Rev. David Holwick D
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 28, 1996
2 Chronicles 20:1-12
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I. The times, they are a changin'.
A. We take pride in being problem solvers.
1) But our problems are increasing exponentially.
a) "Greenhouse effect." Global warming AND severe winters?
b) Consider changes in transportation. Feet, cart, plane.
c) Increase in knowledge in last decade.
1> 10 to 30th power.
2> Grain of sand -> size of Milky Way galaxy.
2) Change is not just global, but personal.
a) Corporate downsizing.
b) Raising kids to avoid temptations and failure.
c) Jesus may remain the same (Heb 13:8) but nothing else
does.
B. Theme of 50 Day Adventure.
1) "What to do when you don't know what to do."
a) Pastors asked: what do Christians need to hear?
b) Trusting Christ when life gets confusing.
2) Jesus gives a firm foundation.
II. Baffling times are nothing new.
A. King Jehoshaphat could not protect nation from foreign
invasion.
1) In past, he relied on political alliances.
2) He got rebuked for it. 2 Chr 19:2
3) This time he turned to God. 2 Chr 19:3
B. We face similar choices.
1) There are 5 primary responses.
III. Now what do we do?
A. Ignore the problem.
1) "When I wake up this will all be gone."
a) Only postpones and escalates coming crisis.
b) Parents may ignore a child's drug problem.
2) Better to be pro-active.
a) Neglect is a strategy of self-preservation, but bears
fruit in self-destruction.
B. Minimize the problem.
1) "It can't be that bad."
a) They have missed the signs of crisis.
b) Thinking problem is small doesn't make it so.
c) We end up making ourselves more vulnerable when we
minimize the threat or exaggerate our resources.
2) A realistic appraisal is essential to a successful outcome.
C. Do more of what we always do.
1) We turn to our traditional, habitual ways of solving problems.
a) We use strategies such as hard work, common sense,
expert advice, people of influence, or money.
b) We double the number of hours we work, the number of
dollars we spend, and the number of books we read.
c) But things don't change, and they may even deteriorate.
2) Someone commented on this phenomenon saying,
"The classic definition of insanity is continuing to do
the same things, hoping for different results.
That will make you crazy."
3) When we come to the end of our rope, it's time to take God's
hand -- not go searching for more rope.
a) Failure to recognize this can lead to catastrophe.
b) Consider the fate of the Pony Express.
It was one of the most successful, creative communication
links to connect the East and West Coasts of the U.S.
in the 1800s.
Riding night and day, riders could carry information from
St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in
just two weeks.
It was an amazing accomplishment.
But the pony express soon went out of business.
What used to take two weeks by horse and rider could be
done in an instant with electricity and wires.
The old way wasn't useful any longer.
More and faster horses wouldn't help the pony express
survive.
They'd been overtaken by a new technology.
D. Panic, or giving in to the-sky-is-falling! syndrome.
1) Where the minimizer underestimates the danger and puts
herself at risk, the overanxious person exaggerates
the situation, losing all perspective.
In the story of Chicken Little, the panic of Chicken
Little infected all the other animals.
"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"
They became "sitting ducks" for Foxy Loxy, as Chicken
Little led the panicked animals to his den.
2) Fear and anxiety are greater enemies than any enemies we
face.
E. Admit that we don't know what to do but we do know One who does.
1) We make the choice to proceed by faith.
a) Faith is neither wishful thinking nor blind optimism.
b) Faith is the exercise of hope rooted in our knowledge of
God and our understanding of life in this fallen world.
2) Even when we don't know what to do, we do know where to turn.
a) Turning to the Lord has the immediate effect of calming
the heart and putting things back into perspective.
IV. When You Don't Know What to Do, Admit It!
A. The first step of faith is recognizing you don't know what to do!
1) Jehoshaphat, the great king, did not hide his concern,
confusion, and fear. 2 Chr 20:3
2) He openly admitted, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes
are upon you." 2 Chr 20:12
3) Had he hidden his confusion, he would have put his people
in great danger.
B. It's not easy to admit we need help, however.
1) Pride can keep us silent when we are barely hanging on.
2) The need to appear self-sufficient blinds us to our need,
and blocks us from tapping power outside ourselves.
3) Honesty, on the other hand, opens the way to success.
C. What gave Jehoshaphat the courage to be so vulnerable?
1) Perhaps he recalled the rebuke and promise that had been
given to his father, Asa.
a) King Asa had also been chastised for seeking help from
others rather than from God.
b) His foolish reliance on human resources diverted him
from the vast and eternal might of God.
