------SERMON-------

MESSAGE TITLE: He's Got This: When Prayer Starts the Movement

2 Chronicles 20:3 - 12

3 Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to seek the Lord’s help and proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 People from all of Judah’s cities came to ask the Lord for help. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple in front of the new courtyard. 6 “Lord, the God of our ancestors, you alone are God in heaven. You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. You are so powerful that no one can oppose you. 7 You, our God, drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave this land to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever. 8 They have lived in it and have built a sanctuary in honor of your name in it, saying, 9 ‘If calamity, sword, flood, plague, or famine comes upon us, we will stand before this temple, before you, because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ 10 So look here! The Ammonites, the Moabites, and those from Mount Seir—the people you wouldn’t let Israel invade when they came out of Egypt’s land, so Israel avoided them and didn’t destroy them— 11 here they are, returning the favor by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave to us! 12 Our God, won’t you punish them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We don’t know what to do, and so we are looking to you for help.”

2 Chronicles 20:15 - 19

15 “Pay attention, all of Judah, every inhabitant of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat,” Jahaziel said. “This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be afraid or discouraged by this great army because the battle isn’t yours. It belongs to God! 16 March out against them tomorrow. Since they will be coming through the Ziz pass, meet them at the end of the valley that opens into the Jeruel wilderness. 17 You don’t need to fight this battle. Just take your places, stand ready, and watch how the Lord, who is with you, will deliver you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid or discouraged! Go out tomorrow and face them. The Lord will be with you.” 18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord in worship. 19 Levites from the lines of Kohath and Korah stood up to loudly praise the Lord, the God of Israel.

******MESSAGE POINTS*******

2 Chronicles 20:3-4

3 Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to seek the Lord’s help and proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 People from all of Judah’s cities came to ask the Lord for help.

1. The place of need should always take us to the One who speaks.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 20:12 (NASB)

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

2. Faith awakens when we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus

2 Chronicles 20:7-9

7 You, our God, drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave this land to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever. 8 They have lived in it and have built a sanctuary in honor of your name in it, saying, 9 ‘If calamity, sword, flood, plague, or famine comes upon us, we will stand before this temple, before you, because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

2 Chronicles 20:18-19

18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord in worship. 19 Levites from the lines of Kohath and Korah stood up to loudly praise the Lord, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 20:21

21 After consulting with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed musicians to play for the Lord, praising his majestic holiness. They were to march out before the warriors, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord because his faithful love lasts forever!”

3. Worship is the Sound of Faith in Motion

2 Chronicles 20:22-23

22 As they broke into joyful song and praise, the Lord launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and those from Mount Seir who were invading Judah, so that they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and the Moabites turned on those from Mount Seir, completely destroying them. Once they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy each other!

4. The God who delivers in battle is the same God who delivers us for eternity.

Psalms 149:4 NLT - 4 “For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.