Let’s summons our intellect and submit to the Holy Ghost this morning! Turn with me, to the book of 2nd Chronicles.
2 Chronicles 19 (New International Version)
Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7 Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
8 In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9 He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. 10 In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.
We can tag sermon as: a leaders heart.
A lot of people seek a position. Often times, positions are thought to hold authority and power. And power are two concepts of worldly wisdom. In fact, we are taught to seek these two entities.
However, if you do not have Holy Ghost then you have no real power.
If you do not house the Holy Ghost in your heart then you have no power.
Not let me states some facts to you! You can respond with true, false, or amen!
1. God gives us talents and ignites something inside us that we can describe as passion.
2. Some of us think that we can’t get anything done if we do not have a position but, some of the most influential people in the world had no titles before their name.
3. Some of the most influential members of the church have no title to their name.
5. We all know people with power that have no position. We all know people who hold a position but have no power. This is because they do not have the Holy Spirit.
4. We do not need a position to have power! -but what we do is the Holy Ghost in order to accomplish your goal.
6. There is no guarantee that just because you have a position that you have the power.
7. Position does not guarantee the success of the mission.
8. Position reveals the motives of the heart.
9. A position will take your modem from the back and put it to the front.
Let’s be clear, when you obtain a position it only means that we are going to be able to see what kind of person you are.
It doesn’t matter if you have a position in corporate America, if you have a position in school, you hold a position at work, or if you have a church leadership position.
10. Positions only expose who you are when no one is looking! A position takes you from the back and puts you in the front. Now, all of your secrets are exposed. Who you truly are as a person will be revealed.
We have here are in scripture a list of instructions for leaders! According to the scripture we have a group of new leaders; which was, newly appointed by king Jehoshaphat.
1. King Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the tribe of Judah.
2. In this time, he was known as a God fearing king.
3. He ruled with reverence and fear of God. he was known for his agenda of reform.
4. He was known for strengthening the military and helping his people turn back to God.
5. He had been known for his stand against idolatry; which, created religious reform.
6. He was well noted in 2nd Chronicles 17 for tearing down the idols; which served as the moon goddess. The Canaanites we’re wrapped up in idolatry and it spread throughout God‘s children. In second Chronicles, King Jehoshaphat told his people that it was there abandoning of God for this adultery that led them into captivity.
The book of second Chronicles, was God using his people and certain other people in authority, to bring God‘s people back to him. After they had come out of activity, Chronicles is a file for a book of records, of the retelling of how God restored them back to himself.
King Jehoshaphat had to clear the kingdom of this idolatrous behavior! In essence he said if they are returning to Jerusalem; then, they are returning to Jehovah.
Today, we need to do, in order to Bring America back to God is establish people who will lead people back to God. The goal here is not to go back to just a place, but the goal is to return to our first love! People with a heart for God must be placed in leadership!
Christians, as we look around today, one of the key factors to the downfall of the world is that we do not have godly people in influential positions. We cannot deny the fact that we do not always have godly leaders. In fact, our country has abandoned God. This is why we have so much destructive and catastrophic behavior going on in society today!
Society, needs to be reminded of what needs to happen before destruction takes over or before Jesus comes back in the clouds of glory!
Let’s examine 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14!!
Second Chronicles 7:14 says the following: “”If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land.”
This directive was given straight to God‘s people.
So, God says: If my people will come back to me?
If my people will confess their sins and repeat?
If my people will turn from their sin?
If my people will obey my word?
If my people will walk according to my will and my word?
If my people stop being closet Christians? If my people would stand on My word?
If my people will be bold?
Then, you will see transformation and healing across the land!
Then, you will see reformation!
The truth of the matter is that we can longer afford to be quiet!
We can no longer afford to stay in the confines of our churches!
We can no longer and have our volume in the church turned on, but our voices be silenced in the streets!
This is the call of God for God‘s people to be bold! Therefore, in order to do so we must have good Godly leaders. We must have leaders who are able and prepared to stand with the word of God!
Here, in second Chronicles 19 we have a beautiful text that speaks to the heart of a leader!
I like the old saying: people don’t care what you know, people want to know that you care!
This passage cares about the heart of a leader!
In verses five through seven he set up judges to rule over the people.
