"A High Water Mark Of Praise."
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I. Introduction
I. Introduction
Describe a High Water Mark
Describe Bro Neal’s Experience at lake Oroville: How that he noticed fishing tackle in the trees above him as he fished at the water’s edge, and realized He was far beneath the High Water Mark.
If you’ve ever lived near a lake or reservoir, then you know, during times of drought, people will always look to the water mark.
And often, they will glance up with longing to the High water mark and the old timers will say: “Once, long ago...”
Be you farmer, tinker, tailor, soldier or spy, who ever you are, you want good crops, you want no fire storms, what you want is water and a high water mark!
Always a longing for that High water mark.
What happened here on Sunday morning was important!
We enjoyed liberty, freedom, joy and peace! It was supercharged!
And yet, it took effort to get there!
You got out of a warm bed, and came to church.
Some of you have been praying and fasting!
Revival requires work!
I wouldn’t emberass him for anything, but Bro Clyde was here on Satruday for the better part of 12 hours!
He was helping build these partitions and afterwards led the music practice till late!
Then on Sunday, as we were praising God, He was guitaring so hard, he broke his guitar pick!
Sis Nina, Sis Kata were here! Ahsley came along.
Sis Beth was up at 3:00 Saturday, flew across the country, landed in Ca and can you believe it, came straight to music practice!
She only left around 8-9!
You wonderful saints of God, have been praying!
Together, we set a high water mark of praise last Sunday!
Do you realize how wonderful and important that is?
Here’s one way to look at it, and understand the effect or your high praise!
It’s like the difference between D2 vs overdrive on a big truck. (Explain)
When you are praising God freely, it’s as though this thing shifts into a spiritual overdrive!
This is where prayers and petitions are uniquely answered!
Your free, high praise, is the natural habitat of the miraculous! Healing, Signs and wonders!
This is the enviornment where weapons that are formed against you, simply cannot prosper!
But don’t take my word for it!!!!
Text
Text
(2 Ch 20:1-30)
It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then 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, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
Okay, here is what’s going on:
Point #1 (vs 1-2)
Point #1 (vs 1-2)
A great multitude of enemies, an alliance of old enemies have come together to anhilate the Kindom!
And guess what: They’re almost here!
Point #2 (vs 3-8)
Point #2 (vs 3-8)
Jehoshophat, the king, the guy in charge, is afraid!
Just being honest! this threat is scary! This is real!
So, watch what he does:
He Brought everyone together.
They all agreed to fast and pray to God for deliverance!
Point #3 (vs 9)
Point #3 (vs 9)
I think God likes it when we remind him of his covnenental power and obligations!
(Bro MO did with his wallet deal! God answered!)
Point #4 (vs 9)
Point #4 (vs 9)
In the covenants that God makes, He establishes a place where His name dwells. His authority!”
Point #5 (vs 12-13)
Point #5 (vs 12-13)
Here’s the problem: We are totally outnumbered here!
The people are in trouble!
We don’t know what to do!
And so, they turn their eyes upon God!
Full attention to the only one that can save them now!
Point #6 (vs 14)
Point #6 (vs 14)
“Be not afraid!”
God gives them a game plan through prophecy!
He still does that!
And God’s plan, His trategy is always the best!
That’s why we should not lean unto our own understanding!
in all thy ways aknowledge him and He shall direct thy paths!
God’s game plan was simple:
“Go, face the enemy.”
“You won’t have to fight, leave that to me.”
“Just stand still and watch me work!”
Point #7 (vs19)
Point #7 (vs19)
After the game plan and prophecy, now that God had spoken, all of the people worshipped!
Maybe you’re a born fighter, but sometimes you need to simply worship!
Maybe you’re a born builder, yet sometimes, you simply need to worship!
When God give you a plan, it’s time to worship!!!!!
It still works that way!
(Go ahead and pray!!!!)
Point #8 (vs 20-21)
Point #8 (vs 20-21)
Obedience and the beauty of Holiness!
The miracle only works when you obey!
If they would have holed up behind the city walls, or made a run for it, they’d have been wiped out!
When God says “Build a boat, you build a boat!
When God says “Use gopher wood” do it! He has a reason!
