1 Kings 20:22-30

Speaker 1: Men. Emma, thank you for that song, good song, brother, Jimmy. And. I wanted to say welcome back to the Randy and Miss Tammy. World travelers glad that they're back with us. They survive the trip across the country to Oregon. And what's even more incredible is brother Randy survived the trip that is rarely. He said Miss Tammy would never hurt a fly. Glad to have them back, and I appreciate Miss Vivian stepping in for Miss Tammy while she was gone and man in the office for us, did a wonderful job and enjoyed getting to have her around and didn't even miss a beat. Things kept going on and Miss Tammy did a lot of stuff remotely, but it's hard to answer the phones from Oregon. So but those bulletins together and so she did a wonderful job, were very grateful for her stepping into that position. I kind of at short notice a little bit, but she got the training down and I was able to to cover that for us, and we're very appreciative of that. And of course, you were in the children's ministry this morning. You may have missed it. The brother and Mrs. Sheridan joined the church this morning, and so we're very excited to have them as part of our church family. And as I always say that everybody look forward to many years of service together. And so it's exciting to see what the Lord I believe is going to do here at our church and glad that you're along with us for the journey. So there was something else. So what else? Oh, so there's enough of you. I'm just gonna preach my message that I had planned on. Perhaps you're wondering what would you have done if it had just been a few people? Well, I don't know if you know this about the Bible, but I mean, there's some pretty incredible stories contained within the Bible. And I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty good at telling a good, scary story. But the Bible has some really scary stories in it, like if you really thought about it, if somebody made a movie about it, it would kind of be right on par with some of the scariest stuff you see on TV. I mean, you think about the valley of dry bones and those bones reanimating that had to be a crazy thing to see. You think about after a life should die. Remember, he's buried and they they they they are about to bury this other guy. That guy touches his bones, and all of a sudden he comes back to life. That's weird. The one that's always gotten me, I don't know if you've I've never heard anybody really preach on this, but I believe it's when Jesus rose from the hour when Jesus was Jesus, when Jesus died and the people that were buried in the graves came back to life. And went into the city. Till I visit with people. Talk about The Walking Dead. Brother, jury that'd be right up your alley. I mean, there's some strange stuff you probably could add to that list, I mean, just all kinds of weird things going on in the Bible. And just, you know, great for scaring the little kids. Or big kids, I mean, it's OK, take your hours if you haven't turned the book of First Kings. First Kings chapter number 20. Normally, my program that I use write my messages, it gives me an estimate of how long it's going to take, like this morning, an estimated nine minutes. Tonight it says five minutes. Yeah, you haven't been in church for three weeks, right, saying all right for. All right. Our first king, Sept. 20, if you're there, go ahead and stand with me in honor of reading God's word. And let's begin reading in verse number twenty two. First Kings 20 verse number twenty two. Bible says in the Prophet came to the King of Israel and said under him, go strengthen thyself and mark and see what they'll do is for. At the return of the year, the King of Syria will come up against the the servants of the King of Syria said under him their gods, our gods of the hills. Therefore, they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plane, and surely we shall be stronger than they are and do this thing. Take the Kings away every man out of this place and put captains in their rooms. And no, the army. Like the army, the Dow has lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will fight against them in the plane and surely we shall be stronger than they are any hearkened under their voice and did so. It came to pass at the return of the year that Ben Hey, dad. No, the Syrians and went up to affect the fight against Israel. The children of Israel were numbered. We're all present and win against them, and children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids. But the Syrians filled the country. There came a man of God speaking to the King of Israel and said, just say it, the Lord, because the Syrians have said the Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God. The valleys, therefore, will I deliver all this great multitude in the rain hand and ye shall know that I am the Lord, and they pitched one over against the other seven days. So it was that in the seventh day, the battle was joined the Children of Israel, slew of the Syrians and a hundred thousand foot men in one day. But the rest fled eight back