hey. So I'm watching. And of course you say, pastor Cole, can you not look at any clip without making it a sermon illustration? But I just thought, when the lion is charging, and some of you, the lion has been charging, don't run. Plant your feet, lift your voice, and praise, accept, manifest his authority. So these last few weeks, I've been battling with these one heavy thing after the other. And even like the day before I flew here, just boom, something very, very sad, difficult, and walking and praying, and I actually was praying out loud. And I said, Lord, after 41 years of serving and in Ministry, facing this thing and I'm surrendering it to you. And when I said 41 years, in my spirit came this remind, this reminder, this Holy Spirit reminder in worship. Because worship renews us, reminds us. And he renews us in his faithfulness and what he's done. When I said 41 years, it's not an audible voice, but I heard it in my spirit. God said, well, you remember when they said you wouldn't even have one day of ministry. You've been 41 years in ministry. When I was born in Montreal, completely messed up, alcoholic family. My father was very violent, vile man. And my mother did not. She married an older man and she didn't want. She didn't want me. And then back in the. She considered. She tried to get an abortion and couldn't. And when she gave. They gave birth. She gave birth to me with some horrible conditions. And she was alone and she was just crazy. And in the hospital in that area where we lived, pretty poor area in Montreal, they not blaming the hospital, but when it was very hard delivery and with the forceps, they messed up my eyes. And all through my young years and I had four operation, different operations for my eyes. And I had cyclical chronic infection in the eyes where we just fill up with pus, where I could see the light. And I went to Bible school in the United States. In my third year last semester, it hit like it had never before. I couldn't see. So I went back to Montreal in the middle of the semester. I was in danger of not finishing my three years. And then they did procedures again, treatment again. I stayed there a few weeks and then I met the doctor and he said, listen, sir, young man, this is a permanent condition and it's not fatal. But he said it very matter of fact, he didn't know what I was planning or I thought I was called to do. He said, well, because I couldn't read, I couldn't read anymore. I couldn't read. And the light was just. And he said, well, some people don't read much. Some people just read the newspaper. You're gonna have to accept a light where you're not going to be reading. Well, I'm going to be in the ministry, I'm going to read my whole life. And he said, you're not going to be driving much. And this is permanent. And he says, you can go back to try to finish your schooling, but this is going to be your life. He's pronouncing these words very casually. And then there's another patient coming in. And he's in effect pronouncing death over what I thought was my future. I'm telling you again to someone who needs to hear it. When the lion charges, do not run. Don't run. Are you not the God of all power? Did you not drive out all our enemies before? Are you not the God whose hand is mighty upon his children? Did you not say that your name was upon us? Did you not say that we would come and call us? So I went back to Bible school, but it just got worse and worse. And I would stand, I would put. I had permission, I would wear sunglasses in class just to try to. I couldn't do my homework. And one night we had a service and then people left. But we had times of praying at the altar. And I remember walking, just walking the front in my eyes. And I had a hanky because there was pus coming out of my eyes and all the medication. And I'm walking around and I'm worshiping the Lord and praising him. And as I'm praising him and worshiping, it was such a sense of his presence. You know that that's what the psalmist said, that your currents will deep calls unto deep. I'm not talking about just enjoying the music or the beat. I'm talking about connecting with God in worship in such a way that worship becomes a weapon of warfare. Where you call what you're manifesting is authority, but by the Spirit of God, where you bind enemy kings. And when you're pronouncing God's promises again to be fulfilled. I was walking and the picture that came in my mind was the woman with the issue of blood. And I began to walk and say, if I could only touch you, I can not only touch the hem of your garment. But I was filled with praise, filled with praise, oh, God, if I could only touch you. And tears pouring down. And I went to bed that night and lying down in my bunk in Bible school, I just was praying in the spirit. And I fell asleep just praying in the Spirit. I woke up the next day. And every day in the last months and years, but every day in the last months, I would never open and just get the light in my face, but I open. There's nothing. I go look in the mirror and I walked outside. There was no pain, There was nothing. And it's been. Hey, it's been 41 years. Not another infection. Not another infection. Are you not the Lord? Are you not the Lord who has called whatever is called you to whatever is prepared? Whatever he's calling you to. You can laugh. Can we stand together? You can lift your voice and say, oh, God, oh God, I come in your presence that I pray. You would do that today, wherever you are around the world and in the sanctuary that in the last minutes today, we would just stop and begin to worship. This is my call. The call is simply to worship. Would you lift your hands and begin to. Oh, Lord Jesus, bring me, bring me into that dimension where I can exercise your authority in Jesus name. Doesn't matter what your personality is, your style of worship, your usual style of worship. I believe God wants to, by his spirit, breathe upon us, bring you