Sermon Central
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Keys To Victory
Contributed by Nathan Cooper on Feb 26, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Have you ever done something you knew was right and felt that it was what God wanted you to do, only to have it come back and bite you?
Keys to Victory
Intro:
Have you ever done something you knew was right, according to His Word and will, only to find yourself in a mess?
Or doing His will always seems to come back to bite you in the butt…
This was the case with the people of Judah and Jehoshaphat.
They had obeyed God 550 years before when God told them to go around the people that were now attacking them (Num. 20; Edom/ Duet. 2; Seir).
I. SEEK: vs. 3, 4 & 12
“seek” : try to get at; aim at; to go to;
a) Set yourself:
Psa. 92:2 “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge & fortress; My God, in Him will I trust.”
b) Set your mind:
Isa. 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
James 1:2-8 “…for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven & tossed by the wind….he is a double-minded man, unstable in his ways.”
II. STAND: vs. 15-17
“dismayed”: afraid; discouraged; filled with alarm;
Vs. 1-3 Jehoshaphat has a natural reaction-he is afraid. Yet he stood firm in his faith. Vs. 5
a) Position yourself: Mt. 7:24-27
They were merely to stand!
Jehoshaphat had already positioned himself (vs. 6:12) humbly & w/expectations of salvation.
He knows what God has promised & he knows who he is in Him.
He rests on the promises of God.
We have to know our position as sons of God. (Eph. 2:4-7)
Vs. 9-“Your name is on this temple” We are His temple!
b) Battle is not yours:
I Peter 5:5-7 “casting all your cares upon Him for He cares for you…”
2 Cor. 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you…My strength is made perfect in weakness…”
Too bad we are so afraid to show our weakness!
III. SEE YOUR SALVATION: vs. 17
“…position yourselves, stand still & see the salvation of the Lord…”
a) Supernatural eyes: 2 Kings 6:8-17 (Elisha)
b) Perception is the key to faith; Holy Spirit enables sight vs. 12
“For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
IV. SING: vs. 20,21 (these ambushients are believed to be angels; Gideon- Judges 7:22; Saul-1 Sam. 14:20)
“Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established.”
God is glorified and magnified when we praise Him in spite of our situation.
Psa. 22:3 “God inhabits the praises of men…”
I Thes. 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
V. CONCLUSION:
God is saying to you and I “Believe in Me, rest in Me, believe my word.”
How do we let God fight for us?
a) By realizing the battle is not ours but the Lords.
b) By recognizing our human limitations, & allowing God’s strength to work through our fears & weaknesses.
c) By making sure we are pursuing God’s interests & not just our own selfish desires.
d) By asking God for help in ALL our daily battles.
WHAT BATTLES ARE YOU HANGING ON TO?
WHERE DO YOU PLACE YOUR TRUST? IN YOURSELF OR IN YOUR GOD?
HAVE YOU POSITIONED YOURSELF TO STAND?
CAN YOU TRUST HIM WHEN IT SEEMS THERE IS NO HOPE?
