In the sermon 'Thy Name Is In This House,' Tate Pierce addresses the congregation at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the true word of God and being cautious of the subtle changes in modern Bible translations. Using the narrative of Jehoshaphat from 2 Chronicles 20, Pierce illustrates the dangers of forming alliances with ungodly influences, as Jehoshaphat did with King Ahab. Despite Jehoshaphat's initial missteps, his story is one of redemption through seeking the Lord in times of distress. The sermon underscores the necessity of maintaining faith and standing firm in God's word, especially in the face of spiritual and worldly challenges. Pierce also reflects on the significance of community and assembly in the church, criticizing modern practices that stray from traditional worship and the importance of prayer and dedication to the house of God. Through Jehoshaphat's prayer and reliance on God, the sermon highlights the assurance of divine intervention and the power of standing firm in faith.

I'm here, humbled actually, and I am thankful for the friendship of Isaiah. We have a lot in common as coming up as young folks and how this world can treat you sometimes. But I wasn't expecting you to give that kind of... But God is good. And I want you to know that what Brother Pruitt just preached to you is absolute, I don't think you doubt it, absolute truth to things that Satan would like to etch away at it, and that's God's word in his church.

And when he mentions something, and I want young people to understand, because sometimes you say, well, the old preacher said this, or the old preacher said that, but I tell you, pay attention to what he said. And this old preacher, hopefully you can get something out of this one but see when he mentioned the new King James there is a difference And in verse 18 is a big difference. If you ever get the time to look at a new King James, if you'd like to. It says for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are being saved. Now does that sound strange to you?

Because ours says, are saved. A little change can make a big difference. So he preached the truth to you and I thank you for that message, Brother Pruitt. I'm actually going through that in the Sunday school hour at our church. And I was sitting there, yes, yes, yes.

The King James Bible, over 5, 200 major manuscripts. And the corrupt versions use mainly two major manuscripts. Well, there's a problem with that. Anyways, thankful to be here and thankful for Brother Green and Isaiah and all of the church, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, thankful to be here and I count it an honor to be here. And I got to meet somebody famous since I've been here and it's just been outstanding.

You know of him already because he is famous. But I'm thankful to be here today. Well, I would like to, if I can invite your attention to go to the book of Second Chronicles. Second Chronicles, if you would. Chapter 20.

And when did I officially start? About two minutes ago. Okay. Alright. Second Chronicles chapter 20 will be our text.

But before we get into the text, I'm going to give us a little background so that we understand, hopefully understand everything that will come forth this morning. And I've titled this message for thy name is in this house first Timothy 3 15 16 which has already been noted this morning but if I but I'm sorry I was second Timothy we're in first Timothy 3 15 16 says but if I tarry long that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in the glory. And in Hebrews 3, 6, but Christ has a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm until the end. You say what's that got to do with second Chronicles?

Well, the Lord's always had a people. Amen. And he's always had an assembly. And we know that we're not talking to church in the Old Testament, but he's always had a group. He's always had a beloved people.

That's right. And I think about just the things that's already been said here today and how Satan's etching away and working on working at it and working at it but we have the promise of the Word of God that the church will be and I know our notes in our Bibles and stuff will tell us that it'll be in great you know great despair but the fact is the book of Ephesians says he'll present it to him spotless and without wrinkle, holy, without blemish, and I'm thankful for that and I'm thankful to be part of a church that believes such as that. So God's always had a people, so let's get a little background of where I'm headed here this morning. So I'm going to back up, our text will be 2 Chronicles 20, but I'm going to back up for just a moment because I'm really preaching about Jehoshaphat. Alright, but we got to know who Jehoshaphat is.

Well He's the son of King Asa who went before him. He's actually the fourth king in the kings of Judah. So there's a line being followed there. And King Asa, King Asa was a good king. All right.

