Jehoshaphat - Heart of Courage

Bringing God up in a conversation with a friend.  Confronting a classmate who is teasing or bullying another student.  Leaving the comfort of being with your friends to initiate a conversation with someone who is alone.  Sharing your belief about creation in a science class where the teacher is teaching evolution.  Telling your coach that you’re not going to be able to play/practice on Sunday morning because of your commitment to worship.  Choosing not to drink when all of your friends are doing it.  Sharing the gospel with a friend of family member who does not know Christ.  For many of us, these situations bring fear to our hearts.  Fear of looking stupid, fear of being wrong, fear of what someone might think, fear of how someone might respond, fear of losing someone or something important to us, . . . fear prevents us from doing the things we know we should be doing.  Every day we encounter situations and have to make decisions that involve fear.  What do we do when we feel fearful?  How do we overcome situations in which we experience fear?

READ:  2 Chronicles 17:1-10, 19:5-11

Walking with God requires COURAGE!  As believers in Christ, there are many situations we encounter which demand courage.  Being courageous is not the absence of fear, courage is not allowing fear to prevent us from saying or doing what we know we are supposed to do.  2 Chronicles 17:6 says that king Jehoshaphat was, “courageous in the ways of the Lord”.  That must mean that Jehoshaphat experienced enough fear while he was king to prevent him from doing what was right.  What are some of the circumstances that Jehoshaphat had to overcome fear?  What are some things that take courage in order to be able to accomplish as a believer in Christ?

1.  It takes courage to live in God’s WAY (17:6) – As with any king, Jehoshaphat was under much pressure.  Fear of the people and his enemies constantly got in the way of his desire to walk obediently with the Lord.  Jehoshaphat must have overcome these fears often because we are told he was characterized by a heart of courage.  Having a heart that wants to live in the ways of the Lord is not easy.  At times, in fact, living our lives for God is frightening.  Why?  Walking in the ways of the Lord often means going against the crowd.  It’s easier to think, speak, and behave in ways that are the same as everyone else around you.  It is in these moments that we must courageously walk down the path that God places before us no matter how fearful it may be.

2.  It takes courage to TEACH the commands of the Lord (17:7-9) – One specific way that Jehoshaphat was courageous and walked in the ways of the Lord was teaching the people God’s commands (the Book of the Law).  Proclaiming the truth of God’s word is not always popular.  When we try to teach others about the standards of right and wrong that God has given to us in His Word, there are going to be those who get offended by our message.  Fear of what others might think or how they might respond must not prevent us from speaking the truth that God has given to us.  We must be courageous and faithfully teach God’s commands so we may be reminded and others may know of how to be in a right relationship with Him!

3.  It takes courage to JUDGE on behalf of God and not men (19:5-9, 11) – Another specific way that Jehoshaphat was courageous and walked in the ways of the Lord was by judging the people of Israel with godly justice and impartiality.  Jehoshaphat did not allow personal preference (benefit) or discrimination (favoritism) to corrupt his decision making, but rather based his judgments on the rightness or wrongness of a matter.  When making judgments about ourselves and others we must not allow our personal biases to cloud our decision making.  Right must be right and wrong must be wrong, no matter who we are dealing with or the consequences.  Take Jehoshaphat’s advice in making judgments about others and, “deal (with others) courageously”.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is a King who was COURAGEOUS!  In Luke 22:42-44 Jesus sweats drops of blood in fear of the going to the cross and yet He prays to His Father, “not my will, but yours be done”.  Jesus courageously went to the cross, overcoming fear, in order to save us from sins. 

Asa - Heart that Seeks God

One of my kids’ favorite games to play is hide and seek.  Especially at a younger age, my kids love it when I hide somewhere in the house and have them try to seek me out.  Interestingly, when I play hide and seek with my kids the goal is NOT to stay hidden.  The exciting part of hide and seek for me and my kids is when they find me.  I’m pretty sure if I really wanted to hide and not be found I could do it.  I could stay in my hiding spot for hours while my kids are seeking me out and destroy the fun by never revealing where I was at.  If I did that eventually my kids would get angry begin yelling at me to reveal myself.  Hide and seek is the most fun when my kids are seeking me and I reveal myself to them at just the right moment when they are least expecting it.  When I reveal myself they scream, squeal, and run away with joyful excitement.  Seeking for something that is impossible to find is not anyone’s idea of an enjoyable time!  None of us would be interested in seeking God if He could not be found . . . the good news is, God is not interested in staying hidden either.

READ:  2 Chronicles 14:1-7; 15:1-15

God REVEALS Himself to us when we SEEK Him!  The story of king Asa teaches us something important about the presence of God in our lives; if we do not seek God, He will remain hidden, but if we do seek God, He is always there waiting to be found.  God is not cruel, intentionally hiding somewhere He cannot be found.  He is patiently waiting to be found by hearts of those who are wholly seeking Him.  When we seek Him, we will not just find Him, He will find us!   What do we learn about seeking God from king Asa?

1.  Seeking God gives COURAGE to demolish IDOLS in our lives (14:3-5; 15:8) – King Asa acted on God’s presence in his life by getting rid of the false gods that the people of Israel were worshipping.  Not only were the people of Israel not seeking God, they were seeking false gods.  King Asa identified the sin of idolatry among God’s people and boldly stood up to them by removing these places of worship to foreign gods.  When we seek God, He will reveal Himself to us by making us aware of the idols that we are worshipping in our lives.  Be ready and be courageous, seeking God will bring a holy conviction into our lives that will leave us no choice but to confront our sin and destroy it.

