If you don't have your Bible with you, grab a pew Bible here, page 358 on your pew Bible, the black pew Bible, 358, 2 Chronicles.
Let me just set my timer up.
Anybody who knows me knows I will talk until I'm stopped, so I'm going to try and stop myself here.
An hour and a half sound good?
All right.
Second Chronicles, chapter 20.
Before we read, let's just pray.
Heavenly Father, just thank you for your goodness to us and your watch care over us.
Thank you most of all for the love, Lord, that you had for us.
Love that caused you to create this world and create us.
A love that caused you to send your son to die on the cross for us.
Lord, if nothing else is heard today, Lord, let us hear Christ and the precious sacrifice of him on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
If any of you have ever had the privilege to try and say anything from the Bible, I will tell you there is a constant challenge to...
You're constantly fighting yourself to say what you want to say and what you think people need to hear.
Especially when you know your audience a little bit.
You start to have things in your mind.
Oh, so-and-so would love to hear this and so-and-so needs to hear that.
And I've been wanting to tell so-and-so this for a long time, so this is my opportunity.
And so there is a constant battle with the flesh, as it were, with yourself, as it were, to try and allow God to use you simply as a vessel.
And so one of the advantages that I've found in the reading plans, and if you don't have a Bible reading plan, grab them.
They're still at the back on top of the sort of mailboxes there.
The great thing about that is you don't choose what you read.
You just read through the scripture.
And so the Lord, as I was reading through the scripture, really made this stick out to me.
And it was kind of funny because my wife says, oh, you're probably going to preach on the New Testament because you never preach on the Old Testament.
And I said, well, just wait and see.
So here we are in 2 Chronicles, and I'm going to read through 2 Chronicles.
Most of you, I'm not sure what you're all reading.
I'm reading out of the King James.
Don't hold it against me because my Bible is heavier than yours.
And we've got more words in here.
So I'm going to read out of the King James, and it should be easy enough to follow through here.
But whatever you have, just read out of it.
And the Bible says that God's word will never return to him void.
So starting verse 1, 2 Chronicles chapter 20.
And it came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
And there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying,
There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria.
And behold, they be in Hazon Tamar, which is En Gedi.
And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord.
Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court.
And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven that rulest over all the kingdoms of the heathen?
And in thy hand is there not power and might so that none are able to withstand thee?
Art not thou our God who did strive the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gave it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever?
And they dwelt therein and they built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
If when evil come upon us as the sword and judgment and pestilence or famine,
we stand before this house and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house,
and cry unto thee in our affliction, then wilt thou hear and help.
And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir,
whom thou wouldst not let Israel invade when thou camest out of the land of Egypt,
but they turned from them and destroyed them not.
Behold, I say, how they reward us to come and cast us out of thy possession,
which thou hast given us to inherit.
O our God, wilt thou not judge them?
For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us.
Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.
And Judah stood before the Lord and all their little ones, their wives and their children.
Then upon Jehazel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of July,
the son of Mataniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph,
came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation.
And he said, Hearken all Judah, hearken ye inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and thou King Jehoshaphat.
Thus saith the Lord unto you,
Be not afraid, nor be dismayed,
by reason of this great multitude.
For the battle is not yours, but God's.
Tomorrow go ye down against them.
Behold, they will come up to the cliff of Ziz,
and ye shall find them at the end of the brook,
before the wilderness of Jeru.
You shall not need to fight in this battle.
Set yourselves, stand still,
and see the salvation of the Lord with you.
Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed.
Tomorrow go out against them,
for the Lord will be with you.
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head and his face to the ground.
And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
And the Levites, the children of the Kohathites,
and the children of the Korahites,
stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel
with a loud voice on high.
And they rose early in the morning
and went forth to the wilderness of Tekoa.
And as they went forth,
Jehoshaphat stood and said,
Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Believe in the Lord your God,
so shall ye be established.
Believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
And when he had consulted with the people,
he appointed singers unto the Lord
that should praise the beauty of holiness
as they went out before the army
and to say, Praise the Lord,
for his mercy endureth forever.
And when they began to sing and to praise,
the Lord sent ambushments
against the children of Ammon and Moab
and Mount Seir,
which were become against Judah.
And they were smitten,
for the children of Ammon and Moab
stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir
utterly to slay and destroy them.
And when they had made an end
of the inhabitants of Mount Seir,
everyone helped to destroy another.
And when Judah came toward
the watchtower in the wilderness,
they looked unto the multitude,
and behold, there were dead bodies
fallen on the earth,
and none escaped.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people
came to take away the spoil of them,
they found among them
in abundance both riches
and with the dead bodies
precious jewels,
which they stripped off them
for themselves,
more than they could carry away.
And they were three days
in carrying away the spoil.
It was so much.
And on the fourth day,
they assembled themselves
in the valley of Baracha,
and they blessed the Lord.
Therefore, the name of the place
was called the valley of Baracha
unto this day.
Then they returned every man
of Judah and Jerusalem
and Jehoshaphat
in the forefront of them
to go again to Jerusalem with joy,
for the Lord had made them
to rejoice over their enemies.
And they came again to Jerusalem
with psalteries and harps
and trumpets into the house
of the Lord.
And the fear of God
was on all the kingdoms
of those countries
when they had heard
that the Lord fought
against the enemies of Israel.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat
was quiet,
for God had given him
rest round about.
A couple of chapters back
in chapter 17,
just a quick,
you don't have to turn there.
There's an introduction
to Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah.
And there's a time here
in the history
of the nation of Israel
where the nation of Israel
is divided into Judah
and Israel.
And it says that Jehoshaphat,
his sons,
we're talking about
the previous king,
reigned in his stead
and strengthened himself
against Israel.
And he placed forces
in all the fenced cities
of Judah
and set garrisons
in the land of Judah
in the cities of Ephraim.
So even the nation of Israel
was fighting against themselves.
But this is the important part
of the takeaway part
I want you to understand here.
And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat
because he walked
in the first ways
of his father David
and sought not
unto Balaam,
which is false gods here.
That's a little bit of context
into who Jehoshaphat is here.
And as I read this passage here,
I thought to myself,
there is so much in here
in regards to application
to us for the believers.
And I want to focus
for us here today
the bottom part of verse 12
where it says,
but our eyes are upon thee.
And I thought to myself,
there is so much for us
to look at in this world.
So much for us to
turn to and look to
for advice and for guidance
and for comfort.
But the reality is
none of that really works that well.
In fact, a lot of it
is distraction
and causes us to
not look upon God.
So there's some things
that I wanted to point out today.
In verse 9,
there's a very interesting phrase.
Beginning of verse 9,
it says,
if when,
if when evil come upon us
as the sword
and judgment
or pestilence
or famine,
we stand before this house
in thy presence
for thy name
for thy name is in thy house
and cry unto thee
in our affliction.
First thing I want you
to understand
is that
when you become
a Christian
you are not immune
to the troubles
of this sinful world.
In fact,
I would almost
wager to say
if I was,
wager is probably
not the best word,
but if I was
to say
when you become
a Christian
you are probably
more prone
to dealing
with struggles
in this world.
And so it says,
if when these things happen,
so that means
when these things happen,
if we do this thing,
so when evil
comes upon us
as the sword
and judgment
and pestilence
and famine,
if we stand
before this house,
if we cry unto thee
in our affliction,
then thou wilt hear us.
And I wonder,
are you dealing with
some things today?
Are you?
Are you having problems
with your kids
that aren't turning out?
But our eyes
will be on thee.
What about
if the bank account
isn't quite balancing out?
Are you saying
your eyes
will be on him?
If your relationships
aren't going well,
but our eyes
will be on thee.
My body's
falling apart,
but my eyes
will be on thee.
The things
of this world
are starting
to weigh down
on me.
I find it
very interesting.
