Be steadfast until the end...

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 9th November 2008

Let’s look at Jeremiah 45:1-5

Jer 45:1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:
3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."'
4 "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.
5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'"

The prophecy we have in this chapter concerns Baruch,

Look at verse 3

3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."'

Baruch has been saying

• Woe is me now
• The LORD has added grief to my sorrow
• I fainted in my sighing
• I find no rest

But even though it is about Baruch this passage can be for the support and encouragement of all the Lord's people that serve him faithfully and keep closely to him in difficult trying times.

Unlike Baruch!

Look at verse 5
5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'"

• And do you seek great things for yourself?
• Do not seek for them
• Behold I will bring adversity on all flesh
• Says the LORD
• But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.

God will give to all who remain faithful to him in adversity, their lives as a prize.

Even though you have been given your life as a prize still you have a responsibility to keep it.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

• One receives the prize
• Run in such a way that you may obtain it
• Everyone who competed for the prize is temperate in all things
• I discipline my body and bring it into subjection
• Least I myself should become disqualified.

Let’s go back to Jeremiah 39:17-18

Jer 39:17 "But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.
18 "For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"

• I will deliver you in that day says the LORD
• You shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid
• For I will surely deliver you
• You shall not fall by the sward
• Your life shall be as a prize to you

Why is this going to happen?

Because you have put your trust in me says the LORD

Jeremiah 43:2-7

Jer 43:1 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words,
2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'
3 "But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon."
4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven-
6 men, women, children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7 So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.

Look at verse one

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words,

• The LORD their God had sent Jeremiah with all the words he had been speaking

Look at verse two

2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'

• Notice what the proud men speak of Jeremiah
• You speak falsely!
• The LORD our God has not sent you to say…

God sends Jeremiah to speak words and the proud men among the listeners say that he is speaking falsely, and that the LORD has not sent him to say these things.

Look at Jeremiah 44:15-19

Jer 44:15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!
17 "But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
18 "But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."
19 The women also said, "And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands' permission?"

Look at verse 15

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:

• A group of men who Knew what was going on with their wives
• And they answered Jeremiah saying…

Look at verse 16

16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!

• The word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD
• We will not listen to you.

Proud men who say Jeremiah is not speaking the words of the LORD

Now the men who know what is going on do not believe Jeremiah and take up a position of refusing to listen to Him.

The danger of going from pride in your heart, not believing the words you hear from Jesus, and then going on to not listen to the words.

Jeremiah 42:20-22

Jer 42:20 "For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.'
21 "And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.
22 "Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell."

Look at verse 20

"For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.'

• You were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God
• Saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God
• According to all that the LORD your God Says
• So declare to us and we will do it.

Verse 21

21 "And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.

• This day I have declared it to you
• But you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God
• Or anything which He has sent you by me.

There is a great danger of becoming familiar with the word being spoken here on a Sunday morning and hearing the clear voice of God week by week and then becoming a hypocrite in your heart.

These proud men, who knew what was going on had even come to Jeremiah to ask him to seek the LORD on their behalf, saying they would do all that came through him, and yet when it was given, they said it was not from God, and refused to hear him any longer. Pride in the heart, left the word unheard even though it was spoken!

Turn to Jeremiah 23:18-24

Jer 23:18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury-A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
21 "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
23 "Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

Look at verse 18

For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?

• Who has stood in the counsel of the LORD?
• Who has perceived and heard His word?
• Who has marked His word and heard it?

Jeremiah of course

But the proud of heart would not listen to him

Verse 20b

In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.

There is always a day when the true prophet is understood!

You may my brother have to live and stand in the counsel of the LORD in your generation, perceive and hear his word and speak it among your brethren, and still it will not he understood.

Praise God, Glory to God in the highest, there will come a day that it will be perfectly understood what you have been saying.

Just you be faithful!

Look at verse 21

"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

• There are prophets who were not sent by our LORD Jesus
• Yet they ran
• Jesus has not spoken to them
• Yet they continue to prophesy.

Brothers and sisters do not be among them.

Look at verse 22

But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.

• I you will stand in the counsel of Jesus, right in His presence.
• This will cause you to hear His words.
• I you will stand in his counsel men will turn from their evil ways
• And from the evil things they do.

This is the Old Testament, and it is a clear call to stand in God’s presence.

In the New Testament

2Peter 1:19

2Pe 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Men of God moved by whom?

The Holy Spirit

We have in these last days the prophetic word confirmed, hallelujah!

Men of proud heart, even though they know what is going on will always have there private interpretations.

Remember, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.

You need the Holy Spirit to hear it receive it and believe it.

The word of God has been spoken, and the Holy Spirit keeps you listening to it.

Let’s look at Hebrews 3:1-6

Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.
3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honour than the house.
4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Look at verse 1

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

• Partakers of the heavenly calling
• The calling you are under is what?

