 Well, if you have a Bible with you tonight, please open, if you will, to 2 Chronicles 20. It's about halfway through the Old Testament as I was praying about what God would have us study together tonight. He put on my heart to have us look together at one of the most dramatic, incredible, astounding stories in all of the Word of God. The title of the message tonight is the battle is the Lord's, the battle is the Lord's, and the text we're going to look at is in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verses 1 through 22. The story is told about a young boy, he was in the second grade, and the children's ministry at the church that he was a part of announced that they were going to do a drama, a play one Sunday night, and it would include all the famous scenes throughout the Bible, and different classes were chosen to play different dramatic events in the Bible. And this little boy's second grade class was chosen to do the scene where Jesus comes out on the stormy sea of Galilee, and he meets his disciples in the boat. And of course he says to them, peace be still and so on. And this little boy was chosen to have the high honor and the great privilege of playing the part of Jesus. And he had one and only one line, the line, it is I, be not afraid. And so this little guy, he began to practice his line in the morning when he was having breakfast, it is I be not afraid. When he was riding the bus to school, it is I be not afraid. When he was having lunch, it is I be not afraid. When he was on recess, it is I be not afraid. On the way home, it is I be not afraid. At dinner, it is I be not afraid. The last thing he would say before he would go to sleep, it is I be not afraid. He was doing this for several weeks, and then came the night of the big production at his church, and different classes were doing their different scenes, and then it came turned for his class to do their scene. And all of his friends were out in the middle of the stage, and the lights were kind of dim, and there was this cardboard makeshift boat that was there, and all of his friends, they were kind of rocking back and forth like they were in a stormy sea. So this little guy comes out onto the stage to give his one and only line. Only when he gets out there, he takes a look at the crowd, and he has never seen so many people in all of his life. And he just freezes with fear. He looks down on the front row, and his mom is down there. She's mouthing the words, it is I be not afraid. This little guy, he's still so petrified, he can't say anything, and the teacher, she's off the side of the stage, and she's trying to coach him along. It is I be not afraid, it is I be not afraid. But he's still so afraid he can't say anything, and finally he musters up enough courage that he blurts out, it's only me, and I'm scared to death. I love that story. I don't know how many times in my life or your life that we have felt like that little boy. Before us in the Word of God tonight is the story of a man, a great man of God, who felt very much like that little boy. The date was 750 BC. The place was Jerusalem, and the man's name we want to talk to you about tonight was Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah, and that means that his great-great-grandfather was King Solomon. That name ought to be familiar with you as a student of the Bible, because King Solomon is the one who built the most famous building in the Bible, the Temple of the Lord. It was great, it was impressive, and it was beautiful. And his great-great-grandson was Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat was a good king. He was a godly king, and because of that everything was going so well in the kingdom. But then in one day everything changed. I don't know if you have discovered in your life the difference that one day can make sometimes. One day you can feel like you're on the top of the world, and the next day it can feel like your whole life is falling apart. One day it can seem like it is the best day of your life. The very next day it can seem like the worst day of your life. One day you can feel safe and secure and healthy and happy, and just one day later you can feel so lonely and so overwhelmed and so afraid. And dear ones, if you ever feel like that, if you ever go through experiences like that, maybe some of you are here tonight and you feel like that, please know you are in good company because many of God's people have felt that way. Jhoshaphat felt that way, and his is a story that shows us what to do when you're in trouble. His is a story that shows us what to do when your world falls apart. His is a story that shows us what to do when it seems like everything is against you. Now there are four things that happen as the story unfolds, and if you happen to have a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil, I would highly encourage you just to jot these four things down. That way you can go back later and study through the story, and then maybe you can share what you've learned tonight with someone else that will be a blessing to them. The first thing that we see in the story as it unfolds before us is Jhoshaphat's problem. And that's what we see in verses 1 and 2. Look there at what the word of God says. It says, and 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 Jhoshaphat. Then some came and told Jhoshaphat, saying, a great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria, and