In verse 6
it talks about
the fact that
God
is over all
the kingdoms
of the heathen.
Maybe you're
scared today
about the
enemies out there.
China
and Russia.
Maybe you're
scared about
nuclear war.
You're worried
about that.
But my eyes
will be upon thee
because I know
that God
is over all
the kingdoms
of the heathen.
I know
that all
things that
happen in
this world,
my eyes
can be upon
thee,
upon God,
because he
is God
in heaven.
I know
that all
things that
happen in
this world,
my eyes
can be upon
thee,
upon God,
I'm having
problems with
people at
work,
but my eyes
will be upon
thee.
My life
is not
turning out
the way
I wanted
it to,
but my eyes
will be upon
thee.
my eyes
will be upon
thee,
because in
thine hand,
verse 6 says,
there is
power,
and there
is might,
so much
that none
is able
to withstand
thee.
and so
my eyes
will be
upon
thee.
Verse 12,
you see
Jehoshaphat
crying out
to the
Lord,
and he
says,
we have
no might
against this
great company
that comes
against us.
I wonder,
do you feel
like you
don't have
strength
today
to deal
with the
great problem
that faces
you,
the great
struggle in
your life?
Are you
crying out
like the
nation of
Judah here
that we
have no
might against
this great
company?
I don't
have the
resources,
I don't
have the
strength,
I don't
have the
knowledge,
I don't
have the
great might
against this
company that
comes against
us,
but my
eyes are
upon thee.
Maybe
you're saying
neither know
we what to
do.
I don't
know how to
solve this
problem.
This is
beyond,
beyond my
understanding.
beyond my
problem-solving
ability,
but my
eyes are
upon me.
I want
to see,
dear believer,
that when
you have an
attitude of
putting your
eyes upon
the Lord,
God,
he is
going to
remind you
of a few
things.
And so
the Spirit
of the
Lord,
while they
were all
collected,
crying out
to the
Lord,
the Spirit
of the
Lord came
upon
Jehaziel,
who spoke
out loud.
He said,
all Judah
and all
you inhabitants
of Jerusalem,
and even
you,
King,
this is
what the
Lord says
unto you
today.
Be not
afraid,
nor be
dismayed,
by reason
of this
great multitude,
this great
problem that
is ahead in
front of
you,
this problem
that is
threatening
your very
lives,
for the
battle is
not yours,
but it's
God's.
And I'll
tell you
something,
that if I
was to go
into battle,
and I was
to rely on
my own
strength and
my own
abilities,
I would
start having
some doubts
about my
success rate
here.
But when
my eyes are
upon God,
and I
understand
that he
has power
and might,
so that
none are
able to
withstand him,
I'm so
glad that
the battle
is his
and not
mine.
Moreover,
he continues
and says,
the battle
is so much
the Lord's
that you
don't even
have to
fight.
Verse 17,
you shall
not need
to fight
in this
battle.
Set
yourselves,
stand ye
still,
and see
the salvation
of the
Lord.
Now,
sometimes the
Lord asks
us
to put
our faith
into action
and trust
that he
will
orchestrate
his
means
and his
desired
outcome
in the
end.
But
sometimes
also,
like he
did for
the nation
of Judah
here,
he said,
you don't
have to
fight.
This is
beyond
you.
The
multitude
of
enemy
that came
towards
him,
the nation
of Judah
was so
great
that
there
was
not
enough
people
in the
nation
of
Judah
that
could
fight
against
this
multitude.
So
great
that
God
said,
it's
clear
that I
need to
intervene.
It's
clear
that I
need to
take
care
of
this
battle
for
you.
And so
sometimes
I think
that we
struggle
with the
fact
that
we
might
turn our
eyes
upon
the
Lord,
but then
we decide
to try
and do
what we
can to
fix
the
problem.
We
get
involved
and we
start
doing
things.
Well,
I believe
sometimes
the Lord
calls you
not to
act,
but just
to wait
in faith
and believe.
