When “it” happens, and “it” will happen. We either fear our
or give God our full
!
2Ch 20:1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2Ch 20:2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).
2Ch 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. —NKJV
- Fear God or Fear the enemy.
- Whatever has your
- Denying the enemy exists is not a substitute for the
Worship is the
of one’s
to the one we
.
In worship, a lot of people sing but don’t abandon themselves to God. They come in control and leave in control. You have not worshipped if you have not abandoned control of your life to God —Pastor Robert Morris
- What we
- What has our attention has our worship
2Ch 20:4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. (Seek the Lord/worship / discover God’s will.)
2Ch 20:5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
2Ch 20:6 and said: “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
2Ch 20:7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
2Ch 20:8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
2Ch 20:9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’
2Ch 20:10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—
2Ch 20:11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
2Ch 20:12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” —NKJV
- Leaders who are open about their reliance on God when they don’t have the answers are good leaders.
- We can’t, but you can!
Thanksgiving, for what He has done in the past, is the launch pad for supplication.
- God, you responded to Solomon at the dedication by sending fire on the altar.
According to your word. “God you said”
Deuteronomy 2 it was your idea to prevent us from invading these enemies when we had the chance and the militaristic will. “Surely you have the plan to protect us from them now”.
- The battle belonged to the Lord the whole time. From the exodus until it happened.
There is
power in the
of desperate believers.
2Ch 20:13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
2Ch 20:14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
2Ch 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
2Ch 20:16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
2Ch 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” —NKJV
- The word came from the midst of the assembly, not the mountain top or from the professional prophet.
- When they
God’s promise of victory also includes revealing the
of the enemy.
Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. —NIV
“Hear what the Spirit says to the churches”.
Revelation
Prophetic
require a posture of
and
. How we
ourselves matters.
2Ch 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
2Ch 20:19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
2Ch 20:20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” —NKJV
Praise leads the process when you have a prophetic promise.
Dysfunctional culture (Moab and Ammon) set out to stop Judah’s praise.
We
- Don’t stay in the city praying. Prepare for battle and hold your position.
“Having done all STAND”.
Eph 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Eph 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Eph 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.Eph 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Eph 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Eph 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. —NIV
- The right response to a true prophetic word is worship.
(worship vs praise )
Jehoshaphat models worship.
- There is a blessing on a church when the Senior pastors are the worship leaders.
( not just from the stage but from the front row)
No one should be able to out-praise the pastoral team.
“And set himself to seek the Lord”
Judah worshiped before the enemy was defeated; they praised before the war was over because they trusted in confident expectation that led them to joyful anticipation. (Hope) that led them to FAITH
Joh 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. —NIV