Sermon notes
Fear does not come from God. Scripture is clear: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). The Holy Spirit gives power, love and peace. The spirit of fear comes from the enemy. No one is free from fear and anxiety — that is human — but we can learn to overcome them. Ps. Agus invites us to learn from King Jehoshaphat, who saw an extraordinary miracle in the Valley of Beracah: Judah did not need to fight; the Lord Himself set ambushes, and they spent three days gathering the spoil. The Valley of Beracah story continues next week.
Jehoshaphat Became Afraid — Then Sought the Lord
In 2 Chronicles 20, a great army from Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir came from beyond the Dead Sea as far as En Gedi. "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah" (2 Chronicles 20:3). Even a king who loved God could be afraid. His first response was not panic but a decision: seek the Lord. All Judah gathered from every city to ask help from the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:4).
In his prayer Jehoshaphat recalled God's promise to Abraham, the conquest under Joshua, and Solomon's temple dedication prayer: when sword, judgment, pestilence or famine came, they would stand before this house and cry out. Then he was honest: "For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chronicles 20:12). A dead end — but eyes fixed on God. All Judah stood before the Lord, with their wives and children (2 Chronicles 20:13).
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's… You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). Jehoshaphat and all Judah bowed and worshipped.
Even Those Who Know God Can Fear
Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of David, sought God, and in the third year of his reign sent officials and Levites with the Book of the Law to teach throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 17:3-9). The Lord established his kingdom; he had riches and honour; the fear of the Lord fell on surrounding kingdoms so that Philistines and Arabians brought tribute (2 Chronicles 17:10-12). Yet later, when another army came, he could still be afraid. Yesterday's strength does not automatically cancel today's fear. We too can fear — about work, health, visas, family, the church's future — but the real question is: what do we do when we are afraid?
Seek God in Prayer and Fasting
The point: if you want to overcome fear, seek God in prayer and fasting. Make that your first response to every problem. After 27 years in full-time ministry, Ps. Agus says he has become more aware that we are limited and deeply need God. What matters is not connections or resources; what matters is knowing how to pray. Five loaves and two fish may not be enough; the oil in the jar may be little; a doctor, bank or lawyer may give a hard verdict — what matters is that we know how to seek God in prayer and fasting, with our eyes upon Him.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).
Surrounded by Prayer: the Dunkirk Miracle
Ps. Agus pointed to the film *Dunkirk* (Christopher Nolan, 2017), based on the true events of May–June 1940. More than 338,000 Allied soldiers were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk. Winston Churchill launched Operation Dynamo (26 May–4 June). Unusual weather grounded Nazi aircraft while the English Channel was calm enough for some 900–1,000 vessels — many of them small civilian boats — to evacuate everyone safely. Behind it was prayer: Reese Howells' prayer movement in the Welsh Revival, and King George VI calling the nation to put its hope in God; churches and synagogues filled with millions praying. They were surrounded by the enemy, but also surrounded by prayer — and God made a way.
Wisdom from God, Not from the World
After more than 70 years of ministry, R.T. Kendall's counsel was: know your Bible and pray a lot. Ps. Agus also recalled the late Rev. Dr. Abraham Alex Tanuseputra: someone who felt "foolish" could be used extraordinarily when the Holy Spirit was with him. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong… nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill" (Ecclesiastes 9:11). "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men… God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise… that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Corinthians 1:25-29).
Jehoshaphat was not the fastest or the strongest; what set him apart was that from fear he knelt, bowed and sought God — with his whole family and nation.
Do Not Fall for the Enemy's Intimidation
At Dunkirk the Nazis dropped intimidation leaflets: surrender or die. Some soldiers who trusted God answered with faith and humour — using the leaflets as toilet paper, since there were no toilets on the beach. The enemy still roars like a lion: you will fail, just give up. Today we take the same decision: we will not be intimidated. In Jesus' name we will succeed, because the Lord who enabled David to defeat Goliath, Gideon with 300 to defeat 135,000, and four lepers to watch the Syrian army flee when God made them hear the noise of a great army (2 Kings 7:6-7).
In Jesus' name we overcome every fear and anxiety. Seek the Lord. The Lord Jesus bless you.