And this
is one
of those
situations,
this
historical
account of
Jehoshaphat,
where he
says,
you shall
not need
to fight
in this
battle.
Set
yourselves
stand
still
and see
the
salvation
of the
Lord.
And as
we read
in the
story,
we
came
through
to the
following
day,
and as
the nation
of Judah
walked
towards
the valley
where they
were told
that this
battle was
supposed to
happen,
we see
that they
did not
prepare for
war,
they did
not bring
their
swords
and their
spears,
they did
not bring
their valiant
men,
their mighty
men of
battle,
but they
went singing
to the
valley.
I will
tell you
by way
of experience,
there have
been many
times in
my life
when I
have faced
adversity
and by
the grace
of God
I've been
able to
turn my
eyes upon
him.
And even
in the
valley of
struggle,
even in
the valley
of battle,
of combat,
with whatever
situation it
is,
there's been
a song in
my heart.
And I
might even
say to you
today,
maybe this
is a good
gauge of
what you're
looking at.
If you're
facing a
trial and
a challenge
today,
and you
don't have
a song in
your heart,
I wonder,
where are
your eyes?
What are
you looking
at?
Are you
able to
say,
praise the
Lord for
his mercy
endureth
forever?
are you
able to
sing as
they did
in verse
21,
just
praising the
beauty of
God's
holiness?
I want
to say
one thing
else to
you believers
by way of
witness for
the cause
of Christ.
In
verse 29
and 30,
we see
the result
of what
happens
when we
turn our
eyes upon
thee.
You see,
every Christian,
when you are
faced with a
struggle here
on earth,
the world
is watching.
Your friends
are watching,
your family
members are
watching.
They don't
necessarily want
you to fail,
they don't
necessarily want
bad things to
happen to
you,
but I will
tell you,
if you've
been talking
a big game
about your
God,
and how
much your
God takes
care of
you,
and how
much your
God loves
you,
and then
all of a
sudden,
you crumble
and fall
apart when
you're faced
with a great
multitude,
as it were.
What does
that say
about your
faith?
What does
that say
about where
your eyes
are looking?
What does
that say
about where
your eyes
are looking?
but our
eyes
are upon
thee,
and the
result of
having your
eyes upon
God in
the midst
of a struggle,
in the midst
of a challenge,
when there
doesn't seem
to be enough
food in the
fridge,
where your
health is
failing,
when it
seems as
though the
enemies in
this world
are pressing
down on
us,
maybe when
you're
persecuted
even for
your faith
in Christ,
when you
have your
eyes upon
him,
there can
be a
great
result for
the cause
of Christ.
Verse 29
and 30
said,
And the
fear of
God was
on all
the kingdoms
of those
countries,
when they
had heard
that the
Lord fought
against the
enemies of
Israel.
So the
realm of
Jehoshaphat
was quiet,
and for
his God
gave him
rest around
the boat.
By way of
a quick
testimony,
I want to
speak to
you about
something
today.
When I'm
a police
officer and
I'm in
uniform,
I can
often go
places that
people can't
go.
Now,
it doesn't
necessarily
mean that I'm
allowed to
be in
certain places,
but I just
walk in
pretending like
I'm supposed
to be there,
and they let
me in because
I have a
uniform,
and sometimes
I have a
nice smile.
But the
reality is
this.
Some of
you know
that I got
injured almost
a year ago,
and I
thank the
Lord that
he allowed
me to
remember to
have my
eyes upon
him.
And I
found myself
in a place
that I
could never
be by
simply being
in uniform
or simply
walking in
off the
street.
And I
found myself
flat on my
back in a
hospital bed.
And as God
continued to
bless me to
help me have
my eyes upon
him,
there were
times when I
was able to
share the
gospel with
the people
that came
in to
help me,
or so they
thought they
were helping
me.
There have
been opportunities
that I've been
able to share
the love of
Christ with
my coworkers,
people that I
have known for
years,
and I
provided an
open door.