there in Hezzan tomorrow, which is in Getty about 30 miles from Jerusalem, and Jhoshaphat was afraid. What was Jhoshaphat's problem? Well, we see here that enemies had risen up against him. Now, it's one thing if one enemy rises up against you. It's another thing if two enemies rise up against you. But here we see three enemies have risen up against Jhoshaphat. He is literally surrounded by enemies. Humanly speaking, he's in a totally impossible situation. And do you know what Jhoshaphat's problem is often your problem? It's often my problem because enemies can sometimes rise up against the people of God. Now, I'm not speaking about enemies with swords and spears or something like that. There are other kinds of enemies that rise up against us. There are financial enemies that rise up against the people of God. There are health enemies that rise up against the people of God. There are legal enemies that rise up against the people of God. There are relational enemies that rise up against the people of God. Jhoshaphat's problem is often your problem. It's often my problem. And I'm sure that what might have made things even worse for Jhoshaphat is that he was a good king. He was a godly king. And in our minds, we sort of reason that, you know, if a person is a bad person and bad things happen to bad people, then that makes sense to us. But whenever bad things happen to good people, to God's people, then we began to ask that question, why? Why is, Lord, I've been so faithful to you. I've honored your name. I've walked in the ways of the Lord. Why, oh God, would you allow these enemies to rise up against me? Dear ones, if you ever ask that question, no, that God has an answer. The reason why that God would sometimes allow those enemies to rise up against us is because he wants us to learn to depend on him and only him, not on other people, not on other things. Why would he allow enemies to rise up against us so that when we get in these impossible situations and we look to him, we see with our own eyes what the power of God can do. We see with our own eyes, as we sang tonight, that our God is a waymaker and that nothing is too hard for him, that nothing is impossible for the Lord. Why does he allow us to get in these kinds of situations so that we will turn the reins of our life over to him? The story is told about a godly farmer and this farmer had a young teenage boy and the farmer was increasingly concerned about his son because his son was getting older, his son was getting more and more rebellious, he was getting more and more stubborn, he was getting more and more independent and this young teenager acted like he didn't need anybody's help and his father was so concerned because he knew it was going to affect his relationship with other people and it was going to affect his relationship with God. And he was really praying for his son, he was asking the Lord, Lord could you just show me how I can help my son? And one day he had an idea, he believed that God gave him an idea and he just, he said to his son, he said, hey would you like to go for a ride out in the Buckboard wagon? And his son said, oh that would be awesome. And so they hitched up a team of horses to the Buckboard wagon and down the road they went and as they're driving along together the father says to the son, would you like to drive? Would you like to take the reins? Well this independent, rebellious, overconfident son, sure of course. And so his father hands him the reins, well the instant that he handed him the reins those horses could sense the insecurity of this young man and all of a sudden they shot off like a rocket down the road and they're going faster and faster and faster and the faster they're going the more and more panicked this young teenager becomes until finally at one point he says dad you take the reins and his dad took the reins and slowed the horses down he stopped the wagon and he began to talk to his son from his heart and he said son I'm so concerned about you you think you don't need anyone's help you think you don't need God's help but you do need God's help why? Why would God allow circumstances enemies to rise up against you and me because he wants us to learn to run to him to go to him and only him to depend on him to deliver us and to no one else well that brings us to a second thing that we see in our story and that is Jehoshaphat's prayer. Jehoshaphat's prayer that's what we see in verse 3 to 13 why would God allow problems to come because it drives us to him what do you do when enemies rise up against you what do you do when your world falls apart what do you do when it seems like everything is against you you run to God in prayer verse 1 again it happened after this the people of Moab with the people of Ammon and others besides the Ammonites they came to battle against Jehoshaphat and some came and told him a great multitude is coming against you so what did Jehoshaphat do verse 3 says and Jehoshaphat was afraid so he set himself to seek the Lord and he proclaimed a fast route all Judah so Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord in the house of the Lord before the new court what did Jehoshaphat do when enemies had risen up against him he began to pray he began to call out to God in prayer one of my favorite verses in the bible is Psalm 50 in verse 15 where God says this to you and me he says call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will