Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Good to see you this morning. 2 Chronicles chapter 20.
And thank you for all the music, ensemble, and choir and special. I do want to mention is, and I don't know if they're able to be here today. Is Seth and Emily here? Wave at me. There's Seth and Emily right over there.
And this is a precious young couple. We have been so thrilled to have them. Many of you that have been around a while obviously know the Gilmores. And we're so glad. But Seth and Emily are having their baby shower today from 3:30 to 4:30.
Now, I know Sunday afternoons are real short around here because of schedule, and we have church at 5 and all that, but especially, ladies, if you can, let's be there for this baby shower. This is their first, they're expecting, and we're excited for them. And God has just been working in this young couple. They're precious to us. And I hope that you can be there.
2 Chronicles chapter 20. Let me give you a little bit of history, our subject today. Is literally as we continue in this series, help, I don't know what to do. Frank texted me this week and said, Jessica and the group are singing. The special, they just want to know what you're preaching on so that maybe they can have something to sing.
And I said, help, I don't know what to do. And he says, Is that the sermon or are you saying you don't know what you're preaching on Sunday morning? And I said, whatever you want to take from that, just pick out a song.
So it literally is. Help, I don't know what to do. We've talked about help, I'm overwhelmed. Help, I'm worried. Help, I've become bitter.
And today, help. I don't know. What to do. We have here the story of Jehoshaphat. I'm going to call him for the sake of today to save some time.
We're going to call him J Phat, okay?
So he'll be J Phat from now on, and that'll just shorten it up a little bit. And, you know, I want to be modern and, you know, young people's vibes.
So it'll be J Phat now.
Okay, sounds like a rapper, doesn't it? But anyway, we're going to talk about. I've got a gnat up here. What is going on today? And.
This is an interesting story, and I want to kind of explain chapter 20 to you before we dig into it. Um I don't know if you've ever been there at a moment in your life when. Um you're kind of in a situation where you just don't know exactly What is the next step? Um to take. You've prayed, you've planned, you've tried.
But nothing seems clear. Maybe it's a decision in your family. Maybe it's a decision in your health. We often pray with folks here. Doctors give options for treatment.
Do I do this? Do I do that? Do I do neither? What do I do? Maybe you've been in that situation.
Maybe it's a decision about your future. Whatever the case might be, I think of our teenagers and young people and Um they are in a choosing season. of life. I believe the book of Ecclesiastes, it says, remember thy creator in the days of thy youth. Why does it say that?
Because. The days of your youth are when you make your most important choices that you're going to have to live with the rest of your life.
So you better remember God during this season. And so maybe you've been at a crossroad. Maybe you just don't know. what it is you're supposed to do. You want to.
God knows you want to, but you just... haven't figured it out yet. This is exactly where Japhat was in 2 Chronicles. Chapter 20.
Now let me explain real quickly and then we're going to dig into it today. And I want to encourage you to be here tonight at 5 o'clock. We're going to continue in our new series, One Another: How the Church Was Meant to Work. All right, and tonight, we're going to be dealing with the subject of forgiving one another. Last week, we talked about loving one another, and tonight the subject is.
forgiving one another. Judah is who Jehoshaphat was ruling over, and Judah is the southern kingdom. You remember, God's people chose that they wanted an earthly king, and things went south, and then the kingdom split. You had the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, and the southern kingdom was Judah. But Judah was a good king.
And his dad was a good king. And so as he comes in, he brings spiritual reform. And that's good. And actually, in chapter 19, we see a season of revival. here in Judah.
An amazing thing. But as soon as chapter 20 starts, now we have a problem. Here we have a group of armies that is coming against Jehoshaphat, and he didn't realize it. He wasn't expecting it.
Now, who are these armies? And just for your historical context, They were the Moabites, and these were descendants of Lot. Through his oldest daughter. Then there were the Ammonites, and these were descendants of Lot. from his younger daughter.
And then you have the Edomites, which were descendants of Esau. Quite a lineage there coming after you, all right? Two very bitter individuals, and on down through their ancestry, some horrible decisions, and now their ancestors obviously are coming against Judah. And not only that, then there were additional armies coming that Not only did Jehoshaphat not expect, but they were attacking from the south, from the other side of the Dead Sea. And so that wasn't anything that they were aware of.