If we think
of the
apostle Paul
and the
amount of
times that
he dealt
with physical
and physical
restraints
being put in
jail,
being put in
house arrest,
and constantly
he fought
against the
flesh and
the Lord
helped him to
keep his eyes
upon the
Lord.
And I
think that
God puts us
in places
and helps us
even in the
struggles,
because as
Paul says,
for us to
live is
Christ.
And so
every situation
we find
ourselves in,
is it not
for the
cause of
Christ?
I've heard
some people
say,
oh,
God will
never give
you more
than you
can handle.
And you
know what?
That's
absolutely
wrong.
If God
would only
give you
stuff that
you could
handle,
then why
would you
need God?
God,
he's going
to give
you more
than you
can handle.
He is
going to
give you
a great
multitude
that comes
against you
and so
that you
have no
might against
this great
multitude
and neither
are you
going to
know what
to do.
I wonder,
but will
you say
like
Jehoshaphat
when the
world is
crumbling
down before
you and
around you
and your
life is
falling apart?
But God,
with your
help,
my eyes
will be
upon you.
Amen.
I see
also another
point of
application
here.
Maybe
there's
people here
today that
do not
know the
Lord Jesus
Christ as
their Savior.
Or maybe
you are a
Christian that's
gone away
and you've
come to
play church
as you do
every week.
You see,
there's this
great gap,
this great
divide
between the
beauty of
holiness
that the
nation of
Judah was
praising,
God who
is a
righteous and
holy God
and all
of mankind
who is
born into
sin.
and I
will tell
you that I
thank the
Lord for
his love
because it's
because God
loved us,
he created
the universe.
Because God
loved us,
he created
this earth.
Because God
loved us,
he created
mankind.
His love
was so much
even though
he knew
we would
not all
love him
back.
He did
all of
that.
He made
us.
Have you
ever done
something with
so much
love,
knowing that
the person
would not
appreciate it
or love
you back?
Or would
even despise
you?
You?
The Bible
very simply
says,
for God
so loved
the world
that he
made,
that he
gave his
only son
to die
on the
cross for
us,
that
whosoever
believes in
him shall
not perish
but have
everlasting
life.
Amen.
the only
way that
you can
please
the
Lord
is by
being
righteous
and
holy.
Now,
if you
can show
me
someone
that
can
be
righteous
and
holy,
then I
would
follow
that
person.
but the
Bible
says that
there is
none
righteous,
no,
not one.
Not
any one
of us
could
ever
be
holy
and
righteous
enough
to be
in
fellowship
with
God.
So he
created
us
knowing
that we
would
never
ever
be able
to be
in
fellowship
with
him.
But his
love was
so much
that he
said,
even
before he
made us,
I will
make a
way,
I will
make a
way
whereby
the
creation
that I
love
can
have
fellowship
with
me.
And the
way was
by his
son,
Jesus
Christ.
You
see,
Jesus,
his
son,
being
fully
God,
came
down to
earth
and took
on the
form of
a man
to die
on the
cross.
And when
he died
on the
cross,
he paid
the penalty
for our
sin by
his shed
blood.
But I
will tell
you that
the story
does not
end there.
Not only
did he
pay the
penalty for
our sin,
that all
who believe
on him
will not
perish but
have
everlasting
life,
three days
later,
the Bible
says that
he rose
from the
dead.
And he
overcame
death
because he
has the
power over
life and
death.
And so
not only do
I know
that my
sins are
forgiven when
I put my
faith and
trust in
Jesus Christ,
I also
know that
when I
die and
leave this
earth,
death,
that's not
the end,
but only
the beginning.
I know
that his
power over
death,
as it
were,
has given
me life
and life
eternal.
And because
I put my
faith and
trust in
Jesus,
I know
that I
can have
a home
in heaven
where God
is,
because I
can now
have fellowship
with God
because of
Jesus.
What
greater love
is that?
What
greater love
is that?
I would
ask you
today,
if you
are not
saved,
would today
be the day
that you
turn your
eyes upon
him?
