Monthly Archives: December 2020

Meditation is Vital

Sunday Evening Sermons


Meditation is Vital

Pastor Don Carpenter

Chew Your Cud! / 2 Corinthians 10:4–5

The Hebrew word translated “meditate” speaks of what a cow does after grazing all day. As she chews the cud over and over again, she extracts every nutrient. In other words, to meditate means to ponder a section of the Word day and night, extracting more from its inexhaustible supply each time (Jon Cursor).

We are to memorize God’s word for the transformation of our minds. These verses are telling us to read it, teach it, speak it, and live it. We are to do this in the morning, night, through our day. The way to do this is have the Word stored in your heart. When you are presented with certain situations through your day, the Holy Spirit will pull these words out of your memory bank for you to help you asses the options.

MEDITATION — the practice of reflection or contemplation. The word “meditation” or its verb form, “to meditate,” is found mainly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew words behind this concept mean “to murmur,” “a murmuring,” “sighing,” or “moaning.” This concept is reflected in Psalm 1:2, where the “blessed man” meditates on God’s law day and night. The psalmist also prayed that the meditation of his heart would be acceptable in God’s sight (Ps. 19:14). Joshua was instructed to meditate on the Book of the Law for the purpose of obeying all that was written in it (Josh. 1:8).

The Greek word translated as “meditate” occurs only twice in the New Testament. In Luke 21:14 Jesus instructed His disciples not “to meditate beforehand” in answering their adversaries when the end of the age comes. The word may be understood in this passage as the idea of preparing a defense for a court appearance. Paul, in 1 Timothy 4:15, urged Timothy to meditate, or take pains with, the instructions he gives. The idea of meditation is also found in Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2.

Meditation is a lost art for many Christians, but the practice needs to be cultivated again.

Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

Tonight as we begin our Series “Chew Your Cud: Learning Biblical Meditation” we will discover, not how to empty our minds like the eastern practice of transcendental meditation, but how to focus our thoughts and bring them into captivity. Thought control is vital to be able to live a successful Christian life. Too often we focus on the do, do, do, rather than the mindset behind the actions. If we force ourselves to STOP!…       WAIT…… THINK…..  THINK AGAIN…. THINK ANOTHER TIME… let that thought sink deep into our very being, we will be able to spiritually get the nutrition out of the spiritual meals we are eating. I found a great definition of Biblical Meditation:

“Meditation is the activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”

Tonight we will take a Biblical Survey and discover together why Meditation is Vital.

Meditation Draws Us Into an Intimacy With God

Psalm 19:14 KJV

Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 • Filter every thought to be acceptable like a living sacrifice to God.

 • Focus on God as your strength

 • Focus on God as your redeemer

Psalm 63:5–6 KJV

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 

When I remember thee upon my bed, And meditate on thee in the night watches.

 • Take emotional satisfaction in your relationship with God.

 • Praise should flow from a constant meditation on the sweet person of God.

 • Meditation should be the go to discipline if you cannot sleep.

Psalm 104:33–34 KJV

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Meditating on God’s Character Helps Us Serve Him Wholeheartedly.

1 Samuel 12:23–24 KJV

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To See, Perceive

ra?ah (?????, 7200), “to see, observe, perceive, get acquainted with, gain understanding, examine, look after (see to), choose, discover.”

 • This is more than considering God’s immensity or power, but also His personal dealings with you!

 • What has God done with you today? How has His hand been manifest in the last few hours?  

 • He is working out our good all the time. We must stop and consider that on purpose.

2 Timothy 2:7 KJV

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Meditating on God’s Word Brings Stability.

Psalm 1:1–3 KJV

Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

 • Meditation in God’s Word will train your palate to desire the good stuff.

 • Meditation in God’s Word will train the believer to delight in it.

 • Meditating in God’s Word should become an obsession.

 • Meditating in God’s Word will bring stability.

Psalm 119:48 KJV

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; And I will meditate in thy statutes.

Psalm 119:97–99 KJV

MEM. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. 

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me. 

I have more understanding than all my teachers: For thy testimonies are my meditation.

The concept of meditation, or thinking on purpose, is all through out the Bible. In our externally focused society, we often skip right over this concept. In 2020, God has providentially given the world some time to stop and reflect on purpose. Tonight we have learned that meditation will foster a deeper intimacy with God, a stronger passion for God and a greater understanding of God.

Consider the difference between a strong and a weak cup of tea. The same ingredients water and tea are used for both. The difference is that the strong cup of tea results from the tea leaves’ immersion in the water longer, allowing the water more time to get into the tea and the tea into the water. The longer the steeping process, the stronger the cup of tea. In the same way, the length of time we spend in God’s Word determines how deeply we get into it and it gets into us. Just like the tea, the longer we are in the Word, the “stronger” we become. That is why Meditation is Vital!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:14 PM December 26, 2020.