Then, he reestablished the clergy in verse nine.
Jehoshaphat was reestablishing a godly consciousness; which, sets up the people for success.
So, in versus 4,5, and 6, King Jehoshaphat lead the people back to Christ with the judges and in verses eight and nine the king established a godly order.
Jehoshaphat in verse 4, 5, and 6 told the judges or community leaders that they would have to accept the fact that not everyone would be happy with this new order.
He says to take heed that you do not judge for man, but you do for the Lord.
The king said I know that you want people to like you and I know that you want people to hear your name and celebrate, but you have become a leader for God‘s agenda.
When you hold a position in the church or in the community, you don’t want it said: “I please man, but I missed the mark with God.”
According to verse God does not take bribes and he cannot be bribed. Let’s read the verses and it says as follows: “for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
In God there is no basis and there is no respecter of persons. There is no taking in of gifts; which translated means there is no bias and there is no bribery. So, if God doesn’t operate like that; then, why does man think that they can? Definitely, you and I should not be operating like that.
Jehoshaphat said that this is not just an extension of God‘s agenda, but you are an extension of gods character. So we, as leaders and children of God, should have no bias. We should have no respecter of persons. We should have no sin between ourselves and God. We also should not get entangled with bribes or the taking in of gifts.
King Jehoshaphat said: no when you get in your position as judge, As priest, or as a Levite you need to serve God in the fear of the Lord. In verse nine, King Jehoshaphat said that we need to have fearful heart. You might remember, that in the old testament: the fear of the lord meant three things. First, in chapters 1 and two of Proverbs, he is equated with the knowledge of God.
My knowledge of the Lord is both respectful and fearful, because I respect God and I am afraid of God.
Secondly, we don’t fear God just because we know he exists, but we fear God because we know he is close. The closer you get to God and the closer God gets to you; we begin to straighten up. When we know God and his proximity brings a reference and a fear into her life.
The third reason why and why you should fear God, scripture tells us, is that we don’t know everything about him. He has a mysterious side. He is all have been, but he hates our center. He is all loving, but he likes order and not chaos. for example, one of gods character traits is the fact that he is infant. There is no boundaries. He has no limits. The problem with me is that I am fun night. I have a beginning that I have an end to this life. I have limited language. I have limited thoughts. Have limited understanding. God is all knowing. we are caught in the fear of God because we are to be afraid of what God could do.
Cell, king Jehoshaphat was instructing his people to lead like God was right there with them. The Holy Spirit, wants us to lead to days activities knowing that God is right there. Lied like God is you know you’re not officer in the rearview mirror. You know what I mean! When you’re driving, police come up behind you you put down your telephone, you check your seatbelt, and your ears on the brakes. Why? Glad you know they are present. So, today no God is present and check yourself! not as close to Nollie know what he’s going to do, that we must be rea
Serve God with a fearful heart. Serve the Lord and have a heart of a leader la understanding God micromanages everything. verse nine, continues to say and do this service faithfully. Meaning the instant in season and out of season. Be right and we just. The fair. Be honest. Walking integrity.
So, king Jehoshaphat tells his judges to remain in one place. Tells them to continue and have a steady work and a steady faith.
God desires fruitfulness but demands faithfulness. For example, consider the plants and the trees. If we ask them how they are fruitful; they would respond we are faithful! Meaning we know how to stay in one spot and we know how to stay focused!
Scripture says: be faithful over a few things and I will make you ruler over many! Matthew 25:23
This in essence is the way God grades us. Therefore, king Jehoshaphat was grading his judges on the fact of faithfulness.
The last part of verse nine tells us that we must be leaders with a perfect heart! This does not mean errorless, but it means completion. Perform your job duties with your whole heart, because God did not give you half of anything. God gave you a soul of art. Remember, he gave his one and only begotten son. He gave his oh son. therefore, we owe God our very best. when we lead, when we serve, when we work, we need to give God our very best. for he is wish you want to, heart, and with a whole heart.
We can never match the love of God, but I at least want to know that I have given him all that I can give him.
When we drawl our last breath we should want to know that we lit; so, we could go out empty.
So, everything that God has put in you brothers and sisters let’s empty it out on the court of life!