But as man is, man's made of the flesh and clay and we do have imperfections and that's why we depend on Jesus Christ our Savior. But King Asa was a good man but even he had some flaws and we were talking last night as we fellowshiped and it was just amazing how the Lord can line things up but about this disease or this pandemic or all this going on around this and it's caused people to waver and some to hide and all these things. And I'm not going to get into that today, but I will show you this. King Asa, if you want to read it with me you can but I'm gonna read it to you king ace and chapter 16 verse 12 It says an ace in the 30 and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet Until his disease was exceeding great, yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but to the physicians. And what do you think the outcome was?

The next verse says, and Asa slept with his fathers and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. A good man. A good king. And that's what I want to focus on this morning is sometimes we can get to resting on our blessings that God has given us and we can become a little stagnant of following the Lord and focusing on the Lord. So then you have Jehoshaphat comes behind him and in chapter 18 says, now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor and abundance and joined affinity with Ahab.

Now Ahab was a wicked king. So much despair takes place and there was a divided kingdom you must understand. You had the northern kingdom of Israel and Judah and separated there And I think about where we are today in this world. We are to be separated. So as we continue on with a little bit of background, Jehoshaphat had been blessed.

He was following the Lord and doing great things, but he joined up with Ahab. The location, which when we get there, the location of this is in Jerusalem. Find that in chapter 19 and verse 1. Jehoshaphat had the strength and the weakness of King Asa, his father. He started off in a proper direction as I just alluded to there and you can both go back And look in 17 verses 1 through 4 in Jehoshaphat, his son reigned in his stead and strengthened himself against Israel.

And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of the Ephraim, which Asa, his father, had taken. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, Because he walked in the first ways of his father David and sought not unto Balaam But sought to the Lord God of his father and walked in his commandments and not after the doings of Israel." So Jehoshaphat was on a right plane, he was on the right path, he was following examples put before him and We have examples of giants in the land that used to fill the pulpits and it's been said earlier and we do we have Serpents standing behind them now and little serpents from giants of God to little serpents of Satan Yeah, And that's the problem we have but we got to be careful as God's people. We've got to be careful the key Found in second Chronicles in 1710 really it's an amazing I'm so passionate about this text in verse 10 It says in the fear of the Lord fell upon the kingdoms of the land that were round about Judah so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

So these are the blessings. I'm trying to give you a little background. These are the blessings that God had blessed Jehoshaphat with because he followed him and he looked to him and he trusted in him. And when you do that, God will bless. But when you step away, he will pull back his hand.

He will not leave you if you're born again. If the blood of Christ has been placed upon you, Hebrews 10 22, if your heart's been sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus Christ, there's no removing that. And I believe that firmly, and I know you do as well. But we can become content in which this temporary dwelling we're walking through, in which we are. We can become content and even start to rub elbows and this happened to Jehoshaphat.

So let's get to the message here and we'll move forward as we go here. And I keep the mind thought I have is as it was yesterday so it is today we're still people in need of a Savior and we still get lazy and content and where we are but we must we must pursue the Lord so as we move forward here let's start in chapter 19 actually and I'll read a few verses there and then we'll move to 20 where my text is actually where I'm going to be. Chapter 19, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hananiah the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God." What a question. I've asked myself this question. And I think about mistakes as a young man. And you young folks, you listen to that question. That's quite a question.

You ought to write it down somewhere. Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? Now we've got to operate in this world. We've got to function with these people in this world, they may be sharpening your lawnmower blades, they may be changing oil in your car, you still got to use the people in the world to get things done and things to roll by. But to join affinity, that's a different subject.

Affinity that's a different subject we need to take high note of this question and it gets it gets it gets a little worse what's what's this going on here what's this see you're talking about here's the scary part Turn back to 18 if you would for just a moment. It's where I started with. He joined affinity with Ahab. Verse 2 it says, and after certain years went down to Ahab to Samaria and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people that he had with him and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-Gilead. And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will thou go with me to Ramoth Gilead?

And here's the scary answer. And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war. And that's what happens. The longer we dwell out there and we rub shoulders and we get out there in the pig pen of the world and the next thing you know I am as thou art No, but there's a big difference if Jesus Christ is dwelling within you you're different than what is out there And don't become comfortable out there Jehoshaphat had become comfortable in his blessings. So comfortable that we get a little prideful.

