Sermon Tone Analysis

“In Whom Do You Trust”

It is one thing on a sunny Sunday morning while at church to sit in the pews, and sing with melodious resolution, “I will trust in the Lord”

Yet it is another to sing it on Monday when all hell has come into your life.

Isn’t it funny how often we say one thing, but do another.

We declare with all that is in us, I’ll serve Him until I die, only latter to discover that there has been a change of plans.

God asked Jeremiah a question that I think is relevant to all the called of God; says;

“If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?

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The questions not one of information, but one that requires contemplation.

It’s easy, and so many often do, to say one thing only to discover, while it sounds good at the time, it’s far from true in reality.

Truth be to,d most of us don’t know how we are going to respond to trouble until trouble comes.

You do remember Peter, he had just declared his allegence to Jesus, promising even if it cost him his life, he would never forsake Him.

But as soon as trouble showed up, knocked on his door, Perter like many of us started singing a diffrent song.

Sometimes I think there is a hint of truth in that old worldly saying; “Promises are made to be broken”

Brothers and sisters you had better know who your dealing with, because if you don’t, you can discover with surprising disappointment, in you time of need your standing all by yourself.

There are few things in this life that are absolute, few things that deliver what they promise.

Simply put, wherein does you confidence lay.

I have found from experience life has a way of challenging the words that come out of our mouths.

And there is one, that is committed to exposing you, for he is none other than an accuser of the brethren.

He comes not to build you up, he comes not to encourage you, but he comes but for to steel, kill and to destroy.

And the sad truth is he does it in a number of ways.

Sometimes he comes as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Sometimes as a brother, a teacher, a minister, but if you don’t hear anything else I say tonight, he always comes with the same motive.

The sooner you learn that everyone that takes mess off you is not your friend, and everyone that messes on you is not your enemy you’ll be a whole lot better off.

Here’s another jelly bean for the jar, when the enemy has come as a friend, when he has come as a brother, or a minister, if that doesn’t work he’ll intensify his attack.

I say that to say this all of us are going to be under attack at some time in our lives.

Sometimes is a simple skirmish, just to feel you out.

Other times it may be an all out assault, designed to take you out, to move you from one position to another.

The question was asked of God, does Job fear God for nought?

They very essence of his faithfulness was being questioned, and I submit that sometimes trouble will rise in our lives, because the very sincerity of you worships in question.

And if there is one thing that can bring to light the reality of your walk from you talk, I submit to you

It’s trouble.

Great men under the attack of the enemy have fallen.

David in his summer home, lusted, lied and murdered

One minute the disciples are boldly declaring the word of God, and the next thier cowering in fear.

Then there are those who have stood thier ground, come hell and high water, like those young men from the pages of O/T scripture known as the Hebrew boys.

I submit to you the difference wasn’t in how much scripture they knew.

it wasn’t in how big of a Bible they carried, nor was it

In the tittles they held.

But the difference was on whom they leaned on in thier time of trouble.

And in our text we find that al, who shall live godly, shall be under attack.

Hezekiah known as a godly king finds himself under attack, and with him the entire kingdom.

Not only is he under attack, but he finds himself being asked a question.

How is it that you are so confident, that you defy me, the great king of Assyria.

This is a revealing text in that it shows us the approach of the enemy, but it also reveals the response and the results of those that truly trust in God.

1.

The Approach of the Enemy

Notice how the devil comes

a.

He sees himself as superior

He is the great king of Assyria, the enemy always seeks to intimidate you.

This is why it’s so imparative for the children of God to stand thier ground, to be rooted in thier faith.

Because I can assure you there is no song or wise saying that will make the enemy run.

Many of well intentioned saints have failed, Fallen, because they made the mistake of fighting Satan with whit.

Only to find they failed because they choose the wrong weapon.

Your charm nor your intellect will move Satan.

He pronounces himself great, but he also wants you to think God’s way is foolish

His motive is to get you to question al, you’ve known to be true, is He really a shelter in a time of storm.

He seeks to bring doubt in your mind, whatever you trust in will fail.

He challenges you if you trust in Egypt, what can he do,

If you trust God or godly leadership, he says; don’t believe the words of Hezekiah.

If you trust in God he says; look at all the other lands that I have conquered, they had gods and none of them thier gods delivered them.

He then adds insult to injury, and mixes it with half truth, we all know that God blesses those that bless Him, we also know that God deals with those that dishonor Him, and so the enemy uses that knowledge to remind us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

He says because you have angered God, it was your very God, that sent me.

Yet I would have you to know that our God is a God of grace and mercy, one that is filed with compassion, that even when we have done wrong, He is prepared to pardon us.

Israel had done wrong, and God had used Assyria as his rod, but because Hezekiah sought to do what was right, that time had passed.

Scinacrtibe knew that Israel had torn down the high places, places of worship throughout the land, but he misunderstood that these we places of worship of pagan gods, in truth they were finally heard the words of the preacher.

And they were bringing thier worship to where it really belonged, the place I. Which God had put His name, the place where the Ark of the covenant would reside, and thus the place where God’s presence dwelt.

Israel had finally turned away from thier sins and to the true and living God, and when we turn to God, honor Him with our lives, and place our trust in Him alone.

I don’t care how far you fell, or how long you been down, God says if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray, seek my face, then will I hear from heaven, forgive thier sins and heal thier land.

No matter how strong, or how large your enemy, when you trust in God, you can stand assured, that He won’t let you fall.

Where in does your confidence lay, some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, as for us we shall trust in God.

And when you can make that declaration from your heart, and in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds, God will fight your battle.

But let me give you warning, in the words of the old church, He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time.

Before the enemy departs, he’ll hit you just one more time, and the text shows us just how determined the enemy can be.

Hezekiah had made up his mind, he had encouraged the people, they had turned from thier sins, but before thier deliverance comes, the enemy takes one more stab at them.

As they are lined up on the battlefield, as the enemy is hugging and puffing, he now begins to speak in thier Natalie tongue.

Ordinarily it would be just conversation between the two armies leaders, terms of or conditions for war, or surrender.

But in an effort to incite the people, rather than speaking to the leaders, he speaks to the people in thier native tongue.

And states the reason why, if your leaders decide to fight, not just thier blood but your blood, your lives will be on the line as well.

You’ll be made to drink your on urine, and eat your own dung, in other words there will be no salvation, and there will be no mercy.

He wants to bring dice Sion among the ranks, create chaos, and fear, so that rather than standing strong, every man will begin to think about his own self.

He seeks to separate you, because he knows there’s strength in numbers, is there any wonder that when trouble shows up, we adapt an every man for himself attitude.

Rather than coming together in prayer, rather than coming together in worship and giving praise, we all go our separate ways.

Rather than leaning on God, we lean on our whits, our own plan, and do things our own way.

Here’s the lesson, Hezekiah took the letter, the threats of the enemy, to the house of God, laced it on the altar, to show that he was leaning and depending on God.

In other words He says to God, we’ve done what you told us to do, we’ve served like you told us, and now the enemy has shown up, and we have put our confidence in you.

Now, Lord show yourself mighty on our behalf, defend your name, and the confidence of your people, and I tell you when we put our confidence in God.

God will move all heaven and earth