into the city and there a wall fell upon 20 and seven thousand of the men that were left behind. Then hey, dad fled and came into the city into an inner chamber. Let's pray or we thank you for this day and thank you for the opportunity. We have to look into your word. I pray that you give me the words. You have me to say. You help the folks that are here to listen and apply what they hear to their lives in Jesus name. I ask these things. Amen. Thank you very much. You may be seated. All right. Dallas Cowboys are playing the night at seven 20. I have to be done. I have to take my kids out to get some candy and I have to be back in the house by seven 20. So I don't miss the start of the game. Joking, joking. But I am a Cowboys fan, you guys know that about me. And you know. It's hard being a Dallas cowboy. Two and a half decades, we really haven't done anything of any, no. I mean, we haven't won an NFC championship, we haven't been to the Super Bowl. And yet every year, what do people hate about the Dallas Cowboy fans? Well, they had yeah. It's right. Every year they think it's their year, this is the year, Oh man, we've got an office. Let me tell you about our offense on in our defense may actually show up. Let me tell you how they may actually show up to play. And every year cowboys fans think this is the year and we've had some years. Yeah, where it looked pretty good, it looked pretty promising and we'd start winning a few games. You know, and and you win one and everybody thinks, Oh, it's great. And you win another year, all man. We're really going somewhere. We're putting together something special. We like can't have anything to do with it. They they're putting together something special. You realize that winning a single game is not the same as winning it, all right. If that's what I listen to, too, that's good. Good reading there. It's not the same. And yet for the Cowboys and sometimes winning a single game is like they just won the Super Bowl. And I think people are frightfully annoyed. Cowboys fans, because they're like, come on, is just one game. It's not the Super Bowl. You didn't do anything special. You just beat one opponent. But last week, yes, gets weak. But guess what? Next week, there will be another one and the week after that and the week after that, and it's not winning one game that makes you a success unless you're the Cleveland Browns. It's been victorious on two occasions with with some semblance of hilarity. You need healer Victor in order for you to be considered a success, not just a one time victor. Now, last week we learned about a victory that God gave to Ahab, and Ahab got the victory over Bin Hadad in a miraculous way. But what we're going to see today is that the Syrians, much like sin, do not go away because you beat them one time. One victory over Syria doesn't mean you're free from them forever, any more than one victory over temptation means you'll never face temptation again. I don't think that I'm over spiritual in this passage. I think there are some very strong similarities between what is recorded for us in the Bible about Ahab and his fight against Syria. And you and I as Christians and our fight against sin. And so I don't want to take too much time. Let's get into this and let's see what God has for us tonight in verse number twenty two. If you look back there with me, see that that unnamed prophet from last week comes back to Ahab after the victory with a warning, he says to him, Go strengthen thyself and mark and see what they'll do is for. At the return of the year, the king of Syria will come up and see. It seems as if that this is happening. This warning is being shared with him immediately following the battle right after the victory. Here comes this prophet almost like a coach saying, Hey, good job, you got the victory. God gave it to you, but you better get ready because next week there's another one coming. There's another battle that you're going to have to face. In this case, it's it's a year away. But this prophet tells Ahab to go back to Sumeria and to begin immediately making preparations for the future. He has just routed the king of Syria. Normally, this would be a time of celebration and rejoicing. I can go back to my fellow Cowboys fans. We are the kings and queens, I guess, of premature celebration. I mean, if you hear a cowboy fan say, how about them cowboys? It's probably not the Super Bowl, it's probably week to. You tell that person, Hey, you know what? Calm down, just calm down. A siren and normally it'd be a time of rejoicing and celebration and patting yourself on the back. But the prophet tells Ahab that instead it is a time for ARK to get or strengthening himself because the Syrians will certainly be back. Can you guys hear me? Well, out there? OK? In fact, it gives them a timely line. One year, one year, what you have to prepare for the Syrians to come back and attempt to take revenge on you. Ahab one year and a long time to prepare for battle, especially if you're not used to preparing for battle. And so Ahab has a lot on his plate. Now, the