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The Battle is not yours, but God's · G. T. Ministries

2:04
SPEAKER_00: The babble is not yours.
2:07
SPEAKER_00: But it's God's.
2:08
SPEAKER_00: It's God's battle.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: That's what I want to talk about this morning.
2:14
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
2:15
SPEAKER_00: Leave it alone.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: Just do what required out of you to do.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: God fight the battle for you.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
2:25
SPEAKER_00: In Second Chronicles 20 and 15, it says, Be be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude.
2:37
SPEAKER_00: For the battle, the battle is not yours, but God.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
2:46
SPEAKER_00: Then Romans pick it up, Romans 8 and 37.
2:49
SPEAKER_00: Nay and all these things we are more than conqueror through him that has loved us.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: I just want to let you know today that victory does not come simply because we are stronger than our enemies.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: Victory comes when we recognize our dependency on God and obey his word and trust him with the outcome.
3:18
SPEAKER_00: Question I have for you this morning.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: What do you do when the enemy comes against you?
3:26
SPEAKER_00: What did you do?
3:28
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed like everything was coming against you at the same time?
3:36
SPEAKER_00: You got one problem on Monday, another problem on Tuesday, and before you could solve either one, here comes another problem on Wednesday.
3:45
SPEAKER_00: And then sometimes life feels like enemies have called a meeting and decided to attack you all at once.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: And you say, Lord, I can handle one problem, but why does everything have to happen at the same time?
4:05
SPEAKER_00: That's exactly the kind of situation King Jehoshaphat found himself in in 2 Chronicles chapter 20.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: That was three enemies' forces that came against him.
4:18
SPEAKER_00: Praise God, that came against Judah.
4:22
SPEAKER_00: The Mobites, the Amorites, and the others joined together to attack God's people.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: He had an army, he had soldiers, he had weapons, but the enemy coming against him had a great multitude.
4:47
SPEAKER_00: He was outnumbered.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: He was overwhelmed, and on that he was afraid.
4:57
SPEAKER_00: But what makes this story so powerful is not the size of the enemy, is how Jehosaphat responded to the enemy.
5:12
SPEAKER_00: You cannot always control what comes against come against you.
5:17
SPEAKER_00: You can't.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: But you can control how you respond when the enemy attacks.
5:37
SPEAKER_00: My response can make a difference in my victory.
5:41
SPEAKER_00: Just tell somebody that.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: How I respond.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: Well, let's just look at how Joe has so Joe Hosefat, even though he was afraid, how he dealt with this situation of the enemy coming through those three enemies coming after him.
6:12
SPEAKER_00: First of all, Joe he phased his fear by seeking God.
6:22
SPEAKER_00: And that's that's what we have to do.
6:25
SPEAKER_00: Rather than run into the lickabottom, running to marijuana, running to escape the pain which you're going through.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: We have to take it to God.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: Because in that third verse, it says, And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaim a fast throughout all Judah.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: There's a time you have to just lay your plate down and seek God.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
7:00
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I can't fast like most of the people in the Bible fast.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: Some went for three days, and some Elijah went for 40 days and some.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: Listen, do what you can.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: Do what you can.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: You know, now I'm older now, and I know I can't do what I did years ago when I was younger.
7:24
SPEAKER_00: My body was stronger.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: It was nothing for me to go three, three, four days or whatever without even eating anything.
7:33
SPEAKER_00: Now I know I can't do that, so I have to shorten my time, but I can do something.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: I can do a half a day, you know.
7:42
SPEAKER_00: I can I can do from morning to three or to six or whatever, whatever you can do.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: Somewhere I say I can't do that.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: Well, do three hours.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: Do what you can do.
7:55
SPEAKER_00: Just seek his face.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: And and you know what?
7:58
SPEAKER_00: Ask God how to fast.
8:01
SPEAKER_00: Ask him how to pray.
8:07
SPEAKER_00: The Bible didn't say that Johzaphat never was afraid.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: It says Johzephat feared.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: He was a king, he was a leader, and he had responsibility, yet he experienced fear.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: But a stand, and instead of allowing fear to control him, he turned his attention towards God.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: What Jehosaphat did, he acknowledged his fear, but he chose to seek the Lord.
8:45
SPEAKER_00: You can tell the Lord, Lord, I'm fearful in this situation.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: I don't know what to do in this.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm fearful.
