Victory in Jesus

That's first Corinthians, not Chronicles. That's the that's a verse we're gonna read, but I want you to turn to second Chronicles. Alright. Alright. Turn if you would to second Chronicles.

Again, this is verse I put in the bulletin, first Corinthians fifteen fifty seven, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the victory in Jesus Christ. The victory what? Sin, the flesh, the devil, the world, we have the victory in Jesus Christ. He won it for us on the cross of Calvary and when he came out of that grave alive.

It is ours. The Bible says in Romans eight, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. In first John five four and five, it says, for whatsoever is born of God, who would that be? That would be us, believers in Jesus Christ. So whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. First John four four says, ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Do you believe that this morning? Oh, that sounds kind of wimpy. Do you believe that this morning?

Yes. Amen. I hope so. The Bible says that I believe it and I've seen it in Jesus Christ. And so let's go to the Lord in prayer before we continue.

Lord heavenly father, we thank you for this day that you've given to us, the opportunity to praise your name. Lord, we thank you for all the great and mighty things you have shown us this past week. We pray that would not only continue today, but every day of our life as we look into your word, as we gather together to worship, as we go out, to tell others of the grace of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. May you show yourself mighty. May you give us victory in Jesus Christ, our savior, the victory that is already ours to be taken.

We thank you, Lord, for that, the precious promises of your word, and the glorious place of reward, where we will stand before you someday, and we shall know you as you are because we will see you as you are. We thank you, Lord, for those precious promises and the opportunity to serve you this day. May you be magnified in our midst, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

We had we saw a lot of victories this week. One of them, I asked her if I could mention her, when we're shaking hands. But, Jada, if you could just wave your hand. Jada's Jada came to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of her life this week. And we just praise the Lord and thank her, thank him for that.

And and so what a joy to see people come to know Jesus Christ and become his children and gain the victory that is in Christ Jesus. What is the goal of war? We're in a war. We've been talking about that the last few weeks. What is the goal?

To win. To win. To defeat the enemy. The enemy is sin. The enemy is Satan.

He is already a conquered foe. He has no power over the child of God, For we have a greater power within us, the Holy Spirit, who takes the sword of the spirit and wields it in our life in the lives of others. Praise the Lord. One day, it will all be done away with. Sin, Satan, God will make a new heaven and a new earth where there'll be no death, no pain, no sorrow, no sin.

Praise the Lord. That day is a reality. That day is coming. We can see it with eyes of what? With eyes of faith.

Even Abraham looked for such a city, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11. Do you want to win over the enemy? I hope so. Be sad. I I wanna lose.

No. That would be a silly thing to say. Yes. We wanna win. Our foe is not flesh and blood, as it tells us in Ephesians six, but the minions of Satan, the devil, which seek to keep mankind hostage from his creator and bound in sin.

But you can have victory in Christ today. You can have victory over sin over the by the power of God. One day, vanquish are already defeated forever. Revelation twelve eleven, it says this. Beautiful passage.

Wonderful passage. And they overcame him, that is Satan, By the blood of the lamb. That is who? Jesus Christ. And he shed blood on Calvary for sin.

By the word of their testimony. That's the power of God through us, the redeemed in Christ Jesus. And they love not their lives unto the death because there is a greater reward coming. And we who now live in the flesh live by the faith of the son of God who loved and gave himself for us and is preparing a place for us. The battle belongs to the Lord.

He will win. He will have victory. It it is assured. You can read about it in here. In great detail, by the way, in the book of Revelation.

That we only win when God fights our battles for us because he is the power who conquers all of these things. We're no match for Satan, but Satan is no match for him. We only win when we die to self and live to God. If you're living selfishly only for the things of this world, only for glory and fame and power of self, What doth it profit if a man gain the whole world and what? Lose his own soul.

But when you when you have something greater to live for, Heaven and Jesus Christ. That's when you win. We only win when we humble ourselves so he can lift us up. God what? He exalts the what?

The humble. He brings lows the mighty, but he exalts the humble. We only win when we trust in his all sufficient grace. The arm of flesh, the song tells us, will fail you. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is what?

Weak. But God is powerful. When we are weak, then he is what? Strong. When we admit that we are weak and trust in him, we are strong.

