Blessed by Association III | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Job 22:21, 2 Chronicles 17:1-6, 2 Chronicles 17:9-11, 2 Chronicles 18:1, Proverbs 23:6-7, 2 Chronicles 18:2-5, 2 Chronicles 19:1-6, 2 Chronicles 19:8, 2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 2 Chronicles 20:5-12, 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--blessed-by-association-iii
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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if you're not already standing stand with me right now if you're a lover of Jesus Christ I want you to lift your voice Up In Praise And adoration oh oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes thank God thank God thank God thank God if you have your Bibles would you please join me in second chronicles Second Chronicles chapter 17. and beginning to read it verse number one second Chronicles chapter 17 verse number one I will tell you this this is the last of a series called blessed by association but I'm not sure that it will be the last amen I'm not sure I'm just not so certain it's going to be the the last how many the last couple weeks have a greater understanding that we are blessed by associating ourselves with God do you know that job said it like this he said acquaint thyself with God and be at peace in other words he said just get associated with him and not only get associated with him but anything that he has to do with if you will associate yourself with it you will be blessed by association let me tell you just real quickly just very quickly thank you so very very much for your response for toys for The Refuge Refugee children from Ukraine that are in Poland there's going to be a bunch of happy kids in Poland come Christmas morning thank you for thirteen thousand dollars received here Sunday night thank you so very very much and it's going to be a group of some happy kids and I'm so excited Second Chronicles chapter 17 verse number one and 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 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 doing of Israel therefore the Lord established the kingdom of his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence and he had riches and honor in abundance and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord moreover he took away the high places and Groves out of Judah blessed by association father I thank you tonight for the reading of your word Lord as I have asked you before I now ask you publicly God would you anoint my lips tonight that I may feed your people this evening Lord May their minds be open God I curse every distraction Lord I pray that for the next few moments Lord that we would hang on every word God because we definitely want to be blessed by association bless us tonight as we read your word in Jesus name we pray amen and amen would you give him a hand of Praise before you're seated come on give him the best hand you've given him all night great is the Lord and greatly to be praised you may be seated someone came a small child came to me Sunday and please excuse me but I have forgotten I have forgotten the child's name and face but I haven't forgotten what the child said to me the child said that they heard something that went like this when you are born you look like your parents when you get old you look like your decisions when you're born you look like your parents when you get old you look like your decisions and I say tonight I want to look good in my old age amen so if I want to look good in my old age I've got to make some good decisions I've got to be Associated I've got to be associated with some good things I want to talk to you tonight and teach to you other word about a man in the Bible by the name of Jehoshaphat this man came to Reign and he did a lot of good things he did a lot of good things he Associated himself with the god of Israel and he Associated himself with the things of the god of Israel for example he did some rebuilding and some remodeling some restoration on the house of God he tore down some idols and things that Drew people's hearts away from God he plainly the Bible simply says he began to walk in the ways of David he began his heart was lifted up you'd almost read that verse and you'd think he's going to be lifted up in Pride but said his heart was lifted up his heart was lifted up after the ways after the ways of God I'm going to tell you about when you associate yourself with things that of good things that are a blessing from God blessings begin to come your way blessings begin to come your way we understand this in verse number five of second chronicles 17 he sought God he Associated himself with altars and worship and living for God and when he Associated himself with the right things verse 5 says therefore the Lord established the kingdom of his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence and he had riches and honor in abundance now you understand that he had the riches and the honors and the and the honor he had the riches and the honor in abundance because he Associated himself with God and the things of God you don't get that turned around backwards you don't get riches and honor and then associate yourself with God it has to follow it has to follow the proper order you you associate yourself with the things of God as written in the word and you follow that with your heart and then the riches and the honor are added to you but look at the end of verse number five that word says in in abundance he recognized his Blessing he recognized he's blessed now pay very close attention tonight because sometimes when we get blessed we let down our guard we let our guard down and can I tell you he is a Vigilant adversary and we have a constant enemy as brother Hughes so beautifully preached to us we have a constant enemy