Fear of the Lord – 7 – Annual Business Meeting

Fear of the Lord – 7 – Annual Business Meeting

Subject – The Battle is the Lord’s

By Rick Welborne

2 Chronicles 20:2-4,12-17 (NKJV)
²  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea,
³  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
⁴  So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
¹²  O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
¹³  Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
¹⁴  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,                            ¹⁵  And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
¹⁶  Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
¹⁷  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; 

--Welcome to my 32 Annual Business Meeting here at Life Church. I really didn’t know what I was doing 32 years ago and I still don’t know tonight. Thankfully, God has surrounded me with great men.

--Last week in our staff meeting Pastor Marty shared this story about Jehoshaphat and about our firm foundation, and then, Pastor Mark encouraged your Pastor about our church and missions.

--Though the battles are different, they are still battles. Jehoshaphat was facing an insurmountable army and I have felt I have been facing an insurmountable situation with missions.

--I can’t imagine the pressure Jehoshaphat was under but I can identify with the pressure of supporting 220 missionaries under the present circumstances. Jehoshaphat feared, and honestly, so has Pastor Rick.

--God had always taken care of Israel and He has always taken care of us. This present enemy seems so overwhelming. All we can do is seek the Lord and encourage others to do the same. 

--Jehoshaphat knew so many lives were at stake. The same with our missionaries. So many souls are at stake. As I said, his enemy was an army. What is our enemy?

--In 2022 our tithes and offerings went down substantially. The economy has been stressed under a new administration, inflation has been thru the roof, and many have chosen to not be faithful. Thus, stress.

--Life church, please remember your Covenant Membership that you made when you became a member of this assembly. Just as a reminder:

As a covenant member do you promise by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, for holiness and knowledge, to promote its prosperity and spirituality, to sustain its worship, doctrines, and discipline, and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, missions, and the activities of the church?  

--Life Church, God must be first. He is a jealous God and requires of us to be faithful in the tithe and offerings besides. This is His Word and this was your covenant. Very serious.

--We have asked for 100% participation in the tithe and missions. Again, this a statement of powerful unity and it is biblical. When this happens, every need is met and even more. 

--If you are being faithful in the tithe and you don’t think you can make a Faith Promise, make one for $5 a month to be in unity with us. If you can’t find $5 come to me, I will give it. 

--So here is what God’s Word is saying to us:

1. Our Eyes Are On You!

--Jehoshaphat didn’t know what to do and I don’t know what to do but our eyes are on the Lord. He is our source and He is the only One Who can take care of this.

--Jehoshaphat asked the people to pray (I have asked), he told them to stand with their families (we are asking everyone to be involved). He did his part and we are doing our part. Praying, giving, sacrificing.

2. Don’t Be Afraid!

--Easier said than done. The Bible said Jehoshaphat feared. Look who gave the word: Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah. Where have we heard grandpa’s name? In a pit with a lion.

--What did Jahaziel say: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.’ The battle is the Lord’s.

--So Life Church, I have preached God’s Word, I have challenged you with tithing and the Great Commission (Missions), we have been faithful, and now the battle is the Lord’s. Please don’t fight with Him.

3. Stand Still and See!

--Obviously, all Jehoshaphat could do was stand still and see. That’s all I can do. Well, there is one more thing I (we) can do and that’s worship.

2 Chronicles 20:18&22 (NKJV)
¹⁸  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
²²  Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 

--The victory was won and God received the glory.