Not My Battle

I would like to share with you a verse of scripture...

Not my battle

that I pray will go off like a bomb.

I would like to share with you a verse of scripture that I pray will go off like a bomb. Like the promise that it is, when I read it, a certain number of you, I don’t know how many, but you are going to know that this one is for you, when I read the verse. And I m not saying its for everybody but if its for you, and how you can know it for you if you’re currently facing a battle that is bigger then you then this verse if for you today.

Like the promise that it is,

when I read it,

a certain number of you,

I don’t know how many,

but you are going to know that this one is for you,

And I’m not saying its for everybody

but if its for you, you’ll know it

and how you can know it’s for you?

if you’re currently facing a battle that is bigger then you,

then this verse is for you today.

It is in . Are you ready for the word of the Lord.

You will not have to fight this battle!

Look at the person next to you and say, not this one, not this one.

You will not have to fight this battle.

take up your positions….and the Lord will be with you.

Let’s give God praise for his promise Amen!

I should mention that two months ago....

marks 20 years since I made the best decision of my life.

In a beautiful church in Atlanta GA

where I said my vows to the Edward Rene Marton of my dreams.

A day filled with excitement and nervousness.

With six bridesmaids on one side

and 6 groomsmen on the other side,

100 degree humidity,

left us with 5 groomsman standing during prayer.

Two ministers stood on the rostrum,

many songs and poems shared,

it was quite an occasion.

We made a big deal about it

and everybody had to endure it.

It was a big day!

We had china plates that we could hardly afford for the occasion

but we pushed through every obstacle to make things happen.

So now I think I’m qualified...

to give marriage advice

after 20 years I have something to say.

Not ready to do the parenting book yet

but the marriage thing maybe…

really though, I actually feel unqualified to give marriage advice,

because I feel like our marriage is strong...

mostly because of who I chose.

And that’s the honest truth

I’m not pandering now

I’m telling you the truth.

I think that selection is so important.

And I don’t mean that God can’t take a relationship that starts rocky

and turn it into something that is really really beautiful.

Of course he makes beauty out of Ashes.

That’s what he does

but I think I get sometimes credit...

of things about our marriage...

that is really just a product of the character of the person that I married.

And looking back I think that healthier part of me…

chose Edward and I don’t even know what that means when I say it

when I say it but it really sounds true, So I’m saying it to you.

but it really sounds true,

So I’m saying it to you.

When I chose him,

I chose a union with his strengths

but I also chose to cover his weaknesses as a wife.

And then he chose to cover my weaknesses

and I definitely got the good end of it.

you know the thing about marriage...

is sometimes it’s more helpful to look at an example...

than it is to listen to advice.

Even Jesus, he loved the church...

like he wants a husband to love their wife

so it’s more of an example then an explanation.

And people will give marriage advice,

or life advice or parenting advice

but they’ll give it to you based on ideal situations.

And the problem with that is when someone is advising you

but they don’t know the exact nature of your challenges.

They might give you a strategy that worked for them

but it might not work for you.

Because every relationship...

every battle is not created equal.

And I remember asking so many different couples before our wedding

what advice they would give

and mostly you’ll get the same old clichés

the same old tired clichés like this one

you probably know “never go to bed angry”.

Which I want to say is a horrible, horrible thing to try

because the best thing to do sometimes is get some rest

and come out fresh in the morning,

before you say something you regret

with your sleep-deprived delirious self.

With your filter off

and now you‘re tired

saying stuff that you would never say if it wasn’t 3:00am.

So go to your corner and come out tomorrow morning.

See I am saying some of this advice,

it sounds good like “choose your battles”

that’s one advice you always get.

Choose your battles don’t fight over everything.

Which is great advice.

You know you have to decide in any relationship

if this is really worth fighting over,

if your spouse still after 30 years

doesn’t know how to correctly load the silverware in the dishwasher

and she/he thinks its still okay to put the part of the fork

that you put in your mouth

facing up so that your hand touches the part that’s going in your mouth,

when you get it out next day.

If she/he really things that makes sense

after 30 years is it really worth fighting about?

NO, you think I’m bigger then that.

I’m not a petty person, I let it go.

So they will tell you choose your battles.

Let your kids play music too loud once in a while

don’t always fight every battle.

Don’t get tripped up over tiny things

choose your battles.

The question that I want to ask today

and I guess is what do you do when the battles chooses you?

What do you do when something shows up on you doorstep

and it’s not from Amazon Prime

and you didn’t even order it?

What do you do when the devil dropped something off for you to deal with

that you did not directly cause,

choose or definitely anticipate.