called our flesh so at no time can we let our guard down and we find Jehoshaphat doing something brilliant because in second chronicles 17 and 9 it says and they taught in Judah and had the book of The Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people you find out that Jehoshaphat found out how he was blessed he discovered how he had honor and riches and abundance and he knew it was because he had the word of God that had been placed in his heart by his father and so therefore he didn't want to be alone in this blessing and so he knew that it was the word of God that brought the blessing so he organized Levites and Priests to go throughout all the cities of Judah to go throughout all the cities of the land and they begin to teach the word of God I'm telling you tonight I'm telling you this associate yourself with Bible teaching and your life will become blessed your life will become Bliss associate yourself with this look at Second Chronicles 17 and 10. and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah so that they had no war against Jehoshaphat God so blessed the land of Israel that Jehoshaphat sent what we would see as evangelists and teachers throughout the land what's the greatest need today the people to be taught the word that's the greatest need today the greatest need is to teach oh if America could just understand all the things could be solved if they would just hear the teaching of God's word they were blessed not only that fear fell upon Nations round about them and they didn't attack the land of Israel look at verse 11 also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presence and tribute silver and the Arabians brought him flocks and seven thousand seven thousand and seven hundred Rams and 7 000 and 700 he goats and Jehoshaphat wax great exceedingly and he built in Judah castles and cities of stores I want you to see this as we navigate through the story of the life of Jehoshaphat the man understands he's blessed he understands where his Blessing has come from and then he begins to protect it Church protect your walk with God understand that the blessings of God the blessings of God where they come from where you get the blessings of God where the blessings of God are imparted to you and then protect it build around it and Jehoshaphat did that as a matter of fact from verse 12 to verse 19 talk about protection you can add this up I went ahead and done it for you from verse 12 of this chapter to verse 19. Jehoshaphat acquires an army are you ready for this one million 100 and 60 000 soldiers that's an army why such a big army because I got a lot of blessings why put so much protection in your walk with God I want to protect I want to protect I want to protect my walk with God I want to protect the things that have brought me to the greatness that you and I enjoy today and you know what we're sitting in a place that we first heard the gospel in a house of God we've got to protect the house of God we've got to protect our faithfulness to the house of God don't fall into a rut of hitting and missing and choosing we don't have three services a week the child of God doesn't have three services a week as multiple choice so you can pick one which one you want to attend because people that do that then they get they get do they come to church once a month you don't want to do that because your blessings have come from the house of God God's blessings are because we're here and we're hearing God's word blessed by association we'll just turn over with me to Second Chronicles chapter 18 and verse number one just turn the page with me in your Bible an army of a thou a one million one hundred and sixty thousand soldiers second chronicles 18 and one now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance keeps keeps talking about that doesn't it keeps that keeps coming up in his life and joined affinity with Ahab just stop right there leave it on the screen because you've done Associated yourself with something that's going to be nothing but trouble Ahab and Jezebel Ahab and Jezebel God haters Baal worshipers they do not have one ounce Tyler as a Ahab and Jezebel don't have one ounce of wanting to live for God there's nothing spiritual about them there's nothing Godly about him quite the opposite they want to attack and is destroy anybody that worships Jehovah that doesn't worship and believe like they believe somehow somehow jehoshaphat's son got to dating Ahab and Jezebel's daughter all right and of course sometimes the Bible says don't be friends don't have friendship with the world that's not talking about fellowship with sinners that's talking about becoming friends with this Godless system that we're around somehow Jehoshaphat you just got a little bit too close and your son marries Jezebel and ahab's daughter it was in a there was an affinity there there was a joining together in verse number one Jehoshaphat now not only Associates with God but he's now also associating with Ahab well let's see how that turns out let's see how it turns out verse 2. and after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people that he had with him and persuaded him to go to raymoth Gilead no just as we read each verse we need to really break it down when when Jehoshaphat got down to ahab's house there was a banquet of all Banquets there there was every kind of meat you could want every kind of drink you could want every kind of fruit you could want it was the banquet of all Banquets wait a minute Ahab has a motive Ahab has a motive you have Associated yourself with me I have spread a table out here but I have a motive just quickly they'll put it on the screen for me I'm going to come back to Second Chronicles 18. Proverbs 23 and verse 6 says this Proverbs 23 and verse 6. eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye neither desire his dainty Meats for as he thinketh in his heart so is he eat and drink saith he to thee but his heart is not with thee in other words the proverb is saying don't be overcome by what you see don't be overcome in your Association by the food don't be overcome because the one serving the food has an ulterior motive the one serving the food please church don't make decisions based on what you see with your eye make decisions based on what you know has been a blessing don't make it don't don't make quick decisions of your life when when Jehoshaphat got down there and now we go back to second Chronicles 18 he gets down to ahab's house there's all kinds of sheep and oxen and food meat there that's waiting for him but look at the end of verse two second chronicles 18 and two he killed sheep and oxen in abundance and for the people that he had with him and persuaded him to go up with him to Raymond Gilead there's the reason for the banquet there's the reason for all the food you've got an army of one million one hundred and sixty thousand and I need your help I need your help you better be careful who you associate with because sooner or later you're going to start fighting their battles you're going to take on battles that God is not even in let's go to verse three let's see some mistakes that he begins to make and Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah will thou go with me to remov Gilead and Jehoshaphat answered him I am as Thou Art my people as thy people and will and we will be with thee in war he says verse 3 he says yes my horses are your horses my people are your people I'll go I'll go with you why I'm intoxicated on everything I'm looking at this table right now I'm overwhelmed at all this food here I'll go with you let's go fight it Raymond Gilead and come to verse 4. in Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel which was Ahab I pray I pray in choir I pray thee at the word of the Lord today stop that's backwards you've already committed yourself to battle and now you want to know what God thinks about it too many times we associate our thing ourselves with things that we don't even know the mind of God about this thing oh yeah I'll go with you my horses are your horses my people are your people I'll go with you and then he says hey we better pray about this you know there's some things I don't have to pray about I don't have to pray about going to church I don't have to pray about reading my Bible I don't have to pray there's a lot of things I don't have to pray about why because I know that nothing but good is going to come to me if I keep partaking of what God has Associated himself with I want to pray about coming to church a matter of fact when you're fought to come to church is the time that you need to pick yourself up and come on to the house of God because there's a blessing waiting for you you need to keep on and persevere second chronicles 18. my people are your people I'll go fight with you oh yeah could you inquire could you inquire of the Lord verse number five therefore the king of Israel gathered together a prophets 400 men and said unto them shall we go up to Raymond Gilead to battle or for or shall we forebear and they said go up for God will deliver it into the king's hand but Jehoshaphat said is there not here a prophet of the Lord that besides that we may inquire of him can I tell you that we're living in a day that we think God works through democracy in other words the majority of people got to be right not when it comes to God because you see Ahab had him 400 paid false spiritual voices that validated spiritually everything that he wanted to do carnally he had 400 men so when he said shall we go to Raymond Gilly add to battle the 400 false voices said absolutely yes go up to Raymond Gilly ad and prosper but there was something about aren't you thankful that everything you hear say saith thus saith the Lord they some of you been associated with good things you kind of said just don't think that sounds quite right just don't think that somebody tell you something everything that says thus saith the Lord you better back it up with the word back it up with the word of the Lord Joseph that said Ahab um would that not be just one more that we could talk to he said there is one more there is one more and I hate him why do you hate him because he never prophesies good to me he never he never prophesies good I I hate him he said oh don't don't say that said let's hear what he's got to say well Ahab sent a guard to go get the man and the guard told Michaela he said now listen to me Prophet Michaela year one against 400. and they've all said to go up to Raymond Gilead and prosper as a matter of fact right now in the gate of the city Jehoshaphat sitting on one side of the road and Ahab sitting on the other side of the road they are elevated on their Thrones they're wearing their robes and the 400 prophets are putting on a show they've got big Rams horns and and they're putting a play on right before them and and some of the men are acting like they're in they're citizens of raymont Gilead and and they're being pushed back by these iron horns and and man it was quite a production these 400 false prophets were putting on and he told him he said now listen when you get in the presence you just go along with them he said I I've always told you that I'll only say what the Lord puts in my mouth and so McKay I came he stepped into the to the show that was going on I'm going to tell you televangelist never hadn't even better he stepped into the show that was going on he said all right here he is tell us what you tell us what the word of the Lord is and he very sarcastically said go on up to Raymond Gilead go on up and prosper Prosper go on up and prosper and man that ever more aggravated Ahab