Heavenly,

Hallelujah it is so!

What do those who are called to this heavenly calling do.

The consider the apostle and high priest of our confession

Jesus Christ.

We are partakers of this great heavenly calling of looking and considering Jesus Christ!

Take note that you are Holy brethren.

Look at verse 2

who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

• Jesus was faithful to God

Verse five

And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

• Moses was faithful

Will you be faithful in this calling which is heavenly in nature?

I wonder?

Look at verse 6

But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

• Here we have it
• If we hold fast
• The confidence
• And the rejoicing
• Of the hope
• Firm until the end

Confidently with rejoicing holding faithful in our hope until the end

Hebrews 3:7-15

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.'
11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Vese 13

But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

• Exhort one another daily
• While it is called today
• Otherwise you may become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin

Verse 14

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

• For we have become partakers of Christ
• If we hold the beginning of our confidence
• Steadfast to the end

Verse 6

But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

We just read in verse 6 that he is Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast

You see we are a house of sons, and Christ as THE SON over the house.

But look we are to hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end!

Verse 15

15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

• The LORD is still speaking today, as in Jeremiahs day
• If you will hear His voice
• Do not harden your hearts

Those in Jeremiah’s day had the word preached to them, but because of pride in their hearts they refused to listen.

Here in the rebellion, referring to Moses time, they heard the voice of God but rebelled.

Look at verse 16

Heb 3:16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?

• Interesting question mark here
• Who was it that rebelled?
• Well it turns out that it was ALL who came out of Egypt!

Verse 17

Heb 3:17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

• Yes it was?

Verse 18

Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

It was those who did not obey that that did not enter His rest!

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Can you see that they could not enter in because of unbelief?

Hebrews 4:1

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

• There is a promise remaining today of entering His rest
• It is possible that some of you may come short of it.

Verse 2

Heb 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

• The gospel was preached to us
• The gospel was preached to them
• The difference?
• The word which they heard did not profit them
• Why?
• They did not mix it with faith when they heard it.

How important it is that you mix faith with the words which Jesus speaks though the minister here in Glen Aros.

The preaching can go on and on year in year out.

You must mix it with faith, or it will be come to you of no profit.

Look at verse 7

Heb 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."

• Today if you will hear His voice
• Do not harden your hearts

Verse 9—13

Heb 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Verse 14-15

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God

Let us hold fast our confession

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace

"God is not asking you to do something that He has not done..."

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on Sunday 6th October 2008

God is not asking you to do something that He has not done, nor be something He is not.

Let’s look at Romans 15:1-14

Ro 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name."
10 And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!"
11 And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!"
12 And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."
Ro 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look at verse 4

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
• Whatever things were written before were written for you learning
• That you through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope

Hallelujah! Through patience and comfort we might have hope

Look at verse 13

Ro 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Now may the God of hope
• Fill you with all joy
• In believing
• That you may abound in hope
• By the Holy Spirit.

Can you see the exhortation of God to be patient and be comforted by the Scriptures, and out of that will be hope?

Then in verse 13 may the God of Hope.

You see God is not asking you to produce something that he is not.

He is a God of hope and he exhorts you to have hope.

He asks us to be patient and steadfast and full of comfort, which produces hope because He is full of patience, steadfastness, and comfort

He is not just exhorting you with words written on the pages of Scripture, He is these things, and when he speaks these words in the Scriptures and you believe them, and put them into practice, - I.e. You choose to be patient, and let the comfort of the Scriptures bring you hope – you have the substance of the Father in you, which is in him, already!

As a believer his words become substance in you, because they are true in Him!

Blessed be God, whose words, are substance in Him, and by the Holy Spirit become, substance in you. Hallelujah!

We read in 2 Corinthians 1:3

2Co 1:3 blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort

He is the God of all comfort

He is the Father of mercies

I spoke a few months ago from Acts27:27

Ac 27:27 Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

The sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land…”

They sensed this before it arrived, and they sensed it at the darkest hour of the night.

As Paul and the Sailors were being driven up and down the Adriatic Sea the fourteenth night had come.

What did they do with this sense of land approaching?

Verse 28

Ac 27:28 And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

They took some soundings

What can the Christian do, what does it mean to take a sounding when you sense something approaching you?

That’s easy!

More Prayer

More Fellowship

More Reading of the Word

Speak to Jesus who lives in the deep things of God

Speak to fellow sailors who are onboard with you.

Tell them of the sense you have of things to come.

Read more of his Word and seek out into the limitless ocean of his word until you reach the ocean floor where your sense of things approaching is confirmed, on the solid foundation of his Character and promises!

The Sailors did not take one sounding, and said ‘I told you so’!

They took another sounding and interestingly with the passage of time they found the ocean floor was closer than the first sounding.

You take the exhortations of Scripture, and through patience, and comfort in the promises, you begin to walk in hope. Even though you may be going through your darkest hour, even though it is midnight for you, trust that your dry land is fast approaching.