I think we was talking about pride last night. We get a little prideful. And I guarantee you, and I would like to guarantee you, let me say it like that, That Jehoshaphat had in his mind, he knew he loved the Lord, but he knew, he's a strong man. He's been blessed and all these good things going on. Surely I can keep control of the situation.

But you cannot control a bad situation like this. I don't know what that old saying was. I was a youngster, but there used to be a saying, well, when I see the devil, I'm just gonna stop on and smash him under. That's the biggest lie. He ain't under your foot.

The Bible tells us he's up there. There's a war going on above us. You find that in the book of Ephesians. Book of Daniel 21 days to get here. Prayer was heard instantly.

It took the angel 21 days to come down because of the war taking place. Oh, it's a wicked time. We're moving and we're escalating into more wicked times. You say, yes, that president, is this that? No, it's Satan.

It's also weak Christianity, If it's pure Christianity. So he'd become weak and he had joined affiliation with them and they even said to our people, as thy people and Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel inquire I pray thee at the word of the Lord today I was thinking as brother Pruitt's preaching I'm like it's perfect with this text because what you're gonna find now you're gonna find 400 false prophets coming up Satan has his ministers that will tell anything he needs them to tell. And we're going to see it here. It's a scary thing and that's what's going on in churches today. It's about drawing the crowd.

I know the latest thing and I know this is televised or gonna be televised and published that the latest craze today is to put coffee shops in the fronts of the churches that's bad enough but the worst thing is they charge you for it and that's not that's no joke there they are charging there's something to have breakfast joints and everything else right there in the lobby of the church. What's that for? For the flesh. Yeah. Yeah, some of our churches are down and we go up and down.

We go through all the trials but stay with the pure word of the Lord. Amen. Listen, how are you going to outsmart your Creator? You can't do it. That's right.

So, he don't need coffee. He don't need your coffee to sell his word. He needs a preacher to preach the word. So I move forward. Sorry for that rabbit trail.

I just wound up about that. But anyhow, verse 4, Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee at the word of the Lord. Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle or shall we forbear? And they said, Go up for God will deliver into the king's hand. But Jehoshaphat said, now this is interesting, but Jehoshaphat said, is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him?

This is what I'm telling you. See, he thought he could control a bad situation because I love the Lord. And There still was the truth within him and that's what happened. Four hundred men are saying, go up, go up, go up. You know, they'll even get real religious on you, go up.

Jehoshaphat says, is there not one? Is there not one? Wait till you look at the response coming. Because those deceivers know they're deceiving. They know they're deceiving.

That's why they work and work and work and echelway it but they will not win. But we see here, so verse 7, and the king of Israel, this is Ahab, this is the wicked king, and the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him. For he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil. Same as Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on the throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering end of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them." So I'm going to move forward so we don't have to keep reading so I can actually get my text. So they move forward here, what happens? Well, Micaiah, he comes before them. So, the king of Israel says, what says he?

He says, go up. Now that could be confusing to you because you had 400 prophets that we know are false, but then here comes a real prophet and he said, go up. And they, because they had coached him. And he was, he was actually doing it in a way He was proven his point they had coached him to whatever you do prophecy good of It's what we have out of the text Verse 12 says in the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

Now you're looking for the prophet to tell you what spiritually should be done, but then you're gonna tell him what to say. Right. That's the way Satan works. Yeah. Right.

See? So then we get here and we see what happens. And verse 14, and when he was come to the king, the king said unto Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle or shall I forbear and he said go ye up and it says and prosper And they shall be delivered into thy hand and your hand and the king said unto him How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but truth to me in the name of the Lord? See even even the king knew that no no no Micaiah you get you get real with me You see see see You see the attitude that took place there. Verse 16, then he said, I did see Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd.

And the Lord said, these have no master. Let them return therefore every man to his house. And the king of Israel, " I'm sorry, I like this, and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me but evil? And again he said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing at his right hand his left.

And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel that he may go up to fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake after him this manner and another after this manner then there came out a spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will entice him and the Lord said unto him wherewith and he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets and the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail. Go out and do even so." God is sovereign. Amen. And he will have his way.