glorify me call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will glorify me listen Jehoshaphat knew where to find help he began to pray and seek the Lord and not only did he begin to pray he got everybody else to pray with him as many people throughout the land as he could begin to pray they began to pray and where were they praying notice verse 5 then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord in the house of the Lord before the new court the house of the Lord what was the house of the Lord it wasn't a church building like this the house of the Lord for Jehoshaphat was the temple the temple that his great great grandfather Solomon had built and something amazing happened when his great great grandfather Solomon dedicated the temple Solomon prayed a prayer in the essence of the prayer is this oh Lord if enemies ever rise up against your people if your people are ever in trouble and they come into the house of the Lord to cry out to you oh god hear and answer their prayer and when Jehoshaphat was in trouble when enemies had risen up against him he knew where to find help help was in the house of the Lord dear ones I'm so glad you're here tonight in the house of the Lord this is where hope is found this is where help is found this is where answers are found to go to the house of God and to begin to call on the name of the Lord with all of your heart in faith knowing that he's promised that when you call on his name he will hear and answer you and so Jehoshaphat he begins to pray in verse six and oh oh what a prayer he prayed in verse six and he said oh Lord God of our fathers are you not God in heaven and do you not rule over the kingdoms of the nations and in your hand is there not power and might so that no one is able to stand withstand you notice how he begins his prayer he he says oh Lord God of our fathers I love that name of God I love that title of God as students of the Bible you know that there are many names of God in the Bible he's called Elohim he's called El Elian he's called El Shaddai he's called Jehovah he's called Jehovah Jairah he's called all these many different names but though Jehoshaphat could have chosen any one of those names he didn't instead he began his prayer by praying oh God of our fathers why did he use that name of God I believe he used that name of God because he was going back to the fact that whenever God's people called on him God answered their prayers oh God oh God when Noah was in trouble he called out to you and you answered his prayer oh God when Abraham was in trouble and he called out to you you answered his prayer oh God when Joseph was in prison and he called out to you you heard and answered his prayer oh Lord when Moses and the people were croning under bondage in Egypt they called out to you and you answered their prayer oh God when Jehovah when Joshua was in trouble and he called out to you you heard and answered his prayer oh God when David was in trouble with that giant Goliath he called on your name and you heard and answered his prayer oh God of our fathers oh God who's always heard and answered the prayers of your people he says are you verse 6 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 in mind so that no one is able to withstand you what was he saying he was saying oh God of our fathers I thank you that you are still on the throne dear ones I've come with a good word from God for you tonight God is still on the throne no matter what is happening in your marriage no matter what is happening in your health no matter what is happening in your finances no matter what is happening in the world God is still on the throne Jehoshaphat prays and he says oh Lord who's always answered prayer I know that you are still ruling and reigning from on high and then verse 7 are you not our God oh I like that your God is not just the God of people long ago and far away he's the living God he's the God of today he's the God of now he's your God and my God oh God who's always answered prayer oh God who's still on the throne oh you are our God verse 7 are you not our God who drove out all the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it to the descendants of Abraham your friend forever and they dwell in it and have built a sanctuary in it what sanctuary the temple the temple that Solomon built and dedicated to the Lord and now he's going to quote from his great great grandfather's prayer he's going to quote from 2nd Chronicles 6 where Solomon said if disaster comes upon a sword or judgment or pestilence or famine we will stand before this temple and in your presence for your name is in this temple and we will cry out to you in our affliction and you will hear and you will save and then I like this when he prays he doesn't pray in generalities he gets very specific this is my enemy this is exactly what I'm facing in my life God and I'm going to call on your name and let you know he says here verse 10 and now here are the people of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seer 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 here they are they're rewarding us by coming to throw us out of your possession which you have given us to inherit and then verse 12 and then verse 12 it is a verse that you ought to have circled in your Bible you have to ought to have a star by this verse one of the most important verses in all of the word of God verse 12 oh our God will