April/29/ 2018
2 Chronicles 20:1-2 1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea.
2 Chronicles 20:3-29
3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.
22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
Reaction: Fast, pray, and worship.
Result: Won the Battle
1. Worship Wins the Battle
ACTS 16:16-30
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Reaction: was to pray and worship
Result: Chains fell off, Doors flew open.
2. Worship Breaks off Chains
Joshua 5:13-15
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord[e] have for his servant?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 6:2-5
2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
Reaction: Fell Down in Reverence/Worshiped out of obedience
Result: Walls fell down
3. Worship Breaks Down Walls
MARK 12:41-44
41-44 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”
JOHN 12:1-8
1-3 Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
4-6 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
7-8 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
Our outward expression needs to be a reflection of the work He has done on the inside.
Identity of Fear: I am Last, I am not good Enough, I do not need to do my part, I am less than
Identity of Father: You are anointed, You are a king, You are a conquerer, You are more than enough, Your battle is already won, You are a worshipper, You are a Son!
April/22/ 2018
Do Over
Getting Over Yourself
1.The greatest CAUSE of Failure is Pride
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Isaiah 14:13-14, “You said in your heart, I will ascend to Heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars. I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly of the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.”
Romans 12:3 “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”
a. I’m better than you.
b. I can handle it myself.
c. It doesn’t apply to me.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride leads to destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 18:12 “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud.”
James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
2. The greatest CURE for Pride is Humility
Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How do I learn to humble myself?
1. Consider the source.
Proverbs 9:10 “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Jeremiah 29:11 “I have plans to prosper you…”
Duet 8:18 “it is (God) who gives you the ability to produce wealth"
Psalm 139 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
James 1:7 “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the father of heavenly lights.”
I Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive and if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not.”
2. Change your focus.
Philippians 2:3-8 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. 8 When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
April/08/ 2018
Do Over
Getting Over your Guilt
Luke 22:54-62 “Then seizing him, they led Jesus away and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance but when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.” A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.
1. Your biggest sins are not too big for God’s grace!
Luke 22:60 “About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter…”
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Romans 8:1 “So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Jeremiah 31:34 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
2. You are not what you have done, you are who God says you are.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
3. You can’t change your past but Christ can change your future!
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short.” No matter who you are or what your life looks like now, we’ve all made mistakes and we all fall short.
John 21:15 “Jesus said, “Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time, He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me? “Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.”
How do you get a do over from your guilt?
1. Admit it
Proverbs 28:13 NCV “If you hide your sins you will not succeed. If you confess and reject them you will receive mercy. “
Stop trying to hide it, stop trying to run from it, stop trying to act like its not there. Just admit it. That’s the first step.
Psalm 32:5 “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
2. Ask God to forgive it.
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
3. Accept it and move on
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
April/01/ 2018
Do Over
Easter
Second Chances
Romans 5:6-8 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
1. God gives you a second chance
James 2:10 “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.”
Romans 6:23 “the payment for sin is death”
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ”
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Luke 23:42-43 “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom. ” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
paradise.”
2. You should give God a second chance