Bible doesn't tell us what kind of preparations Ahab makes. It would be nice for us to be able to look and see, well, he did this and he did this, and he did this. But the Bible doesn't say it. We will see in a little bit what comes of his preparations, but instead the Bible turns its attention and begins to tell us what Ben Hey, dad does. Over the course of a year, the Bible says verse number three, that the servants of the King of Syria come and they start to speak to him. They say some things to him give him some counsel about how he can turn his defeat at the hands of the Israelites into victory on the next go round. There's a couple of things that they tell them to do in order to be successful the next time he goes up against Ahab. The first thing that they say, as I mentioned this morning, is that the gods of Israel must be gods of the hills. That's why Israel was successful. So if Ben, hey, dad wants to gain a victory, he needs to fight against them, not in the hills where their gods gods are strong. But in the plains where their gods might be weak because, you know. What God would it be if he was strong everywhere? You know, he's got to have some limitations, obviously. And so since he is strong in the mountains, it makes sense that he'd be weak in the valleys or weak in the plains. And so being, Hey, dad, if you want to win, you need the. Don't fight in the hills, fight on the flat. The thing they tell you in verse number twenty four is to quit messing around. I was pretty bold, and you look at your rival, you say I don't see where it says quit messing around. Well, if you remember from last week what was been Hey Dad doing as he besieged Samir, some area, he's sitting in his tent and he's getting drunk at noon. He's got all of his buddy kings with him and they're just throwing a big party, patting themselves on the back before they've done anything. And so they say, Listen, get rid of the kings, don't bring all of these soft, cushy. Chubby rulers get some captains, get some men of war, some some people who know what it means to lead people into battle, get some, some some military commanders and put them in charge of the battle. It makes sense. It seems to be pretty good counsel. I think we've seen in our own country what happens when the soft politicians start making military decisions, haven't we? It's usually not good in so many ways, he says. Put some military men in charge, then the first number twenty five, they tell Ben, Hey, dad. No, the army. Like the army, the Dow has lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot. If you remember from last week, I will make a point out of telling us that not only was there a great slaughter of the Syrian soldiers, but Ahab also killed many horses and destroyed many chariots. Horses and chariots were the symbols of a powerful army. It was one thing to have a large gathering of people, but a large gathering of people could be overcome by a smaller gathering of horses and chariots. And so they tell them, Rebuild your army just as strong as it was before. Change the battlefield. Don't mess around and bring just strong a force as you brought last time. Now, as the Lord warned, we see that in verse number twenty six at the end of the year or after the year had passed. Ben Hey Dad, no, the Syrians and went up to Afek to fight against Israel. It was prophesied by the prophet a year earlier, and Ahab should know that anything God tells them will happen is going to happen. He has seen it over and over in his life, and so he has believed that what God has said would happen will happen and it does come back. Ben, hey, that has numbered his soldiers. The Bible says in Verse North Twenty Seven that the children of Israel were also numbered and look at this were all present. We're all present. There's no one in reserve. There's no one that's been overlooked. I think Ahab probably did. It's told to do. He made preparations. But the fact of the matter is he just doesn't have as many people. We like football, we like fall because football's in fall, forget the pumpkin spice and all that other junk. We like fall because football is in the fall. Right. Miss Nancy, you can shake your head all you want, but it's the truth. They were watched a really bad team go up against a really good team, and it doesn't matter how well that team plays on that day, it's just obvious they don't have as good a players. I mean, it's just it doesn't matter. The good team can make all kinds of mistakes, but the bad team doesn't have the talent to capitalize on it. You've watched games like this because I haven't watched any games like this. Just watched the Longhorns next week. You'll get a good picture of it. That's where Ahab is. He's going up against a more powerful, a superior opponent. They've got more, more more equipment. They've got more training. They've got better leaders. It's just everything is working against him. He has. He has taken every one he has available and brought them to this battle. But at the end of verse number twenty seven, it says the children of Israel pitched for them.