8:50
SPEAKER_00: I got to go down there and meet court.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: And I I, you know, I really don't have a good lawyer.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: Uh they want to give me a lawyer, and and I don't have the money to even pay for a lawyer.
9:02
SPEAKER_00: So, Lord, I'm seeking you now.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: I'm a little afraid of what's going to happen.
9:07
SPEAKER_00: So you turn it to Him.
9:11
SPEAKER_00: What we must do, we must learn to take our fears to God instead of allowing our fears to take control of us.
9:22
SPEAKER_00: Some people respond to trouble by panicking.
9:27
SPEAKER_00: Oh yes.
9:29
SPEAKER_00: Others respond by complaining, some by blaming, and some by running away.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: Panicking, complaining, blaming, run away.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: Oh no, no.
9:50
SPEAKER_00: Joseph had been doing any of that.
9:53
SPEAKER_00: Joseph had responded by seeking God.
9:57
SPEAKER_00: You know what Psalms 56 and 3 says?
10:00
SPEAKER_00: What time I am afraid, I will trust you.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: What time I am afraid, I trust in you.
10:12
SPEAKER_00: David didn't say he would never be afraid.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: He said that when fear comes, he will trust God.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Lord.
10:22
SPEAKER_00: That's what we must, that's what we must do.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: When sickness attacks your body, seek God while attaining the care you need.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: When troubles enter your home, see God.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: When your finances become difficult, see God.
10:47
SPEAKER_00: When people turn against you, seek God.
10:55
SPEAKER_00: Don't let your fear drive you away from God.
10:59
SPEAKER_00: Let your fear drive you towards God.
11:03
SPEAKER_00: And that's very, very important.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we fear we we we run away from God.
11:09
SPEAKER_00: When trouble comes, rather than running to God, we run away from God.
11:16
SPEAKER_00: We run away from the place of worship where He placed us in because we're going through something, and I'm not going back down there to that building anymore.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm facing a situation.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, a lot of times you can get your answers sitting right in right in the house of prayer by listening.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: Because God discerns what's in the house needs to be said.
11:42
SPEAKER_00: He discerned.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: He's the discerner of the thought and intent of the heart.
11:48
SPEAKER_00: So when you come, you pray for the person, whoever that's speaking, that day, and you'll get your answer.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: I've gotten many of my answers sitting right in the house of prayer, then say anything at all, just listening to the preacher.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: How can you hear without a preacher?
12:12
SPEAKER_00: And how can he preach accepted be sin?
12:16
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that person up there, they don't even know that they're giving you the answer.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: It's the Holy Spirit giving you the answer to calm yourself down.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: And not only that, he called the people together to pray and fast.
12:33
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't just him.
12:34
SPEAKER_00: Verse 4, 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.
12:44
SPEAKER_00: And Jehosaphat understood that the battle was too great for him to handle by himself.
12:53
SPEAKER_00: So he called the people together.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: He didn't simply call a military meeting.
13:02
SPEAKER_00: He called a nation to seek the Lord.
13:06
SPEAKER_00: And what Jehoshaphat did, he united the people in fasting and prayer.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: And what we must do, we will recognize, we must recognize the power of the united prayer coming together.
13:23
SPEAKER_00: Some battles require more than individual prayer.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: There are times when families, churches, communities needs to come together before God, like what it is now.
13:38
SPEAKER_00: Coming together for our government, praying for our government, praying for our leaders, praying for this, you know, this uh elections are coming up here, praying together.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: I often think about the scripture in Matthew 18 and 19.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything, they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: That's right, you gotta you know you I find you gotta praise him in advance.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: And Mark 1124.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: Anything you ask, uh, anytime you ask for anything in prayer, believe that you receive it, you have received it, and you will believe believe that you have it, received it, and it shall, and you will receive it.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: What are you saying?
14:54
SPEAKER_00: I believe I got it in order to receive it.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: Uh just just suppose, just suppose, okay.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: Just suppose somebody told you I'm gonna pay your mortgage for the whole year.
15:14
SPEAKER_00: And I'm writing out a check now, and I'm gonna send it to you.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: Would you thank that person then uh you would wait to get the check to receive it?
15:28
SPEAKER_00: Then thank them.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: You would thank them right there.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, you got thank you so much.
15:33
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
15:35
SPEAKER_00: And you start thanking the person, but you haven't got it in your hand yet.
15:40
SPEAKER_00: But you know it's coming.
