25 October 2020 - Praise is your Strength to Silence your Enemies - New Creation Church Sermon Notes - Pastor Lawrence Lim Sermon NotesPastor Lawrence Lim preached a sermon that lifted up God's love and reminded us to inquire of the Lord in every situation. When we face insurmountable challenges, we can praise the Lord and see Him fight our battles for us! Praise and worship songs performed: 1. Give Me This Mountain - New Creation Worship 2. The Power of Your Presence 3. Gaze Upon the Cross - Michael Davis Let your faith arise and have strong hope—a confident expectation of good things to come. Today is a good day for your miracle! Our God is a good God. He is no respecter of persons. Just as He is good to other believer, so will He be good to you, child of God. Believe that 2020 is still going to be a year of breakthrough, miracles and victory for the children of God. 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 - King Jehoshaphat was facing an insurmountable multitude of enemies that could possibly annihilate his nation. It is okay to be fearful, but you must know what to do when you are feeling afraid. Jehoshaphat’s wise response was to seek the Lord. Don’t look at the mountains before you—look up and seek the Lord. You can ask Him for help no matter what situation you are facing. God is omnipotent (all-powerful). He is not just powerful, but He is also willing to help you. You are God’s beloved child, and your Abba God is always ready to help you. Jehoshaphat sought the Lord and God gave him a great victory against his enemies. “After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from Yahweh. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-4 WEB) 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 - Saul was the first king of Israel. The first indictment against him was that as a king, he did not inquire of the Lord. This is opposite to David, his successor. David always inquired of the Lord. “So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14 WEB) 1 Samuel 23:1-5 - David inquired of the Lord and received specific instruction from the Lord to save Keilah. David heard the people opposing the Lord’s instruction and he inquired of the Lord again. Always inquire of the Lord, don’t listen to popular opinion of men. If you are not sure, it is okay to inquired of the Lord again. Every time you seek the Lord first before making a decision, you are being humble. You are relying on Him instead of in the flesh. As you keep seeking the Lord, the Holy Spirit will faithfully guide and help you in every situation of your life. “David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.” David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.” (1 Samuel 23:1-5 WEB) John 10:27 - If you are Jesus’ sheep, you will hear His voice. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 WEB) Psalm 23:3-4 - Jesus guides you in the paths of righteousness. Even if you wander away and walk into the valley of the shadow of death, He is still with you. When you humble yourself to inquire of Him, He will surely help you. “He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalms 23:3-4 WEB) 2 Chronicles 20:12 - Jehoshaphat was so humble to admit that he had no power nor wisdom to defeat his enemies. We only need to keep our eyes on Jesus and His promises to us. “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”” (2 Chronicles 20:12 WEB) 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 - Do not be afraid of the challenges you are facing. The battle is not yours, but God’s. When God fights for you, you are going to win. Victory is surely yours. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. “and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.’”” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17 WEB) 2 Chronicles 20:20 - To have 20/20 perfect vision is to believe in God and to believe in the inspired words of God’s prophets (God-inspired words that cause edification, comfort and strengthening). You will be established and you will prosper. “They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”” (2 Chronicles 20:20 WEB) 2 Chronicles 20:21-23 - The words translated as “loving kindness” in the original Hebrew is “hesed” which means grace. Jehoshaphat stationed singers and worshippers in front of his army which is in the natural, a bad military decision. When you fix your eyes on God’s Grace, something happens to your enemies. Praise is your weapon. When you praise, something good happens to you. “When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to Yahweh, and give praise in holy array, as they go out before the army, and say, “Give thanks to Yahweh; for his loving kindness endures forever.” When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them: and when they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.” (2 Chronicles 20:21-23 WEB) 2 Chronicles 20:24-27 - The valley of trouble became the valley of blessing (Beracah). When Judah praised the Lord, the Lord fought for them. “When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much. On the fourth day, they assembled themselves in Beracah Valley, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place was called “Beracah Valley” to this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Yahweh had made them to rejoice over their enemies.” (2 Chronicles 20:24-27 WEB) Romans 8:28 - Praise God for He makes all things work together for your good. “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 WEB) Matthew 21:16 - Jesus quoted from Psalm 8, but He changed the word “strength” to “praise” instead. He equated strength with praise. “and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’”” (Matthew 21:16 WEB) Psalm 8:1-2 - Praise is your strength to silence the enemy and the avenger. Every time you praise the Lord, something shifts in the spirit realm and something good will happen for you. “Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who has set your glory above the heavens! From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalms 8:1-2 WEB) Psalm 34:1-6 - David was a man who praised God, even in the toughest situations of his life. David wrote this psalm when he was exiled from his own nation and had to feign madness, letting his drool run down his beard in order to avoid death. Even in the toughest times, keeping praising Jesus. He will turn the situation around for your good. “I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together. I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame. This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalms 34:1-6 WEB)
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AuthorHi I’m Milton Goh, I'm 31 years old and i'm a blogger who writes about Christianity, Parenting, Life Lessons that I learn from Movies/Shows, and Lifestyle. |