Revival By The Book

Sunday Morning Sermons

Revival By The Book

Pastor Don Carpenter

Revival Stronger Than Ever / 2 Chronicles 34–35; 2 Chronicles 34:1–8; 2 Chronicles 34:14–19

Revival — If?

If all the sleeping folk will wake up,

If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,

If all the dishonest folk will confess up,

If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,

If all the depressed folk will cheer up,

If all the estranged folk will make up,

If all the gossipers will shut up,

If all true soldiers will stand up,

If all the dry bones will shake up,

If all the church members will pray up…

Then we can have a revival!

— R.G. Lee

The book of 2 Chronicles has been called The book of Revivals. Because from chapter 15 to chapter 35, Ezra records five revivals that each transformed the people and brought them back to God.

We’ve already walked through a couple of them together but here is a full list before we get to today’s teaching. 

REVIEW

The first revival took place under King Asa. God let Asa know that the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to strongly support those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 

Revival requires commitment.

The second revival took place under Jehoshaphat, who humbly admitted, “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” 

Revival requires prayer.

The third revival took place under King Joash who reinstituted passionate giving and rebuilt the Temple with it. 

Revival requires a place.

The fourth revival took place under Hezekiah, who when he discovered that God required the Jews to hold a feast called Passover every April.

So, the people gathered for the Feast and revival broke out.

Revival requires God’s people to gather for worship. 

As the people gathered, they realized they hadn’t been serving the Lord faithfully. So they confessed and repented.

Revival requires repentance.

REVIEW

– Commitment

– Prayer

– A place

– Corporate worship

– And Repentance.

CONTEXT

People sometimes ask why God was so harsh in the Old Testament. Why did He punish people by allowing foreign armies to overtake them?

Let me read you a little bit about Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah from 2 Chronicles 33:2-6 says…

2 Chronicles 33:2–6 KJV

But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. 

And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Passing your children through the fire was a way of worshiping the god of the underworld. The child was passed through the fire as a sacrifice to the god Molech. If the child died, it meant your sacrifice was accepted. No wonder God was angry with them.

King Manasseh reigned for 55 years. His son Amon succeeded him for 2 years. Amon was so wicked, the people assassinated him.

Amon was succeeded by his son Josiah. 

I told you that Israel experienced 5 revivals. The 5th revival comes during Josiah’s reign. It’s his story we want to learn from today.

At the time Josiah comes to power, the kingdom is at an all-time low. 

– God is forsaken. 

– Baal is worshiped. 

– Witchcraft is practiced. 

– Mediums are consulted. 

All that is right is forsaken, and all that is wrong is exalted. 

Today we also face a culture that is at war with God. We also desperately need to see God raise up a revival to sweep through our churches, our towns, our states and our nation. Ezra wrote about this revival to encourage folks who have reaped the bitter fruit of consequences and judgement. He wrote to folks who needed to see that God can turn things around when we quit trying to follow our own formula for success. We can see the mighty Hand of God when we like Josiah seek Revival By the Book.

Do Right

2 Chronicles 34:1–2 KJV

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

 • Start be getting right – righteous or justified

Romans 5:1 KJV

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 • Once you are justified by faith, follow righteousness.

1 Timothy 6:10–11 KJV

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

 • Stick with God’s word, don’t deviate into legalism or license.

Proverbs 4:27 KJV

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.

Seek After God

2 Chronicles 34:3 KJV

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

 • Josiah was 16 when he started his passionate pursuit.

 • Seek His presence in prayer

 • Seek His wisdom in Counsel

 • Seek His power and protection in fellowship

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 KJV

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Clean Your Household

2 Chronicles 34:4–7 KJV

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 

And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Matthew 6:24 KJV

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 • Do a fearless moral inventory.

 • Confess sinful actions or attitudes 

 • Confess idolatry

 • Get rid of anything that would help you hang on to these sinful habits and choices.

 • Make your commitment public.

Acts 19:18–20 KJV

And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 

Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 

So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Care For God’s House

2 Chronicles 34:8 KJV

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Hebrews 10:24–25 KJV

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Get Back to the Book

 • Sometimes the Bible can get lost in the rubble of sin and idolatry

2 Chronicles 34:14–15 KJV

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 

And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

 • Read it and weep

2 Chronicles 34:18–19 KJV

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

2 Chronicles 34:27 KJV

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

1 John 1:9 KJV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Make a Public Commitment to God.

2 Chronicles 34:30–31 KJV

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. 

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

 • Make the commitment to the Book

 • Make the commitment public

 • Take the lead.

2 Chronicles 34:32–33 KJV

And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 

And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

As we finish a very turbulent year remember, God has designed every event to draw us closer to Him. He wants to lead us to and through personal and church wide revival. This will not happen by following our own clever formula. The steps are the same for us as they were for Josiah.

 • Get right and stay right

 • Seek after God

 • Clean your household.