Look at Psalm 101:1-8


I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbour, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

There was a day when I did not posses the substance of these; they were but a hope ahead of me.

But as I have been led by the Holy Spirit of the living God I find myself through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, to be even this day see the possessing of the things I have hoped for.


Let’s look at Malachi 3:16-18

Mal 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.
17 "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
18 Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Look at verse 16

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

• Those who feared the LORD spoke to one another
• The LORD listened to them
• The LORD heard them
• A Book of remembrance was written before Him
• A Book that listed those who feared the LORD
• A book that listed those who meditated on His name.

There is a book in heaven with all the details.

The Lord Jesus is not deceived

Look at verse 18

18 Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him

• Jesus knows the one who serves God
• Jesus knows the one who does not serve Him

The righteous and the wicked are discernable. They can be separated out.

Jesus instructs the owner of the field to let the tares and the corn grow together until the harvest. He knows, and has patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, and hope that all that the Father has promised will come to pass.

Jesus exhorts you to do the same.

4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Can you see – the God of hope fill you – with all joy and peace in believing.

Why?

That you may abound in hope – what a great thing – to abound in hope

And notice it is all done by the Holy Spirit!


Let’s look at Titus 2:11-15

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Look at verse 14

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

• Jesus gave Himself for us
• Jesus desires to redeem us from every lawless deed
• Jesus desires for Himself His own special people
• Jesus desires a people zealous for good works

The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us some wonderful things in verse 12 and 13

• Deny ungodliness
• Deny worldly lusts
• Live soberly
• Live righteously
• Live godly in this present age
• Look for the blessed hope, that is to come
• Look for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savour Jesus Christ

Let’s look at 1 Peter 2:4-10

1Pe 2:4 coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Look at verse 9

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;

• You are a chosen generation
• You are a royal priesthood
• You are a holy nation
• You are His own special people
• You may, If you want to, proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light

God does not ask you to do or to be what he is not!

Titus 2:14

Who gave himself for us
Redeemed us from every lawless deed
Purified for Himself his own special people
Zealous for good works

What has He not done for us?

Hebrews 1:1-3

Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Look at verse 3

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

• When He had by Himself purged our sins

Your sins have been purged

1John 1:5-10

1Jo 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Look at verse 7

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

• If you walk in the light
• In the same way that Jesus is in the light
• You and I have fellowship with one another
• And the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus has cleansed us from all sin

You must walk in the light in the same way Jesus walks in the light

He walks in the light so that we may walk in the light

He does not call us to do what he has not done

Walk in the light

Because Jesus walks in the light

When we walk in the light like Jesus, there is the place, where we have fellowship with one another

Exodus 15:11-18

11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.
14 "The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 "The LORD shall reign forever and ever."

Look at verse 16
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.

• Fear will fall upon them
• Dread will fall upon them
• By the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone
• Until Your people pass over
• O LORD, till the people pass over whom You have purchased

You are the people whom the Lord Jesus has purchased with his blood

You are called to pass over

Your enemies are full of dread

Your enemies are full of fear

Your enemies have become still as a stone until you have passed over.

Look at verse 17

You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

• It is God’s desire to bring his people in and plant them in the mountain of His inheritance
• It is Jesus desire to bring you into the place which He has made for His own dwelling
• Jesus desires you come into the sanctuary which His hands have established.

Your call is not this side of the Vale!

Your call is through the Vale, in the Sanctuary!

Jesus has gone before you. To bring you into your call.

Psalm 138:1-8

Ps 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your loving kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Look at verse 3

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

• Have you cried out?
• Has Jesus answered you?
• Has Jesus made you Bold?
• Has Jesus put strength in your soul?

Look at verse 7

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

• Thou you walk in the midst of trouble
• Jesus will revive you
• Jesus will stretch out His hand against the wrath of your enemies
• Jesus will save you by His right hand

Look at verse 8

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

• The Lord will perfect that which concerns you
• Jesus’ mercy towards you endures forever
• Jesus will not forsake you; you are the work of His hands.

So, cry out to him that he might perform it for you! Let Jesus bring you into your calling and election, that which is beyond the Vale.

Let me quote from Andrew Murray who is speaking about waiting on God. This is what Andrew Murray says:

‘What Jesus asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire and trust, is all comprised in this one word, ‘Waiting on Him, waiting for His Salvation’.

This statement, ‘waiting on Him, waiting for His Salvation’ combines two things

• The deep sense of our entire helplessness in ourselves to work what is divinely good.
• And our perfect confidence that our God will work it all in His divine power.

That is why we must …Through patience and comfort of the Scriptures to have hope!

Ephesians 5:1-7

Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Look at verse 1

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

• Jesus was an imitator of God, or as the Greek says, ‘a follower’.

God does not ask us to do or be anything that He himself is not already in being and action!

