"THE TWIN SISTERS OF FAITH"
(Prayer and Praise)
II Chron. 20:4-12; 17-20; 21-26 & 30
I love the Object Lessons the Old Testament teaches us... Lessons that will aid you and me in handling our everyday problems... For Instance, How Do You React When You Receive Alarming News...
You see, the Christian Life is not always calm and peaceful... Problems do come into the life of a Christian... For us to indicate that the Christian Life is always a bed of roses, would be giving a false view of what Christianity is all about...
The Christian Life However, is "An Overcoming Life!" We can learn some valuable Lessons About Overcoming just by Observing the lives of people like King Jehosaphat...
You can see from this passage before us today, how King Jehoshaphat uses the TWIN SISTERS OF FAITH Prayer & Faith to overcome a Battle Placed Before Him...
He met his Alarming News with a calm brave and righteous spirit... So Let’s Examine This Passage and Learn to Use THE TWIN SISTERS OF FAITH, Prayer & Praise Just Like King Jehoshaphat did...
The Sudden News of a great invasion came to King Jehoshaphat, and like a True Man of God, "He set Himself to seek the Lord, Proclaiming a fast, and the people came together with all speed and the whole nation earnestly cried to the Lord for His aid..." Notice FIRST OF ALL:
I. HOW THEY ASKED: (4-12)
The Alarm of what was coming, is attended to at once, and is Prepared for... What Did They Do? They Asked For Help in PRAYER!!! How Did They Ask?
A) With An Expression of Confidence... (v6)
"Art thou not?" Is not a question of God’s Ability, His Character, or His Power... IT IS A STATEMENT OF FAITH!!! "In the presence of all the congregation of Judah and Benjamin, in the House of the Lord, When all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, prayer was made to God..."
-2-
This Brings To Mind The Word "PRAYER SUPPORT..." The Source of Safety in the Hour of Our Trial, Is At Our Lord’s Feet In Prayer!!!
Very suddenly we find the scene changing in the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Judah, from Peaceful and Pleasant to the Alarm of War From A Combination of Enemies, That Would Threaten Jehoshaphat’s Kingdom...
LISTEN: We may suddenly find ourselves in Alarming Danger, for no reason of our own that we can think of... It happened to King Jehoshaphat’s Kingdom, It Can Happen To Us...
Was the Judgment of God coming upon this Kingdom? No! Had they done anything that would provoke such an attack? No! They had done nothing to provoke such an attack, nor did they have any reason to expect one...
It came upon them like a clap of thunder in a clear sky... What Did They Do? The Same Thing You and I Must Do... They Asked for Help In Prayer!!! They Asked For Help With An Expression of Confidence... Notice Also, They Asked For Help
B) By Confession Their Condition... (v12)
They Confidently Came To God, and CONFESSED Their Inability to Stand Before The Enemy Without His Help...
They had NO POWER- "We have no might against this great company..." They had NO PLAN- "Neither know we what to do..." What Are We Seeing Here? We Are Seeing Souls Crying Out To God In Desperation...
Would to God that we would come to God Confidently Asking for His Help, Remembering His Past Mercies in our lives, Confessing Our Inability and Depending on His Great Ability!!!
ILLUS: The problem we are seeing today is a society that can do just about anything they attempt... There doesn’t seem to be a real dependence upon God anymore... How Did They Ask? They Asked in Confidence, and Acknowledged their Inability... "And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord..." (4a)
-3-
They Asked In Confidence, Acknowledging Their Inability WHEN ? Before the Battle Even Started, When The Alarm First Went Out, They Approached God’s Throne of Grace...
LISTEN: Don’t hesitate in Coming to the Lord and Asking for Help!!! Now, Notice SECONDLY:
II. HOW THEY RECEIVED HELP? (vs. 17-20)
A) With Renewed Assurance Without Fear... (v17)
Their Assurance Brought Glory To God, and Strength to their Souls... "For the Lord will be with you..." Once again, this is their STATEMENT OF FAITH...
How many of us this morning have that kind of Faith In The Hour of our Trials??? How did they arrive at this assurance?
Very Simply, "BY STANDING!!!" Verse 5 tells us King Jehoshaphat STOOD in the congregation of Judah & Jerusalem!" So Now He Gives The Encouragement in verse 17 "Set yourselves" "Stand ye still" "Fear Not" "Be Not Dismayed..."
ILLUS: Have you ever noticed, during a trial or a trying time, Your Friends can sympathize with you; Some may piously say, "Well, that’s the judgement of God upon them..." Your enemies may laugh and say, "Well, that’s good enough for them…” BUT, Where does real peace, comfort and assurance come from? It Comes From the Lord...
When King Jehoshaphat STOOD in the Presence of God, REHEARSING God’s Mighty Works, Expressing Confidence in Him, and CONFESSING Their Own Inability to Stand Alone, They Received Their Help With "RENEWED ASSURANCE"
You will find Jesus Near and Dear to your Heart, When You EXPRESS Your Confidence in Him and CONFESS Your Inability To Stand... He Will Give You STRENGTH & RENEWED ASSURANCE...
How Did They Receive Their Help? With Renewed Assurance & Without Fear...
B) With Increased Faith... *(v20) "Jehoshaphat STOOD and said, "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; Believe in his prophets, so shall ye prosper..."
Notice Again That Same Word*
-4-
Are We Seeing A Pattern Here? Verse 5, Jehoshaphat STOOD in the congregation... Verse 17, STAND ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord... And now verse 20, Jehoshaphat STOOD...
They had Asked For God’s Help, They had Received God’s Help, Now It’s Time To STAND and Go Forward... Go Forward With Renewed Assurance & Without Fear, Go Forward With Increased Faith...
They Asked for Help HUMBLY, and Received That Help Gratefully... Now I Want You To See One FINAL Lesson Jehoshaphat Shows Us, and that is:
III. WHAT WAS THEIR RESPONSE TO THE HELP THEY
RECEIVED: (vs. 21-26)
A) They Worshipped... (v 18)
With every sign of Reverence, The King and His People Bowed Before The Lord... Before the shouts of victory are in the air, even before going into the battle into which God is leading them, What Do We Find Them Doing? They Are Worshipping the Lord...
B) They Praised... (v19)
So now, Armed with a holy trust in God, the King and his people Rise from the Ground in Worship and Advanced to meet the Combined Enemy Praising the Lord With A Loud Voice...
C) They Sang... (v21)
They went forth into the face of the enemy, SINGING!!!
"Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth forever..."
And Isn’t It Interesting, that even now centuries this Pattern still exists in the Church today WORSHIP, PRAISE, AND SINGING... God is showing You and Me today with this passage, Worship Equips, Prepares, and Outfits us for Warfare!!!
CONCLUSION: How do you react when you receive Alarming News? I hope after today you will do like Jehoshaphat and use the Twin Sisters of Faith Prayer & Praise in the battles of your everyday life as you Fight The Good Fight of Faith!!!