When we put on the armor of God and claim the power of the risen savior and walk, that is battle in the spirit, we will overcome the lust of the flesh. Galatians five. Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Look, if you would, with me in second Chronicles chapter 20. Second Chronicles chapter 20.

We're going to read just the first verse here and then we're going to keep reading a little bit at a time till we get through the passage and to 12:00 or so. Okay. Second Chronicles chapter 20 verse one. Came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites, we'll find out those are the Edomites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Okay?

Now, couple things that are important here. As we look at this passage and we looked at the victory that God gave to Judah, the Israelites, in this day over a human foe, that same power gives us victory over the spiritual foes that we face today. It's good to now understand this to know a little bit about the the background. Okay? So let's set that up.

Who is Jehoshaphat? Well, is king of Judah. Okay? After the reign of David, Israel split north and south and the descendants of David continued to rule the southern part which was mainly made up of the tribe of Judah. Okay?

Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah. He was a godly king. The couple kings before him, not so much very godly at all. But Jehoshaphat began to bring a certain degree of revival back to Israel and to focus back to turn from idols to worship the living God. He was, generally speaking, a good king.

Moab, Ammon, and the Edomites that we'll talk about here are the surrounding enemies of Israel in the day. So you see up here on the map, you see Jerusalem. There, it's kind of small, but it's in the middle is Jerusalem. And then over here, see Ammon on the right side of the Jordan River. And going down, see you see Moab right there below it, and then you see Edom below that.

They all kind of surround the Dead Sea there over on the Eastern side of the Dead Sea. Okay? These were long time enemies of the nation of Israel. When they went to come into the land after leaving Egypt, these people groups did not allow them. So they had to kind of fight their way through to get to the other side of the Jordan River.

Later on, they would be conquered by David. But after the kingdom split, these groups began to assert their independence and again to become enemies to Judah at this time. It is interesting to note that these are not Canaanite people groups. K? These were not those that God told Israel to send or destroy from the land.

K? The Ammonites and the Moabites are descendants of Lot. Lot had two legitimate children after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Ammonites and Moabites are descendants of Lot. They should have been the friends of Israel, but they were not.

The Edomites are the descendants of Esau. Okay? That would be Jacob's brother, Esau. The Edomites came into this area, conquered the people that lived there, and during the time that Israel was in the land, the Edomites ruled there. So these three people groups should have been friends of Israel, but all throughout Israel's history, they were a thorn in their side.

And now, that again, is the case. They are now, coming up against Israel in battle. They are have combined their armies. And as a combined force, they are several times greater in number than the than the army of Judah that they are attacking. Okay?

They they have the upper hand here in regards to numbers. So if you look in verse two, two, three, and four in our passage, then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, meaning the Dead Sea, on this side Syria, and behold, there be has has Hazazon Tamar, which is in En Gedi. Okay? They be in Hazazon Tamar, which is in Gedi. In Gedi is on the coast of the Dead Sea.

I've been there. It's an interesting little what do you call that where there's water in the middle of nowhere? There we go. Oasis on the Dead Sea. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

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. What was their response? They were what? Afraid. That's their first response.

K? The emotion, when they saw that big when they heard that these three nations had gathered together all their armies to come against Judah and to come against Jerusalem, they were afraid. Should they have been afraid? Yes. They should have been afraid.

They were the little guy here. They were the vast underdog. These people were were vastly superior to them in their mind. They had right to be afraid. They afraid.

They were afraid because the other nation's number was far greater than theirs and that looked bleak. They may have also feared the judgment of God as Judah had not been so faith faithful to him As in the past hundred years since the nation divided, the people of Judah were not being all that faithful to God. And they knew it. And when you're not being faithful to God and you know it, that might tend to make you what? Fear.

When when you have go to the doctor and you know there's something wrong and you get news that something is wrong and it's not just a cold that's going to go away next week, might that cause you fear? Yes. And if you haven't been walking with the Lord, and if you've been resisting the Lord, and if you've been rebelling against the Lord, and you hear those words, it might even give you a little more what? Fear. You know, it's one thing to hear the doctor say, you have something wrong.