 • Care for and get back to God’s House

 • Get Back to reading and living the Book

 • Make your commitment public

This is the final Sunday morning message of 2020. It is your chance to start the move toward revival. It is your chance, with God’s help to see personal restoration and to enter into 2021 Stronger Than Ever!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:12 AM December 26, 2020.

Good News!

Holiday Sermons

Good News!

Pastor Don Carpenter

Sunday Morning Before Christmas / Luke 2:10–11

 Bishop William Taylor of the Methodist Church was a heroic Christian who went to California in the gold rush of 1849 and settled in San Francisco. He discovered there was no church for him to preach in, and not many people wanted to hear him. So, on Sunday morning, he would roll a wooden barrel down to a street corner, climb up on it, and shout, “What’s the news?” Then, as nomads and natives gathered around, the preacher would announce, “Thank God, my brethren, I have good news for you this morning!” And he would proceed to preach.

I have good news! You may say, “Pastor you have lost your mind!”

Yes 2020 has been rough. Yes there has been a lot of disappointment, sadness, wickedness and down right bad stuff going on this year. Many of us have struggled with health, finances, emotions and some have even lost loved ones. The thing is truth is still true! The news given to the Shepherds that first Christmas night is still true. The Savior still saves! Believers still proclaim that truth, and the Lost can still be Found!

Good News! The world was promised a Savior

God promised that Satan would be defeated

Genesis 3:15 KJV

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God promised that mankind would be delivered

Isaiah 7:14 KJV

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 KJV

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 53:10–12 KJV

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities. 

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

God promised that little Bethlehem would be the Savior’s birthplace

Micah 5:2 KJV

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Good News! The Savior Has Come!

A. The shepherds were witnesses of this extraordinary event

Luke 2:8 KJV

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

B. They saw God’s glory

Luke 2:9 KJV

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 1. Light split the sky

 2. They were terrified

 3. They were comforted

C. They heard this good news

Luke 2:10–12 KJV

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

1. The Savior brings joy for all people

Romans 5:1–2 KJV

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

2. The Savior is born – the Christ Child

Isaiah 9:6 KJV

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

3. The Savior is God in the flesh

John 1:1–3 KJV

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

The same was in the beginning with God. 

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14 KJV

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

4. The Savior is Christ the Lord

Philippians 2:6–8 KJV

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

D. The heavens erupted with song

Luke 2:13–14 KJV

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.

1. Many heavenly beings

2. All in unison

Good News! The Savior Came For You!

Luke 2:15–20 KJV

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

A. The shepherds went to town to see if it was true

B. They found Mary, Joseph, and a baby in a manger

C. They spread the good news

D. They glorified God

1 Timothy 1:15 KJV

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

You Need A Savior

Romans 3:23 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 KJV

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You Can’t Save Yourself

Galatians 2:21 KJV

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The Price Has Been Paid

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Salvation Is Offered to You as a Free Gift

Romans 6:23 KJV

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:16 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Lloyd C. Douglas had a friend who was a violin teacher. Although not too successful, the old man was imbued with considerable wisdom. One day Douglas asked his friend, “Well, what’s the good news today?”

The music master went over to a tuning fork suspended from the ceiling by a cord and struck it with a mallet. “There is the good news for the day,” he said. “That, my friend, is ‘A.’ It was ‘A’ all day yesterday. It will be ‘A’ all day tomorrow, next week, and for a thousand years. The soprano upstairs warbles off key; the tenor next door flats his high ones; and the piano across the hall is out of tune. Noise all around me, noise; but that, my friend, is ‘A.’

1 G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 22.

Even in 2020, the Christmas Story is just as true as it has ever been. The Savior was promised, the Savior came, and now the Savior invites you to accept His Salvation. Truth is Still True… And that is GOOD NEWS.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:15 PM December 17, 2020.

The Mother of My Lord

Holiday Sermons

The Mother of My Lord

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Incarnation; Christ / Luke 1:31–35; Luke 1:41–45

 We are all familiar with the Christmas story. Jesus our Savior was Born in a manger to Mary and Joseph. We celebrate His birth not only because He is our Savior who died and rose again, but also because He is the precious Son of God who somehow took on the form of man… the incarnation. Tonight we are going to look at the first time Mary and her cousin Elizabeth interacted with the truth of the incarnation. When Elizabeth, who was already carrying a miracle baby, John the Baptist, came in the presence of Mary who was pregnant with Jesus, she calls Mary “The Mother of My Lord.” Tonight we are going to look at what Gabriel told Mary about the Fruit of her womb. We will take a peek at the truths behind the reason Mary is called “The Mother of My Lord”.