That's right. And I'm going to tell you something, there's not a man that's ever walked the earth or walking the earth that's gonna change God's plan. True. That's right. No matter how good intentions you might have, you will not change God's plan.

So what happens? Well, he made affiliation with them and bad things take place when you take place when you affiliate with bad people. My grandfather used to always say you mess around with chicken pen long enough you're going to get an onion. And that's the truth. As a kid you don't believe it.

So what you do is you go in there and mess around and that's saying, oh no, ow, oh, and you're in trouble. And that's what happens when you affiliate with evil men. It's going to get on you if you stay there. So now we come to our text. This has happened, and so here we come to our text in chapter 20.

It says, and it came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and with them others beside me, 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 of Syria. And behold, they be Hazesan Tamar, which is in Geti, and Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed to fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask of the help of the Lord even out of all the cities of Judah. They came to seek the Lord.

Now we're moving into Jehoshaphat's prayer. And that's what takes place here. And this is where it's going to, this is where we're going to get started here. We got to seek the Lord So Jeff Haas fat had made a mistake. He had joined affiliation He should not have done that and now he's gonna reap the benefits of it A great war is coming against him, but that's the beauty and the wonders of being saved.

We can make mistakes and let me not discolor it. We can sin, and we can yet bow upon our knees and ask forgiveness. And the Bible says to confess, confess our sins. It doesn't say cover them up, just well I've sinned, Lord, just forgive. No, you confess them.

Take ownership of your choice. Amen. And he will forgive us our sins. He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jehoshaphat knew where to go.

He knew where to go. He knew where to find help. So verse 5, And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, O Lord, 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 hands are 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 will 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 has given them on given us to inherit Oh our Lord will 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 set upon thee and all and this is why I want you to listen to this and all Judas stood up before the Lord with their little ones their wives and their children. First thing we got to do is seek ye the Lord. Amen. The troubles we're in, the trials we're in, all these things going on, decisions that are very strange to a Christian's mind and heart being made governing our country, leading us in our communities, things going on, it can get you angry. But we must seek the Lord.

We cannot overpower that alone. But we know who to go to who came at Proverbs 21 one says he can turn the hearts of kings. Yeah, I Can't turn the heart I can't turn the heart on a human being I'd love to see another saved and another saved and another saved but I cannot do that I try I can deliver the word that can do that, but I cannot do that, it's the work of God. We must seek the Lord. We must seek the Lord in times of blessings.

See, Jehoshaphat had been blessed, but his focus got off. We must seek the Lord when we're being blessed. What's that mean? That means when everything, that means when you just sort of got a little skip in your step walking across the front yard, because everything's just going great. Praise the Lord, hallelujah.

You know, everything's going good. But it seems like that's when prayer life tends to wane. Seek ye the Lord. Also here that's very interesting, in these times that we've been through, All of a sudden attendance is down. I have no issue with sermon audio, you want to stream on Facebook, you want to do that, but that is not church.

That is not a sembling. He said, forsake not the assembling of yourselves. Where'd these people go? There was great problems coming. There was a time in America when people used to run to the house of God.

Just as these people. If when evil cometh upon us, in verse 9 of chapter 20, 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 will hear and help. Church I pastor, we have prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. We still do that We still gather on Wednesdays and pray and I don't fault people that there's some that don't and that's fine Because I'm not the pastor of their church and I don't answer for their church and you know I understand that but it is very marveling to me that we have a we do a prayer list and it's very marveling to me the people that's on that prayer list they want prayer they need prayer but they won't come pray for me. They won't come to the house of the Lord when there's trouble and pray.

Pray for the pastor, pray for the doctor, pray for the wondrous alien, pray for those with cancer, pray for those that can't hear, can't breathe. But put me on there. And I told him as much. I'm not saying anything up here in Georgia I haven't said in Florida. It's strange that those that want a lot of prayer won't come and pray.

It says when we're in trouble, we should go to the house. Amen. So seek you the Lord in times of blessing, in times of wonder. I think we're really in times of wonder right now. I wonder what's going on.

