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When Worship Goes To War | Jentezen Franklin

Tuesday, September 22



Worship isn’t just a Sunday routine, it’s the most powerful weapon for every battle you will ever face. In this message, discover four distinct types of biblical praise and how they can shift your perspective and renew your strength no matter what you’re walking through. 

 Key scriptures 

Acts 17:22-28; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:1-6; Revelation 4:1-7; Proverbs 28:1; Isaiah 40:31; Hosea 10:11; Psalm 23:5-6; Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 103:14 

 

Puntos clave

  • Worship like a lion. A lion symbolizes aggression and boldness. Before a lion is attacked, it roars to let the enemy know not to come near. Sometimes your praise needs to be strong and courageous like a lion.  

 

  • Worship like an ox. An ox is symbolic of steadfastness and stubbornness. Worship like an ox: put your head down and keep plowing. When you praise, you plow through the resistance from Hell. Keep reading God’s Word, giving, and singing praise to God no matter the circumstances.  

 

  • Worship like a flying eagle. Sometimes problems are so severe that you can’t get through without suffering. And when you don’t have the strength to get through it, God will give you the strength to get over it.  

 

  • Worship like a man. Sometimes God just wants you to worship like a weak human being. The only way to get to the praise of a flying eagle, an ox, and a lion is to first come to God as a mere human. 

Introducción 

Today we’re reflecting on Pastor Jentezen Franklin’s message, “When Worship Goes to War.” The message draws from Paul’s encounter with the people of Athens in Acts 17. 

As Paul walked through Athens, he saw altars dedicated to countless gods. Among them was an altar inscribed, “To an Unknown God.” Paul used this inscription as an opportunity to introduce the people to the God they did not yet know—the one true God. 

Pastor Franklin uses this encounter to highlight the power and purpose of worship. Worship is more than emotion, music, or outward expression; it is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. But for worship to have its full impact, it must be grounded in understanding. 

God wants us to know who we are worshipping, why we worship Him, and how we worship Him. When worship is offered with understanding and genuine devotion, it becomes more than an act of praise—it becomes a powerful expression of faith and a weapon in the spiritual battle. 

This week we will dig into: 

  • Worship With Understanding 
  • Lion, Ox, and Eagle: Worship In The Fight 
  • The Face Of The Man, Come As You Are 

 

LET’S START THE DISCUSSION: 

  • What stood out to you in this past Sunday’s message?
  • Have you ever worshipped in the middle of a spiritual struggle? If so, what were the circumstances and how did things change? 

 

 

 Worship With Understanding  

Acts 17:22-31:

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you."

Pastor Franklin discussed the Apostle Paul’s famous speech on Mars Hill, in Athens, where he addressed the Greek philosophers concerning the altar of their “Unknown God”. The Athenians were emotional in worship but didn't know the God they worshiped. He speaks to their religious nature introducing our true God, the Creator and sustainer of life. He explains that God does not dwell in man-made temples or idols and further does not depend on anything we do. 

Paul takes this opportunity to lead them to repentance, to turn away from idols and toward the God who has appointed their very existence and a coming day of judgement, verified by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   

 

Discussion Questions  

  •  What ‘unknown god’ do people serve today? 

 - He alone provides us with breath, holds our lives in His hands, and desires our worship. Our knowledge of Who He is turns our thanksgiving to intentional worship – this sets a spiritual precedent and the wielding of a spiritual weapon. 

 - Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." 

  • What does intentional worship look like in your everyday life? 

 Lion, Ox, and Eagle: Worship In The Fight 

Around the throne John did not see one kind of worship. He saw four living creatures, and the first three give us three ways praise goes to war. 

Revelation 4:7 NIV 

The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 

 

The lion is bold praise. A roar tells the enemy this territory is taken. Paul and Silas did not wait for the cell door to open. At midnight, beaten and chained, they sang. Worship went first. The earthquake came after. 

Acts 16:25 NIV 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 

 

If you will not attack the battle with worship, the battle will attack you with worry. The more you worship, the less room worry gets. 

The ox is determined praise. It does not look impressive. It puts its head down and plows. Judah means praise, and praise breaks hard ground. Job lost almost everything and still blessed the name of the Lord. Bartimaeus was told to be quiet and cried out louder. That is ox worship: I am still in this, and I will not stop praising on the way through. 

Hosea 10:11 NIV 

Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground. 