He Shall Be Called Jesus

Luke 1:31 KJV

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Matthew 1:21 KJV

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Luke 1:46–47 KJV

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

He Shall Be Great

Luke 1:32 KJV

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Isaiah 9:6 KJV

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

He Shall Be Called Son of the Highest

Luke 1:32 KJV

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Luke 1:76 KJV

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord To prepare his ways;

He will be called the Son of the Most High (cf. v. 76). The Septuagint often used the term “Most High” (hypsistou) to translate the Hebrew ‘elyôn (cf. v. 76). Mary could not have missed the significance of that terminology. The fact that her Baby was to be called the “Son of the Most High” pointed to His equality with Yahweh. In Semitic thought a son was a “carbon copy” of his father, and the phrase “son of” was often used to refer to one who possessed his “father’s” qualities (e.g., the Heb. trans. “son of wickedness” in Ps. 89:22 [kjv] means a wicked person).1

1 John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 205.

He Shall Be Called The Son of God

Luke 1:35 KJV

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

His body was prepared for Him by the Spirit of God (Heb. 10:5) who “overshadowed” Mary. That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:35). Mary’s womb became a holy of holies for the Son of God!1

1 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 172.

His Body Prepared for Him

Hebrews 10:5 KJV

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Mary’s Body Prepared for Him

Exodus 40:35 KJV

And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Jesus Remained Holy But Human

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1 Peter 2:22 KJV

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1 John 3:5 KJV

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

There are many mind blowing miracles wrapped up in the Christmas story. One of the sweetest is that God used a willing young virgin to be the Mother of my Lord. What are you willing to be for God?

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:59 PM December 16, 2020.

The War In Heaven

Uncategorized

The War In Heaven

Pastor Don Carpenter

Revival Stronger Than Ever / Separation; Purity; Marriage / 2 Chronicles 21–23; 2 Corinthians 6:14–18

2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Ephesians 6:12 KJV
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

I have some good news and some bad news for you today.

The bad news… is that our world is full of bad news these days.

The good news is, our world has always been full of bad news… and bad news never prevails!

One of the worst moments in our nation’s history happened on December 7, 1941. The Japanese Navy attacked the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor, killing 2400 Americans and disabling almost all of our battleships. That was bad news.

The good news was, our 3 aircraft carriers were out on maneuvers at the time. So our Carrier Fleet was intact. 6 months later, that Carrier group destroyed 4 Japanese Carriers in the Battle of Midway. And ultimately, we won the war.

History is like that. – Wait long enough, and good news always triumphs over bad.

  • On Good Friday, our Savior died. It was the worst news in history.
  • Three days later, He rose again. It was the best news in history. On top of that,
  • He ascended to the right hand of the Father.
  • He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us.
  • And He launched the church.

Any appearance of the triumph of Evil is temporary because when there is a war in Heaven, and God always wins.

EZRA

A scribe by the name of Ezra knew that. He and his people were emerging from a national crisis.

? They needed some good news.

? They needed some hope.

? They needed some inspiration.

? They needed some reminders that their great God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

So Ezra writes stories. Real-life stories, with real-life lessons.

SETTING

1 Chronicles 17 takes place during the reign of King David. One day God says to David,

1 Chronicles 17:10–14 KJV
And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

There are two promises in this passage: One is that there would always be a descendent of David ruling over the nation of Israel. The second was that one of those descendants would rule “God’s kingdom” forever. In other words, that the Messiah, the Forever-Ruler, would be a descendant of David.

Throughout the Old Testament there were prophecies that one day the Messiah would come. From this day in 1 Chronicles 17 onward, everybody knew that when the Messiah came, He would be a descendent of King David.

The Israelites knew, and Satan knew. Satan is not all-knowing, but he is exceedingly crafty and creative. And when this prophecy is given, he is clued in that the Messiah must come from the lineage of David.

Satan knows that God must be true to His word. He knows that if he can extinguish the line of David, he can prevent the Messiah from coming and saving mankind from our sins.

CONTEXT/FORECAST

[Pause] In 841 B.C. Satan sees and seizes a strategic opportunity to eliminate the line of the David. Here’s how it happened.

Write this down: #1… in 1 Chron. 17,

A Little History:

God promises that David will never lack an heir on the throne of Israel.

1 Chron. 17:10-14

And #2…

God promises that an heir of David will rule God’s kingdom forever. 1 Chron. 17:14b

Now fast-forward from there 150 years, to the time of King Jehoshaphat. We studied him last week.

During the course of his reign, Jehoshaphat made what seemed to him an expedient decision to secure an alliance with his greatest threat, which was the Kingdom of Northern Israel.

Back in those days, a common way to seal alliances was for two kings to marry their children to each other. In this case, Jehoshaphat married his son, Jehoram to the king of Israel’s daughter who was named Athaliah.

NEED

Follow me carefully for the next few minutes and we’ll learn an important lesson that could save you and your family a lot of heartache over the next 30 or 40 or even 50 years.

Turn to the back of your Bible to a map of the Old Testament, or, if you don’t have one, imagine a map of the Mediterranean in your mind. The nation of Israel sits at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.

