The Battle Is Not Yours
Pastor Erickson preaches from 2 Chronicles 20, where Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir came against Judah, comparing the three armies to culture, philosophy and persecution, the forces that pressed on the early church and still press on the church today. He calls the church to set itself to prayer, gather its families, and fight with worship and praise, trusting that the battle is not theirs but God's.
The message in 6 points
The battle is not yours but God's
He reads how all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones and the prophet said, the battle is not yours but God's, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. With Matthew 16:18 he prays that the church will stop fighting battles that belong to God.
1:02:45What pressed on the early church
Drawing on a book on church history, he names three forces that pulled the early church away from the apostles' doctrine: a wicked Greek culture, persecution under Rome, and the philosophy of great thinkers that shaped the councils.
1:06:49Three armies against Judah
Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir joined against Jehoshaphat, and he likens them to culture, philosophy and persecution. The church cannot defeat the culture it lives in, he says, but it serves a God who can.
1:12:14Philosophy and acceptance creep in
Man's philosophy divided the one God into persons, and it still slips in through popular preachers and social media, so a pastor who knows you should be your mentor. When persecution ended under Constantine the church opened itself up, and he warns that being accepted by everyone can weaken a church too.
1:19:58Set yourselves and gather your families
Judah bowed in worship, the Levites praised with a loud voice, and singers went out before the army. He says to gather families close, let the Spirit speak in the house, and set yourselves apart in prayer and fasting, turning off the noise.
1:30:36Praise is the weapon
A Pentecostal church gives open, wholehearted worship, and casual worship leads to a casual walk with God. As united fans lift a team, the church's praise confused Judah's enemies until they turned on each other. He calls people to worship, receive the Holy Ghost and be baptized in Jesus' name.
1:36:05
In his words
“We serve a God who says this battle is not yours, but I'll take care of it for you.”
“If we're going to keep Moab and Ammon and [Seir] out of the church, there's got to be people that know how to praise, there's got to be people who know how to worship, because I'll tell you what, casual worship turns into a casual walk with God.”
“Your praise can cause your problems to turn upon each other in Jesus name. Let us realize how effective praise is in the battle.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added. Words in [brackets] were fixed so the line reads clearly.
Scripture
He reads
2 Chronicles 20:13
13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
King James Version.
2 Chronicles 20:15
15And 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.
King James Version.
2 Chronicles 20:17
17Ye 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.
King James Version.
Matthew 16:18
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
King James Version.
2 Chronicles 20:1-3
1It 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. 2Then 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 Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. 3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
King James Version.
2 Chronicles 20:18-24
18And 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. 19And 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. 20And 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. 21And 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. 22And 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. 23For 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. 24And 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.
King James Version.
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