It wasn't on their radar. And all of a sudden, it all hits in chapter 20.
Now, Jehoshaphat had done good things. He had Brought spiritual reform, he had done all this, and then now he finds himself. in this situation. And literally, if we can look at verse 12, I'd like for you to see this today in verse 12. But this is what he literally prays in verse 12.
O our God, wilt thou not judge them, all these armies coming against us? I've tried to do right, God. Will you not take it? Notice what he says. For we have no might.
Against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we. What to do. And then notice this phrase. But our eyes are upon thee.
So we want to talk today about Help. I don't know what to do.
Now let me tell you how it all ends up. Instead of this trial taking Jehoshaphat to panic, it takes him to prayer He calls on God, then he asks the whole nation, he calls a day of fasting. And prayer, and they begin to seek God. We're going to jump into the steps that they took and then. They began to sing and praise and worship God before the problem was ever fixed.
They began to thank God for who He was and what He had already done, even if He didn't give them victory for this. Sure enough, God sets an ambush against each of these armies. And here's what happens. Judah never even had to fight. They never had to lift a sword.
They never had to lift a spear. They didn't even have to lift up their shields when they arrive. The enemies are all dead. And it took them three days to collect all the spoil, the goods, the gold. They literally didn't have to do anything.
And God blessed them and rewarded them. with more gold and goods than they had ever had in Judah.
So Preacher, help me today. I don't know what to do.
Let me just say this, I have been there. I've been there as a pastor, I've been there as a dad, I've been there as a husband. I've been there as a Christian. I've been there as a youth pastor. Um I've been there as a music director.
I've been there as a bus director. I've been there as an evangelist. Just times I didn't know what I'm supposed to do. And you really want to know.
So let's dig into it this morning. Let's pray. God, I pray that you would give us wisdom, as you always do from your word. Lord, we don't need man's wisdom. We need God's word.
So I pray that you would help us today. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Neither know we what to do. What am I supposed to do? Number one, I want you to notice out of this passage, and I want to break it down into sections quickly and briefly for you today because I really want to help.
Maybe not everybody needs this today, but I guarantee you that some of you right now are in a season, you need to know what to do. And then some of you will be in this season very, very soon. Notice number one: I want you to see the distress that overwhelmed him. The distress that overwhelmed him. This is in verses 1 through 3, and so let me break them down to you if I can.
This is what sets the stage. Number one, I want you to see the sudden attack he didn't expect. Look at verse 1. It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab, children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat. It's a battle.
You know, trouble doesn't always send an appointment. Crisis can raise up quickly and unexpectedly. And let me just say this: often, our greatest test. comes after spiritual victories. Let me say that again.
And Kerwin, please listen. And if you agree, please respond.
Some of our greatest tests come after our greatest spiritual victories. Notice what the verse says, and it came to pass. After this Also, What is the after this? Revival. In chapter 19, there was a great move of God, and all of a sudden the people are moving back to God, and all of a sudden, they're getting right, and all of a sudden, peace, and they had enjoyed a season of peace, and it just seems like things couldn't have gone any better.
And then, all of a sudden, chapter 20 starts, and it came to pass after this also. I don't know about you, but...
Sometimes you and I are at our weakest point after a spiritual victory. Because maybe we almost feel that Man, after this, I can handle anything. Man, after this, I'm ready for anything. And I don't know if you have found out like I have, I am not ready. For anything.
The sudden attack he didn't expect. Notice, secondly, the unseen enemy he never saw coming.
Now, look at verse 2. It's bad enough. He finds out in verse 1 that all these armies are against him. This is a surprise. Attack.
He gets very little notice. And he didn't expect that, but notice if you would in verse 2. Then there came some. That told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee, notice. From beyond the sea on this side.
Syria And behold, they be in I'm not even going to say it, because if I say it correctly, it might make Frank look bad, which is Ngeti. I don't want him to feel even worse today, so I'm just going to stop right there. Look at me. Please get this. Satan is going to bring unexpected things at you.