he bounced off his throne pointed his finger in his face and he said how many times must I adjour Thee that when you come in my presence you speak nothing but the word of God oh it's the word of God you want oh I I thought we were part of the show here I thought it was the tickling ears you wanted to hear I I thought it was something that you wanted to hear that validates your flesh he said oh I'll tell you he said First Vision I had the first Vision that I had he said Israel were like scattered sheep on top of a hill without a shepherd what he was really saying is Ahab you don't care anything about these people you don't care anything about them Israel is like sheep that don't have a Shepherd wolves come in there's no Shepherd there to beat the Wolves off there's no Shepherd there to feed them they're like a bunch of mangy sheep on the side of the hill I can see I can see Ahab he's looking over it he's looking over at Joshua I said didn't I tell you did I got a little bit more from the word said I saw heaven open up and say God was sitting on his throne and said they were having a council meeting and said in the council meeting God spoke up and spoke to all of the angels that were present it's in this chapter here he spoke to all of the he said Angelic Court I need to persuade Ahab to go up to Raymond Gilead because his time has come his days are numbered and I have so designed that he will die in a battle at Raymond Gilead how can I persuade him to go up one said this and another said that but said then there came a spirit and the spirit said I'll persuade him God said how will you persuade him he said I will go now listen closely and be a lying spirit in the mouth of His prophets Ahab you're going to die in battle Ahab got so angry that he ordered Michaela the true prophet he said take him back to the city feed him a little bread and a little water and said that's where he's going to stay and Mikaya the one Prophet said oh Ahab if you come back from the battle I publicly announce that I am not a prophet I am not a prophet of the Lord he said if you come back then everybody hear me now you come back these 400 yahoos over here they're the real ones and I'm not if you come back now listen to this you know sometimes I think when we begin if you will associate your thing your life with God if you don't have common sense he'll give you some common sense hear me now if you'll stay around Church stay around good Bible reading stay around good Bible teaching look around at families that have years of living for God and that are blessed and find out how they how they've done it what they've been through start associating yourself with the wrong people and you will lose common sense in your life I'm gonna prove it to you so Ahab Ahab and y'all spent two kings go down to Raymond Gilead to battle but as they get into the battle they both got chariots that identify them as a king they both wear robes that identify them as a king as they get down there close to battle Ahab says to Jehoshaphat and he says Josh about he said if you don't mind he said I'm going to slip my robe off and said I'm I'm gonna slip my robe off and I'm gonna get in some common clothes and I'm gonna slip out of this uh this Chariot that's got a big uh a on the side of it stands for Ahab and I'm gonna get down with the common folks and I'm gonna fight with the coming folks I said you just stay right on your right in your chariot there that big J on the side don't stand for Jesus you just stay right there on the side you just stay right there in your chariot what's your house about what in the name of time are you thinking you know War those men out there are saying kill the king kill the King get the kingdom you kill the king everybody it's pandemonium and so now here you got Jehoshaphat sticking out there like a sore thumb in the midst of the battle and guess what they start doing they start fighting against that one Chariot and when they start fighting against that one they start fighting against that one chariot Jehoshaphat begins to call out the Bible said he begin to call out to God to help him oh God help me God hear me God help me and the Bible said God helped him and turned the minds of the people away from The Chariot away from him can I tell you something God will help you but stop going down with Ahab God will help you well God help me yeah but why do you need to why do you need to distract yourself and by going down if you associate yourself with people that are not living for God the things they're encountering are soon going to come knocking at your door well did Ahab make it absolutely not he disguised himself as a common Soldier but there was one of the enemy there was one of there was one of the other syrians a boy just had him a bow and arrow he didn't take it brother Noel he didn't shoot it and he didn't shoot at a Target he just said over there is a bunch of folks from Judah and Israel he just took an arrow and shot it at a venture he just shot it at Adventure at Adventure just just up and over he didn't hit anything he thought but right up under the armpit where Ahab wore his army armor was an open spot and that Arrow by the hand of God found its Target found its Target and Ahab by The End by the end of the day Ahab is dead in his chariot what do you do after you realize that you've made a mistake and you have Associated yourself and lost some of the blessings of God what do you do what do you do when you realize wait a minute now I had joy in my life until I started running with brother knows all the dirt at the church I had joy in my life I thought this was the greatest Church in all of Pentecost all of any cost until I got to running with sister gossip and when I started running with brother know all the dirt in the church and sister gossip then all of a sudden