Like Jehoshaphat in

who is told one morning in verse one...

might I add in a time of spiritual renewal for Judah..

the southern kingdom of Israel.

in a time of great momentum spiritually,

one day just when everything is going good,

you know how just when you get something figured out

and just when you get in your groove..

and just when you get in your rhythm..

and here comes some news… the Bible says. (read verses 1, 2)

this means they’re sneaking up from behind,

there they’re going around the Dead Sea,

and then coming back up to attack the people of God,

on a little-known route..

because they can’t use the normal trade route

and so they’re sneaking up from behind

and they are 25 miles out

that means that Jehoshaphat doesn’t have time

to develop a strategy,

he doesn’t have time to build the Armed Forces..

to mount a defense.

He doesn’t not have time to rethink the occasions

that led up to this event.

Its coming and its coming now!

Have you ever got that phone call,

that text message

that moment in time

where something is sneaking up on you

and it’s only a day’s march away

that means I have to deal with it tomorrow,

I don’t have time to read a book,

I don’t have time to watch a TED talk,

I don’t have time to get my nutrition and my sleep

this one caught me off guard.

This one slapped me upside the head,

this one left my ear ringing,

I can’t even believe is happening,

I’m not even really sure its real yet,

I don’t even have time to call 10 people about it,

I don’t have time to get everybody’s opinion,

this one I don’t have time to get everybody’s advice

so watch what Jehoshaphat did.

HE said I don’t have time for all that

so I got to go to God.

There is something about a surprise attack

that will drive you into the presence of God.

There something about that one you didn’t see coming...

that will make you run to the place...

you should have run all along.

I’m getting ahead of myself

but it said that they were coming..

and they were already in En Gedi

and so the response of the king is urgent.

It says that in verse 3,

he was alarmed yet he was resolved.

I really like that!

I really like that he had a determination to seek the Lord,

even in the face of an unexpected attack.

He had made up his mind

who he would go to

before he even knew what would come against him.

And of course he didn’t always respond this way, nobody does..

Jehoshaphat hooked up with wicked Ahab..

and almost got himself killed two chapters earlier.

Because it seemed like the right strategy,

because when they wanted to attack a strategic city

And they almost got killed;

went out to do what seemed smart. And they almost got killed; in fact Ahab did get killed. And the Prophet Micaiah tried to tell him these false Baal prophets what they’re telling you is what you want to hear but its not what you need to hear. If you go into that battle your gonna get yourself hurt and he did and he barely made it out because he fought the wrong battle. Have you ever barely made it out because you fought a battle that you weren’t suppose to fight.

The heavens are gonna be like a voice activated shower system and until I say so its not gonna rain that was Ahab he said that to. And so Jehoshaphat got with that same King and went out to do what seemed smart. And they almost got killed; in fact Ahab did get killed. And the Prophet Micaiah tried to tell him these false Baal prophets what they’re telling you is what you want to hear but its not what you need to hear. If you go into that battle your gonna get yourself hurt and he did and he barely made it out because he fought the wrong battle. Have you ever barely made it out because you fought a battle that you weren’t suppose to fight.

but Ahab got killed.

And the Prophet Micaiah tried to tell him...

these false Baal prophets

what they’re telling you is what you want to hear..

but its not what you need to hear.

If you go into that battle

your gonna get yourself hurt

and he did and he barely made it out

because he fought the wrong battle.

Have you ever barely made it out

because you fought a battle

that you weren’t suppose to fight.

Have you ever tried to help a couple

while they were in the middle of a fight.

I had an experience when I was sharing an apartment with this couple one day.

I will never forget.

One afternoon I hear some pots and pans banging

I was about to go in the kitchen

to see what this couple were doing there,

thinking they were cooking out loud

but it turns out that they were fighting with pots and pans..

I was shocked and wanted to get in the middle

to help her but it looked like she had it under control.

I realized that I‘ll make matters worst

so I stayed out of it

You see a wise man said no,

never get in a fight between a man and his woman

because you’ll step in to help them...

and then if you step into their fight

and its not your fight

they will turn around and both start fighting you.

It’s good life advice

don’t try to take on a fight that’s not your fight.

Because you might find out

when you take on a fight that’s not your fight

is the surest way for you

to get yourself in trouble

This is why Christians don’t always need to share their opinion on every subject

that is presented as a cultural issue.

You‘ve got to choose your battles..

and to know God,

this is what Jehoshaphat wanted to know..

is this my battle

is this my fight,

is this something that I need to be involved in.

Is this something that I’m called to do.

You’d be shocked how many people through the years

have tried to get me to be more political in my thinking.

But that’s not my fight,

yes, I vote, but you’ve got to be careful..

that you don’t expend all of you energy..

fighting battles that are not yours

and then you don’t have any energy left...

for the battles that are yours.