And a lot of times he's going to do it right when things are great, right when you've had a spiritual victory. But let me tell you about this. These are enemies. Along with the other unexpected ones, and these are coming from beyond the sea. You say, Preacher, what in the world does that mean?
And notice what it says: then there came. And I want you to know, many times when trouble hits, then the floodgates are open. A lot of times when something hits you, a circumstance hits you, watch out because there's going to be a number of things now coming down the pike. And I don't know about you, sometimes if I am even remotely kind of spiritual ready for the first hit. What I am not ready for sometimes is what continues to come after that.
Let me apply it to your life if I can. It seems that finances are low, and then that's when the unexpected doctor visit hits. And then now finances are low, and then the unexpected doctor visits hits, and then all of a sudden we find out now that they're laying all people at my job. And so now my finances are already bad, and now we've got an unexpected doctor visit.
Now we're going to have medication and now we're going to have treatment.
Now I'm afraid they say they're laying all people at my job. And then all of a sudden now the car breaks down. Has anybody else ever been there or is it just me? It seems like There's some things that come at you you didn't expect, and then all of a sudden there's things come at you that you never saw coming, and it seems that all of a sudden it just hits all at once. There's always something coming.
Notice this beyond the sea. Can I ask you something? Unless you're just deathly afraid of water, and when you look at water or the ocean or the sea, all you think of is danger, maybe, okay, but. Most of us. When you think of beyond the sea, when you think of the sea, what is that normally a picture of?
Peace. Tranquility. Listen, most of you don't run to the ocean for trouble. You don't go down and stay at Myrtle. Just because you want to see some trouble, you go down there to get away from trouble.
You go down there to relax. You go down what usually the sea is a picture of peace. And yet, in this case, what was a picture of peace on the other side of it was coming danger. And many times in your life, you have a season of peace, and you never saw that on the other side of that. Here comes something at you that's going to hit you like nothing you've ever experienced.
Here, my wife and I are expecting our third child, and we're all excited about this. And what an exciting time! And then, all of a sudden, a doctor's visit tells us there is great trouble coming on the other side of that. The unseen enemy, he never saw. coming.
Just about the time unexpected circumstances hit your life, that something shows up that you never saw coming. Number three, I want you to notice this: the natural reaction he couldn't stop. The natural reaction he couldn't stop. There's a sudden attack he didn't expect. There's the unseen enemy he never saw coming.
And then, if you'll notice in verse 3, and Jehoshaphat. Feared. Fear is a natural response. to overwhelming odds. God never said that fear would not be a natural response.
And when unexpected things hit your life, it's a natural response to wonder what you're going to do, not knowing what you need to do, and even trying to understand why is this going on, why is this happening, and what is really going on. And it's at that point in your life, and it's at that point in my life, that we're going to go one way or another. And I want you to notice here the direction that Jehoshaphat took. Trouble, trouble, army, army, attack, attack, attack, and he feared. What do I do?
I want you to notice number two, not just the distress. That had overwhelmed him, but number two, I want you to see the decision. That stabilized him. This is verse 3 and 4.
So let me break this down for you. You've got to follow his steps. God put this here for a reason. Look at verse 5. three.
First, I want you to see the task. he chose to focus on. Look at verse 3. And Jehoshaphat feared. and set himself That means this is not a natural reaction, this is a choice of the will.
And set himself to seek The Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Listen to me, when trouble hits, you're gonna focus on something. And usually we focus on the trouble, we focus on what we're gonna do about the trouble, we focus on how this trouble is going to affect my life, we focus on all the bad things that might transpire. But notice here, instead of that, Japhat decided to focus on the Lord. I want you to notice a real quick outline just from this verse.
Number one, he feared. We've all ended up there. But notice his next step, number two, he focused. He set himself I'm going to have to choose what I am going to focus on here. And I can either focus on the fact that I'm the victim and this is unfair, and God, look at all I've tried to do for this kingdom, and now you let this.
I could focus on that if I want, and that's what my flesh wants to focus on, or I can decide to set myself. To seek the Lord. That's the choice you're going to have. Notice thirdly, he fasted.