• At this time in history, Israel is divided into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom is simply called, “Israel.” And the Southern Kingdom is called “Judah.”

• The Northern Kingdom was ruled by a king named “Ahab.”

• The Southern Kingdom was ruled by Jehoshaphat.

• Ahab, in order to secure his northern border, had married the daughter of the king to his north. That kingdom was called “Sidon.”

• It’s king was named “Ethbaal.” – The word, “eth” means, “with.”

• The word “Baal,” means “Baal.” Baal was the fertility God of the Canaanites.

• Ethbaal was “with Baal.” He was a worshiper of Baal.

• Ethbaal’s daughter was named “Jezebel.”

(You may have heard of her before. She is infamous for worshiping Baal and corrupting pretty much all of Northern Israel during the time she was its queen.)

• Ahab married Jezebel.

• Together, they had a daughter they named Athaliah.

• Meanwhile, Jehoshaphat and his wife had a son they named Jehoram.

• To cement their alliance, Ahab and Jehoshaphat married their children to each other.

• This meant that the wife of the Crown Prince of Judah was not a follower of Jehovah, but a Baal-worshiper.

2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2 Chronicles 18:1 KJV
Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

This happens about 20 years before our story.

COMMENT

Call this, “The Law of Unforeseen Consequences.” If you marry someone who is potentially dangerous, you might not foresee that something dangerous is going to happen.

Here’s the introduction to our story:

2 Chronicles 21:1–4 KJV
Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

Your 5th point…

When Jehoram became king, he killed all his brothers. 2 Chron. 21:4

He eliminated all the competition.

RESULT

Suddenly, of all the descendants of David, there is only one direct descendant. That’s Jehoram, along with all the sons that he will give birth to over time.

Well, later on that same year, 841 B.C., Jehoram died in battle. Ezra’s comment in verse 20 was, He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 2 Chronicles 21:20b

Because his life did not merit a kingly tomb.

Often, when a king dies, his kingdom is vulnerable, because the neighboring nations know that the new king will be young and inexperienced, so that’s when they attack.

The attack happens. Judah is invaded by her neighbors: They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and also his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, his youngest son.

2 Chronicles 21:17 KJV
And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

And your next fill-in:

The Philistines kill all but one of Jehoram’s sons (Ahaziah). 2 Chron. 21:17

And then there was one.

Here’s where our story officially begins. The kingdom and the Messianic line are hanging by a single thread.

2 Chronicles 22 opens with…

2 Chronicles 22:1–2 KJV
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

If you know what’s coming, you can almost hear the downbeats of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony: dun, dun, dun, dun…

A few months after his coronation, Ahaziah is killed in battle.

No problem, Ahaziah had sons and nephews all over the palace. But they are all young and powerless. The person closest to power was the dowager queen, Athaliah.

? She is not Jewish.

? She’s the daughter of Jezebel.

? She is not a worshiper of Jehovah.

? She worships Baal.

This is when Satan launches his strategic initiative.

When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 2 Chron. 22:10

2 Chronicles 22:10 KJV
But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

You’re seventh point:

When Ahaziah died, Athaliah killed all the royal heirs. 2 Chron. 22:10

? The king is dead.

? His descendants are dead.

? The Davidic line is dead, and with it, all hopes for a Messiah.

This is the Good Friday of the Old Testament.

Baal has triumphed. Satan has won.

This, friends, is the bad news.

? All was dark.

? All hope was lost.

For seven years, Judah lived under the rulership of a foreign queen, worshiping a foreign god.

She was the Covid-19 of her day.

If you’ve lost your job, you know how they felt.

? If you’re depressed,

? or frustrated

? or irritated

? or angry,

you know how they felt.

The person in charge of their state, their nation, has driven a stake through the heart of all their hopes.

But there is a War in Heaven! God will not allow the forces of Darkness ultimate victory!

Let’s watch the story unfold:

2 Chronicles 22:10–12 KJV
But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

2 Chronicles 23:1–3 KJV
And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

2 Chronicles 23:12–14 KJV
Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.

TRIUMPH!

? The forces of darkness seemed to be in control.

? Satan had won.

? Good was defeated.

? Evil had overcome!

But what seems and what is aren’t always the same.

Friends, the God of the Bible

? is the God of good news.

? He’s the God of the rescue.

? The God of the living hope.

? The God of the second chance.

? The God of the comeback.

With Him, there is always a way out of darkness.

Dreams of Messiah were dead, and then there was a resurrection!

Sorrow may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning!

Athaliah annihilated all the royal heirs, but…

Seven years later, it was discovered that one heir survived. 2 Chron. 23:3

Talk about rejoicing!

2 Chronicles 23:16–17 KJV
And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’s people.

Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION

Ezra is recounting Israel’s history so that we can learn lessons during our time in history.