And now you’ve gotten so tired leaving comments on FB posts..

with people that you don’t even know in Idaho

that you don’t have any strength

to engage with the people who live in your own house.

I’m not trying to run the White House..

I’m trying to run my own house.

I got my hands full.

You know how you can tell if you are fighting the wrong battles,

if you are trying to control others…

you’re fighting the wrong battle.

You can’t control others,

past a certain point

you can only manipulate short-term behavior..

but you can’t change somebody’s heart.

That’s why even the New Testament says

as much as it is possible with you

live in peace with all men.

There comes a point where the peace of another person..

is not your responsibility.

Your peace is your responsibility.

And there comes a point where you have to say that’s not my battle.

I’ve done all I can do

but that’s not my battle.

In fact let me give you a great little line to use

the next time somebody tries to draw you into some gossip,

or draw you into some drama.

What do you think about so and so?

You heard about so and so?

And here is what you say “ I don’t”.

It will work for variety situations,

It can work for a situation that you’re ignorant about and you only read headlines, so you really don’t have anything to say because we can’t trust the information that we’re given.

it can work about somebody that drops their kid off at school next to you

and they’re having trouble in their marriage.

What do you think about so and so-“I don’t“.

My heart is a full time drama factory.

I do not need to borrow drama from anybody else’s personal life.

I got my own drama.

“BYOD” bring your own drama- I got enough.

You brought your own drama to church without judging somebody else, from what you think about them from ten seconds of their life.

Jehoshaphat didn’t run around what other people were doing,

he went to seek the Lord.

He went to enquire the Lord.

This is not just some glip prayer,

not just some feeling

going with it and calling it God.

And this is not just a slap scripture verse

that you wanted to do anyways

so you can blame it on God when it does not work out.

This is really seeking the Lord.

In fact the Bible says that he was alarmed, shocked

but he wasn’t shaken.

Whoa… I didn’t see this coming…

Amon, Moab and Edomites that’s three of them.

I can fight one but there is three of them.

It’s bigger then me.

And its coming up from behind me.

Do you have something bigger then you

that came up from behind you?

Jehoshaphat’s prayer is interesting

because he is praying about these three kings.

We‘ve got 3 different enemies,

we’ve got the world, the flesh and the devil.

That’s from 1 John,

that’s your enemy.

The world, the flesh and the devil.

And I can maybe fight one

but how do I fight the devil...

the world, the flesh that’s the patterns that appose your purpose and the devil that is the principality that apposes your purpose. And I can fight one but how do I fight the devil when I ‘m fighting my own flesh. How do I fight the world where actually part of me wants to do it like the world. I can fight one but I can’t fight them all and they are bigger then me, and it’s coming up from behind.

when I‘m fighting my own flesh.

How do I fight the world..

where actually part of me wants to do it like the world.

I can fight one but I can’t fight them all

and they are bigger then me,

and it’s coming up from behind.

How do I raise kids in a culture

where the information of the history of the universe is in their pocket.

“The nature of the battle determines the nature of the strategy.“

When you don’t understand the nature of the battle

you will not understand the nuance of the strategy.

So you will fight the battle

not understanding the dynamics of the battle

and you will lose the battle

because you will wrestle on the wrong level.

Can I preach a little bit today?

It’s for the few people that you are facing something that snuck up behind you. Didn’t see this coming and its bigger then you, I don’t know which one to fight next.

When you understand the nature of the battle

you can understand the nature of the strategy.

That’s why I‘ve got to ask God.

Jehoshaphat resolved to seek the Lord.

That means he involved the priests, the Levites

and they got together

and he got surrounded by the right people.

He’s not going to Ahab this time.

He’s not asking all his friends what they think about it this time.

He’s not looking for celebrity culture..

to influence his decisions this time.

He’s going to the right place..

but he does not have a plan.

And I want you to see his prayer because it’ll help you.

If you’re facing a battle that is bigger then you

and it snuck up from behind you.

Every day this week I want you to open your Bible to

Read what Jehoshaphat prayed

and then pray it.

because verse 5 says out loud I want you to pray this every day this week.

Get in God’s face this week for a few minutes every day

and pray this prayer. Read verse 5.

This is Solomon’s temple,

this is the one they dedicated to God,

this is the one where God promised...

to pour out his presence..

for any problem you face.

And he starts reminding God of what God said.

Read Verse 6. I love this...

because he has already shifted his focus...

from what is coming against him…

to the one who reigns above him. Read verse 7.

Remind God what he’s already done

when you are not sure what he’s doing right now.

Not so he can remember but so you can!