2.  Seeking God is an act of our WHOLE SELVES (15:12-15, 17) – King Asa committed himself and the people of Israel to a sold out 100% pursuit of God.  This was no casual commitment, anyone who did not whole-heartedly seek the Lord was to be put to death!  Half-heartedly seeking God is not acceptable.  When we seek God we must do it with every fiber of our being.  Seeking God is not a one hour commitment on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday night.  Seeking God involves all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength . . . do you get the picture?  EVERYTHING, our whole selves (Mk. 12:30)! 

3.  Seeking God leads to REST and PEACE (14:1, 6-7, 15:15) – Who is it who gave king Asa and the people of Israel rest and peace?  Rest and peace did not come as a result of the effort and courage of king Asa and the people of Israel, rest and peace were given by God.  When Zerah the Ethiopian confronted king Asa with a million man army, 2 Chron. 14:12 says that, “the Lord defeated the Ethiopians”.  We cannot produce rest and peace for ourselves.  True rest and peace can only be found as we seek God.  Only when our whole selves are relying on God, and nothing else, can we experience a rest and peace that is beyond understanding (Phil 4:6-7).  When we seek God He gives us the assurance that He is the One who is going to supply the victory, removing the burden from us, and placing it wholly on Himself.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is a King who SEEKS!  In John 5:30 Jesus said, “I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.”  Jesus was constantly seeking to be with His Father and do His will.  By seeking His Father, Jesus was continually able to overcome sin and experience perfect rest and peace.  Not only is Jesus seeking His Father, but He is seeking you and I as well.  In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “(I) The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  If you think seeking God is a never-ending game of hide and seek, remember, when you seek Him with your whole heart you WILL find Him, . . . because He will reveal Himself to you!

Solomon - Heart of Wisdom

If God came to you and said, “ask Me, . . . what shall I give you?”, or “what do you want?”, what would you say?  The request sounds a little (or a lot) like the genie of a lamp who has the ability to grant three wishes.  What would be the first thing that comes to your mind (after it passed through your heart)?  The God of the universe comes to you and offers a “blank check” to be used in whatever way you designated on the memo line.  He’s got infinite power, right?  He can do anything, right?  What would you ask for?  I think most of us in that situation, if we were honest, would ask for something that would benefit us.  Do you think there is any possibility that you might ask for something that would benefit others and not yourself?  Probably not!  Solomon was king David’s son and the 3^rd king of Israel.  At the very beginning of Solomon’s reign God asks him this exact question.  Let’s see how Solomon answers . . .

READ:  1 Kings 3:3-15

WISDOM is a quality that God is PLEASED to give!  This story in the Bible made a significant impression on me when I was growing up.  For me, this story of Solomon asking for wisdom gave me a glimpse into what pleases God (vs 10).  As a result of this story, I remember praying often for “wisdom”.  I don’t remember having an ulterior motive, but maybe I thought that if I asked for something noble like wisdom, God would ALSO give me riches, honor, and long life.  No matter, God was pleased that Solomon desired and asked for wisdom, therefore, it is a characteristic worthy of our pursuit as well. What do we learn about wisdom from Solomon’s answer?  How do we know if we possess wisdom?

1.  Wisdom is OTHER-focused (vs 9) – Solomon started his reign well.  Rather than be a king that would “take” (1 Sam. 8), he knew that being king meant taking care of the people whom he was given responsibility. King Solomon correctly viewed himself as being a steward of GOD’S people.  Being king was not a position to be used for personal ambition but for the betterment of each and every one of those in the kingdom entrusted to him.  Whatever relational position we find ourselves, we must use wisdom and see it as one of stewardship.  God has entrusted us with people in our lives that we are responsible for their spiritual livelihood.  A wise person will always have the care and concern for the needs of others within our sphere of influence.

2.  Wisdom is the ability to discern between what is GOOD and EVIL or what is RIGHT and WRONG (vs 9, 11) – In most cases, discerning good from evil is not a difficult thing to do.  Moral discernment becomes more difficult when we have to make a choice between what is good, what is better, and what is best (especially when there are a number of variables and opinions).  Doing the “right” thing in any situation is a burdensome task that takes a heart and mind that are “in sync” with God.  And often making that good/right choice demands the boldness to stand up when everyone else is sitting down, to speak up when everyone else is silent, and show up when everyone else absent.  A wise person will always choose the good and right thing no matter what the cost.

3.  Wisdom is not SELF-focused (vs 11) – For Solomon to have asked God for long life, riches, or victory over his enemies would have been requests on behalf of . . . HIMSELF.  Self-indulgence and self-preservation are common temptations for all of us as we engage in relationships whether we are in a position of authority or not.  As we relate with others we need to use wisdom and not use our relationships for our own selfish purposes.  Caring for our own wants and needs at the expense of others is not wisdom.  A wise person will always remove their own needs and wants from the equation when relating with others.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is the ultimate wise and knowledgeable King (1 Cor 1:18-31).  He was always putting His own needs to the side and living His life for the benefit of others (Phil. 2:3-10).  Although He was tempted in every way, He knew the difference between good and evil and applied wisdom to making decisions in His life.  In His divine wisdom, Jesus gave up his own life by dying on the cross for our benefit in order that we might be saved!