Ezra is letting us know that…

Ezra’s Lessons:

There is a war in heaven that is playing out on earth. 2 Chronicles 18-24

That war is more real than the Iraqi War or the War in Kuwait, or Vietnam or Korea.

Ephesians 6:12–13 KJV
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The armor of God is faith, and hope, and righteousness, and the truth of salvation, and God’s word, and the Holy Spirit. Stand firm in those friends. Trust God and believe what He says, and do what He says.

Ezra is teaching us that God always has plans…

God always has plans to build up. 1 Chronicles 17:10-14

And those plans are to build up and not tear down.

And that Satan always has plans…

Satan always has plans to tear down. 2 Chronicles 22

And those plans are always to tear down and not build up.

And Ezra is teaching us that…

God always wins. 2 Chronicles 23

The Athaliahs of our world may rule for a while, but never forever. Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

And morning is coming.

Say that after me: The morning is coming!

Say it like you mean it: The morning is COMING!

TRANS

That’s the vertical lesson of our story. It explains the spiritual dimension of our condition and why it all seems so much worse than it actually is.

How Does This Story Change Our Behavior?

Destiny and success is determined by the company you keep. 2 Chronicles 24

Don’t miss this lesson: Jehoshaphat endangered the generations which followed by building an alliance with a Baal-worshiper. He didn’t know he was doing it. It seemed innocent to him at the time.

This may be why God spells it out so clearly in the New Testament when He says…

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 KJV
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

On a practical level, Ezra is telling us:

Be careful who you marry. 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Corinthians 6:14

You don’t marry just a body,

? You marry a mind.

? You marry their beliefs.

? You marry their value-system.

And you don’t marry just a person, you marry into their family.

When Jehoram got Athaliah, he also got Jezebel and her Baal-worshiping priests and courtiers and all the evil that went with them.

Ezra is also encouraging us to line up all our partnerships with believers.

Jehoshaphat made an alliance. As a result of that alliance, the lineage of David and the promise of Messiah were almost wiped out.

Satan is always working to defeat God’s plans. He never succeeds.

The story of Joash is the story of triumph from ashes. It’s a story of revival!

It’s also the story of two unsung heroes, who were not kings. One was a rescuer named Jehoshabeath, the other a mentor, named Jehoiada. They happened to be married to each other. Everyone needs a rescuer at some time, and everyone needs a mentor at all times.

This is the story of the war in heaven, and of relationships on earth.

And the moral of the story is, when there is a war in Heaven, God always wins, so stay close to Him, and you will too.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:52 AM December 10, 2020.

In Your Darkest Moment

Sunday Morning Sermons

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Revival: Stronger Than Ever / Deliverance / 2 Chronicles 20:1–12

A preacher tells his personal story: One of my most vivid childhood memories is of an afternoon in sixth grade, when a friend and I decided to swing on a newly-installed bar hanging over the walkway on our way out of school. The bar was about 8 feet off the ground, just low enough for the two of us to reach if we jumped. 

So on the count of three we jumped. And a second later discovered that this bar wasn’t just a bar, it was actually a sprinkler pipe, under tremendous pressure. The pipe burst, we fell to the ground, and water began gushing everywhere… and it was unstoppable.

We did not know what to do, so we both ran home as fast as we could.

Today I want to introduce you to a man who did not know what to do, but his situation was a lot more serious than ours. 

He’s a man I’d like to meet some day.

He’s the son of Asa. His name is Jehoshaphat and he was the 6th king in the line of David. 

Ezra, our teacher, introduces him to us this way:

2 Chronicles 17:3–6 KJV

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; 

But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 

Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. 

And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

If you’ve ever been in a tight spot, if you’ve ever been in a place where you didn’t know what to do, if you’ve ever felt like you’re facing an enemy who is bigger than you and could destroy you and all you hold dear, Jehoshaphat will be your hero. Because Jehoshaphat faced all of that and humbly confessed, “I don’t know what to do.” In front of God and everybody. 

And yet, he did exactly the right thing, eight times in a row. 

Let me show you his story. It’s in 2 Chronicles 20.

Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. And he reigned over Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, for 25 years. Jehoshaphat’s story spans two wars and a bad marriage. I’ll tell you about the bad marriage next week. It almost wrecked the kingdom, and almost scuttled God’s plans to send a Messiah through the line of David. – Don’t miss next week!

2 Chronicles 20:1–2 KJV

It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.

The Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites all lived on the east side of the Dead Sea. Their nations had been conquered under King David, and now were rebelling. 

How would you feel if you got word that a huge army, much bigger than your own, was coming to get you? What would you do? Well…

2 Chronicles 20:3–4 KJV

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 

And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

Set Yourself To Seek The Lord

 p?n?h (??????, 6437), “to turn towards, turn back, turn around, attach to, pass away, make clear.” This verb also appears in Syriac and post-biblical Hebrew and post-biblical Aramaic. Related verbs which have the same radicals with a somewhat different meaning occur in Arabic and Ethiopic. The Bible attests p?n?h about 155 times and in all periods.