It's another thing for me to think, you know, it's my fault. My fault. Does God chasten? Yes, he does. Can that come in the form of poor health or poor finances or other calamities happening?

Yes, it can and sometimes does. Now, does every calamity in life mean God is chasing you? No. That's not the case. But sometimes it is.

And we're often quick sometimes to think, I'm Job. I'm Job. God is punishing me because I'm good. Alright. Things are going bad because I'm good.

We're often quick to say, oh, no, me. I'm nothing wrong. I'm doing anything wrong here. I'm Job. Okay?

God is God is using me as an example of good to prove to Satan. Okay. When sometimes God is what? God is chasing us. And when when when that enters my mind and heart that I sink a little bit lower.

Okay. It is a sure thing that Israel feared because of the the vast army that was gathering on their border. Can you imagine if that vast army was gathering on our border and it outnumbered us 10 to one? Yeah. That might cause us to fear.

And then to think, well, you know, look what's going on in our country. That might cause us to fear as well. But, you know, God is a merciful God. God is a patient God. God is a loving God.

Even when he chastens you, he still loves you. And oftentimes, in our chastening, he withholds for he is a loving, merciful God. And if we will repent and turn to him, he restores our joy, his blessing. He promises to never leave us nor, what, forsake us. And had he forsaken Judah?

The answer to that is no. No. He hadn't. He was still there. He would still answer their prayers.

He would still be there for them as he's also there for who? For us. So the king hears the news. The news spreads throughout Judah. What would the king do?

What would the king do? They look to their king for direction and guidance. What did he do? Well, he gave himself fully to seeking after who? Verse three, Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord.

And he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Bad things in your life either push you to God or push you away from God. Certainly, God's desire is that the the difficult things push him us, what? Toward him and not away from him. How did Jehoshaphat respond?

He responded in faith. Immediately, when fear overwhelmed him, he went to the one who gives the victory, to the almighty one, to the loving God of Israel, had delivered them despite themselves again and again and again and again. He set himself to fully seek the Lord. Isaiah 56 fifty five six says, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near.

Seek ye the Lord. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall, what, add unto you. The victory, among other things, that is ours in Jesus will be granted to us if we will what? Seek the Lord. Ask and it shall be given to you.

Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. His fear did what fear should do. It drove him to the one who take could take care of his fears. The fear of the Lord is a good thing because it drives us to the God who is able to take care of all the other things that scare us.

His fear drove him to God and not away. He chose the fear of the Lord to overcome his fear of man. He sought the Lord. He sought the Lord's counsel and help. He declared a fast.

What does that mean? Will that mean they all needed to lose weight before they went into battle? No. That's not the purpose of fasting. You know, a lot of times we relate fasting with, you know, weight loss today.

Weight loss can be a good thing. But when it talks about fasting in the Old Testament and the New, it's not talking about your diet. The purpose is not to lose weight. The purpose is to call upon the Lord from a sincere and earnest place where you are willing to let certain things go in order to seek the face of God and declare to him that your need for deliverance from God is greater than your need for what? Food today.

Okay? And I'm willing, fasting, to put off food today because what I need from God is more important than filling my belly. And is that saying something? Well, yes, because food is important. Generally speaking, you need it.

It is important. But you know, victory over sin and Satan and here in chronicles over the enemies of Israel was more pressing than was food. And so he called a fast. He called a fast in order that they might focus all of their attention on seeking the power, the mercy, and the deliverance of almighty God. When Esther when Mordecai came to Esther in the palace in Persia and said they've, Esther, do you know they've they've made a decree that on this day all of the Jews are to be slaughtered throughout the kingdom of Persia?

He and Mordecai requested Esther to go before the king. And Esther said, I can't do that. If I go before the king, he'll kill me. I have to be requested to come before the king. I can't just walk in there willy nilly.

He will have me executed. But finally, she said, ask the people to fast and pray for three days, and then I'll go before the king. And if I perish, I perish. What was she saying? Two things.

Number one, seek who? Seek the Lord's help for me and for the nation and for the request that I will make. Why? Because she valued the help of who? The help of God and his protection.

And second of all, she showed courage and that the request that she needed to make was more valuable even than her own physical well-being. The king gave himself holy to seek the Lord. All that our leaders today would give themselves holy to seek the Lord. All that our spiritual leaders today would give themselves holy to seek the Lord. It is what our nation needs.