I'll get there I get I get icky and I get I get to feeling like every time I leave them after we go out to eat after church I think I need to go home and take a shower because I've done learned this and I've learned that and the one brother that used to get up and sing that blessed my heart now I can't hardly hear him singing Because brother that knows all the dirt in the church her sister gossip has done so polluted my mind can I tell you what you need to do stop running but brother know all the dirt in the church stop running with sister gossip I'm gonna tell you your family needs the protection of the word of God and gossiping and all of that tearing down one another is not going to protect my family go ahead let the enemy cause you to find every fault in the church go ahead your coming day you're going to need the validity of a pastor of a man of God or a woman of God that you're going to bring your child to and say can you help my boy can you help my daughter but I'm going to tell you something if you've associated with brother tear them down and sister gossip their little Minds what do you do what do you do after you realize I've done Associated myself with things that are not good well first thing you do is learn a lesson learn a lesson you you know you know how do you know how to really stop people from talking they'll stop inviting you out to eat they'll either pray for you or stop inviting you to go with them is when they say something bad about that person find three things good to say about them well you know years ago he did this boy I tell you what I don't know about years ago but I tell you they sure are faithful to God find something find something good to talk about and and what that will do that mount that may help brother know all the dirt in the church and sister gossip they may realize Hey look it's not the way we ought to be talking or it's a win-win you're either going to help them or they're going to say ah we don't think we want you to go out to eat with us tonight you know Jehoshaphat what are you going to do I'll tell you what I'm going to do Second Chronicles chapter 19. look at the next verse Joseph Jehoshaphat comes out of the battle second chronicles 19 1. and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem and jehugh the son of Hanan Nana The Seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat should as thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord in other words this man of God came out and he said you shouldn't be associating yourself with them that hate the Lord you shouldn't be Associated the wrath of God is upon you look at verse 3. nevertheless there are good things found in thee in that thou has taken away the Groves out of the land and has prepared thine heart to seek God and Jehoshaphat dwelled at Jerusalem and he went out again through the people from Bathsheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back into the Lord God of their fathers he set up judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah City by City he said to the judges take heed to what you do and just for time's sake just for time's sake look at verse number eight moreover he moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set up the Levites of the priests and of the chief of the fathers of Israel for the Judgment of the Lord and for the controversies when they returned to Jerusalem thank God let me tell you anybody here got off track anybody was associated with the right things and then you got associated with the wrong things these are chapters to help you get back on track when Jehoshaphat realized I committed myself to Ahab he's a wicked person that hates the Lord I almost got killed in battle he went back home and regrouped spiritually and he once again began to send Levites out to teach the word of God he once again began to send priests out to begin to teach the word of God because what he was saying I have got to regroup myself spiritually I've got to have a regrouping I've done got associated with entertainment that has desensitized me to the moving and the spirit of God I've done God associated with worldly music and this is the reason we preach against worldly music and worldly entertainment that glorifies sin and the breaking of The Commandments the more we see it laughed at the more we see it the more we see it presented as something that's acceptable in the world the less we are to turn away from it disassociate yourself with ungodly entertainment church church disassociate yourself with ungodly entertainment oh brother Carpenter you ought to see this movie there's just a little cussing there's just a little nudity can I tell you little foxes will spoil the vine I'll get desensitized with a little nudity I'll get desensitized with a with a with a little come on come on Church of God listen to me tonight I want to be blessed by association you get to listen to the music in the world it will desensitize you to the music you listen to in church music in church the music in church will become boring to you you'll rather hear some sad song or some song that has a pickup tune to it that causes you to uh all kind of different Lifestyles that are ungodly don't be associated with it don't associate yourself with that he begins to teach the people to regroup he begins to regroup that's in verse that's in chapter 19 he begins to regroup you know why I got to regroup because at any time you may go through a trial at any time at any time a storm may come your way a storm may come your way I'm sorry I I talked to her before church tonight and I mean her no pain by this but if you told Brenda Tommy and Brenda a year ago that they'd lose they'd lose their Bobby they'd say what in the world are you talking about but they sat back there they bring themselves to the house of God on the outside