Look at verse 2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

• Walk in love
• Because Jesus has love us
• Because Jesus became an offering and a sacrifice to God and a sweet smelling aroma

Jesus was always obedient to the Father

When Jesus was a child he said I must be about my Fathers business!

There is a story of a man who struggled to follow in his fathers footsteps, following in the family business.

Constantly he had this inner desire to go to sea and be a captain of a great ship.

As he looked into his family history he discovered he was not the son of the father who brought him up. He was an adopted son, and his real father was a captain of a great ship, and was descended from a long line of seafarers.

I want to say to you this morning that you are an adopted son

You are form a long line of peculiar people, called to do the work of the sanctuary; you are called to walk in the calling which is in your Spirit.

The call of God is in your Spirit

Now is the time for you to be up and be about your Fathers business.

Eph 5:14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

Jesus does not call you to do what He does not do himself

Jesus is the very essence of the Father; He by the Holy Spirit lives in you.

He rises from the dead

And says to you; 'Rise from the dead'!

He walks in the light of His Father

And says to you, 'Walk in the light as he is in the light'

The light of Jesus causes you to arise and sleep no more!

'...is your home a house of prayer?'

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 17th August 2008

Acts 13:28-41

Ac 13:28 "And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.
29 "Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
30 "But God raised Him from the dead
31 "He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people
32 "And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers.
33 "God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'
34 "And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'
35 "Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'
36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
37 "but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.
38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;
39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 "Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 "Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.'"

Look at verse 36

36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;

• For David after he had served his own generation
• By the will of God
• Fell asleep
• Was buried with his fathers
• And saw corruption

Are you serving your own generation by the will of God?

David lived, and like us all here in this room, fell asleep, was buried, with his fathers, and saw corruption!

Whatever things were written about David in times past were written for our learning in order that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4).

David falls asleep and sees corruption!

Look at Verse 37

"But He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

• But He whom God raised up
• Saw no corruption

But Jesus, Hallelujah, God raised up, and he saw no corruption!

Jesus saw no corruption! Hallelujah!

In the same way that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and saw no corruption, we should walk in the newness of life that he has given us.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11).

He will raise you up and you will see no corruption! Hallelujah!

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Acts 10: 19-33

Ac 10:19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.
20 "Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"
22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."
23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man."
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.
28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 "Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"
30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 "and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'
33 "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

Look at verse 30

30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

• I was fasting until this hour
• At the ninth hour I prayed in my house
• Behold a man stood before me
• In bright clothing

Here is a man called Cornelius praying in his own house

His name means ‘The beam of the sun’!

He is a converted Roman centurion.

He is a devout man

Here is a man who prays in his own house.

How many of you can say that you pray within the walls of your own house?

Is your house a house of prayer?

Jesus said of his house it was to be a house of Prayer! (Matthew 21:13)

But you have made it a den of thieves!

What goes on in your house?

Not do you say the odd prayer here and there now and again.

Could it be said of your house it has become a house of Prayer?

Into this house of Cornelius, the house which had become a house of prayer, a man stood before him in bright clothing.

Look at verse 2 of this chapter,

Ac 10:2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Cornelius was:

• A devout man
• He feared God
• All his household feared God
• He gave generously to the people
• He prayed to God always

This ‘beam of the sun’, did not have a home where prayer was now and again. It was a place where prayer to God was always going on.

Wow! How about you? Is your home a house of prayer?

An angel appears in his house of prayer. He describes it as a man.

But look it was standing in his house. Wow!

An angel standing in the front room!

There’s something!

An angel standing in your front room and telling you to find a man called Peter who will tell you words by which you and your entire household will be saved. Hallelujah!

The power of God to save a household, your household

Look at acts 11

Here is Peter explaining himself for going into a gentile house, when it was not allowed for a Jew to do so.

Look at verse 4

Ac 11:4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:

Verse 5

5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.

• Peter was in the city of Joppa
• Praying

Peter is praying

Cornelius is praying, and each is hearing from the living God as to the very details of their respective lives.

The wonder of words used in prayer, said in our own houses, bringing the very words of God to our ears, in vision and angelic visitation.

I ask you again ‘Is your house a house of prayer?’

Let’s move on and look at Job 16: 1-5

Where we find lots of words!

Job 16:1 Then Job answered and said:
2 "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Look at verse 2

"I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!

• Job has heard many of the things being pointed out by his comforters
• Job calls all of them Miserable comforters.

Here Job calls those who come to him with words ‘miserable comforters’

Verse 4

I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;

• Job could speak as his comforters were doing
• If his comforters were in the place that job’s soul was
• Job could heap up words against them
• Job could shake his head at them

Have you ever had someone come to you and all they do is heap up words against you?

Miserable councillors!