I wonder how these things can come about. I know who's at the root of it, but I wonder at it. You see, where do you get that from? Well, times of wonder. Here's times of wonder.

18.1, now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance and joined the family with Ahab that made me wonder yeah the Holy Spirit felt need for us to know that he had riches he had honor in abundance. You know what that means? A lot of it. Right. And he joins a friend, be with they have.

And then in times of fear, and that says this, I just told you in verse six of chapter 20. Are these fearful times? You better believe they are. But the Lord didn't give us the spirit of fear. But of power and love and of a sound mind.

And that's what we, all the preachers seem to have the same general feeling which I know it said the Holy Spirit we're seeing levels of faith take place yeah we're seeing no faith take place the devil's going to try us any way he can you know I tell our church all the time, he's not all over the world. They're under control. You say, what do you mean, Pastor Pierce? That can't be. You talked about the book of Job this morning.

The book of Job's very interesting. I mean, all the Bible's interesting, don't get me wrong. But in Job chapter one, this is in my notes, it's just, verse six it says, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Now pay attention to this, this is very interesting.

And whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? Now we read that and we just keep rolling right on, but stop and think about that. This goes back to what I just told you the world's under control.

He's been going to and fro and God says have you considered my servant Job? What that means is that there's been no challenge Whence cometh thou then Satan answer Lord from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it And God says have you considered my servant Joe? Do you get where I'm headed he couldn't find any challenge. It's under control. And God says, try Job.

That's where we are today. There's things being tested and tried. We must seek the Lord. We must serve the house of the Lord. We're not to be afraid, so I'm going to move forward because I'm still doing good on time, but I want to move forward here.

We must be dedicated to the service of the Lord. So, he's prayed, and we see the wives and the children, everybody's standing there. And then let's move to verse 15. It says, in chapter 20, it says, 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. Amen.

Alright, so who's speaking there? And I did that on purpose. Let's back up and look who's speaking. Verse 14, then upon Jehaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Aniah, the son of Jeel, the son of Mataniah, a Levite of the sons Asaph, came the what? Spirit of the Lord in the midst where of a congregation.

It's important to assemble. And he had a message as the Lord does. That's why he has a church. And he has preachers that preach the message. And he said, Harken 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." That's where your faith has to kick in.

It is not your battle, folks. It is not the doctor's battle. It is not the administration's battle. It is a battle between Satan and God, and God has control. I don't know why this has happened, because God has permitted it to happen.

I don't know why this is going on, because God has allowed it to go on. And now let me don't throw everything on God. Some of it's because that's just what you deserve. I don't know how we got these people because that's just what we deserve. You know why?

It goes back to the beginning because He made an affinity. God's people making an affinity with the world. That's what you want. I mean, we've seen it over and over, the book of Judges. That doing that which is right in their own eyes.

How can you do something that's right in your own eyes because they don't have an arm in the Lord? So now everything out here looks good. Oh, that looks good. I wish I had that. I wish I had more of this.

I wish I could have some of that. I wish I was more hip. Give me a new Bible. I just show up in shorts and a tank top. I mean, that's what the kids want, right?

We must serve the Lord and His house. Be not afraid. So he tells them here, verse 15, he said, Harken ye, and then he says, be not afraid. What's that mean? It means have no fear.

Literally, I looked the definition up. That's what it means. It says, be not afraid. That means to fear. It also says low morale.

Well, bless God. I don't know what we're going to do. That's not how God would have you If you've been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, there's a reason to pick your head up and look to heaven and say praise the Lord Amen The Bible talks a lot about rejoicing I know Jesus Christ, a man of sorrows, but he was a man of sorrows that you might have joy Amen So, be not afraid Don't have loathing around Be not dismayed Be not afraid nor dismayed. What's dismayed mean? Well, it's a little different than the be not afraid.

The word dismayed means to break down. We're seeing that take place. We're seeing a lot of breaking down. Means violence. It means confusion.

Fear of fright. There's a lot of confusion taking place in our world, but in the churches. As you were saying, and I was glad one of you alluded to that, look, we don't believe we're the, you know, you don't have to be a Baptist to be saved. We understand that. There is saved folk all over the world that are not Baptists.