It's for God's children to holy seek the Lord. In verse five, says, the king stood. Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court. What did what did the king, what did the leader do? He didn't cower.

He didn't run. He didn't hide. He said, the box stops where? With me. He stood before the people.

He stood before the people and before who? Before the Lord as represented in by his house, the temple there in Jerusalem. He took responsibility. His standing signified his certain resolve. Ezekiel twenty two thirty says this, after Judah was wiped out later on, hundreds of years later, by the Babylonians.

This is what Ezekiel had to stay under inspiration of the Lord. And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I what? But I found none. But this was not that day because Jehoshaphat did what? He stood up.

He stood up for the Lord. He stood up to take responsibility. He stood up to show and declare his trust in the almighty God of heaven and the Lord God of Israel. He stood in the gap between the people and the Lord. And this day in second Chronicles 20 was not the day of judgment and destruction.

It was the day of salvation and deliverance for the people of Judah. God is looking for servant leaders with resolve and courage today. I like that song or hymn book. I am resolved no longer to linger charmed by the world's delights. Things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have alerted my sight.

Oh, that that would be true each day of God's children. He stood up before God for his people. In so doing, he led a great revival resulting in a tremendous victory. These victories often hinge on someone taking a what? A stand.

Being counted for the Lord, whether it be Isaiah or whether it be Moses or whether it be Jeremiah or whether it be Elijah or whether it be the apostles of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, or whether it be you. These victories hinge on someone taking a stand with their friend, with their neighbor, with their relative before a lost world and saying, I know what's right and I will stand for the Lord. And I will stand for what's right and I will stand for what honors him. I will stand for the truth. Oh, how we sorely need that today.

How did we get in this mess in the society we find ourselves? Because God's people didn't take a what? A stand. And so we find ourselves here. We don't have to find ourselves here in our families and in our communities and particularly in our church if we will take a stand.

Don't succumb to the idea that you are powerless. As a Christian, you are powerful when you stand for the Lord and before others. You are in Christ. You are powerful. As Paul said, I can do what?

All things through Christ who strengthens me. What did Jehoshaphat do after he stood? Well, he did what people do when they seek the Lord. He prayed and said, verse six, o Lord God of our fathers, art not thou in heaven? Obviously, yes.

And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? Obviously, yes. And in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee? Obviously, what? Yes.

Are not thou our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend forever? Yes. And they dwelt therein and have built thee a sanctuary wherein thy therein for thy name, that would be the temple, saying, if when evil cometh upon us as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, that would be the Edomites, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. Behold, I say, how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast given us to inherit.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Wow. What a prayer.

He didn't give them a pep talk. He prayed. He didn't call for the people to go to arms. He prayed. He didn't bemoan their plight.

He prayed, oh, that we might be more like Jehoshaphat. We gripe and complain too much. We often start making our plans how to deal with things that we don't know how to deal with before we go to the one who does know. We worry so much about things that are not that are out of our control, whether it be what's happening tomorrow or things out of our control today, but there is one who holds tomorrow in his hands. And we serve an almighty God.

Talk to him. He's promised to hear you who know him. So so Jehoshaphat prayed. He addressed the God he addressed the sovereign one of Israel, the all powerful ruler, our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

For thine is the kingdom and the what? And the power and the glory forever. Amen. He rehearsed before the Lord his covenant with his people and how he cast others out before them. In so doing, he was claiming by faith and before God those promises regarding his people.

He was standing on the promises of God. He was standing on their personal relationship with God as a nation. Today, as a child of God, you can make a better claim than could he. He stood before the temple. Today, you are the temple.

In his day, the personal relationship they had with God was as a nation. Today, you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as his son or his daughter. We have a better claim. We serve the risen savior. They looked to the day when that would come.

For us, that has already come. When we go to the Lord in prayer, it's important that we remember that and we claim the victory that is ours, not just as a church, but as a child of God in Jesus Christ. And you don't have to be sitting in a pew or walking through these doors. You can do that in your prayer closet at home or in your car while you're driving down the road for wherever you go, he goes with you. He reminded God of the building to his glory which they had built and which they stood before him now to plead their case for his grace.