you not judge them for we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against this nor do we know what to do pause right there for a moment I'll like you to underline two phrases that we just read together underline the phrase we have no power and underline the phrase nor do we know what to do have you ever been there maybe you're there tonight maybe you're there right now Lord we have no power I can't fix this the lawyers can't fix it the accountants can't fix it the doctors can't fix it God this is impossible I have no power and I don't know what to do Lord I've talked to this person I've talked to that person I've talked to the other person God I've even googled it and I still don't know what to do what do you do when you have no power what do you do when you don't know what to do oh the next phrase is so great you ought to underline it and put a huge star by it we have no power and we don't know what to do but our eyes are upon you oh I love that so much Lord we're not looking at the circumstance we're not looking at the situation we're not looking at the enemies we're not like Peter out on the water and we're looking at the stormy water and about to sink no our eyes Lord are upon you dear ones when you have no power and you don't know what to do look to the Lord look to him let your eyes go above your circumstance and your situation to the one that is ruling and reigning on high oh we have no power and we don't know what to do but our eyes are upon you when I was a little boy growing up in church we would go to our little Sunday school classes and often before we would do our lesson we would sing these little choruses and there was one chorus that we would sing quite often and after all these years I still remember these words they sometimes go round and round in my mind the words God any rivers you think are unprocessable God any mountains you can't tunnel through God specializes in the things thought impossible and he can do for you what no one else can do what do you do when it seems like everything is against you what do you do when your world falls apart what do you do when enemies rise up against you what do you do you go to the house of the Lord and you begin to call out to him in prayer and notice if you will verse 15 or verse 13 now all Judah and with their little ones and their wives and their children they stood before the Lord do you see it are you there they're in trouble and so they go to the house of God and there they are young and old men and women the wives the children they're just all standing there in the house of the Lord they're calling out to God in prayer oh Lord we're in trouble we're really in trouble please hear us Lord please rescue us please save us please deliver us if there ever was a moment they needed to hear from God it was in that moment and all of a sudden they heard from God the third thing that happens in this story is Jehoshaphat's promise that's what we see in verse 14 through 19 there they are they're all waiting on the Lord in prayer in verse 14 says then the spirit of the Lord came on Jehaziel the son of Zachariah the son of Baniah the son of Jail the son of Mataniah a Levite of the sons of Asaph in the midst of the assembly and he said listen all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem in you oh King Jehoshaphat verse 14 again the spirit of the Lord came on Jehaziel now perhaps many of you have a good question tonight and that is the question who in the world is Jehaziel I mean I I've heard of Elijah I've heard of Elisha I've heard of Jeremiah and Isaiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and Zachariah but Jehaziel who in the world is Jehaziel well interesting we do not hear of this prophet before this time we do not hear of this prophet after this time he's an obscure unknown prophet but we do know what his name means the name Jehaziel means our eyes are on the Lord I find it so wonderful that when God's people are in trouble and they go to the house of the Lord and they begin to pray and they say we have no power and we don't know what to do all of a sudden the spirit of God comes on this ordinary servant that nobody knows whose name means our eyes are on the Lord and he begins to prophesy the word of God to the people and he says in verse 15 listen all you Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and you King Jehoshaphat thus says the Lord do not be afraid or dismayed because of this multitude underline that phrase do not be afraid do you know that phrase occurs 103 times in the Bible you get the idea God doesn't want us to be afraid underline that phrase nor be dismayed that phrase is found 54 times in the Bible don't be afraid because of the enemies and then notice this phrase do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude underline this next phrase put a star by this next phrase for the battle is not yours but the Lord's dear ones I don't know what circumstance or situation you might be in tonight all I know is as I was praying and waiting on the Lord about what he wanted us to study tonight he so strongly put on my heart go to Chino Valley and have them open the word of God to second chronicles 20 have them underlining their Bible we have no power we don't know what to do but our eyes are upon you have them underline the paddle is not yours but the Lord's I don't know what battle you might be facing tonight all I know is my Bible is open in front