Look at Job 42:7

Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

• My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends
• For you have not spoken of Me what is right
• As My servant Job has

These miserable councillors have not spoken right things about God! Yes they piled up words for him in his trouble, but all there words which they spoke were not right.

Look at Job 19:2

Job 19:2 "How long will you torment my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

• How long will you torment my soul?
• How long will you break me in pieces with words?

It is so easy to torment the soul of another with words, so easy to break in pieces another with words.

The power of the use of words

Cornelius ‘the beam of the sun’, used words in his prayer, His home was a house of prayer.

Peter whom Jesus called ‘Rocky’ used words in Prayer.

Words used in prayer!

Let’s go to Psalm 34:1-22

Ps 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Look at verse 7

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

• The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him
• The angel of the LORD delivers them

Amen!

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

• Come you children
• Listen to me
• I will teach you the fear of the LORD

Hear is something you all can do

Come and listen to the LORD

Look at verse 12

Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?

• Who is the man who desires life
• Who is the man who loves many days
• Who is the man who wants to see good.

Look at verse 13

13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.

• Keep your tongue from evil
• Keep your lips from speaking deceit

Look at verse 4

14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

• Depart from evil
• Do good
• Seek peace
• Pursue peace

Turn to Psalm 66:8-20

Ps 66:8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfilment.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

Look at verse 12

You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfilment.

• You have caused men to ride over our heads
• We went through fire
• We went through water
• But you brought us out into rich fulfilment.

Verse 16

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.

• Come and hear
• all you who fear God
• I will declare What He has done for my soul

Verse 17

17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.

• I cried to him with my mouth ( in prayer)
• He was extolled with my tongue

Verse 18

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

• If I regard iniquity in my heart
• The LORD will not hear

Verse 19

19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

• God has heard me!
• He has attendee to the voice of my prayer

We have no iniquity within our hearts because of Jesus.

Verse 20

Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

• Blessed be God
• Blessed be God
• Who has not turned away my prayer!
• Blessed be God
• Blessed be God
• Who has not turned His mercy from me!

He has answered my prayers in my house, he has had mercy on me for all my past.

Blessed be God
Blessed Be God
Blessed be God

Turn to Psalm 68:33-35

Ps 68:32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

Look at verse 35

35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

• O God
• Your are more awesome than Your holy places

We are a holy place for you O LORD,

But you are more awesome than this place.

Glen Aros has become a holy place for his people

But you O LORD are more awesome than this place

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Can you say with me!

Blessed be God

Who has given us words to speak that our homes may become houses of prayer? Remembering that even our homes of prayer are less awesome that God himself.

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Psalm 69:16

Hear me, O LORD, for Your loving kindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

• Hear me O LORD
• Your loving kindness is good
• Turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies

Romans 9:16

Ro 9:16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

• Not of him who wills
• Not of him who runs
• But on God who shows mercy

Verse 18

Ro 9:18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

• He has mercy on whom he wills
• He hardens him whom he wills

Romans 9:23

And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

• That he might make known the riches of his glory
• On the vessels of mercy
• Which he had prepared beforehand for glory

Blessed be God for his mercy

Blessed be God

Blessed be God.

‘The will of the Lord be done’

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 20th July 2008

Let’s collect some thoughts together and see what we find

Let’s look at John 6:22-27

John 6:22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone--
23 however, other boats came from Tiberius, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks--
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"
26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
27 "Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Look at verse 27

"Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

• Do not labour for the food which perishes
• Labour for the food which endures to everlasting life
• Which the Son of Man will give you
• Because God the Father has set His seal on Him

Turn to Matthew 6:19-24

Mt 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Look at verses 19-21

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth
• Where moth and rust destroy
• Where thieves break in and steal
• Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
• Where neither moth nor rust destroys
• Where thieves do not break in and steal
• For where your treasure is
• There your heart will be also

Turn to John 4:11-15

John 4:11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Look at verse 14

"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

• Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him
• Will never thirst.
• The water that I shall give him will become
• In him a fountain of water
• Springing up into everlasting life

So what have we gathered?

• Labour for the food which endures to everlasting life

• Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
• Where neither moth nor rust destroys
• Where thieves do not break in and steal

• The water that I shall give him will become
• In him a fountain of water
• Springing up into everlasting life

Turn John 6:28-29

John 6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Look at verse 29

• Jesus answered and said to them
• This is the work of God
• That you believe
• In Him in whom
• He has sent

Here we have it!

Believing in Him, in Jesus, is the work of God
By believing all these things come to you by grace.

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Turn to 2 Kings 17:7-15

2Ki 17:7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,
8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger,
12 for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."
14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them.

Look at verse 13

13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."

• The Lord testified against Israel and Judah
• By all His prophets
• By every seer
• Saying
• Turn from your evil ways
• Keep my commandments
• Keep my statutes
• According to all the law which I commanded your fathers
• Which I sent to you by My servants the prophets

The LORD has spoken to Israel, His people, by prophets, telling the people to keep his commandments.

