All Eyes On You | Watch God Work | Chad Veach

0:00 Hey, what's going on, everybody? Thank you so much for listening to this week's message from Zoe Church. We're going to jump into 2 Chronicles 20 in just one moment, but I want to say a huge thank you to everybody that gives. Yesterday, we were able to help feed over a thousand different Thanksgiving meals to families here in Los Angeles in need during this holiday season, so thank you for your generosity. we're gearing up now for giving hope and helping families have a great Christmas so thank you for your giving also want to make mention to prayerfully consider what you would ask God God what do you want me to give in this year's over and above offering happening Sunday December the 7th I'm so excited about the offering and pray with us about what God would want you to give But let's jump into our second message of the series we're in for the vision of this next year called Watch God Work.

1:00 Go there in your Bible, 2 Chronicles chapter 20. If you missed last Sunday, we released the vision for our church this next year. And our theme this next year is we're going to watch God work. We're going to watch God work. I like that. Nobody said work. And signs you're in LA, we'll be like, work. We're going to watch God work. And do me a favor, out of the Resource Center, we asked you a question. Tell us, how has God worked in your life previously? And what are you asking God to work this year? We'd love to partner in faith with you and pray, believe together that God will do great things. Anybody have faith that God's going to do great things this coming year? Come on. I think everybody ought to clap off that. Anybody excited to see God do some work?

1:56 And so I'm excited to preach the second installment. Go to 2 Chronicles chapter number 20. We're going to read an amazing story from the Bible today. Anybody believe in the Bible? This last week, Julie and I were in class all week long. We are now entering in. We're going to get our master's in theology. Is that exciting?

2:20 And I'm excited to learn. So I've been in class all week. And all week I listened to the professor talk. I was like, I'm preaching that. I'm preaching that. So you're just going to hear what my professor taught me this week, okay? Second Chronicles chapter 20, it says, Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, A vast army is coming against you from Edom. Edom's like Rancho Cucamonga. From the other side of the Dead Sea. Pomona. it is already in San Dimas. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah. And the people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord. Indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek God. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in front of the new courtyard and said, Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, power and might are in your hand and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people, Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend? I want to preach a message today, write down the title.

3:45 is called All Eyes on You. All Eyes on You. I know Tupac said all eyes on me. We as a church are saying all eyes on you. 90s kids are like... all eyes here's what we're doing for a year as a church we are going to get our eyes off of ourselves we're going to get our eyes off our circumstance and we're going to get our eyes on God our eyes are going to gaze at the beauty and the radiance the magnificence and the glory of the living God. All eyes on you. See, because I really believe that you're going to find whatever you're looking for. And it's not about what happens to you. It's about how you respond to what happens to you. In fact, I will say that it's not what happens to you that defines you.

4:42 It's how you respond that determines the outcome. It's not about the cards you've been dealt. You ever play poker with some, oh, sorry, cards with somebody? and they don't have a good cards face and they get good cards and they're like it's like okay bro chill out you got one ace it's not about the cards you've been dealt it's about how you respond to what's gone on that will determine the outcome see we're going to be as a people of God that it doesn't matter the scenario or the circumstance we're gonna we're not going to let our circumstance determine our faith we're going to let our faith determine our circumstance we're going to put our eyes and our gaze on heaven because the Bible says, where does my help come from? It comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth. Come on, clap today. If you want to get your gaze elevated and get vertical to focus more on God, I love this. Jehoshaphat, some messengers come running in and they tell him, sir, there is a vast army that's coming against you. You've got some enemies that are coming against you.

6:01 You are in a situation here, sir. I like Jehoshaphat. It said that he was afraid, but he called for a fast. In fact, write down point number one today. You can panic or you can pray. With the things you're going through, with what's going on in your life, you can hit the panic button or you can hit the prayer button. The panic button represents our fear and the prayer button represents our faith. I've got to get out of my feelings and I got to get into my faith. Jehoshaphat, it said he was afraid. I like that the Bible refers to his emotions because God has given you emotions. God's not intimidated by your emotions. In fact, you can watch Inside Out 1 and 2. It doesn't matter which one. And all of it is true and all of it's from God.

6:46 God gave you emotions. But the problem is, it's not with our emotions. It's the question, do your emotions rule you or do you rule your emotions? It says Jehoshaphat was afraid. Now I don't know if you've ever been through something that made you afraid or something that gave you anxiety. I was thinking back, when was the last time I really had kind of that panic of anxiety? A few years ago, we went to the zoo, the LA Zoo. They do an amazing job during Christmas. And we went with a couple other families and one of the families had a small, really young daughters. And there's thousands of people there. It's like a Friday night, thousands of people there, and they've got five kids. So that's a lot of kids. I got four. I'm trying to look after my four. And they lose one of their daughters.