W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 271.

The King’s dad was taught this lesson:

2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Fast

Matthew 17:19–21 KJV

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Come Together With God’s People

2 Chronicles 20:4 KJV

And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

  • Look To God As Your Only Hope 
  • Declare His Power

2 Chronicles 20:5–6 KJV

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

  • Declare His Relationship With His People

2 Chronicles 20:7–8 KJV

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

  • Declare His Past Deliverance

2 Chronicles 20:9 KJV

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

  • Declare The Present Need

2 Chronicles 20:10–11 KJV

And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

  • Declare Total Dependence Upon God.

2 Chronicles 20:12 KJV

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

  • God’s Answer – When You Look To God, God Looks Back To You!

2 Chronicles 20:13–15 KJV

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; 

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

APPLICATION

How many times have you faced something terrible and felt like you were all alone in it?

Friend, if you are committed to the Lord, if you are wholeheartedly devoted to Him, 

if you have said, “Lord, live your life through me, and I will live for you for the rest of my life,” then the eyes of the Lord are on you, to strengthen you. The battle you are facing is not yours, but God’s.”

2 Chronicles 20:16 KJV

To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Join In Congregational Worship

Tekoa is about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. It’s a fairly easy hike, since it’s all downhill. Just before they started the hike, the text says…

2 Chronicles 20:19–20 KJV

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Sing!

2 Chronicles 20:21 KJV

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who would have thought that a major move to defeat an enemy would involve music and voices?

Now, bear in mind, Jehoshaphat and all the people don’t know what’s happened on the battlefield. They haven’t arrived yet. They’re just marching along singing. 

2 Chronicles 20:24 KJV

And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

RECAP

Here’s the story. And it’s a true story: once upon a time, there was a big bad army coming against the people of God. The people did not know what to do, but they resolved to seek the Lord. They gathered together; they fasted; they prayed; they heard a word from God from one of His spokesmen; and they worshiped. They began to sing, and God performed a miracle: He ambushed their enemies… and the people lived happily ever after!

But wait! There’s more:

2 Chronicles 20:25 KJV

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

“Beracah” means, “blessing.” The place became the Valley of Blessing.

Jehoshaphat’s seventh strategic move was…

Bless The Lord

2 Chronicles 20:27–29 KJV

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. 

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

This is the revival under King Jehoshaphat: A terrible disaster looks like it’s going to ruin the nation. Nobody knows what to do. But one man, the king, stands up and says, “I’m going to seek the Lord.”

He asks the nation to join him, in fasting, in gathering together to pray and ask God to deliver them. God answers through Jahaziel. “I’ve got this.” He says. “The battle is mine. I invite you to come and watch.”

The people believe. They bow down to thank God in faith for what He’s going to do, and they rise up and praise Him with singing. Early the next morning, they sing their way to the battlefield, where, instead of having to engage the enemy, they find out that the enemy has engaged themselves.

So the people help themselves to the spoils, return home and hold another worship service, and then they enjoy the eighth and final strategic move which is…

Rest!

2 Chronicles 20:30 KJV

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

So, when we are facing our darkest moment, what should we do?

 • Seek the Lord

 • Fast

 • Fellowship

 • Pray Boldly – look God in the eyes

 • Worship with the Congregation

 • Sing!

 • Praise God

 • Rest

We learned last week that God is waiting to show Himself strong on behalf of the heart who is perfect toward Him… this is the path to having that perfect, focused heart. This is what to do in your darkest moment.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 4:03 PM December 5, 2020.

Resist The Devil

Wednesday Evening Sermons

Resist The Devil

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Not From Around Here: The Complicated Life of a Sojourner / Temptation; Spiritual Warfare

One three-year-old’s explanation for being in the kitchen atop a chair, eating cookies: “I just climbed up to smell them, and my tooth got caught.”1

1 Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Last week we discovered that Peter warned us to be alert to an enemy, the devil, that is lurking in the shadows like a lion on his prey. Tonight now that we know about the Lion.. we are given strange advice… Peter does not tell us to be very quiet and hope the ravenous beast of darkness does not see us… we are to dig in and resist him! Wait… WHAT??? Yup … resist. Tonight we will discover that we as believers can use both what we know and who we know to resist the devil.

Resist The Devil With What You Know.

1 Peter 5:9 KJV

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

You Know Retreat is not an Option

James 4:7 KJV

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:11–13 KJV

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The Greek word translated “resist” means “to withstand, to be firm against someone else’s onset” rather than “to strive against that one.” The Christian would do well to remember that he cannot fight the devil. The latter was originally the most powerful and wise angel God created. He still retains much of that power and wisdom as a glance down the pages of history and a look about one today will easily show. While the Christian cannot take the offensive against Satan, yet he can stand his ground in the face of his attacks. Cowardice never wins against Satan, only courage.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 130.

