The worship of the assembly makes or breaks building and battling. We’re going to find that liturgy promotes two kinds of faith, and only one kind can handle the negative world. Then we’ll tie all of it to God’s blessings that He’s promised to use as means so that the gates of hell can’t win.

Not Whether but Which B&B

Men can’t help but provide and protect. God put Adam in the garden to tend it; make it flourish. God gave Adam a woman with whom to procreate; make more humans and families. Culture cultivation (plants and projects and progeny) is building. God also gave Adam a test, not to eat of a certain tree’s fruit, along with the responsibility for Eve so that she would not be deceived. Adam had work to do, and he was in a war, not of his own choosing.

Even without the pull of the sinful flesh, Eve took the serpent’s word over God’s, Adam took Eve’s word over God’s, and that brought the conflict to their own consciences. God judged Adam with sweaty and painful building, and established a permanent battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The fall didn’t create work and war, it made them worse.

By the time of the tower of Babel, men were building and battling again. Their project was magnificent, except for their motivation; they were trying to make a name for themselves. Their desire to protect themselves and their future seemed reasonable after the flood, except that their identification of the enemy was completely wrong; they were fighting against the One who sat enthroned over the flood.

These things are true today. Men build, but in their own strength for their own name. Men battle, but mistaken about what truly threatens them. They think it’s the environment, or one another, or even God (or Fate). The first enemy is their own sin, including the pride that makes their projects damnable, even if impressive.

So we need to worship in order to remember:

• We build as image-bearers for God’s glory, and He opposes those who build for themselves.
• We battle as those in submission to God’s Word, and He offers no protection to those who fight like the enemy.

Think Psalm 127:1-2. Those who build, labor in vain unless the Lord builds the house. Those who watch, to protect what has been built, watch in vain unless the Lord guards the city. Not sleeping is not only is no badge of honor, it is no guarantee of success. Hard work is good in so far as God blesses it. (Consider also how the Lord frustrates those who are busy without seeking His blessing in Haggai 1:3-11.)

No blessing from God? No blessing on the ground. The only way to be blessed is to live by faith. “Blessed the man that fears Jehovah.”

Two Kinds of Faith

The worship of the assembly reminds us that:

• Our boast is in the name of the Lord
• Our strength is in the joy of the Lord
• Our wisdom is in the Word of the Lord

We look back at six days of work and say, “We have nothing that wasn’t given to us.” We look forward to the next six days and say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” A good service reminds us that we are only servants, that Scripture is our food and light, that we’re part of a body who we need, that His blessing makes the difference.

All that requires faith.

On a faith-spectrum, one extreme is nominal, in name only. It is possible to know how “sola fide” broke the grip of the Roman Catholic Church and not have faith in Christ. It is possible to know that salvation is not of works, but by grace through faith, and still not actually believe the gospel. And in many cases, for fear of false assurance, true believers never grow because they are always being discouraged and their professions doubted. Instead of being discipled to live by faith against temptation, if they sin, they are discipled to question if they are genuine disciples.

The other side of the faith-spectrum is nike faith. This is not a motivational or athletic-ware reference. This is what John says in 1 John 5:4.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4–5 ESV)

This is the first verse I ever memorized in Greek. It sounds something like: He nike he nikesasa ton cosmon, he pistis hemon. “This is the nike that nikes the world.” Or, “This is the conquering that conquers the cosmos.” Who is the world-conqueror? It’s the believing-one. In the negative world, where the evil one has power (1 John 5:19), we have faith that is more powerful.

Hell Has Dead Faith

We talk about how the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18). What is hell trying to “protect”?

It is trying to protect pride, rebellion, self-will, independence, and the meaninglessness they prefer over purpose with heavy glory. But in our liturgy we submit (call to worship), we acknowledge our disobedience (confession of sin), we die to ourselves (consecration), we remember our union (communion), we receive blessing to carry out our God-given responsibilities (commission with benediction).

Hell hates the kingdom that cannot be shaken; it’s jealous of the permanence. Hell hates the thankful. Hell hates the humble; but they will be exalted. Hell hates those who fear the Lord; but they’ll have wisdom. Hell hates those who hide behind the God of consuming fire. Hell hates the faithful, the living, and the fruitful.

We offer to God acceptable worship, with reference and awe in faith. The gates of hell and the dark hellish shadows in the negative world will be conquered.

Conclusion

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Our worship builds nike faith; our worship is the anti-hell, it transforms us from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). Living by faith is the only way to be living with God’s blessing, and (only) by God’s blessing does our building and battling overcome the world.