of me and the word of God says to you the word of God says to me whatever that battle is you're not going to have to fight it the Lord's going to fight that battle oh I like this the battle is not yours but the Lord's 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 the brook before the wilderness of Zerjurul and you will not need to fight in this battle position yourselves stand still and see the salvation of the Lord who is with you right now I'd like you to circle something else in your Bible I'd like you to circle the two words stand still stand still as a student of the Bible maybe you remember those words if you've read through the Bible you've seen them before they were the exact words that God spoke to Moses when the children of Israel were in trouble you remember God brought them out of Egypt by the 10 plagues by a mighty hand and they came down to the Red Sea and as their camp there all of a sudden the Pharaoh changes his mind and he brings all of his horses and his chariots they're bearing down on the children of Israel you talk about being in a no-win situation you talk about enemies rising up against you you talk about being between a rock and a hard place that's where they were and they begin to cry out to the Lord and God said to them stand still and watch just watch what I will do why does God allow us to get into difficult situations sometimes because he wants us to just watch what he can do so you will watch him bear his arm and fight on your behalf so you will watch him do what seems utterly impossible in your mind in your heart oh I like this he says in verse 17 stand still and see the salvation of the Lord I like this who is with you the Lord is with you as we say tonight even when you don't see him he's working he's still working he when it seems like he's far away he's not far away he is right there with you even if you walk for the valley of the shadow of death he will fear no evil for the Lord is with you 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 oh what a promise what a promise jahazaphat and the people they went to the temple of the Lord and they were waiting on the Lord in prayer they needed to hear from God and all of a sudden they didn't expect what was going to happen an unknown spokesman brought the word of God to them the faith began to rise in their hearts and verse 18 says and jahazaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord they were worshiping the Lord you see it are you there they were standing and the word of God came to them and they all just started getting down on their knees jahazaphat God in his face I I don't know what he said it's not recorded for what he said I I just know what I would say thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you so much Lord had lost hope I didn't know what to do I was so far in over my head I just needed to know you were there God I just needed to know that you were going to fight on my behalf thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord but then something amazing happened notice verse 19 then the Levites of the children of the coathites and the children of the co-rights they stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with their voices lifted high all of a sudden people are worshiping God and all of a sudden just spontaneously leaders started standing all over the place they just began to stand all on their own no one asked him to do they did just started to stand say why did they do that they were standing in faith they were standing on what God had promised they they were doing what the old timers call standing on the promises see God's word is filled with exceeding great and precious promises 2nd Peter 1 and verse 4 says the book that you're holding in your hands is not just a history book it's not just a devotional book it's not a theology book it's a promise book did you know they tell us that in the Bible there are five thousand four hundred sixty seven promises I have a word for that wow wow and those exceeding great and precious promises are for you they're for me listen never read the Bible without a pen in your hand I always read the Bible with the pen in hand and I'm always asking the Lord you speak to me from your word and you know maybe you're in a financial difficulty and all of a sudden you come on Philippians 4 and verse 19 and my God will supply all of your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus I write in the margin next to a thank you Lord that one's for me that one's for me maybe you're facing a health crisis or circumstance or situation that's beyond you and then you come across Exodus 15 and verse 26 where God says I am the Lord that healeth thee oh oh thank you Lord so much there's your word to me maybe you're a mom at home with little kids running all over the place and you are just bone tired and weary all of a sudden you come on Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31 those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength they'll man up with wings like he goes they'll run and not be weary they'll walk and not faint oh Lord thank you so much that one's for me you're reading along and you're in a tough place and all of a sudden your eyes land on Psalm 46 one the Lord is my refuge and strength a very present help in trouble as you read the Bible look for those promises and when you find those promises stand on those promises like an old hymn called standing