The prophets are simply saying to the people

‘You fathers before you were told the same thing’.

The prophet looks back to what has already been spoken.

No need to update the message of an unchanging God to His people. His message is the same. The prophets simply repeat what has already been said before.

Now this is only possibly because God whom we serve is unchangeable.

Last time I spoke of the need for the gift of prophecy to be released among us, and I hold to that emphatically.

However prophecy has its difficulties.

Let’s look at Acts 20:1-38

Ac 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
19 "serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20 "how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 "And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,
23 "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
26 "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
34 "Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35 "I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,
38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Look at verse 21

Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Testifying to Jews
• Testifying to Greeks
• Repentance toward God
• Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ

Look at verse 23

Ac 20:23 "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

• The Holy Spirit testifies
• In every city
• Saying that chains
• And tribulation
• Await me

Look at verse 24

Ac 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• None of these things move me
• I do not count my life dear to myself
• So that I may finish my race
• With joy
• And the ministry which I received
• From the Lord Jesus
• To testify to the gospel of the grace of God

Paul is not moved by chains or tribulation!

He does not value his life.

He takes no account of it.

Turn to Acts 21:8-14

Ac 21:8 On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Look at verse 12

12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

• Both we and those from that place pleaded with him
• Do not to go up to Jerusalem

The church held Paul’s life dear to them!

The want to stop him going up to Jerusalem

Paul is convinced that death is not a problem. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Paul has the revelation of the resurrection!

He knows that death is not the end!

Paul is wiling to die at Jerusalem if necessary!

Look at verse 16

Ac 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

• He is hurrying to be at Jerusalem

He does not worry that bonds and afflictions or death awaits him In Jerusalem!

He is hurrying to Jerusalem even if it means his death.

What great motivation – Paul has no fear of death, because there is no fear in love, and Paul has a ministry to discharge from the King of Love.

Here is Paul travelling towards Jerusalem. Certainly, chains and affliction awaits him, and possibly death.

He is in a hurry to get there; he wants to be there for Pentecost.

The church does not want Paul to go to Jerusalem! But he is determined to reach his goal.

Now we know that Paul does not die at Jerusalem.

Can you see that God has plans for Paul to accomplish before his death which he has not yet seen?

Can you see that God has plans for you to accomplish before your death, which you have not yet seen?

Already you are heading to that moment of your death. Very soon your life will be over.

Remember Paul’s message? Acts 20:21

Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance towards God

And faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ

God is looking for repentance and Jesus is looking for faith

Saying will I find faith when I return!

Have you repented of your sin?

Will Jesus find faith in you when he returns?

Turn to Acts 20:24

Ac 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• None of these things move me
• I do not count my life dear to myself
• So that I may finish my race
• With joy
• And the ministry which I received
• From the Lord Jesus
• To testify to the gospel of the grace of God

Can you see that Paul wants to finish the race with joy?

Paul wants to finish his ministry with Joy!

What a great ministry Paul has

To testify to the gospel, the good news about the grace of God

There it is the moulding force in Paul’s life – to testify to the good news of the grace of God.

Paul has been given the ‘grace message’ to announce!

He’s in a hurry to accomplish all that this ministry requires of him, and to do it with joy

Even if in the church, it seems he is rushing towards chains and affliction for doing so, and possibly death, he still presses on.

What gives our Apostle Paul, , and yourself such confidence to hurry along to fulfil the ministry?

They all have the confidence that the prophetic voice they have heard in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, is repeating what God has said already in every generation. There is a ministry to finish, a Jerusalem to reach and chains and afflictions to endure; and a death to die still doing the work of the Lord.

This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent."

This is always the work of God, the message of the prophets of all generations past present and to come.

Believe in Jesus and follow him to your Jerusalem.

Paul presses on to what could be his death.

But we know that when He arrives in Jerusalem, the chains and affliction only lead him into the extension of his ministry to the Gentile world. A world of ministry that Paul and the church were unaware of.

Even the prophet could only see the bonds and afflictions.

Even Paul could only see that his hurry was to Pentecost!

All our vision, Prophetic or other wise is limited, and it needs to be carefully weighed in Light of Jesus Christ.

Praise God that, Jesus can see all that He has in store for us if we will look death in the face and press on through all the chains and affliction that are ahead of us.

We to will see a door of effectual ministry opened up to us all which Jesus will ensure we finish with Joy.

Paul ends up in Rome!

What does he do when he gets there?

There is only one ministry that Paul puts his heart into it.

He testifies of the good news of God’s grace!

What about you?

Chains, affliction, and death!

Are you willing to hurry towards them, regardless of Prophets who confirm it, and the church which opposes it?

Your future is clear!

You must repent before God

Have faith before our Lord Jesus Christ

Continue in the ministry which you have received from him

You must press on and finish race with Joy.

What was Paul’s race?