they may be smiling but I want you to know those are some hurting people sitting right back here to my left and you're right you see you don't buy fire Insurance when the house is on fire you don't go you don't you don't go down and get car insurance when you've had a wreck on the highway it's too late for the fire Insurance when it's on fire it's too late when you've had the wreck you buy the insurance long before that because you know of the possibility that may come Church storms could come to any of our lives any of us could face what brand I'm not trying to put anybody on a guilt trip or I'm not trying to to scare anybody tonight but any of us could be faced with the same things that Brenda and Tommy are faced with the same thing that sister Ammons has been faced with the same thing the oars have been faced with and the list the list goes on and on and on so you know what we need to do if the sun is shining in your life tonight regroup spiritually come to the house of God when everything is good come to the house of God when you don't have a burden there's brother Orr tonight yes my brother come to the house of God when the sun is shining because at any time hear me at any time things can get turned upside down one phone call in the middle of the night can change all of your lives oh come on Church come on fill my heart tonight one one just one one phone call I'm regrouping chapter 19. I'm re I am regrouping I learned my lesson please learn your lesson once and for all by associating with what God doesn't bless learn your lesson learn your lesson once and for all and once you've learned your lesson and got out with your life begin to regroup build altars have prayer times because chapter 20 is just around the turn chapter 20 verse number one of second chronicles and 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 see there you better regroup because out of nowhere Here Comes This Army Then There came some that told Jehoshaphat saying there cometh the great multitude against thee from Beyond the Sea on this side Syria and behold they be in hazon Tamar which which is in Jedi and Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and Proclaim to fast throughout Judah and Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord even out of all the cities Judah they came to seek the Lord wait a minute I'm being paid back I sent priests and Levites into all the land of Judah I sent priests and Levites to educate people of the value of prayer how to get a hold of God through prayer I sent what some at the time people may have saw as a as as really not necessary but I saw sent evangelist to Judah I sent priests to teach on prayer and now I'm going to reap the interest I'm going to reap the benefits because when trouble comes out when Trouble Comes all those places all those lands people are going to gather around people are going to gather around and we're going to begin to ask for help from the hand of God please don't get weary with a pastor telling you how to pray please don't get weary that we start every year off with prayer please don't get weary oh I've heard that sermon on prayer again you better hear it until you master the art of it it because one of these days a storm is coming to your house and you're going to be glad that you're associated with a church that talks about prayer that teaches about prayer you're going to be glad that you're associated with a church that a half hour before service there's people walking around the altars waving their hands and and getting a hold of God are you glad to be Associated this ain't a party hour this ain't a social club this is the house of the Living God this is God's house and I'm glad to be associated huh go ahead and worship him right now go ahead and worship him Hallelujah here they came from all over Judah Jehoshaphat you and you invested in them verse number five 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 rules not over all the kingdoms of the heaven and in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstanding we tell you don't get bored with preaching don't get bored with scripture one day God's going to bring that scripture back to your mind no weapon formed against you will prosper and every tongue that rises against you he will condemn it in judgment don't get bored one of these days you're going to need I will never leave you nor ever forsake you I'm with you alway even to don't get bored with it right now you better acquaint yourself acquaint yourself with these verses verse 7 heart not doubt our God who just drive out the inhabitants of the land before the People Israel and gave us it to the Seed of Abraham thy friend forever and they dwelt therein and have built the sanctuary therein for thy name saying if when evil cometh upon us as the sword judgment pestilence of 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 will thou hear and help and now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Sierra whom thou wouldst not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt but they turned from them and Destroy them not behold I say how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou has given to us to inherit Oh Our God without not judge them for we have no might against this great company ever been up against something you can't control ever you've been up against something you can't turn around we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee when Trouble Comes and I don't have an answer when Trouble Comes and I can't control it I I have got one thing I can do I can put my eyes upon him God you didn't bring me out to leave me now God you've brought me too far to let me down now God I can't control the upside down craziness of my life but God my eyes are upon you verse 14. and then upon jehaiser Isaiah the son of Zechariah well I just