God Is On Your Side! Series

“GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE!” 2 Kings 19:1-19

FBCF – 4/21/24

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Are you an “identity amnesiac”? Term coined by Paul David Tripp – New Morning Mercies. A person is an identity amnesiac when, in the middle of a challenging situation, a moment of temptation, or a fearful experience, they forget who they are. It can & will happen to any of us at any time in an unguarded moment.

Happened to me this past week – Driving toward Madison on 463. Was listening to Adrian Rogers sermon, “How to Be a Growing Christian.” Guy in truck passed me on 463 at high rate of speed w/ 2 cars coming down a hill toward us. Said out loud, “What in the world?” And in that moment, I became an identity amnesiac – I forgot who I was. Floored it – got right on his bumper – both doing 70 mph – then I passed him as soon as I could.

Came to place where road work was happening – one-lane road w/ flagman. Got out of truck. Walked back to his truck & apologized & asked for his forgiveness for my stupidity – for my identity amnesia – for forgetting who I was!

We continue looking at the faithful life of King Hezekiah today in a moment when he & his people ran the real risk of being identity amnesiacs by forgetting who they were & who their God was.

EXPLANATION – 2 Kings 19

Still in this same passage as last week – will also be looking at verses in 2 Chron 32. Remember what’s happening:

- Hezekiah – faithful king of Judah – no one like him – obeyed the Lord & trusted Him.

- Assyrian King Sennacherib came up against Hez in year 14 of Hez’s reign – Captured over 40 cities of Judah

- Sent his Tartan, Rab-saris, & Rabshakeh – his Commander in Chief, Field Commander, & Chief of Staff to Hez to try to intimidate him, discredit him, & turn his own people against him.

- Tough time for Hez & for the people of Judah & Jerusalem.

Hez not perfect – showed his weaknesses at times – his uncertainties – his fears – his struggles. Shows us that we can identify w/ him b/c, just like me this week on Hwy 463, we will all have those times of weakness & struggles – times we let our guard down – times we are afraid b/c of circumstances in our lives or b/c of people who are opposing us & making our lives hard.

But here is the truth we can stand on today:

APPLICATION – When you know that God is on your side, you can face anything.

KNOW THIS: GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE…

…IN TIMES OF DEEP DISTRESS – V. 1-7

What’s been the time of deepest distress you’ve ever experienced? Answers across this room would vary from person to person – stories of sickness, death, loss, grief. Not trying to conjure up sad memories for you, but just establishing the common ground on which we all stand – times of deep distress come to every person in many different ways.

Story of a pastor who visited a family who were former church members. Knocked on door – met w/ shocking news that just 24 hrs before, the family’s 8 y/o daughter had been kidnapped from playground across street from home – her doll & 1 little tennis shoe only clues to her disappearance. Law enforcement searching & investigating & following every lead. Weeks late, sad discovery of her body discarded in a field. Search was over – grief was not. Father was a successful executive in a computer firm. His words: “All my life I’ve been trained to solve problems, & I’m good at it. Just give me the data, & w/ the help of the computer I can analyze it & come up w/ solutions. But this problem just doesn’t compute! All of my training & professional experience are useless. It’s like I was back in kindergarten again, trying to learn my ABC’s. I’m as helpless as if I’d never learned anything.”

In those times of deep distress, we find ourselves feeling empty & helpless – like all our resources have either been swept away or rendered useless. And we find out, as Hez & this father found out that the only thing left if our faith in God. I’ve said it many times before & you have, too: I don’t know how people make it through the crises & times of deep distress without the Lord!

BUT – If you know Jesus, you HAVE the Lord! He is with us & is on our side!

- Romans 8:31 – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”