Come on we need to remember…

that this not the first time we cried,

this is not the first time we were short of breath,

this is not the first time we didn’t see a way clearer,

this is not the first time we were hurt,

this is not the first time we were heart broken

this is not the first diagnosis that came up form behind. Verse 7 (Did you not do it)

this is not the first we didn’t have enough money,

Watch this he says you gave it forever.

Since you gave it forever It can’t stop now.

Since you promised to fulfill your purpose

no enemy from Ammon,

no enemy from Moab,

no enemy from mount Sier,

no Edomite can take it away.

Notice the tone it shifts in verse 8, 9,( “they have lived in it and build…)

But now God great God but now verse 10…Josaphat said oh, oh that’s not my fault. This one we are doing the best we can, this one nobody really knew how to do it. this one is different. And you are going through something right now that might be different.

Notice the tone it shifts in verse 8-11

This battle might be bigger then me but might not be bigger then God.

If it’s God who gave it

Then it’s God’s to protected.

It’s not about how much power you have

its about possession.

And if you are God’s possession

and you are stewarding something that he gave you to posses..

then its not a matter of how much power you have...

that determines what happens next in this battle.

You see… when its God’s possession its God’s problem.

I don’t want to cry telling you this…If it hits your heart it if its God’s possession its God’s problem.

YOU are his treasure,

YOU are HIS possession.

YOU are his daughter,

YOU are his son,

YOU are his friend

and your friend knows how to fight for you.

Read verse 12

I don’t know how to fight,

I don’t know how to fix it,

I can’t control what comes against me

but our eyes are upon you.

And God says if you will change the focus

HE will win the fight.

If we change the focus

and stop looking at how big it is

but start praising him for how great he is.

Why did you read all those names pastor, why didn’t you skip over that that’s not important to the story, it absolutely is because every name that is represented, represented a generation that God was faithful in and it meant that every single time that God got ready to pass his purpose to another generation he didn’t drop it and he won’t drop it now. And it won’t stop with you, and you won’t lose the battle unless you lose the focus. It’s not about your power its about your position. You see some of us are loosing because we are fighting on the wrong level. To unpack it. I could use we wrestle not against flesh and blood but that ‘s what we fight against flesh and blood. We fight every battle physically, we fight people. We at times fight the battle to protect our ego to protect our pride. Then we lose our battle in our spirit because we were more concerned about protecting our pride… then we were about receiving God’s power and his help, and his provision in our lives.

Help is on the way. Read Verse 15

I was talking to somebody this week and there were some crazy stuff to me and the Lord said not this one, don’t fight this one. Sometimes I hear a comment about my preaching or about what shoes I’m wearing and stuff like that…but the Lord says not this one, not this one. Because if you convince a fool all you got for a friend is a fool. no not this one.

I know it’s too big for you

See you ‘ve got to fight with a focus. And the prophet said this is not even about you. So don’t be afraid if its too big for you don’t be afraid.

Read Verse 15 (don’t be afraid.) I know it’s too big for you but the battle is not your ….its God’s.

but the battle is not your ….its God’s.

When I say this, I want you to receive it like if its just for you.

“If it’s too big it does not belong to you.

If it’s too big you got to give it back to God.

And we say the battle is the Lord’s but we worry like it’s ours

now we’ve wasted all of our strength worrying

when we could have been worshipping.

The battle give it back,

quit doing God’s job for Him.

God wants his battle back,

It’s too big for you.

How do you give it back?

that’s a focus that’s looking beyond what’s coming against you

and looking toward what’s within you...

To know that greater is He that is in me..

than he that is in the world.

The battle is not yours but God’s. Rd verse 16

I want you to get in position

not so you can fight,

not so you can struggle

but so you can see the deliverance...

that the Lord will bring about to Israel this day.

God is fighting for Judah,

God is fighting for worshipers,

God is fighting for praisers,

God is fighting for his people,

God is fighting for you.

You are his friend, you get his help.

You get his strength,

you get his miracles,

you get his wisdom,

you get his provision,

you get his angels.

If you worship you wage the war of worship.

Its too big for me.

What you do when the battle chooses you,

you worship your way through it.

Read Verse 17 and 20.

Watch this they didn’t have to fight it

but they did have to face.

And God wants to give you the faith to face it

and to trust him to fight it.

Do you have the faith not to fight it in flesh

but to deal with it in your spirit.

Jesus told Peter put your sword away.

Sometimes it takes more faith not to fight.

Sometimes it takes more faith just to go to the cross

and get over you pride

and get over yourself

and let him fight your battles.

Let’s focus what’s right about God

instead what wrong with our lives.

Give thanks to the Lord,

magnify the Lord in the middle of the battle.

Let your focus be the cross

and give him the glory. Amen.