Unidentified: Like what to? Oxford's.

Speaker 1: I mean, that's really how you want your army to be described. Little flocks of baby goats. No, I don't know the you can correct me, but a baby girl just doesn't seem all that threatening to me. And you got two little blocks, maybe like maybe if it was like a horror movie of Attack of the Goats, you know, and there's just millions of goats swarming over the city, you know, and they're just bashing everything with their heads. Maybe that's scary, but two little flocks of goats? That's not scaring anybody. And then here's the Syrian army. What does the Bible say about them? Since they filled the country. Everywhere you looked all around, ASEC inside of ASEC, sprawling over the plains around ASEC, there's the Syrians. I mean, you can't miss the Syrian army. It's camped everywhere. Now, if I was Ahab, I'd be getting a little worried. I'd be a little discouraged, a little fearful of what the future holds. To me, it wouldn't seem like there's any way we're going to defeat this enemy. Oh, God, I believe knowing the weakness of the king sends a messenger to Ahab to strengthen him. He says version number twenty eight. This man of God that came in, speaker says thus saith the Lord, because the Syrians have said the Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys. Therefore, will I deliver all this great multitude in the line hand and ye shall know that I am the Lord God reminds Ahab at this battle will end in victory and it will come about that because of Ahab, but because of God. Yes, even though they're there, they're totally wicked and they have given them to idolatry. Israel is still God's people. Israel is Israel, are the people of Israel are still God's people? And his name is inextricably connected to and their fortunes, and so God's reputation is really what's on the line here in this battle between Israel and Syria. It is a replay of David versus Goliath. Syria has bad mouth mocked, belittled the name of Israel's God, and Israel's God shows up and says, Oh yeah, watch this. I'm going to give you a victory. They have all he had to do was show up for the battle. But by showing up and engaging the enemy, Ahab has opened himself up to the possibility of God giving him a victory. Ahab could have stayed home. The people could have stayed, but they didn't. They show up the planes there at a thick for the battle. And so for seven days, twenty nine, they face off against one another seven days. You say, what does that look like this facing? I take you back to David versus Goliath. They're both camped. They're sending messages back and forth, threatening one another, mocking one another. Trying to instigate someone to make a mistake. And for seven days, there's this standoff until the seventh day when the battle is joined. This battle goes basically like the last one. A bowl victory. The different battlefield that. Different come in trust in. Right. Folgers made no difference, thrills little army, the Bible tells us clue what thousand men. On that day, the Syrians were routed and fled back into the city of Afek, which is when the Bible tells us. And last summer, 30 not a wall fell upon 20 and seven thousand of the men that were left and they died. Twenty seven thousand men killed by a wall is a how in the wall that big fall and twenty seven thousand men? I don't know. Why don't you ask the people of Jericho? I don't know what they were doing, they went inside and hid by the wall, they were scared. They thought the wall would protect them and God said, Oops. Crushed to not know what this look like and all the while been, hey, that is, they're hiding in the middle of the city in an inner chamber fearing for his life. And wouldn't you know it? Ahab is victorious again. Ahab, the mighty commander of Israel, the brave, the cold, the strong, righteous Ahab is given a victory again. No, crazy. I know about you, but this this passage, along with the last couple of weeks, it should be encouraging for us. If God is willing to give a victory to a man like Ahab. Let's see. Willing to do for you. His trial. His blood bought possession. You find yourself at a time of need if you find yourself facing an enemy facing temptation. Don't you think God would give you the victory, too, if you would engage the enemy? But I believe the message tonight is a warning for us as well. You see you and I may have won some victories. There is. Victories over moral victories over Satan and the proper response in these times of victory is not to gloat or get puffed up or to become, say, a goal. Our proper response is to humble ourselves and get back to preparations for the next attack. You have felt it a human being, you have felt the attacks of the flesh. The attacks of the world. The attacks of Satan trying to get you to sin temptation. You felt it. And there have been times, no doubt, where you have resisted temptation. You have said no. And you've gotten the victory. Those moments, it feels good to get a victory, doesn't it? Especially if you've experienced defeat after defeat, after defeat, but to the point where you saying, Lord, I need your help. You humble yourself before God temptation comes and you say no. I didn't give it. Syria didn't move during I got the victory. Well, that doesn't mean the war is over, doesn't mean you just won the Super Bowl. One battle. And the proper response is to get ready because there will be another one. If sin is unsuccessful in one area of your life, you can bet you can count on it. It will be back. With new and different strategies. Don't think that sin will come back to you wimp wounded and limping. You know, they're going to it soon is going to do what Syria did. It's going to regain its forces. It's going to regain its strength and it's going to come back with everything it has against you. It'll change the place of attack. Maybe you resisted in one area, so it'll try another area, you your guard was up at work, so it'll attack you at home. You're doing pretty good with one group of friends, and so soon will bring a totally new group of friends into your life or back into your life to try and get you to sin. It will come at you with more capable tacticians. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but the people who are trying to get me to sin when I'm when I was four are not the same people who are trying to get me to say and now that I'm thirty three. It's shows that three and thirty three that would have made more sense. But. It's different the tactics have gotten more complicated and sneaky, the the potential damage is greater than when I was was three. Sin will muster every ounce of strength it can, it can throw you. And the return of sin into our lives, the return of temptation, I guess I should say, is a sure thing you can count on it. It's just like the prophet telling Ahab, Syria will be back. I can send me here before you tonight and say, you may have resisted temptation this morning, but temptation will be back. The enemy will come at you again. You can always count on Sin to try and make its way back into your life. And when sin throws its weight at you. It can seem like an unbeatable battle dealing with teenagers, teenage boys specifically. I don't have to spell it out for you. We've got young people in the room, but you know that there is a specific sin that attacks our young people through the the entertainment devices that we allow into our home and that that threat, that temptation is as addictive as some of the most powerful drugs that you can put into your body. To get a foothold in their life. Sometimes through no fault of their own, purely by accident. Right? So here's this young man struggling with temptation. They know what they're doing is wrong. The Holy Spirit lives just like it lives inside you. And so they feel the conviction of their sins. And so they're there, praying God, you've got in there. They're scared to ask their parents for help. They're scared to reveal it to their youth pastor. They feel like they have to fight this battle on their own. And so they're going to God saying, God, I need your help. I can't talk to anybody else about this except for you, Lord. I need the victory. So there's a moment where they're home by themselves. Knowing that mom and dad aren't around, brother and sister are off doing their own thing, it's just them and the temptation. The go and access the cable network, while mom and dad aren't home, are to pull out the tablet. While mom and dad aren't hot to get on their phone as their, they're alone in their room and the temptation comes and that person has been listening to the preaching that's going on in youth group. They've been reading their Bible, they've been listening to the right kind of music and they just they they say, You know what? No, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. Let's say, no, this is it. I know more. And they say No. Focus on something else. Go read their Bible. They go find their sibling some accountability, someone that they can be safe with. They resist the temptation. I don't know if you've been there, but how good that feels when the temptation passes. You did not give in the Holy Spirit strengthens you in that moment. I think they're thinking, Oh, it's over. It's done. I said no. Don't you know? A week a month later. That temptation will come back. They'll have to fight that battle again. Again and again, because once you give your flesh an appetite for sin, it will continue to haunt you.

