Positioned

We positioned each of these chairs in the sanctuary. We moved them around so that they would be in this particular configuration. That is pretty easy to understand.

I want to discuss this morning our position - in our relationship with the Lord.

PRAY.

The passage of scripture we will be looking at this morning comes from 2 Chronicles. Jumping back to the old Testament. If you have a Bible with you, you might turn there. We know that God is everlasting - that His nature does not change. God is the same. Jesus is the same. As we study the old testament, we need to understand this - as it introduces us to God the creator, and informs us of who He is. If we rightly understand something about God from the old testament, we rightly understand that about God.

We go through a lot of nonsense in the world. Our day to day lives are bombarded by nonsense, the enemy is prowling around seeking whom he might devour - that is plenty of nonsense all on its own. The story we are going to look at today - gives us some insight into how we aught to deal with that. We are going to see some example today from this story of Jehoshaphat - examples of how we might respond to the nonsense of the world. Even when it feels overwhelming, and how our position changes everything.

A little bit of backstory:

Jehoshaphat was king of the southern kingdom of Judah. Like many of us, they had seasons of their lives where the were more dedicated to God and seasons where they were less.

They had already been through a process of “coming back to the Lord” in chapter 19.

Religious reform was sweeping the kingdom. They were taking care of business. And then there was trouble.

2 Chronicles 20:1–2 CSB

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat. People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

The Moabites had assembled an unholy alliance.

A vast number have come to fight

How many is in a vast number?

Enough to be scary. Enough to cause concern. Enough that you go tell the King about. Enough that the king gets scared.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 20

Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the LORD. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah

Hey - we are going through a fast right now!

They came before the Lord - intentionally

They Prayed.

They declared who God is

They recalled the good that God had already done

They presented God with the problem - and asked for His intervention

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 20

12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.,

We do not know what to do - We look to you. Can any of you relate to the kingdom of Judah in this passage? I mean - I am doing okay so far today, but we get to this place often. I don’t know what to do… I look to you.

Read 13-17.

They prayed.. and God answered.

God answered

They said … God we are afraid.

You don’t have to be afraid.

They said … God we can’t win

You don’t have to fight, this fight isn’t yours.

They said… God we don’t know what to do

Position yourselves - stand and see

Go out to face them

God is with you.

Such a beautiful exchange between God and His people. This is what we can expect too, when WE come before the Lord with our woes and our problems.

They responded. Read 18-21

The king knelt low with his face on the ground

The nation fell down before the Lord to worship / the leaders stood up to praise

They did as God told them to do. They showed up.

Jehosaphat encouraged the kingdom…

Believe and you will be established. Believe and you will succeed in this.

And God - Acted on their behalf. Read 22-24.

Think this through for a moment… for there to be no survivors in a battle like this,

The old testament allows us to get to know who our God is. If we rightly understand something about God from the OT, then we rightly understand that about God.

From this story - we can learn a lot of things.

Our position matters. Our posture matters.

There was a work to be done to bring people back to right relationship with God.

Our position when we are faced with opposition - aught to be in his presence. That is where we find refuge.

Psalm 46:1 CSB

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.

We overwhelm ourselves with our own expectations for ourselves - The right response is to position ourselves in the Lord.

The right posture is to be in His presence. We need to be in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 CSB

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Then - while we are in the struggle - We should turn our focus first to worship.

The Kingdom of Judah, under the leadership of Jehosaphat - made worship an absolute priority in this moment.

God said to position themselves.

Their response was to seek his glory first. They put singers out in front. The response of people to God’s activity in their lives - should be worship.

And think of this, they were so distracted in worship - they had no idea what was happening in front of them.

God said to position themselves - they turned to worship.

As we prepare for the nonsense ahead of us, we should position ourselves to worship too.

And then we go to battle.

2 Chronicles 20:17 CSB

You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’ ”

And when we get there - as we position ourselves the way the Kingdom of Judah did.. in prayer, reverence and worship - we may have the priveledge that they had.

To stand still. and see the Salvation of the Lord.

God is with you - Calvary Foursquare church. We should not be afraid or discouraged.

Positioned

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