Why was he hurrying?

He had to testify to the good news about the grace of God.

Paul had the ‘grace message’ firmly fixed in his mind and all else was irrelevant

What else can I say?

Hurry to Jerusalem, you might end up in Rome!

Let’s look at Acts 21:1- 7

Ac 21:1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.
3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.
4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.
6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

Look at verse 4

And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

• Finding disciples
• Paul stayed seven days
• They told Paul
• Through the Spirit
• Not to go up to Jerusalem

Look at verse 11

Ac 21:11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

• Agabus took Paul’s belt
• Bound his own hands and feet
• And said
• Thus says the Holy Spirit
• So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt
• And deliver him into the hands of the gentiles

Verse four – disciples say do not go up, said by the Holy Spirit.

Verse eleven – Agabus prophesies what will happen, said by the Spirit.

Verse twelve – the church says Paul must not go up to Jerusalem.

What is the Holy Spirit saying?

Paul says in verse 13
Ac 21:13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

Paul is ready to die!

How many of us are willing to die for the sake of the lord Jesus?

How many of you are willing to die, to see the ministry finished with joy?

Look at verse 14

Ac 21:14 so when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Sometimes when there is only one thing to do.

Come to the place of humble silence, and say

‘The will of the Lord be done’

Acceptance of the prohpet and the message

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 29th June 2008


Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 20:1-37

2Ch 20:1 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.
2 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).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
7 "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
8 "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
9 'If disaster comes upon us-sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'
10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir-whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-
11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
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."
13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came 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, in the midst of the assembly.
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.
16 'Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
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."
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
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."
21 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."
22 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.
23 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.
24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the LORD.
29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
31 So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.
33 Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.
36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Here we have a great gathering and the king rises to speak and great is what he says

Look at Verse 5

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

• Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem
• In the house of the LORD
• Before the new court

King Jehoshaphat stands in the great assembly in the midst of the house of the LORD before the new court and he speaks.

In verse seven He declares

"Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

• Are You not our God
• Are you not the one who drove out the inhabitants of this land before us
• Are you not the one who gave this land to the descendant of Abraham
• Are you not the one who has Abraham as your friend forever?

In Verse eight the king declares

8 "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

• this day your people dwell in this land which has been given to them
• In this land your people have built a sanctuary in this land for your name.

In Verse nine the king continues to declare that God’s people have said

'If disaster comes upon us-sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'

• If disaster comes upon us
• Sword
• Judgment
• Pestilence
• Famine
• We will stand before this temple
• We will stand in your presence
• (for your name is in this temple
• If we cry out to You in our affliction
• You will hear and save us

Wonderful! Sword judgment pestilence and famine are considered in Jehoshaphat’s day to be afflictions, which God can deal with if his people will stand before this temple and stand in his presence and cry out, He will hear and save them. Hallelujah!

You have to open your spiritual eyes when you read your Bible or you will miss the message.

Breathe on this great gathering of your people and let them see your face as they listen.

King Jehoshaphat declares in verse 10 and 11 the problem that has arisen for the people of his day

10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir-whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-
11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

• The people of Ammon
• The people of Moab
• The people of Mount Seir
• Here they are
• Coming to throw us out of Your possession
• Which you have given us to inherit


Notice in verse ten that the king not only states what the situation is, but declares that it is God’s fault that this is happening!

• You would not let Israel invade Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.
• When we came out of Egypt
• Your people turned from them and did not destroy them.

Yes the king is coming to the temple in the presence of God and in the presence of all the people.

Yes the king is crying out to The Lord.

But in his heart he is saying if your had let us deal with the Ammonites the Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir we would not find this people coming up and trying to throw us out of Your possession, and Your inheritance.

That’s right Jehoshaphat, blame God.

Look at verse twelve for here is the cry of the king’s heart to his God.

"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."

• O our God will You not judge these people of Ammon,
• O our God will You not judge these people of Moab
• O our God will You not judge these people of Mount Seir
• We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us
• We do not know what to do
• But our eyes are on You.

No power against this multitude
Not knowing what to do
But our eyes are on you

What a great place the king and the people of God are in. they are what I would call God dependent!

If God does not move the king and his people are stuffed!

They will be thrown out of God’s possession and inheritance for them!

They are God dependant! Praise God for his people when only God can break through for them.

Look what happens next verse 14

Then the Spirit of the LORD came 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, in the midst of the assembly.

• The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Jahaziel
• The Spirit of the LORD speaks through him

You can read what he said and the wonder of the encouragement that comes from God’s spirit to the people later when you go home, but for now concentrate upon the wonder of what is happening.

Here is a king blaming God for his their predicament, declaring their lack of power and their lack of knowledge of what to do. Yet still looking and crying out to him, and keeping their eyes upon Him.

Hallelujah! For A people who will continue to cry out to God and keep their eyes on Him because of what the word states is true, that the promise of a Godly inheritance and possession will be there’s, because God will fulfil it for them!