Now, this is a really good step for you and me, by the way. We don't talk about fasting a lot. But let me put it this way: if you are at the point that you really, really need to know what to do. I can find numerous places in this Bible. where one of the steps you ought to take.
is fasting and prayer. We're gonna talk about more of that in a minute. Notice number two. not just the task he chose to focus on, but number two. the spiritual support he gathered together.
Look at verse 4. And Judah gathered themselves together. to talk about the problem. And see whose fault this was. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help.
Of the Lord, even out of all the cities of Judah, notice they came to seek the Lord.
Now, here's what's interesting. Think about Japhat here. Instead of gathering his generals, I mean, you got armies coming at you. Instead of the first step, Is to gather generals together, instead, he gathers the people of God together. Instead of coming up with a military strategy, he comes up with a prayer strategy.
Interesting here. You see, he chose to fight this physical battle with spiritual weapons. And ultimately, listen to me today. Ultimately, in your life, every battle is spiritual. When you don't know what to do, listen to me.
Get with people who know how to pray. That's why you need church. That's why I can sit at home and watch church. Yeah, you sure can. If that's your only choice and your only option, then thank God you are faithful to sit and watch church.
But many times it's an excuse because I don't want to make an effort. I don't want to get dressed. I don't want to get out of the house. I just people bother me, and I don't, you know, I've been hurt before. And can I tell you something?
When you don't know what to do in your life, you need God's people. You need to know who can get a hold of God. You need to know who can pray. And you need to fast and pray and get with people that know God and know how to get a hold of God. It's a lost art in church.
No, we know how to get with people so we can sell our product. We know how to get with people so that we can gather together something in our social life. But what we need church for is that when you don't know what to do and you've got a situation in your life, you need to know who can get a hold of God. They gathered together to pray. They gathered together to seek the Lord.
He didn't gather the people together so they can sit and talk about how they were the victims or how they were trying to serve God and how could God allow this to happen. They didn't gather together because they just didn't understand why this would happen. They gathered together to ask the Lord for help. And these two steps are a fantastic plan. Just the beginning.
If you say, Preacher, help. I don't know what to do.
You need to get a hold of God. You need to fast and you need to pray and you need to get with some people that know how to get a hold of God and go to God on their behalf. Let me just put it this way. If until you do that, probably nothing's going to work. Why do we have so many people making so many undiscerning decisions?
Because they've not fasted and prayed, and they've not even gotten with people that know how to pray to seek God's face on the matter. They just go buy some book off Amazon. And that's where they're going to get their instruction. And dear friend, this is biblical. And if you agree, this is biblical.
Say amen. I don't know how you can't agree that this is biblical. Notice number three. I want you to see the discernment that encouraged him. The discernment that encouraged him.
You know what's interesting, here the distress hits. But then the next thing was, you got a decision to make. And when distress hits your life and you don't know what to do, you're going to go one way or the other. You're going to focus on one thing or the other. And so he just decided, I'm not going to go that route.
I'm going to focus on God. I'm going to seek God. I'm going to fast. I'm going to get desperate. And then I'm going to get a hold of God's people.
And we're going to gather together and get a hold of God, not just individually, but corporately. And I'm going to get some help in this. And we're going to seek God's face for direction. And that stabilized him. But notice, thirdly, the discernment.
that encouraged him. This is verses 5 all the way through verse 13. I want you to notice first in verse 6, number 1. He remembered God's power. This is where JFAC got real discerning.
Wait a minute. I got all this attack coming at me. And I fear. Many times, when you and I are in a situation like this, we don't know what to do, we can really make a mess in our life. Notice the first thing he discerns, he begins to think, and notice the first thing in his discernment.
He remembered God's power. Look at verse 6 and said, Oh, Lord God, now they've decided to pray, they've decided to call on God, they've decided to seek his face.
Now, let's hear what he has to say to God. O Lord God of our fathers, Art not thou God in heaven? Listen to this. And rulest not thou over all the kingdom of the heathen? In other words, aren't you bigger than me and aren't you even bigger than my enemies?