2) As the prophet spoke against Asa, he reminded him of God's
eagerness to come to his people's aid.
a) "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to show his might in behalf of those
whose heart is blameless toward him" 2 Chr 16:9
3) For those who believe, this promise is custom-fit for crisis!
V. The One Thing That Always Works.
A. The second step of faith was prayer.
1) Jehoshaphat invited the people to join him in prayer and
fasting.
2) Incredible power arises from people coming together before
the Lord.
3) Even if it doesn't immediately change the situation, genuine
prayer changes us.
a) It changes our perspective, reminding us of the most
important things in life.
b) It awakens faith, hope, and courage in our hearts.
Yesterday I visited a man who had a fascinating story.
I'll call him Joseph.
He was born Catholic, converted to Islam, but never
had a crisis of faith until a friend got sick.
This friend was the best one he ever had.
They knew each other instinctively.
Then his friend got a gall stone.
He went to the hospital and got some treatment.
But something went wrong.
He went into shock and suffered brain damage.
For one year he was in a coma, then he died.
Joseph was furious with God.
He saw him as a cheat or a tyrant.
Why would God let such a good man die so young?
He stopped believing and went on with life.
Soon afterwards he met a beautiful woman and got
married.
She became pregnant, and it was not an easy pregnancy.
Toward the end the doctors warned them they might lose
the baby.
Joseph once again turned to prayer.
He said if God would let his baby live, he would believe
again.
When his son was born he was completely healthy.
In gratitude Joseph named him, "Stand on God's promises."
(In a foreign language, of course!)
[Felix Akinarua?]
B. Spiritual support is important.
1) The Adventure encourages people to pray for each other.
a) Prayer partners are one possibility.
2) We are not in this alone, but together. 2 Chr 20:4
VI. Receive God's direction for the situation.
A. After praying, Jehoshaphat and the people received God's Word
for the situation from the prophet Jahaziel.
1) He assured them that God had heard their prayer and would
fight on their behalf. 2 Chr 20:14
B. We also can find our hearts strengthened by reading God's Word.
1) We may not have a prophet, but we have God's promises.
Ara Parsegian, former Notre Dame football coach, is facing a
battle in which even all his expertise and prestige aren't
enough to help him.
Three of his four grandchildren have been diagnosed with the
fatal Niemann-Pick Type C disease.
It strikes children between ages 5 and 10, preventing them from
properly metabolizing cholesterol.
The substance accumulates within the cells of the liver, spleen,
and brain, damaging the nervous system.
The body deteriorates, and the child dies 5 to 10 years after
developing the disease.
Science does not have a cure.
What do you do?
The family is fighting back by recruiting scientists to search
for a cure, but a hopeful prognosis isn't certain.
"Maybe this is supposed to be," Parsegian said.
"The Lord looks down and says, 'Maybe you can't cure every
disease, but I can lead you in a direction to cure this one'"
What a witness to the encouragement of God's Word from a
family facing a life-and-death situation.
(Jim Massie, The Miamian: Spring, 1995)
VII. What the Adventure is all about.
A. Learn how to receive strength and direction by embracing the
great promises of God's Word.
1) When Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah took God at his
word, God took on their enemies.
2) In one of the most fascinating battles in history, Judah's
enemies destroyed themselves while Judah's choirs sang
and the people watched!
3) What a joy to watch the Lord do battle!
B. During the 50-Day Spiritual Adventure, we will learn how to
respond as Jehoshaphat did.
We will explore the following themes:
1) Choose to believe Christ will make a way for you through
the maze.
2) Embrace the great promises of God's Word.
3) Pursue support relationships with other believers.
4) Look for the joys that refresh your spirit.
5) Remove unnecessary confusion from your life.
6) Accept the Lord's grace and forgiveness.
7) Discover how Jesus identifies with your struggles.
8) Place your hope in the God of surprising outcomes.
[below not used here]
VIII. An Invitation to The Adventure.
A. The insight we gain will be translated into experience through
the use of the Adventure Journal.
1) This journal could change your life if you invest the time.
2) It provides excellent daily Bible studies and action steps
that will help us develop holy habits that can change
our lives.
B. The five actions steps are:
1) Fill your days with "I believe" statements.
2) Face confusion with confidence from God's Word.
3) Unleash the power of prayer partnerships.
4) Energize your faith by tracking daily joys.
5) Find three ways to unclutter your life.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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