You Know You Stand On Solid Ground – Steadfast

The devil is resisted by being “firm in faith.” The concept is not that of holding certain doctrines firmly, which is a meaning of faith found in the Pastorals (e.g., 1 Tim. 1:19; 6:21; 2 Tim. 2:18), but that of remaining firm in one’s trust in God. The word “firm” originally applied to physical firmness or hardness, such as a firm foundation (2 Tim. 2:19) or solid (versus soft or liquid) food (Heb. 5:12, 14) or (in its verbal form) firm feet (i.e., feet that no longer gave way under the weight of the person, Acts 3:7, 16). Here the term is applied to character, as is its verbal form in Acts 16:5, where the new churches become firm in their commitment to Christ (= faith).1

1 Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 191–192.

You Know Brothers and Sisters in the Faith Worldwide Face the Same Struggles.

Romans 1:8 KJV

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

One thing that will make their commitment firmer is the awareness that they are not suffering alone. It is not “just me” who is suffering or even “just us,” laments that make the suffering seem unfair and unjust, but “your brotherhood throughout the world.” Peter stresses this unity in two ways—first, by using the collective “brotherhood” (which he alone in the NT uses, cf. 2:17, his other use, or “brotherly love” in 1:22 and 3:18) instead of the more individual “brothers” (a term he uses only in 5:12), and second, by adding “throughout the world,” which phrase uses “world” in its physical and global sense (as do Mark 4:8; 14:9; Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 14:10; 1 Pet. 1:20; cf. 2 Macc. 3:12) rather than in its ethical sense (i.e., human culture in its independence of and hostility toward God, as in John 15:18–19; 16:33; Jas. 4:4)1

1 Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 192–193.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

A pastor warned his handsome new assistant about the dangers of immorality in the ministry. The assistant said that he always did his socializing in a group setting and concluded that “there is safety in numbers.” The wise pastor replied, “Yes, that is so, but there is more safety in Exodus.”1

1 Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Resist The Devil With Who You Know

1 Peter 5:10–11 KJV

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The God of all Grace

 • That called you

Philippians 1:6 KJV

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 • That called you to His eternal glory

This effectual call is with a view to God’s eternal glory. That is, God calls us into salvation in order that He may derive glory for Himself by virtue of our being saved. He who has called us in His grace will supply all needed grace until we are ushered into the Glory. God’s eternal glory is involved in His keeping a believer in salvation.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 131.

The God Who Will Use Your Temporary Suffering

1 Peter 1:6 KJV

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

 • To Make You Perfect

The words “make you perfect” are not the translation of the Greek word teleioo (???????) which means “to perfect” in the sense of “to make spiritually mature and complete,” but from a word meaning “to fit or join together.” The predominating idea in the verb is adjustment, the putting of parts into right relationship and connection with one another. It is the same word translated “perfecting” in Ephesians 4:12, where the gifted servants of the Lord mentioned were given to the Church for the equipping of the saints for ministering work. The word was used of James and John mending their nets, thus equipping them for service (Mark 1:19). Here the word refers to God mending the lives of Christians, thus equipping them for usefulness in His service. The word in First Peter speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in rounding out the spiritual life of the saint so that he is equipped for both the living of a Christian life and the service of the Lord Jesus.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 131.

 • To Stablish You

The word “stablish” is the translation of a Greek word whose root is akin to the word translated “stedfast” in 5:9. It speaks of a solid foundational position. Alford translates, “shall ground you as on a foundation.” Bengel has a helpful note on this verse; “Shall perfect, that no defect remain in you, shall stablish that nothing may shake you, shall strengthen that you may overcome every adverse force.” No comments on verse eleven.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 132.

 • To Strengthen You

Third, God will “strengthen” them. This is quite an unusual word meaning “to make strong,” found only here in biblical Greek (a related term appears in 3 Macc. 3:8, but that only once) and rarely in secular Greek. 1

1 Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 196

 • To Settle You

Finally God will “settle” them, a term meaning “to found” or “to place on a foundation” (Matt. 7:25; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:23). This is an image of security, of people who cannot be moved no matter what comes against them. As such it rounds out the result of the other terms. While we have tried to give careful definitions of these four terms, it would be wrong to try to see some new idea in each of them. What Peter has done is pile up a number of closely related terms that together by their reinforcing one another give a multiple underscoring of the good that God is intending for them and even now is producing in their suffering.1

1 Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 196

——

When tempted, learn the lesson of the dog. Anyone who has trained a dog to obey knows this scene. A bit of meat or bread is placed on the floor near the dog and the master says, “No!” which the dog knows means that he must not touch it. The dog will usually take his eyes off the food, because the temptation to disobey would be too great, and instead will fix his eyes on the master’s face. That is the lesson of the dog. Always look to the Master’s face.1

1 Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 6:40 PM December 2, 2020.