2 Timothy 1:12 “I
am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep what I have committed to Him."
1.
I am persuaded means that it had
taken time, energy, effort, and action to prove to Paul what God was, is, and
always will be able to do.
1.
Persuaded meant: to cause (someone)
to do something by asking, arguing, or giving reasons-to cause (someone) to
believe something.
2.
Paul was saying God has shown me,
caused me to believe, argued His point, given me reason time and time again
that He is trustworthy.
1.
If we'll allow God He will show us
His worth, His faithfulness, His strength, His healing power, His purpose, and
His love for all.
1.
Asking God will produce results.
2.
Asking God will produce faith.
3.
Asking God will produce persuasion.
2 Chronicles
20:1-30 NLT "[1] After this, the armies of
the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat.
[2] Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom is
marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at
Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) [3] Jehoshaphat was
terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered
everyone in Judah to begin fasting. [4] So people from all the towns of Judah
came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord's help. [5] Jehoshaphat stood before the
community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of
the Lord. [6] He prayed, "O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the
God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are
powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! [7] O our God, did you not
drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did
you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? [8]
Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. [9] They
said, 'Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or
famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your
name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and
rescue us.' [10] "And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and
Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when
Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. [11] Now
see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land,
which you gave us as an inheritance. [12] O our God, won't you stop them?
We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not
know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." [13] As all the men
of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children,
[14] the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name
was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah,
a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. [15] He said, "Listen, all you
people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord
says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the
battle is not yours, but God's. [16] Tomorrow, march out against them. You
will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that
opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. [17] But you will not even need to fight.
Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with
you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out
against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" [18] Then King
Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah
and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. [19] Then the Levites from the
clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a
very loud shout. [20] Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into
the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen
to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and
you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will
succeed." [21] After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to
walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy
splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful
love endures forever!" [22] At the very moment they began to sing and give
praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start
fighting among themselves. [23] The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against
their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had
destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. [24] So when the
army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were
dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of
the enemy had escaped. [25] King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the
plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other
valuables-more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took
them three days just to collect it all! [26] On the fourth day they gathered in
the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised
and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.
[27] Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them,
overjoyed that the Lord had given them victory over their enemies. [28] They
marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they
proceeded to the Temple of the Lord. [29] When all the surrounding kingdoms
heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear
of God came over them. [30] So Jehoshaphat's kingdom was at peace, for his God
had given him rest on every side."
2.
I am persuaded that this is God's
battle, God has a mission and I am just a part of it.
1.
I am just a weapon, a tool in His
hand.
2.
I sincerely want to follow His
purpose and design for my life, for my family, and for this church.
3.
I am persuaded that He is able to
keep that which I have committed unto Him.
1.
Vs. 3 tells us that when we're
terrified by the news of the vast army(news, problems, insurmountable
differences, the lack, the fear, our child strung out on drugs) we need to do
two things:
1.
Call upon God with passion and
fervor.
1.
Be missional in your prayers.
2.
Pray dangerous prayers, pray
impossible prayers, pray powerful prayers for others.
2.
Fast.
1.
Be missional in your fasting.
2.
Fasting changes me fasting does not
not change God.
3.
I am persuaded that fasting is a
private discipline that will produce public result.
4.
Fast to seek God, fast to seek His
hand, fast to seek His guidance, fast to seek His provision and fast to seek
His deliverance.
2.
Vs. 6-8 Sincere public prayers.
1.
Jehoshaphat began to call out to God
in front of his peers, his associates, his employees, his servants, his
friends, his family, his children, and even his enemies.
2.
He prayed prayers of thanksgiving,
prayers of testimony, prayers of deliverance, prayers of trust, prayers of
confidence, and prayers of guidance.
1.
God I need you and no one, or no
thing can suffice.
2.
Oh for some men and women who aren't
afraid to call out to God for some help, some confidence, some encouragement.
3.
Jehoshaphat knew he had one solution
and he trusted that solution.
1.
Many times we have back up plans in
case God doesn't show up.
2.
Especially if He can't make our time
frame, our deadline.
3.
Vs. 9-10
1.
We know that God's house should honor
His name.
2.
When we face calamity, when
we face problems, when we face war, when we face the enemy, "come
stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can
cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us."
4.
Vs. 11
1.
Man the enemy comes, the Devil comes
to take away what God has rightfully given His children.
2.
He comes to throw us out of a
fruitful marriage, he comes to throw us out of peace, he comes to throw us out
of happiness, he comes to throw us out of God's provision, God's purpose and
God's heaven.
3.
He's constantly coming, constantly
badgering us, continually trying persuade us that God won't make it, God can't
handle it, God is unable to live up to His promise, God is too busy, that God
is only consumed with His own personal agenda and that God is dead.
1.
He never ceases to quit his ridicule,
his torment, his thieving ways in and upon each of us.
2.
The enemy comes to throw you out of
whack, out of blessing, out of the right frame of mind, out of love, out of power,
and out of belief.
3.
He desires to persuade you away from
God, away from His house, away from His people, away from His mission, His
call, His love, His protection, and away from His inheritance.
5.
Vs. 13-14 Utterly persuaded, this
lineage of men is so impressive to me we're talking about men who believed in
God so strong and their confidence was to stay in Him.
1.
Then this young man Jahaziel to be so
bold as to speak up in front of a fear filled nation and be speaking for
God.
1.
This prophet, not mentioned elsewhere
in scripture, yet his claim to the inspiration of a prophetic moment was
verified by the powerful and distinct announcement he gave.
2.
He predicted deliverance, he
predicted encouragement, he prophesied courage into their hearts.
2.
A lineage of men who will honor God,
honor His house, honor His people, and honor His call.
1.
I am persuaded that you will create
dangerous men, dangerous marriages, dangerous child rearing when you bring up
people in the fear and admonition of God!
2.
God make me dangerous!
6.
Vs. 15 Jahaziel persuades his
crowd with a foretelling of the future as the Spirit of The Lord came upon him
to declare, "Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty
army, for the battle is not yours, but God's."
7.
Vs. 21,22 The Levites led the caravan
with instruments and worship singing the 136th Psalm, declaring "His
faithful love endures forever" not as an army marching out against an
enemy, but one returning in joyful triumph after a victory.
1.
I am persuaded that our worship is a
weapon in the hand of an almighty God.
2.
You can sing along like karaoke or
you can sing a victory, sing a surrender, sing a new vow, a new covenant and
show forth your value of our Creator.
1.
Victory because of their 3 days of
blessings, victory because of deliverance, victory because not one man lost his
life, victory because every enemy was destroyed, victory because there was
peace, and victory because their other enemies were fearful of their God?
1.
Yes, 6 times over, yes!
1.
I am absolutely and utterly persuaded
that God is able to keep me.
2.
He is able to keep His
commitment.
3.
He persuades me every moment of His
goodness, of His mercy, of His forgiveness, and of His love.
1.
God loves you my friend so much so He
sent His son to prove it.