on the promises the hymn writer wrote standing on the promises I cannot fall listening every moment to the Spirit's call resting in my Savior as my all in all standing on the promises of God standing on the promises I cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear sail by the living Word of God I shall prevail standing on the promises of God the Course says standing standing standing on the promises of God my Savior standing standing I'm standing on the promises of God this is exactly what the people of God were doing so many centuries ago but there's a fourth and final thing that we see in this story and that is Jehoshaphat's plan it's what we see in verse 20 to 22 and it is one of the craziest plans you can ever imagine verse 20 so they arose early in the morning and they went out into the wilderness of Tekoa and as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said hear me oh Jerusalem and you inhabitants of hear me oh Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God and you will be established believe in his prophets and you will prosper underline that we're believed twice you see it there believe in the Lord and believe in his prophets what's that the word of God so Jehoshaphat gets all the people together and he says God spoken to us and we're going to believe God and we're going to believe the word of God so much so that verse 21 says and when he had consulted with the people he appointed those who would sing to the Lord and who should praise the beauty of his holiness and they went out before the army they were singing praise the Lord his mercy endures forever that was his plan that's the craziest plan I ever heard of I don't know if you would have been alive at that time whether you would like to have been one of the singers out in the front facing all the swords and spears and all of that it's the choir that won a war why they understood it was great power in praising the Lord in the circumstance in situation that you're in Martin Luther wrote a great hymn a mighty fortress is our God in that hymn he says and though this world with devils filled should threaten to us undo us we will not fear for God has willed his truth to try him through us the prince of darkness grim we tremble not for him his rage we can endure for low his doom is sure one little word one little song by the believer shall fell him but like a song we sometimes sing called I raise a hallelujah I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies I raise a hallelujah louder than my unbelief I raise a hallelujah my weapon is a melody I raise a hallelujah heaven comes to fight for me Jehoshaphat knew what to do just begin to worship the Lord just begin to praise the Lord and I like his doing this because it shows he really believed God God said stand still and you'll see my salvation and Jehoshaphat believed that they didn't take up swords they didn't take up spears they didn't seek out other armies to help them they just stood still with the praise of God on their lips knowing that what God had promised he would be faithful to do but what happened as they began to raise their hallelujah verse 22 says now when they began to sing the moment they began to sing and praise the Lord the Lord set ambushes the Hebrew literally reads ambushers probably angelic hosts from the god of angel armies come to fight for the children of Israel they said ambushers against the people of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seer who'd come against Judah and they were defeated and verse 27 says and they returned every man of Judah and Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat in front of them to go back to Jerusalem notice with joy such joy for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies God had fought for his people God had won the victory they had believed in the Lord and he did what seemed utterly impossible to them and what God did for them he can do for you he can do for me when I was growing up my precious mama used to sing around the house all the time she was doing the housework and she would sing this song and that song and song that she probably sang more than anything was a little song called faith in God she would sing faith in God can move a mighty mountain faith in God can calm a troubled sea faith in God can make the desert like a fountain faith in God will bring the victory it brought the victory for Jehoshaphat and the people of God and God will bring the victory for you and for me here once as we gather together tonight I don't know what's happening in your life I don't know your circumstance in your situation I just know that as I was praying about what to share with you the Lord put this passage on my heart so much go over to Chino Valley and remind them when you have no power and you don't know what to do put your eyes on the Lord go over there and remind them fear not nor be dismayed because the Lord is with you go over there and remind them stand still and see the salvation of the Lord go over there and remind them that the battle is the Lord's dear ones I've come with the good message for you tonight no weapon formed against God's people he's ever gonna prosper dear ones I've come with a good message for you tonight that God is for you there's nobody who can ever be against you I've come with a good message tonight the battle is the Lord's can we give our king a great applause tonight because the battle belongs to him