Organizing To Fight
SERMON STARTER
           
          I never understood the concept of Spiritual Warfare until I genuinely gave my heart to Christ and determined to be in daily communication with Him. The Call of Christ into His Kingdom is a call to battle. We must put on the whole armor of God to both resist and defeat the enemy. The hoards of hell will throw everything they can to distract you from maintaining a relationship with God.

          I discovered the intensity of the spiritual war when I deeply gave my heart and life to Christ at 18 years of age. I had performed the church’s rituals for salvation at the age of 12, but I had a lot of spiritual and emotional maturing to do. What I discovered was that submitting yourself to Christ and His Kingdom automatically conscripts you into the spiritual war. The enemy wants you dead and will use any tool he can to subvert Jesus in you. Satan hates we who are committed followers of Jesus and lies in wait to attack us any way he can.

          My sermon this morning looks back more than 2800 years into Jewish history to see the long-term ramifications of David's twin sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.  Solomon was the second son of David to Bathsheba. Solomon was a man of wisdom at first and like his father at midlife, went down the path of licentiousness and fornication. This sin follows down David's generations and ends at the Cross.

          David's Sins and subsequent Curse caused His Kingdom to divide and eventually fall in the generations that came after him. Jehoshaphat was the 4th King of the Southern Kingdom, Judah and was mostly a good King that followed after the Lord.
Jehoshaphat shows us how to organize to fight the Spiritual War and win.  

Pastor Phil  <><<

March 31, 2019 - Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland   <><<

                                                                                           
Organizing To Fight
Eight Principles in Fighting The Spiritual War
2 Chronicles 19,20
“If you will get close to Jesus and follow him with all your heart, you will come to know that we have a very real enemy who will oppose everything you attempt to do for Christ and His Kingdom of Love.”          Pastor Phil   <><< 
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."  2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)

14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

SOLOMON died in the year 931 BCE
Solomon's Kingdom Divided after his death into Two Kingdoms:
          a. Northern Kingdom, Israel - Destroyed by Assyrians 722 BCE
          b. Southern Kingdom Judah - Destroyed by Babylonians in 586 BCE
Jehoshaphat was the 4th King under the Southern Kingdom, Judah
His was a peaceful and prosperous reign

Jehoshaphat - Yeh-ho-shaw-fawt' - Transliteration

Two Things Jehoshaphat did to Organize for the Battle:
1)  He Appointed Godly Judges to serve the people, and
2)  He Appointed Godly Priests to Serve in the House of the Lord

EIGHT PRINCIPLES we learn from Jehoshaphat’s Godly Responses:
I.   HE INQUIRED OF THE LORD -  2 Chronicles 20:2-3
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). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

II. HE PROCLAIMED A SACRED FAST - v.20:3b
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
          A. Nine Times David sought the Lord before acting
               David inquired of the Lord. . .   
          B. We are to seek the Lord before doing anything - Matt. 6:33
           33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
                things shall be added to you.   Matthew 6:33

ORGANIZING TO FIGHT, con. p, 2

III. HE GATHERED THE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SEEK GOD - v.4
So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.    2 Chronicles 20:4

          A. Needed: A national leader like Yeh-ho-shaw-fawt'
          B. Unify our National Leaders to gather us together - 2 Chron. 7:14
          14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and
              pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear
              from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.    2 Chron. 7:14

IV.  HE ADMITTED HIS OWN HELPLESSNESS - v.12
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."    2 Chronicles 20:12

          A. Confessing Weakness Empowers God - 1 John 1:9
            9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
              cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
          B. Our Extremity is God's Opportunity

V.  HE LISTENED TO PROPHESY - v.14
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. 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.   2 Chronicles 20:14-15

VI.  HE WORSHIPPED THE LORD - v.18
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.   2 Chronicles 20:18

VII.  HE FOLLOWED GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS - vs.20-22
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."
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever." 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.   2 Chron. 20:20-22
          A. He didn't attempt to fight with physical weapons
          B. He used Praising God as a spiritual weapon
ORGANIZING TO FIGHT, con. p, 3

VIII.  HE GAVE GOD THE GLORY - v.27
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. 2 Chronicles 20:27

 
Four powerful spiritual concepts are demonstrated by           Jehoshaphat:
          1)  FEAR (Getting Scared); and
          2)  FAITH (Being Bold, anyway!)
3) LISTENING for the Voice of God
          4. OBEYING His Instructions

 

 

 
TRIALS TEACH US TO HEAR AND OBEY GOD'S VOICE