15:43
SPEAKER_01: Whew.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: So what am I saying?
15:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm thanking God in advance.
15:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm thanking him in advance.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: I don't necessarily have it in my hand now, but I've been told that I'm gonna receive it.
16:00
SPEAKER_00: And what God says, hallelujah, you can put you can bank it.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: What God says, you can believe it.
16:10
SPEAKER_00: Believe that I got it in order to receive it.
16:16
SPEAKER_00: See, there's a difference between gratitude and faith.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: Thanking God after you receive something, that's gratitude.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: But thanking God before you receive, that's faith.
16:33
SPEAKER_00: He's been given the promise.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: Oh, hallelujah.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: The enemy often tries to divide the very people who should be praying together.
16:45
SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's his job is to divide and conquer.
16:49
SPEAKER_00: Because he know that when we come together, we are more powerful when we come together.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: He wants husbands against wives, parents against children, members against members, and leaders against leaders, and it sure happened today.
17:04
SPEAKER_00: Oh, hallelujah.
17:07
SPEAKER_00: One in every two marriages ended up in the divorce courts.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: Same for the world, same in the church.
17:13
SPEAKER_00: And that's something.
17:15
SPEAKER_00: Should be different.
17:17
SPEAKER_00: The last statistics I saw, that's what it stated.
17:20
SPEAKER_00: Now, I don't know if it changed since then, but it shouldn't be.
17:27
SPEAKER_00: So he wants the husbands and wives, parents against husbands against wives, wives against husbands, parents against children, members against members, leaders against leaders.
17:41
SPEAKER_00: But Jehoshaphat teaches us that when trouble comes, God's people should come together rather than fall apart.
17:52
SPEAKER_00: Glory be to God.
17:53
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: The church and the people that praise together also learn to stand together.
18:07
SPEAKER_00: We cannot expect victory over the enemies while we're busy fighting one another.
18:15
SPEAKER_00: Just tell somebody.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: Tell it to yourself.
18:19
SPEAKER_00: We are stronger when we seek God together.
18:25
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
18:28
SPEAKER_00: And then uh Joho Johosaph memor who God was and what God had done.
18:36
SPEAKER_00: Some God loves to be reminded of his promises.
18:41
SPEAKER_00: Now, parents don't like to be reminded of if you promise your children something, you know.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: You don't like to be reminded.
18:51
SPEAKER_00: But God loves to be reminded.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: Yes, he does.
18:57
SPEAKER_00: And in 2 Chronicles 26 and 7, uh Joseph's and said Joseph said, O Lord God of our fathers, art now the God in heaven ruleth over all the kingdoms of the of the heathens, and in thy hand there is no power and might, so that none is able to withstand you?
19:23
SPEAKER_00: Art thou our God, who does drive us out the inhabitants of the land before the people of Israel, giveth it into the seed of Abraham, your friend forever?
19:37
SPEAKER_00: Before Jehoshaphat started talking about how great his enemies was, he started talking about how great his God was.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: He remembers God's power, he remembers God's authority and God's faithfulness.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: What Jehoshaphat did, he reminded himself and the people of God's past faithfulness.
20:06
SPEAKER_00: He reminded God of who he is and his promises.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: And then he reminded himself.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: And the people of God past faithfulness.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: What we must do, we must remember what God has already brought us through.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the enemy wants us to forget our testimonies.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: But when trouble comes, we ought to remember the door God opens when everything else seemed closed.
20:44
SPEAKER_00: The prayers God answered when we had no answer.
20:48
SPEAKER_00: The strength God gave us when we thought we couldn't continue.
20:53
SPEAKER_00: The ways of God provided when we didn't know, we didn't know how we would make it.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: Glory be to God.
21:01
SPEAKER_00: In Psalm 77, verse number 11, I will remember the works of the Lord.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Don't allow your present problem to erase your memory of God's great goodness, of his past goodness.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: The same God who brought me through yesterday is still the same God today.
21:33
SPEAKER_00: Are you listening this morning?
21:36
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
21:37
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: Let's see in verse number 12 now what Jehosaphat did.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: Verse uh 12 of 2 Chronicles 2012.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: Jehoshaphat admitted his weakness and kept his eyes on God.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: Oh our God, will thou not judge them?
22:06
SPEAKER_00: For we have no might against this great army that have come against us.