Unidentified: The rest of your life.

Speaker 1: There are things, you know, men and women that are older. There are things you've done, places you've been, things you've tasted, smelled, heard, you will never forget. There are things that will trigger that temptation. Faster than you even know what to do with it. It is so important for us to be prepared for the battle because when sin throws its weight at you, it can seem like it is an unbeatable battle. You know, just as God is with you. In those victories, he will be with you in the battles you face in the future. God doesn't say, all right, you did a good job, you got this from here on out, I'm out, I'm just going to see the look in heaven. God doesn't do that. That gave you the victory, one staunch thinking, can give you the victory again. And if you've never experienced the victory, let me tell you, Ahab didn't deserve a victory, but God gave it to him because he was willing to engage in the battle. You're his child. You see, God loves you because you belong to him. You are his ambassador here among the lost of this world. He wants you to have the victory. We engage the enemy to stand up to or resist sin. God is right there with us. He can give you the victory over. And not just a partial victory. But every time you go into battle with God, he can give you total victory. Some of us just don't want total victory. Ahab, we will learn next week wasn't interested in total victory. He has been heda and he can in his life. Instead of cutting out the threat.

Unidentified: Hugs him. You're my brother.

Speaker 1: You're dealing with sin. It'll come back and it'll come back. It'll come back. Every time soon comes back, every time temptation faces.

Unidentified: God is ready to give you another victory.

Speaker 1: I will say be not weary in. While doing. You're not weary of Victor. I remember not that long ago a politician who stood up and said, we're going to win so much, you're going to get tired of winning. I think some Christians are like, man, I just feel like I've been winning all the time against temptation. Maybe I'll give it. Just this once I'll go right back to winning. Don't give in. Go into battle against temptation. God is with you to give you the victory, but ah, how many times you have to fight against temptation? The father, we thank you for the state. Thank you for the good attention of your people. Lord, I pray that you help every single one of us as we face temptation in our life. To go into that battle with you at our side. Trusting in you to give us the victory, no matter where the challenge may come, no matter how strong the temptation may be. Help us to trust you to help us overcome temptation in our lives. Or we love you so much and thank you for all you do for us. It's in Jesus name. I pray. Amen.

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