A man speaks in the presence of the king and in the presence of all the people!

Why?

Because the Spirit of the LORD has come upon him!

I make no apology for encouraging you here in Glen Aros Christian fellowship in the presence of his people and in the presence of Jesus to speak out when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you! Do it, speak out. Some times you will get it wrong, some times you will get it spot on, but do not wait until your are perfect until you bring forth the word, take the risk and speak it out. The king needed the word!

He had no power of his own to stop the multitude throwing out the people of their possession and inheritance.

The leadership at Glen Aros need to here the prophetic word come forth in the midst of the body!

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 14:26

How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, and has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

• Whenever you come together
• Each of your has a psalm
• Each of you has a teaching
• Each of you has a revelation
• Each of you has an interpretation
• Let all things be done for edification

What every you bring forth is to be for the edification of the people. That means to build up.

The spirit of The Lord when he comes upon you will come upon you in order to build up those around you.

Let’s go back to our king, his people and the words being spoken through Jahaziel in 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."

• You will not need to fight in this battle
• Position yourselves
• Stand still
• And see the salvation of the lord
• Who is with you
• Do not fear
• Do not be dismayed
• Tomorrow go out against them
• For the LORD is with you

Hallelujah!

But look at verse 18

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

• Jehoshaphat bowed his head
• With his face toward the ground
• All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
• Bowed before the LORD
• Worshiping the LORD

As we learn to bring forth the word of the Holy Spirit in Glen Aros, we will see much more of this great humility in this place.

People in authority will come into this place.

They will have no power against their enemies, they will not know what to do, they will be crying out to God, and God will speak through you in the midst of his people and in his very presence and they will humble themselves before almighty God, fall on their faces, and worship him.

Look what the king did in verse 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."

• The king and the people went out early in the morning
• Hear me
• O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem
• Believe in the LORD your God
• And you shall be established
• Believe in his prophets
• And you shall prosper

What can I say, this passage is full to overflowing for those who are God dependent, whose eyes are on him.

From prayer by the king

To prophecy from the Spirit of the LORD

To action and direction

The enemy was coming against them being established in the land

The enemy was coming against them prospering in the land

Look at verse 11

11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

• Here they are
• Rewarding us
• By coming to throw us out of Your possession
• Which You have given us to inherit

The king thought if the people of God had only been allowed to destroy ammonites, Moabites and the inhabitants of Mount Seir.

We can all say why did God not allow us to deal with our enemies, and give us victory sooner than now?

Theses enemies come and try to dispossess us now.

We must never blame God; He has the perfect plan, because He is the perfect one.

Who brought you here?

What are you doing here?

Why are you still here?

Job 2:8 says

Those who cling to worthless idols, forfeit the grace that could be theirs

You have to read the whole chapter

They did not fight the battle

They only collected the spoil

They did a lot of rejoicing

The fear of the LORD was upon all those around them

The realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for God gave him rest all around.

May Glen Aros Christian Fellowship be full of rejoicing, have rest all around, and collect the spoil of the battle they never fought.
For in the New Testament we too collect the spoil form the great battle accomplished on the Cross at Calvary.

You are Glen Aros, the spoil of a war you never fought; a war fought on your behalf with a love stronger than death its self.

What better reason for the whole house to be full of rejoicing.

Let’s look at Acts 9:26-31

Ac 9:26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.
29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.
30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Look at verse 31

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
• Had peace
• Were edified
• Walking in the fear of the LORD
• Walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit
• They were multiplied

You see it is the same today as it was in King Jehoshaphat’s day.

Because we serve an unchanging God.

Do you see that it is important that you accept the Brother who has a newer/fresher/different message than you!

Yes, you have to test the spirits to see if they be of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1John 4:1)

But once the message has been tested you have the responsibility to love and accept the brother who is delivering it.

You test it not against your opinion but by the Word of God.

Look at verse 26
And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

• They were afraid of Paul
• They did not believe that Paul was a disciple

It was fear and unbelief that stopped them receiving Paul and his message.

It was not because they had checked it out in Bible, for them the O.T.

No, they were fearful of Paul and did not believe that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Brothers, God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind so that you can make sound judgment according to the Scriptures.

If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no truth in them.

Brothers and sisters watch were your judgement is coming from.

Tradition?

Self?

The flesh?

The world?

Your favourite teaching?

Whatever

Jesus said that it is the words that he speaks that will judge you on that day.

So let the prophets speak forth one by one with newer/ fresher/different words and let the others judge with love and acceptance of the one bringing the message.

Look at Verse 31

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• Peace
• Edified
• Walking in the fear of the LORD
• Walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit
• The church was multiplied

Hallelujah! God bless you as you collect the spoil of a battle you never had to fight.
Just like Jehoshaphat and Paul and many like them.

That will do for now.