But if you're saved, I think you ought to want to be a Baptist. That's the way I see it anyways. But why is that? Because the name Baptist, our names have always been given to us by our persecutors. You know.

That's right. Book of Acts. Christians. So we can't be afraid, we can't be dismayed, and that's because the battle is his. It is God's battle.

Verse 16, Tomorrow 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 Jeru ye shall not need to fight in this battle think about that God's telling them you don't need to fight in this battle what confidence what strength what power that's Dunamoth power Explosive power, where we get our word dynamite. Amen. It's God's battle. Tomorrow ye go down against them.

Think about that. Now listen, Again, pay attention to the language of the Bible now. We have the Bible. We have the Word of God. We're proving that to you.

We have the Word of God. Tomorrow go ye down against them. Now that sounds like a charge, doesn't it? Behold, they come up by the cliff of ziz and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of jeru Ye shall not need to fight in this battle now. Wait a minute Go down against them, but you're not gonna fight This is interesting Verse 17 you 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. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you." Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites, the children of the Kohites and of the children of the Korites, 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. Amen. So I'm gonna wind everything up with this for the last few minutes I have. We've seen seek ye the Lord, we've seen Serve the Lord in his house, and then we see the salvation of the Lord. We've been put into the place of war.

We have it here. Tomorrow you shall go down against them. And when you get there, you shall not fight. The war is really not in our hands. It is in God's hands.

You say, what do you mean by this, Brother Pierce? What does all this mean to me? I mean, we're taking on greater burdens than we need to. The Lord has control. He's asked you to stand.

He's asked you to take place. You say, what's this mean? I have no doubt this morning that each one of us could testify of a problem going on in our lives right now, whether it be family church, loved ones, kinship folks. And you're looking at one that has a major problem going on. And I've had to come to grips, I can't change it.

The Lord is in control. Amen. Amen. He is. I was sharing with y'all, I'm really troubled by it.

It's a personal issue with some family. Troubled, troubled. And I was praying to God, Lord, what can I do? I'll call, I'll write. It says wait on the Lord.

Again I say wait. I said Lord I understand I know I'm waiting and I know everything's in your power and your hands, but I could do something. These people say the Lord don't talk to you. The Lord talks to you through his scripture. He returned an answer, he says, be still and know that I am God.

And he gave me a job, and that job is to know that he is God. I don't mean, yeah I know, I know. See that's our answer, I know what you mean brother, I know God is God. No, no, no. I mean no as if I'm going to send you down that road into the battle of war.

I want you to march down and go against them and when you get there, stand. These are the kind of battles that's taking place right now. You better know that he is God. Ephesians chapter 6 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. I took the time, it might surprise you, I took the time, wrote down some definitions here.

This word stand here in Ephesians, it means to stand, to stand firm, to be present, to stop, to make stand, to place, to establish. That means when he marches you out in the war, all he's wanting you to do is right here. And you stand firm and you be established, don't walk upon the truth. Amen. And you've been blessed to have, because God does preserve his word.

You know, just like with brother proofs. You know, he started out Psalms 12, 6, and 7. You know, if you read in other Bibles, you know what it says? Preserve us. You check me on that.

That will preserve us, oh Lord, forever. There wasn't the us he was talking about, it's the word. And God's given us His word. And He says to stand. If you have the blood of Christ upon your soul, stand.

What about when the President says this or this one says that? Stand. What about this over here? Let me ask you. Let's turn it around.

Ephesians 6, it says put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to run against the wiles of the devil. Is that what it says? No, it says stand. Or maybe he just meant stand for a moment and then ease forward. No, he said stand.

God knows what He's doing and we must stand up. Stand up for Jesus. I was just thinking that it's special they sang here just one of victory in Jesus my Savior forever. He sought me and He bought me and I've heard some people say, sold! Because there was a price.

And I didn't do that because I didn't want to get thrown out. But you think about it, that's rejoicing. He sold me and he boughed me with his redeeming love. He loved me ere I knew him. Amen.