need to get just let me let me preach the chapter and you go back tonight as homework and you read it you see when you don't associate yourself with a church then the church don't grow but when you associate yourself when the Carpenters associate themselves and in their Hollands associate themselves and their Hughes associate themselves I'm just looking around here I just call names all night long if so them leaves associate themselves and all of a sudden when Trouble Comes and all I can say is God I don't know what to do but my eyes on you over in the far corner they didn't have tons of interpretation back then but they had prophesied over in the far Corner a young man lifted up his voice possibly a young man that was taught by one of the priests that Jehoshaphat sent to his City spirit of God hit this young boy spirit of God hit this young boy and he lifted up his voice and he said thus saith the Lord you shall not need to fight in this battle for the battle is not yours but the Lord be not dismayed it is God's battle stand still and see the salvation of the Lord no sooner than JL had stopped prophesying that it energized Jehoshaphat and he said we're going to go out tomorrow Strike Up the Band strike up the instruments what are you crazy it's time to mourn I'm not crazy I'm associated with prophesying it's time to sing It's Time To Dance it's time to shout it's time to praise God where's our weapons at Jehoshaphat where's my sword where's my shield where's my weapons at Jehoshaphat your weapons is in your praise your weapons is in your worship I'm telling you you ought to be associated with praise you ought to be associated with worship it'll get the job done it's not just for a few weak-minded people it's for everybody that's ever went through a trial if you just get familiar with waving your hands if you'll get familiar with saying Jesus Jesus Jesus I Need You Jesus I Gotta Have You Lord I gotta have you in my midst we're going down tomorrow to fight we're going down tomorrow to fight where's our weapons at Jehoshaphat your praise is your weapon where's our weapons at Jehoshaphat your worship is your weapon where's your where's our weapons at your Holiness is your weapon because that was the song they sung they sung the song they praise the beauty of Holiness I want to tell you something Holiness isn't ugly and Holiness isn't a burden Holiness distinction is the greatest thing we could be associated with it's the greatest thing you can be Associated we're living in a day they don't even know if they're male or female I'm glad to be in a house that still worships God in the beauty of her aren't you it's official now it's coming you may be seated it's official now it's now in the dictionaries that'll be in the public schools the definition of a woman the definition of a woman is a woman who thinks she's a woman she can change at any time she can be gender fluid I'm learning these new tech these new terms gender fluid she can be a woman one day she'd be a man the next day she switched back to a man that's in our dictionary but let me tell you where it's not going to be it's not going to be an ACH dictionary it's not going to be tough it's not going to be taught around here praise God in the beauty of Holiness you better associate yourself with a Bible believing Church you better listen we're not trying to be politically correct and we're not trying to be user friendly I'm telling you I want to be associated with the spirit of holiness does it work does it work well let's see if it works they go out to the battle tambourines and horns and flutes praise the Lord praise the Lord in his Holiness praise the Lord for his righteousness praise the Lord the moabites and ammonites and mount Sierra these three tribes looked up and they said what in the world is going on they've done lost their mind they are an easy prey and the ammonites thought to themselves why I have to divide this up three ways why don't I just attack the moabites and the moabites said why do I have to divide this up three ways and the people from Mount Sierra said why do I have to and you know who put that thought in their mind the the the verse the chapter says it you know you know who put that thought in their mind God did God said hey ammonites get greedy why should you spit this three ways attack the moabites hey moabites attack the Eminence hey Mount Sierra and all of a sudden the people of God are up here praise the Lord for his mercy and Earth forever thank God his Holiness praise the Lord for the beauty of holy great is the Lord great is the Lord he's a great God he's a mighty God he's a precious God he's a Shepherd he's all these wonderful beautiful things to us and all of a sudden they've they look down in the valley and the moabites are fighting the ammonites and the ammonites are fighting Mount Sierra and they keep on fighting until there's just two standing and they both stab each other and they're all dead and the people of God are saying praise be to the Lord took them four days to strip the gold and the jewels and to take it back to Jerusalem can I tell you something God is able to turn your darkest night into a Mountaintop of joy but you better stay associated with what'll bless you took them four days to gather all the gold chapter 20. would end it beautifully and I'm even questioning on being on such a good high note right now should I even tell you evidently Jehoshaphat didn't learn his lesson causing chapter 20 verse 35 just very quickly second chronicles 20 and 35. after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with the Hazel eye king of Israel who did wickedly what verse 36 he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarsus and they made the ships in izon gibber asked her tonight tell you I wouldn't go into business with a sinner huh you