22:11
SPEAKER_00: Neither know we what to do.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: But our eyes is upon you.
22:17
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: Our eyes are upon you.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: I will look unto the hills from which cometh my help.
22:28
SPEAKER_00: And my help cometh from the Lord.
22:30
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: Jehosaphat made three important confessions.
22:36
SPEAKER_00: We have no might.
22:38
SPEAKER_00: He acknowledged his limitations.
22:43
SPEAKER_00: Neither know what we to do.
22:45
SPEAKER_00: Number two.
22:46
SPEAKER_00: He acknowledged his need for divine wisdom.
22:52
SPEAKER_00: But our eyes is upon you.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: He declared his confidence in God.
22:59
SPEAKER_00: Oh, hallelujah.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: You want to find a way to pray.
23:04
SPEAKER_00: Follow this guideline.
23:07
SPEAKER_00: You'll see your answers.
23:10
SPEAKER_00: You'll see your question answered.
23:13
SPEAKER_00: Your problem solved.
23:16
SPEAKER_00: What Joe Helzifra did.
23:18
SPEAKER_00: He stopped pretending that he had everything under control.
23:24
SPEAKER_00: We must learn that admitting our weakness is not the same as admitting defeat.
23:32
SPEAKER_00: I admit a I tell God.
23:38
SPEAKER_00: I admit my weakness to God.
23:44
SPEAKER_00: And I tell him that I need his help.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: Some people are so proud to say, Lord, I need your help.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: But there is strength and dependent on God.
23:58
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: In 2 Corinthians 12 and 9, and he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
24:08
SPEAKER_00: Most gladly, therefore, I would rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ might rest upon me.
24:16
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes God allows us to reach to the end of our own strength so that He can learn, where we can learn to depend more fully on Him.
24:27
SPEAKER_00: Glory be to God.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
24:30
SPEAKER_00: When you don't know what to do about your children, keep your eyes on God.
24:37
SPEAKER_00: When you don't know what to do about your marriage, keep your eyes on God.
24:41
SPEAKER_00: When you don't know what to do about tomorrow, keep your eyes on God.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: And while you're trusting God, remain willing to receive His wisdom and take the responsible steps to put before before.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: I may not know what to do, but I know who to look to.
25:09
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
25:09
SPEAKER_00: One more.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: And he and verse number 15, and he said, Harken all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem.
25:20
SPEAKER_00: And King Jehovah thus said the Lord unto you, be not afraid, not dismayed by the reason of this great mother, too.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: For the battle is not yours but God.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: And while the people was praying, the Spirit of God came upon Jehovah Jehoshap, who delivered God's message.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: And God told them not to be afraid because the battle belongs to him.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: What Joshua did, he received the word of God and prepared to obey it.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
25:56
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
25:58
SPEAKER_00: Don't need to fight in this battle.
25:59
SPEAKER_00: Just get the choir together.
26:03
SPEAKER_00: He worshiped God before he saw the victory.
26:07
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus.
26:09
SPEAKER_00: He told him to get the choir together.
26:13
SPEAKER_00: Hallelujah.
26:14
SPEAKER_00: When the enemy is coming with his weapon, Joseph sent out the people singing praises to God.
26:21
SPEAKER_00: And what Joseph did, he worshiped before the battle was won.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: We must learn to praise God even before we see the answer to our prayer.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: It's easy to praise God when the bills are paid.
26:35
SPEAKER_00: Easy to praise him when the family's doing well.
26:39
SPEAKER_00: But can you praise him when the enemy have arrived?
26:43
SPEAKER_00: Can you praise him when the enemy hadn't arrived yet?
26:47
SPEAKER_00: Can you praise him while you're still waiting?
26:54
SPEAKER_00: Oh, we bless God today.
26:57
SPEAKER_00: We give his name the praise.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: We give his name the glory.
27:02
SPEAKER_00: All the glory, all the honor.
27:05
SPEAKER_00: All the glory, all the honor belongs to our King, belongs to our God.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: Why?
27:12
SPEAKER_00: Why?
27:13
SPEAKER_00: Because we have the victory.
27:15
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
27:17
SPEAKER_00: God bless you today.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: Give God praise.
27:21
SPEAKER_00: Praise Him in advance.
27:23
SPEAKER_00: Give Him all the glory.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: Give me this morning.
27:28
SPEAKER_00: All right now.
27:30
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
27:33
SPEAKER_00: Let's go.