And all my love is due him. Amen. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. And after all that, he wants you to stand. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

See, you ain't gonna stomp the old devil out and put him under your foot. That's like them bumper stickers they used to have, God is my co-pilot. He better be your pilot. But that's the problem. It's like the Stone of Ebenezer.

You see in the Bible it says where they pitched beside Ebenezer was hitherto the Lord had helped us. You better get under the stone of Ebenezer. You better get behind the stone of Ebenezer. He doesn't need you up there in front of him. Verse 13 of the page 6, wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand, to withstand and withstand and stand.

And we just come from Chronicles and He said that you may be able to stand and stand. So I did a little background because I said, well preacher, you may not check the Hebrew. You know, the Hebrew may not match up with that. Well here, let's finish this Ephesians here. Withstand means to resist, to oppose, to rebel.

You want to do something? You go out there and you take a stand for Christ and you're rebelling against the world. You're rebelling against Satan. You're doing just what God would have you do. Well back in the Hebrew it's actually a compound word.

If you put the two together, yasad, omed, and it means to stand one's ground, confront, to stand before, to present oneself, to commit oneself. And in the last part, end of that word, Omed, it means a standing place, a position, a station, or a post. He wants you to hold the post And interestingly enough Guess what Jehoshaphat had done? He and his father had done it They have removed all those posts out of that grove. They removed the groves.

Wooden post, wooden trees that they go out there. The world will go out there and worship and then turn around and affiliate with those that would promote it. We must stand. We don't cower. We don't hide.

We don't charge. We just stand. That's all God's asked us to do. Stand, stand in his commandments. So think about this and say, what would ye do?

Will ye seek ye the Lord? I wish I had the confidence you have, Pastor. You can have the confidence I have. Seek ye the Lord. Amen.

Well, I wish I could see things that way, Pastor. You can see things that way. Read the Bible. Well, I wish I had the strength that some of these people have. You can.

Amen. You know, it's interesting. The Jewish people will never sit the word of God on the floor. You have the very precious word of God. Don't pitch it over in your trunk.

That's right. Don't throw it up on the shelf. Amen. Let it be dear to you. Amen.

And I pray that it would help you. You say, I don't know about that. I'm telling you, you can learn a lot. It came from over there. John 14, in my father's house are many mansions.

I go to prepare a place for you, but if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself. Who's he talking to? Who's the you? That was those disciples. In my father's house are many mansions.

I, Jesus, go to prepare a place for you, church." A bridal suite being prepared. Well, you say, how is that Jewish custom? That's what they do when you're betrothed. Contracts made, she goes and adorns herself, making herself as beautiful as she can. While she's adorning, which we know, adorning the doctrines of God, precious jewels, He's over here working.

Because in the Jewish custom the man goes back to his daddy's house and he adds on and he adds a bridal suite. You say pastor I don't know if that Jewish stuff really matters. All it doesn't? Well, the Prolocal Son. From this side of the world, we call it the Prolocal Son.

From their side, they call it the Seeking Father. The man comes running in. Who ran? The son or the father? The father did.

Why is that? Because it was looked down upon for a Jewish man to run anywhere because the first thing he had to do was to hike up his tunic. And then it was a disgrace for them to run. So what he did as a seeking father, he didn't go down there and wallow around with the hogs. He didn't go down there and help him waste his inheritance.

He stayed right where he was. He took a stand. And when he stood, when he would work and when he would be upon his residence, he'd look down that road and he kept looking and he'd go back to work and he'd look and he'd go back to work. But one day he looked and here comes the sun and it says he ran. Here's why he ran.

If he had not run according to their customs all his workers and servants and all the people there in that area would have come and surrounded him because it was a disgrace to take your heirs to go out and waste it in the world and come back and expect to be received and they would take a clay pot and throw it down and break it before your feet which means you're totally cut off you're not welcome So the father sacrificed his reputation and lowered himself and ran and fell upon him and received him. That son comes back and he's upset. I'm preaching another sermon. We just need to seek the Lord. He's a seeking father.

Are you looking for him? I pray This can be a blessing to you.