 

The eagle is praise that lifts you over what you cannot escape on foot. Some things will not be the same again. Worship will not always remove them. It can take you above them. 

Isaiah 40:31 NIV 

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   

You do not pick one face for the rest of your life. Some days you roar. Some days you plow. Some days you need altitude. All three are worship. All three fight. 

 

Discussion Questions 

  •  Paul and Silas sang in a jail cell before anything changed. Name a fight that is still locked for you—at work, at home, or in your own head. Have you been worshiping in it, or mostly worrying about it? 

 

  • Which face do you need this week—the lion, the ox, or the eagle—and what is one way you will practice that kind of praise before next Sunday? 

 The Face Of The Man, Come As You Are 

Pastor Jentezen’s message today from Revelation 4:7 reminds us that we can worship in boldness and aggression as a lion, in strength and steadfastness as an ox, and in renewal and flight as an eagle – yet the face of a man reminds us that worship also includes vulnerability. Sometimes we don’tfeel bold, strong, or lofty like an eagle in flight. At times we feel broken, weak, and fragile, and that’s perfectly okay with God. He will meet us in our place of weakness when we come to worship Him just as we are. 

God is neither ashamed nor surprised by our frail humanity.

As Psalm 103:14 (KJV) reminds us, “he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Just like God made Adam from the very dust of the ground, he made us too, and He knows everything about us. He understands our emotional frailty, physical fragility, and limitations. He knows our weariness and our tendency to falter. He does not expect us to be men and women of steel.  

Even Paul, had to come to God in pain and weakness. In II Corinthians 12 (KJV) God allowed Paul to suffer physically to keep him humble, and in that place of pain and brokenness, Paul cried out to God three times to remove the affliction. Paul was suffering, but Jesus didn’t remove the thorn in Paul’s flesh. Instead, Jesus replied, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Where are you broken, weak, hurting today? Worship God today in your humanity, frailty, and brokenness. He won’t turn you away!  

 

Discussion Questions

  • In what areas of your life do you most feel your human frailty—and how might acknowledging that open space for God’s strength to work through you? 
  •  When you face weakness or failure, how can you remind yourself of Psalm 103:14 and respond with worship instead of shame? 
  •  How can we, as a church or study group, create an environment where people feel safe to “come as they are” and experience transformation through grace? 

Conclusión 

As we close, Acts 17 reminds us that worship begins with knowing who God is. He is not an unknown God—He is the Creator, the One in whom we live and move and have our being. Revelation 4 then gives us a glimpse of heaven, where worship surrounds God’s throne and declares His holiness and worthiness. 

Our worship, then, is not simply a song we sing or an emotion we feel. It is a response to who God is. When we worship with understanding, when we come as we are, and when we choose to worship even in the fight, our praise becomes an expression of faith and trust in the One who is greater than every battle. 

So, let’s not worship an “unknown God.” Let’s know Him, seek Him, and worship Him with all that we are. And whether we see the lion’s courage, the ox’s strength, the eagle’s perspective, or the face of the man who comes honestly before God, may our worship remain focused on the One seated on the throne. 

God is worthy. He is with us in the fight. And He is calling us to worship Him—not just with our voices, but with our lives. 

 

Llamada a la acción:   

  • Examine your understanding Examine your understanding of what worship is and your motivation to worship God. 
  • Commit yourself to worship from a deep commitment to God and as a weapon to defeat the enemy is times of spiritual attack. 
  • Spend time in the Word and in worship and praise every day. 
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and show you how to grow in strength, understanding, and effectiveness through prayer and worship. 
  • Journal what God is doing in your life and how you are responding to Him. 

Prayer:   

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for revealing who You are and reminding us that You are not an unknown God. You are our Creator, our strength, and the One who is worthy of all our worship. 

Help us to worship You with understanding, with genuine hearts, and even in the midst of life’s battles. Give us courage like the lion, strength like the ox, vision like the eagle, and humility to come before You just as we are. 

May our worship be more than words or songs, may it be a way of life that honors You. Keep our eyes fixed on Your throne and our hearts faithful to You. 

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 

 Recursos  

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpNUUJ1OD2k 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KpytpGgnKACFhLlj0RRCc 

Download Group Guide -  https://freechapel.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Online/IQCy9u-dANBSTILDMVIe7NGiAbF1vSnVdBzfRzCpa90Q83s?e=LEl05v