I Don't Know What To Do Series

Please e-mail me with any comments or if you use any part of this at your church at Mail4ChrisR@aol.com. I would love to hear about it. God Bless! - Chris

Series: “What To Do”

See also I Don’t Know What To Do; But I’m Disappointed; But I Just Can’t Win; But Life is Too Hard; What You Need, God Has)

2 Chronicles 20:1-17

Series: “What to Do”

Hey God, I Don’t Know What To Do

Outline:

Intro: What should we do in the face of life’s stress? Stress is what King Jehoshaphat must have felt when he found out about the upcoming war. We can learn some lessons about stress management from this great leader.

I. Seek the Lord (v. 3)

A. Jehoshaphat did not try to do it himself

B. For success, people need God’s favor and guidance

II. Ask for help from the Lord (v. 4)

A. There may be times when we are too afraid to ask for God’s help in fear of the answer

B. Using all of our strength includes asking for help

We ask God for help. And then what happens? We wait. What do we do while we wait for God’s response?

I. Know that the Spirit of the Lord will come (v. 14)

II. Manage our fear (v. 15)

III. Know that the Lord will be with you (v. 17)

Conclusion: Don’t let stress fracture you. God is always available and willing to listen and help.

Sermon:

Well, it’s finally September. I have thought lots about September throughout the summer. The reason of course, the one year anniversary of the attacks on America on September 11th, 2001. After the tragedy most churches reported a spurt in attendance during the month of September. And now most churches and most pastors I speak with tell me that the Great Awakening of 2001 has died down. It is my hope that as people remember the tragedy of last year, we will also remember the hope and peace that brought our nation together. I hope we will remember the National Day of Prayer, with President Bush and The Reverend Billy Graham speaking of God and turning to God for answers and guidance. There was an acknowledgment by our government and by our people for the need to seek a higher power as we looked for answers.

Many who lost loved ones and the rest of the country that mourned did ask some important questions. But of all the questions we asked I think most important was the question, “What do we do now?” Many shouted to the heavens, “Hey God, I don’t know what to do.“

One year later some continue to ask and some will recall the statement. Some don’t know what to do? What to do when planes pierce buildings and thousands of people die in an instant? What to do when my family is coming apart at the seams? What to do when I’m disappointed? What to do when life is too hard or when I just can’t seem to win? What do we do?

This month we are going to spend some time looking at what God suggests we do when we don’t know what else to do.

(Pause for transition)

Tragedies come, lives fall apart. What often remains is stress. Even when the times are good stress is often enemy number 1, isn’t it? Overcommitment. Deadlines. Unrealized expectations. People problems. A stack of phone calls to return. Taking one kid to the 6 o’clock practice on one side of town and the other to the 6 o’clock appointment on the other side of town. And bills, who can forget bills. It often becomes too much. And just when you thought that was the worst, something else happens.

We have all been there. We have all done that. Life. It can become stressful.

Sports Illustrated offers a great stroke to paint this picture.

“A stress fracture begins when the shocks and strain of playing a game create microscopic cracks in the outer layers of bone – usually in the legs and feet. If the pounding continues and those crevices, which often go undetected, aren’t allowed to heal, they can enlarge. When the cracks become large enough to cause pain, they are stress fractures.”

Did you catch that? If pounding continues and they don’t heal the pain will increase and the stress fractures can enlarge. That is exactly what I am talking about. If life’s pains go unhealed they will enlarge.

Stress fractures are not just something athletes are susceptible to. The cracks are not limited to bones, the worst stress fracture can be that of a stress-fractured spirit. And stress does not always come from the bad times. Stress comes from the times we are striving to get ahead. Perhaps, neglecting the family to get ahead at work. Or neglecting the work and family to get ahead at your golf score, in order to show off to the buddies. Or maybe, racking up the credit card bills, so that you can keep up with the Jones’s. It’s stress.