Sermon Notes
Pastor Lawrence
As you are watching this online service i want you to have hope in your heart. Let your hope arise. Trust in your good good Father who is perfect in all His ways. Today expect good things from God
A brother was in debt for sometime and his debt is quite a huge amount. Pandemic happened and things got even worse for him. His business got affected. At one point he was so depressed that he was actually suicidal. He took some plates and smash them. Both his wife and him were affected and felt suicidal. At the very lowest point of his life he cried out to God. He started to really paying attention on Sunday in Pastor sermons. He started to believe and some words he heard that he wrote down and he believed 2020 will be a year of breakthrough for him. In the month of August something amazing happened. He had 6 figures sum of profits. In the midst of Covid Pandemic, he received the breakthrough.
Because of what the Lord has done, now he has hope in his heart.
Today no matter what challenge you have in your life, believe God. Do not be afraid. Whatever challenge you are facing in your life, let your faith arise.
Let your hope be alive.
You will receive your miracle, your breakthrough
2020 is a year of breakthrough
2020 is a year of victory for the children of God
He is good and His mercy endures forever
2 Chronicles 20:1-4
Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir Defeated
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
His enemies are coming against him and in the midst of his challenge he was fearful
When we are faced with challenges we can be afraid
It is ok to be afraid
It is ok for you to have fear in your heart
But when you are afraid you must know what to do when you are afraid
Though fearful he set himself to seek the Lord
He gathered his people to ask help from the Lord
When you are faced with a challenge in your life, don’t look at the mountain before you, look up and seek the Lord
Ask help from the Lord
Seek help from the One who alone is able to help you
He is almighty
He is most willing to help you because He loves you
We have received the spirit of Sonship
As God’s beloved child, He is willing to help you
Seeking the Lord
King Saul did not inquire of the Lord
1 Chronicles 10:13-14
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
As a king he did not inquire of the Lord
David was someone who always inquire of the Lord
1 Samuel 23:1-5
David Saves the City of Keilah
Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”
Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
But David’s men said to him, “Look, 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 the LORD once again.
And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
David was considering whether he should save this city of Keilah
His own man told David he should not do that.
David having heard from the Lord a specific instruction to save Keilah yet his people opposed. What would you do?
You must inquire of the Lord
David heard people who oppose. He inquired of the Lord again.
Many times if you are not sure, seek the Lord and seek the Lord again
Whenever you inquire of the Lord, it shows of your humility.
Be like David, always inquire of the Lord
Whatever challenge you are facing in your life, inquire of the Lord
The Holy Spirit will guide you and He will surely help you
David inquire of the Lord whether the people will give him up to Saul. He said they will so he left Keilah
You can always hear His voice.
Jesus said My sheep hears My voice and I know them
Pray and ask. The Lord will always be faithful to guide you in the way you should go
Psalms 23:3-4
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, 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.
Even the mistakes of your own making, He will lead you out whatever challenges you are in.
Our God is slow to anger and He is a God who is always willing to forgive
He loves you and has compassion on you
Always seek Him and inquire of the Lord
Guide you in everything you do
Always listen to Him and seek to be guided by Him
2 Chronicles 20:12
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.”
Have you been in a place you do not know what to do and have no power against the challenges?
Yet he said our eyes are upon You
Lets keep our eyes upon Him who has loved us with His everlasting ℓσνє
We can keep our eyes on Jesus
We can keep our eyes on His great love for us
We can keep our eyes on His promises which are yes and amen!
The spirit of the Lord came upon one of the priests.
2 Chronicles 20:15
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.
The battle is not yours, but God’s
God will fight for you and victory is guaranteed
2 Chronicles 20:17
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; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
In the greatest battle of our lives we do not need to fight. We just know our Lord is with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us.
You are not fighting this battle alone.
Do not fear or be dismayed
Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord
Yeshua of the Lord!
Salvation there is Yeshua
Keep your eyes on Jesus and His great ℓσνє for you
Look to Him and to Him alone
2 Chronicles 20:20
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
2 Chronicles 20:21-23
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever.”
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. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
King Jehoshaphat sent the worship team to praise the Lord in the war
Praise the Lord for His grace endures forever
When you praise the Lord, instead of focusing on your challenges and the problems you have in your lives, and you look away from your problems and start looking at Jesus, something happen to your enemy.
After the enemy was destroyed, without them needing to fight, they took 3 days to collect the spoils.
They called the place the Valley of Blessings
Your God fights for you and you will get much more in return
God is a good God
1st key – Inquire of the Lord
2nd key – praise is your weapon
Whenever you praise the Lord, something good happen to you
We start to praise the Lord, instead of complaining.
Instead of blaming God, i challenge you to praise the Lord
All things work together for your good
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Matthew 21:16
and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
Psalms 8:1-2
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Praise is strength
Every time you praise the Lord you will receive strength
Strength – silence the enemy and the avenger.
Start praising the Lord
Instead of complaining, start giving thanks
We give thanks IN everything
Praise and worship the Lord is our weapon
Every time we praise the Lord there is strength given to us
Open your mouth and praise Him
When you praise the Lord, your enemies will be destroyed.
Praise is powerful.
David means beloved. David was a man who praise God.
Even in the toughest situation he is in
Psalm 34
A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
This same David who was told that he will be king, yet now he was running for his life.
They thought that David was mad.
The turmoil David had to go through.
That was the lowest point of David life. Yet in his lowest point he wrote this Psalm
Psalms 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalms 34:2-5
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
I sought the Lord and He heard me
He delivered me from my fears
He sought the Lord by worshipping the Lord
He sought the Lord by believing the goodness of God
Take time to seek the Lord
Seek Him He is all that you need
Let praise come from your heart and your lips
God is good inspite of your situation
Praise Him for He is good
He will turn your situation around for your good
Let the hope arise and praise Him
The name David means beloved
David knew the ℓσνє of God for him
Whatever giant you are facing in your life, be like David
God loves you and He cares for you
We must never judge the ℓσνє of God for us
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The ℓσνє of God was demonstrated when Christ died for us
Inspite of the challenges we are facing, we need to know we must know interpret that God does not ℓσνє us.
At the cross Jesus demonstrated His ℓσνє for you and me
Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross has changed everything
We need to know to understand God
We can learn about perseverance from God
We are no longer like Job. Consider the ending of Job.
God restored all that Job had lost and restored twice.
Our God is good and His heart is to bless us
How do you know God loves you today?
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
The cross is the ultimate truth
Jesus already died for me
I am confident God loves me till the end of age
God loves me. Let our hearts be filled with His ℓσνє
Romans 8:37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Through Him who loved us
Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness
Psalms 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
Jesus always have smile and always make people happy
Jesus is the most happy Person who ever lived. This same Jesus became a Man of Sorrow when He went to the cross
Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
This is ℓσνє. He loves you
Isaiah 53:4
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Never be ashamed when you have mental illness
Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
By His stripes you are healed in Jesus’ name
There is no greater ℓσνє than this.
He laid down His life for you and me
We are the beloved of God
We are more than conquerors
Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