When God says, “Obey me, worship and watch this” Then do it!
And there’s a certain rythm God is looking for, a spriitual style or attitude if you will that God wants from you as you walk into the miraculous and it something the BIble calls “The beauty of Holiness!”
And don’t try to tell me this is a one off in Scripture!
Ps 96:9
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
Fear before him, all the earth.
Ps 29:2
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
What is this “Beauty of Holiness?”
Here’s the best way that I can put it:
Individually, it is you not relying on yourself, your strength or your own glory which fades, it is when you choose to project the glory of God which does not fade, but only grows in power and majesty!
For a visual example, consider that there is not one thing, no physical law, no angelig being or anything else that will prevent my wife or any of you other ladies from painting your face and gluing and taping and all the other stuff that the world spends $$$$ to do in order to promote your own glory.
Yes, you have a glory.
And no angel will keep you ladies out of men’s clothing or immodest clothing or a scissor out of your hair!
It’s a personal consecration!!!
A gift to God!
When you choose to project the glory of God and not your own glory, the result is beautiful in a way that is galaxies beyond the fickle, fading glories of man!
There is such freedom that comes when you finally realize that He is the Sun and we are the moon!
Our highest calling is simply to reflect Him!
The beauty of Holiness!
Here in the context of vs 20-21, Where “The Beauty of Holiness.” is descriptive of the the group, the assembly under threat, it essentially means the same.
It is your dependence, your reliance on God!
His Power! His majesty! HIs glory!
His agency, and not the agency of man!!!
Trusting in that!!!!
Point 9 (vs 22)
Point 9 (vs 22)
God doesnt even get his hands dirty!
This coalition of peoples opposed to God’s own, this evil alliance falls apart!
Weather through rivalry and disagreement, old disputes between factions or angelic inteferance, The Bible uses this cool word : Ambushments.”
The threat to God’s people falls apart spectacularly!
The bad guys all kill each other!
Point #10 (vs25)
Point #10 (vs25)
The thing that seemed the greatest threat was actually God’s vehicle of blessing for His people!
Think about it!
God used the enemy as a wagon train, a treasure caravan to deliver the wealth of three nations to His people!
Have you ever considered that your greatest percieved threat is actually God’s source of the blessing? The greatest blessing and more than you have ever imagined?
And all it cost them was four things:
Prayer, Fasting, Obedience and Praise!
It was a High Water Mark of Praise!!!
It was a High Water Mark of Praise!!!
Point #11 (vs 30)
Point #11 (vs 30)
I want you to niotice that after the victory, God gave the people rest.
II. Application
II. Application
To every person in the crowd that watched the salvation of the Lord as they sang and praised God, you know that was the HIgh water mark of praise in their life!
Surely, that was as good as it ever got for those people!
A high water mark of praise!
But folks, I want to point out to you that while we are also God’s people, we are living under the new covenant!!!!
Every service and every day of your life is an opportunity to set a new HIgh water mark of praise!
And as you do, remind God of His covenantal rights and obligations!
Mar 16:17-18
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
It told you, when God enters covenant, He establishes a place where His name dwells!
Why do you think it’s so important that you are baptized not in titles, but in the Personal name of God, the name, Jesus Christ?
Because God is establisheng a place where His name dwells!
This is where the world can find the authority of Almighty God!
It’s in you! Covenant people!
The Name is in you!
“In My Name shall they cast ouyt devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover!
That’s how Jesus could say:
Mat 18:18
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Friend, when you are outnumbered and overwhelmed, make the choice to praise God!
Set a new HIgh water mark of praise!!!
Wroship in you living room!
Praise God in the kitchen!
in the car, wherever you are!
Make the choice to worship God in the beauty of Holiness!
I promise you that you cannot outgive God!
If you give him consecrations, He will give you HOly Power!!!
“Veangeance is mine, saith the Lord!”
Okay then, Let Him do all the heavy lifting!!!!
Just do your best and trust Him for the rest!
Prayer, fasting, obedience and praise!!!!
As often as you want, set a high water Mark of praise for your life, for your family, for this church!
And then after the victory, after the deliverance, God will give you rest!