He reminded God of the prohibition which he had placed upon them not to destroy the people of Edom, Moab, and Ammon because of God's promises to them being the children of Esau and of Lot. He now begged for God's intervention to defend his people against those who had rewarded their mercy with treachery and greed. He made plain to the Lord their faith and their dependence upon the Lord. And he claimed the promises. He claimed the same power and victory that God had shown before.

He claimed for today. For God is the same yesterday, today, and what? Forever. He relied upon the mercy and grace of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and save as such as be of a contrite, repentant, humble spirit because he lifts up the what?

The humble. You see a lot of pride in the prayer of Jehoshaphat? No. I see a king who's willing to admit he didn't have the what? He did not have the answer.

And he was willing to say that before the entire nation for however many of them had gathered there. That that takes a lot to say, I don't have the answer. But God does. Let's call upon let's call upon him. God will defend his testimony.

God will defend his children. When given the opportunity, when we surrender to him and praise his name, God will defend his honor, his glory, and most importantly, his children. But when we take the the glory for ourselves, when we take the rain ourselves and say, oh, it's okay, God. I got it. Now, I know you said to march around the walls 13 times and they would fall down.

I know that's what you said. I I don't get that. That just doesn't make sense to me. I'm gonna do it this way, and it doesn't go so well. Why?

Because we many things are spelled out right in here. Yeah. There are certain things you gotta pray the Lord and ask. Please show me, direct me, and I believe God will. He says, ask and it shall be, what, Given unto you.

He says, if you sincerely ask, I'll show you. There are a few things in here, decisions we have to make throughout the day that aren't spelled out in scripture, but a lot of them are. It's just we're not willing to what? Not willing to follow and say, okay, God. You got this.

I trust you. I trust you. He got his answer. Verse 14. Verse 14, Jehoshaphat got his answer.

Then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And he said, hearken ye all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem and thou king Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow, go ye down against them. Behold, they come up the Cliff Of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness Of Jeruel.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Wow. That's kinda nice. You shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the what?

See the salvation of the Lord. There's a lot of times we don't have to fight. We just have to what? Trust and see the salvation of the Lord. Instead, we go in I was terrible at fights when I was in junior high.

I people would make somebody would pick on me and pick on me and pick on me until Ed just I couldn't handle it anymore, and I would just go flailing in to fight somebody. It wasn't my fight. It was God's fight. I should have trusted God to defend, but I didn't. And I was going in flailing like this and one sucker punched to the rib cage down here and I was on the ground going Okay.

And that's what happens to us. We go in flailing. I got this. And we just need to wait upon the Lord. Bible says, wait they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. And God said, I got this. Don't be afraid.

Don't see be displayed. Verse seven, again, you shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves. Stand ye still. See the salvation of the Lord with you, old Jew in Jerusalem.

Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them for the Lord will be with you. They got their answer. Don't be afraid. The battle is the Lord's.

And indeed, so much the case today. Go to the place of battle, watch the Lord's deliverance, trust and what? Obey. Don't fear or be dismayed. Reminds me of this passage right here.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong enough of what? Good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. That same promise is made to every child of God in relation to our life here and our eternity to come.

God says, I've got it. I've got you. Don't be what? Don't be afraid to step out in faith, to trust the Lord, to do as he says. Don't be afraid of the threats of men or the threats of Satan or the the, in lurements of sin.

Trust in the Lord. There is a way of escape. There is victory to be found if we will learn to trust in the Lord. How did they respond? They did exactly what God told them to do.

Verse 18, Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped the Lord. The Levites, the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Kohathites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, hear hear me, oh Judah, and ye habitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and so shall ye be established.

Believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord. And some he didn't appoint the sourcemen and the you know, the he appointed the what? They went to battle with songs as did Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. And what was the result in both cases?

Victory. Victory for the Lord Jesus Christ. So they set the singers to sing and praise the Lord. And verse 22, when they began to sing and to praise the Lord, the praise, the Lord sent ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah and they were smitten for the children of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of Mount Seir. In other words, they began to attack each other.

That's right. Utterly slay verse 23. Utterly to slay and destroy them. And when they had made an end to the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward to watch to the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped.