know brother Lee you know being your granddad you work for your granddad he hired you first thing he won't ask you not how big a hammer you got what all can you do first thing Lyle Lee would ask you you tired you time any way you say later he said I don't want anybody working on my job it's not in a covenant relationship with God now you can laugh at him all you want to but God blessed him God blessed him you may be seen it's the truth you shouldn't go into a business with a sinner any more than a sanctioned Data Center raise your kids with no questions asked you do not date outside of the church now as the years go by as the years go by as the years go by that's going to be something that sounds like it's archaic but I pray to God it never becomes that here at this church well I can hear it now I I could I can hear it now I can hear it now I can hear it now I'm gonna winner to the Lord I'm gonna win him to the Lord that's called missionary dating right do you know that they have a greater odds of winning you to them than you have winning them to you how is that you have to win them spiritually they only have to win you fleshly so you know one way not to fall in love with a sinner don't date them and for anybody out there tonight that's saying oh I know Sister so-and-so dated this man and they're in church now doing good or brother so-and-so dated this woman and they're in church now for every one exception you can bring me I can present thousands of shipwrecks blessed by association well let's don't listen he goes into he goes into ship building business with a sinner verse 37. then Eliza the son of dovin of marja prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying because thou Hast joined thyself with the haziah the Lord hath broken thy works and the ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarsus can I tell you you're blessed by association Church hear my heart tonight prayer is good associate yourself with it preaching is good associate yourself with it get an ear for it let a preacher dig you up that a preacher preached it to the altar let a preacher preach you to your knees again I want to associate myself I want to associate myself with living wholeheartedly living wholeheartedly for God I want to I want to be associated not with the Pew warmers I want to be associated with those going to the Altar and worshiping God I don't want to be associated with Lobby hang outers I don't want to be associated with people that during praise and worship do this right here I want to be associated with worshipers and praisins I want to be associated with prayer warriors people that can ring the bells of heaven with prayer I want to be associated with people that know what they all to look like oh I want to be associated with people that when you come to the house of God remain standing with me for a moment we dismiss you I want to be so faithful to God that when I'm not here somebody's going to miss me I want to be Associated be so faithful to God and when I miss church somebody will say where's he at where's she at can I tell you how faithful James R Stevens let's see a lot of you all see the blessing but you need to know what got us here sacrifice got us here James R Stevens was so faithful to church for the 20 some odd years he went to church here James Stevens was so faithful to church that one Wednesday night was up on the hill one Wednesday night I looked out I walked on the platform and looked out and didn't see brother Stevens he was so faithful to church that my mind I knew that he lived alone at the time and my mind began to play tricks on me I thought Lord has somebody may have come in and his brother Stevens may have had a car wreck on the way to church somebody might have come in and robbed him there that I went down and got sister Carpenter and I said go into office and check on brother Stevens and she called brother Stevens home and he had went to the dentist about four o'clock and uh that they had done some work and come home and laid down was going to get back up and he said when I woke up it was already I think 15 to 8 or somewhere in there and he said he said I'm I'm I'm thinking about coming on to the guy he might he might have even come on that night I don't know but my point is don't you want to be so faithful that if you're not here somebody's saying Lord what's happened folks it's good to be faithful to church folks it's good to be associated with church it's good to be associated with the things of God would you please associate yourself with God it's good to raise your hands and praise God in dismissal tonight would you raise your hands with me right now come on raise your hands and then would you raise your voice with me right now I want to be joined to God I want to be joined to his word oh God I want to be joined Lord I want my children joined I want them Associated Lord with the things that belong to you God lord I want to be associated with Holiness and I want to be associated with distinction come on Church let's spend the next moment just loving God right now oh God I want to regroup my life Lord I want to regroup my life God I I I want to regroup my life oh God Lord my marriage needs it God lord if I don't associate myself with the things of God I can put my marriage in Jeopardy Lord if I don't associate myself with the youth group I give the enemy a greater percent to be able to rob my children Lord oh love him right now love him from the bottom of your your heart oh love him from the bottom of your heart tonight love him from the bottom of your heart to not love him from the bottom of your heart tonight love him from the bottom of your heart right now love him and worship him right now oh just love him and worship him right now oh Lord I love you Jesus I love you Jesus I love you Jesus I love you Jesus