back to his hand on your life. Bring you back to his hand on your life. Are you not the God of heaven whose hand is mighty? Would you lift your hands as if you're saying, lord, it's out of my hands into your hands. Would you do it online wherever you are around the world? Oh God, it's out of my hands into your hands. Out of my hands into your hands. Oh, God, in Jesus name, in the name of Jesus, let. Let the praises of God rise up. The musicians are coming, but Ricardo is coming to lead us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're gonna. This is how we fight. We find we fight on our knees. We lift up our voices and our hands to you, O God. Take, take the time wherever you are, online. Don't, don't, don't disconnect. Stay wherever you are and begin to worship where you are. I believe there's no distance. God transcends distance. And he's going to meet you where you are, but right here in this house. God brought me here today for you. And you're here today and you say, oh, God, I needed to come back. I needed to be reminded. I needed to be renewed. So I lift my hand. I want to worship you in truth and in spirit. Whether you've been just saved like so many of you, or walking with them for 40, 50 years. There's moments where you build an altar and you say, God, I'll lift my hands to you. And if you're here today and you say, pastor Claude, this message was for me. I have been under attack. I have been like Jehoshaphat and fear has struck my heart. And today I'm setting my heart to seek God. Lift your hands where you are, lift your voices where you are and begin to speak with him. Let the Holy Spirit there will be that they will. Will stand with word, high praises in their mouth. But the sword, the sword of the Spirit in their hand. Hallelujah. Began to declare the promises of God. Let the Holy Spirit pray through you. Let the Holy Spirit pray through you. Oh God, you command us to be mighty. I'm not, I. I pray. I'm weak in myself, but I can do all things through Christ. So I come fill me God, in the. In the Spirit, in the name of Jesus, come and give strength. Come and give strength to what you've done for us. You've done so many more things for us. But give strength to my salvation. Give strength to my peace. Give strength to my calling. Give strength, oh God, to your work, your Holy Spirit in me. In Jesus name. Oh God, I am under attack. I am under attack in a fierce battle, but I am worshiping you, Lord of Heaven. You are my father, Lord of heaven and Father Lord. I have drifted away like Jeosaphat, but you bring me back, oh God. If I made wrong alliances, law, wrong ambitions, I brought my guard down in seasons of blessing. I come back today. I lift my hands today to you, my heart, my life, life. In the things that I don't understand, in the things that are that have broken me because I don't understand why they are happening or not happening. Oh God, I surrender to your love. I surrender to your sovereignty. There is no one else that can turn evil into good. There's no one else that can make all things to work out for good, for those that love him. Come on, lift your voice, voices. Let the sanctuary be filled. Father, we. We lift our voices for you. We lift our voices to you. We lift our voices because we are under attack and the city is under attack and our nations are under attack. So we lift our voice. O God, in Jesus name that your kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven, to manifest your authority and to bind. To bind the demonic kings. In the name of Jesus, we pronounce Jesus Prince and king. Prince of peace and king. Over New York, over this city, over this nation, over my house, over my children, over my marriage, over my marriage, my future. Lord. O God, in my fears I will set my heart towards you. In my fear I will walk out in the with my heart set on you. I will not. Listen to my soul. Would you speak to your soul right now? My soul. Magnify the Lord. My soul. Bless the Lord, my soul. Forget none of his commandments. My soul. Oh God, I speak your peace to my soul. In worship, I speak your kingdom to my soul. I speak your sovereignty and your love to my soul. I declare by faith that this season will be a season of preparation and perfecting for what you prepared for us. When we, when we do battle, we do battle on our knees. In Jesus name. In Jesus name. Let me hear the voices. Acts Chapter four. They raise their voices together. Oh God. We hear our voices right here in New York City in Times Square. Oh God. There's voices coming up. Your name is upon this place. Your name is upon this ministry. Your name is upon us. For the nations, oh God. In every nation that has been mentioned, every nation that has been watching, reach out, oh God, respond, heal, oh, in Jesus name. When I battle, I battle on my knees and I call out, oh God, the battle belongs to you. In Jesus name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know this is, this is delicate, but be very respectful, but men with men and women with women, would you just put your hand on someone's shoulder if you know them next to you and just pray for one another? Many, many were in battle where you are always on the other side of the screen. Wherever you are, God will minister to you there. As the worship team begins to sing, your Lord commands that you'd be mighty. The power of God, the grace of God. Oh God, come and give strength to what you've done for us. Protect, O God. What God has birthed, my brother in your life, in your ministry, in your family and your children. What God has birthed, he will protect. Your name is upon us. Thanks so much for listening. We hope you've enjoyed this message and be sure to subscribe so you can receive new messages each week. Visit TSC NYC for all the latest info on how you can stay connected. Also, don't forget that you can follow us on social media on all major platformsquarechurch. Thanks for tuning in today. Have a great week.