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with dead bodies and precious jewels which they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry away. And they were three days in gathering of the spoil. It was so much. They stood there and they watched as they sang praises to God and the enemies destroyed themselves. And when after they had finished destroying themselves, the loot, the plunder became Israel's.

Satan and his minions and the enemies of God on this world will destroy themselves, sadly. And we will be the ones who inherit. The meek shall inherit what? The earth and the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the new Jerusalem for all eternity. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven and not upon earth.

Trust in the Lord. You will gain the victory both today and tomorrow and in all eternity to come. They bowed down and they worshiped. They praised the Lord. They gathered their army.

They trusted in the Lord. They sang praises to his name. And God gave them the victory, and God gave them the reward. In verse 26, it says, and on the fourth day, they assembled themselves in the Valley Of Barakah, For there, they blessed the Lord. Therefore, the name of the same place was called the Valley Of Barakah under this day.

Barakah in Hebrew is blessing, and how blessed we are, and how wonderful the opportunity to praise and to bless the God who has given us all riches in who? In Christ Jesus, our Lord. It is yours. You may not be rich in money in the bank. You may not have the most beautiful home.

You may not have, in some ways, the most peaceful life. You may not have the best health, but if you have Jesus, you have it all. God will supply what you need. He will take care of you, And he has a reward waiting you in heaven that would never have been yours if it weren't for Jesus, what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary for you. What did that result in?

It resulted in the fear being switched to the other side. For now, the enemies of Israel feared the Lord. Verse 29, and the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they had heard the Lord fought against the enemy. Because they did it God's way, now they didn't have to fear Ammon and they didn't have to fear Moab and they didn't have to fear Edom. Why?

Because they were afraid of who? God and God's people. You don't have to be afraid of Satan and you don't have to be afraid because greater is he that is in you than he that is is they that have to reason to be afraid. The enemies of God that have reason to be afraid, not us. And they had peace and they had quiet.

And we can have that peace. The peace of God that passes what? All understanding. We'll come before him, not worry about our problems, but if we'll come before him, as Philippians says, with thanksgiving, he will give us peace that passes all understanding. You're gonna have victory over sin and death and hell, the circumstances of life, but only through faith in Jesus Christ.

You can experience the peace and rest which comes with that victory, but you must first learn to fight in the power of who? The power of the Lord. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our what? Even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

He that hath the Son hath what? Hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life. Faith is the key. Faith is the key to salvation.

Faith, a growing faith, is the key to victory today and tomorrow and the next day. You have received Christ by faith as your Lord and savior and so decimated the plans of the wicked one. He is on the run. Are you living by faith as a child of God? Are you following Jehoshaphat's example?

I know many of you this week have seen victory. That victory doesn't have to end because revival services ended. Because God is the same yesterday, today, forever, and the victory that we have this week is the same victory we can have next week. We need to spend a little bit more time here maybe than we do or on our knees in prayer or or praising the Lord in our closet or out in public and telling others about Jesus. Taking a stand against sin and temptation, praying, surrendering to the Lord, and praising his name, we will see the victory in our own lives and see it here in our church and in our community because when God's people call on him in mercy for his mercy and grace, he answers.

Have you called on him to be the Lord and savior of your life? If you will today, he will what? Answer. Have you called on him today or yesterday or tomorrow? Will you?

To help you with the decision you make or to get victory over the temptation in your life? If you will, he will what? He will answer. He really will if we're willing to follow, and he will give us the victory. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for the victory that we have in Jesus Christ, for the home that you prepared for us, for the victory we can have today and tomorrow over temptation and the weakness of the flesh, over the things that scare us, Lord. You can give us peace and victory today. Lord, you have promised to seek if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things shall be added unto us. Lord, you will take care of us. Lord, help us to be willing to seek your face and follow your leading, to let you fight the battles that are not ours to fight, but to stand back and to see the salvation of the Lord.

Thank you, Lord, as we've seen those this week. Lord, if you spoke to anyone's heart today, I pray they would come as we give this hymn of invitation. I pray if there'd be one here in particular that is yet to trust Christ as savior, that they would come today, And we can show them how they can be saved and know it. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen.

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