Notice what he says here. And in thy hand is there not power and might so that none is able to stand or withstand thee.
Now come on Kirwan, you're a little bit tight this morning, but you better start getting a little bit excited. Y'all look like you're ready to shoot me or something this morning. I don't know what's going on. I guess Frank missed that verse and it just ruined everything. I don't know what's going on this morning.
It was doomed from the start. I don't know what's going on. Listen to me. I cannot describe how many times I have preached here at this church. here and a couple hundred feet that way.
When explaining how to go through certain things and trials and circumstances in your Christian life, there is always the needed important step of remembering something. Because when trouble hits We choose to remember the wrong things and we forget the needed things. And all through Scripture, you find a Bible character that went through trials. And it's the remembering of the right thing that is the first step. Notice this.
Before Jehoshaphat obsesses about the problem, he talks about his God's power. He magnifies the Almighty before he even mentions the armies. Notice in this verse what he realizes. I want you to see, now the verses up here, notice first, he realizes this: that God is above them geographically. Listen, you're Lord over heaven and earth.
You're above us geographically. Notice, second, God is above them politically. Notice what he says here. He says, You are God in heaven, and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen. That means literally, God, you're over us geographically, and you're even over us politically.
Let's just stop right now for a second. Let's all bow our heads if you don't mind. Let's give respect. If we can Help Miss Ashley. And everybody just bow your heads and be respectful.
And let's just pray if you don't mind. Lord, we love you. And Lord, I pray that you would bless right now. Thank you for individuals, personnel helping. And I pray you would just help Miss Ashley right now.
Lord, I pray that you would touch her. And I pray that you would whatever is her need physically. Talked about the fact that you are greater than us physically. And God, I pray that. that you would help.
And Lord, we're just so thankful. How faithful she is and God I pray you be faithful to her. And she does nothing but love on us here. And God, I pray right now you'd love on her. And we thank you for that.
And God, we're going to give you praise and glory for it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Now think about this. Here's what he remembers God's power, and he says, This, God, you're over us geographically. Second, you're over us politically. You're greater than the kings coming against me. Notice what he says third.
He says, Is there not nobody that can withstand thee? I don't know of anybody that can so he says this, God, you're above us. physically. Geographically, Politically, physically, and notice this. I love this at the end: so that none is able to withstand thee.
He says, God. You're greater and more powerful than us militarily. Geographically, politically, physically. Even militarily, what does that mean? God has power over anybody and anything.
And you better get a hold of that. When trouble hits. Notice secondly, he didn't just remember God's power. Notice, secondly, He recalls God's promises.
Now this is great. Look at verse 7. Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land? From before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend. Listen to what he said: God, you made a covenant with Abraham.
Are you not the one that gave this land, promised this land, and you followed through on your promise? You did exactly what you promised.
Now, notice as the promise continues, look at verse 8. and they dwelt therein and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If when evil cometh upon us as with sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house.
Now, what's he talking about? Children of Israel, God made a covenant with Abraham. He says, I'm going to give you this land. They wandered around in the wilderness 40 years because of the lack of their faith. They refused to believe the promises of God.
So what happens here? Jehoshaphat says, God, I'm going to bring up your promises again. I'm not going to make the same mistake. I'm not going to go back and not believe what you promised. And what you promised was you'd give the land and you gave it.
And not only that, they got the land, then they moved in the land. They're living in the land. You sustained them in the land. God, you're the one that did this. You promised it and you followed through.
Are you with me so far? Say amen. I know it's hard, but just stick with me this morning. Notice verse 9. He said, This is also your promise.
when evil come upon us. As with sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence. He said, God, you promised. Then when trouble comes, Look at this. And we cry unto thee.
in our affliction. He's going through this whole thing. to get to this promise God made at the very end. Then thou wilt what? Here And help.
That is our God. And that applies to you just like it applied to Jehoshaphat, just like it applied to Joshua, just like it applied to all the way back to Abraham. Look at me. Our God has promised, He'll hear us and He'll help us. I love that.
Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192. or via the web.
at Kerwin Baptist Church.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin Broadcast today. God bless you.