God
may be
you
are a
believer
here
today,
and yeah,
you come
to church,
yeah,
you sing
the songs,
but there's
been something
that's been
pulling you
away,
and you
know that
there's been
something between
you and the
Lord,
and your eyes
have not been
upon him,
your eyes
have been
elsewhere to
the things
of this
world.
I would
ask you to
turn your
eyes towards
the Lord
today.
Dear
believer
who has
been following
along with
the Lord,
and maybe
you're dealing
with some
struggles and
challenges here,
turn your
eyes upon
the Lord,
for he
has great
purpose,
and he
has great
salvation,
and he
has great
power and
might that
none can
stand before
him.
Amen.
You know,
I really
struggled
today with
I had a
couple different
things that I
wanted to talk
about today,
and I'm just
running out of
time here.
And I
actually
struggled
this week
with what
it is I
should talk
about here,
because as I
spoke before,
you know,
I feel like
there's things
that I want
to say to
people and
things that I
think,
you know,
I'm a
fixer,
right?
So I want
to fix
things.
And
I will tell
you that
my life has
been full of
trouble and
full of
struggles and
full of
challenges,
and many,
many,
many times
I can
clearly see
that I
should have
died and
left this
earth.
many,
many times
I can
see that
I should
have had
the worst
when I
had the
best.
And I
wonder if
in your
heart of
hearts today
that you
can say
that you
have ever
turned your
eyes upon
God for
salvation.
Because
many,
many times
in those
hardships
and in
those
challenges
I can
say as
they did
in the
bottom of
verse 17
for the
Lord was
with me.
I'm here
today as
a man
with
any kind
of
earthly
respect or
honor because
the Lord is
with me.
Any kind
of blessing,
any kind
of
physical
health,
any kind
of success
in my
life
is because
God,
for some
unknown
reason,
loved me.
An
unlovable
sinner
who
deserve
nothing
more
than an
eternity
in hell.
And I
wish
nothing
more
than all
of you
to be
able to
say with
your dying
breath
that I
put my
faith and
trust in
Jesus
and the
Lord was
with me
because
there was
a time
and place
where you
can say,
I turned
my eyes
upon me.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Heavenly
Father,
I'm
overwhelmed,
Lord,
with your
goodness.
You know,
as Jehoshaphat
and the
nation of
Judah did,
Lord,
so glad
that
you gave
me that
opportunity,
Lord,
to turn
my eyes
upon you
as a
young
child.
And I'm
sorry,
Lord,
for the
times that
I have
failed you
and sinned
against you
and turned
my eyes
away from
you.
Thank you
for your
mercy and
your grace
as you
continue with
your long
suffering,
Lord,
and your
love towards
me to
keep teaching
me,
Lord,
how to
turn my
eyes upon
you.
I pray,
Lord,
for the
precious souls
in this
room,
Lord.
You know
what's in
every man
and every
woman and
every young
child's
heart.
And you
know what
things need
to be made
right,
what people
need to
turn their
eyes back
to you.
And you
know who
and how
many may
never truly
have trusted
you and
put their
faith in
you for
salvation.
Lord,
I pray that
you would
work in
their hearts
and work
in their
minds
before it's
forever and
too late,
Lord.
pray now
that they
know they
would trust
you and
turn their
eyes upon
you,
Lord.
Thank you
for your
word that
is a
living word.
Thank you
that we
are in
this wonderful
country,
Lord,
that we
can carry
this freely
out in
public and
read it
freely.
help us
to never
forget that
privilege.
Bless us
as we go
from here
today,
Lord,
we ask
and be
with our
pastor and
his family.
Pray you
return them
to us in
strength and
health and
pray,
Lord,
that you
would protect
him from
the challenges
of the devil
that would
like to
disrupt his
abilities to
minister and
disrupt his
family as he
seeks to
serve you.
help us
to all
return in
safety.
We ask
for your
glory and
for the
cause of
Christ.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.