7:44 And you can see the look, the shriek, the horror on the mom's face that they can't find one of their kids. Well, these are our dear friends. So I feel what they feel because I love their family and I love their children. So I'm telling you, we were running through the LA Zoo yelling this girl's name, freaking out. We were running, we split up. Who was the person that found her? Your boy, of course, I don't want glory. I don't want credit, but anointed. You guys have been around me. You guys have seen some of my work.

8:18 Yeah, who found her? Of course, yeah, the anointed one, I get it. This guy over here is shaking his head. Don't hate the game player. but I felt that anxiety. It said Jehoshaphat was afraid, but he called for a fast. See, two things can be true at the same time. You can have some fear, but you can still tap into your faith. You can have some panic, but you can still turn to prayer. Anybody believe that though you might feel something, it doesn't change the fact that God is for you. God is with you. God is sovereign. God is in control. Somebody praise him like you're going through something, but you know that God is still good and God is still in control. Jehoshaphat was afraid, and so he fasted. I believe prayer changes things. Anybody else? Prayer changes things. Prayer changes things, mainly me.

9:16 It changes my premise. It changes my perspective. It changes my peace. I can't get into my panic. I got to get into my prayer. When I stopped praying, coincidences stopped happening. When I started praying, all of a sudden I saw God move. I saw God heal. I saw God deliver. I saw God rescue. I saw God change. Oh, put it on the screen. I love this. Prayer is not our last resort. Prayer is our first response. See, a lot of us, we're like, okay, I'm going to try and solve this. I'm going to post on social media. I'm going to text my group chat. I'm going to try and do this. And if that doesn't work, then I'll go to God. The prayer is not our last resort. Prayer is our first response. Man, as we were serving people yesterday, I was thinking a year into the LA fires, what a difference this building and what a difference the fires have made for us to reach this community in this region. And if you remember on January 1st, a young man went to the Palisades and started a fire on purpose, called the fire department on himself. The fire department get up there. They go to put out the fire. And the reports say that when it's almost done, they're called away from the scene. A few days later, the winds would howl again and that fire would rise and take out an entire community. When that happened, I'm telling you, Zoe Church, we were ready to respond. We were ready to serve our city.

10:46 We are ready to help people from Altadena to the Palisades with the devastation. But I remember, what I remember the most out of that season was that we weren't just taking care of families. We were praying for and serving first responders. Every day there was a group chat that would tell us which fire department Zoe was in charge of. And we would take waters and we would take all kinds of meals and we would try and serve the first responders. I'm telling you, your children don't need you to turn to God as a last resort. Your children need you to turn to God like it's a first response. What you're going through, don't make God your last option. Oh, come on, clap if you believe it today. Make God your first response. Come on, lift up a praise.

11:33 Oh, I love this. God can do more with your surrender than you can do with your strategy. God can do more with a surrendered life than he can do with a strategic life. And Jehoshaphat said, I might be afraid, but I'm no dummy. I might be filled with anxiety, but this is not my first rodeo. I know how this works. We're going to fast and we're going to pray. We're going to turn to God because we need God. Sometimes in life you want God. other times in life you need God. Sometimes you praise because you're so thankful. Other times you praise because you're so desperate. Jehoshaphat said, man, I know this. I'm not smart. I'm not good enough. I'm not talented enough to fix all this that's going on. So he called forth a fast. I'm telling you, you got to develop this muscle. Prayer is not our last resort.

12:32 Prayer is our first response. We're not gonna hit the feelings button. We're gonna hit the faith button and we're gonna watch God work in your life and through your life. So Jehoshaphat said, come on, I know it ain't January, but y'all about to fast and pray for 21 days. And they fasted and they prayed and they came together. And I love Jehoshaphat. Great Bible name. And by the way, if you're considering what to name your children, let me just, let me just submit Jehoshaphat. Not a lot of kids on the playground running around with that name right now. Fiona, tons of them, but maybe Jehoah, Shaphatah. Jehoshaphat, he pulls together the church and he said, come on, everybody, we're going to fast and pray. And I love this next move that he makes. He looks up at God and he says, are you not the God? And he starts recalling who God is. Are you not the God that holds all the power and all the authority? Are you not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? He's not reminding God who he is. He's reminding himself who God is. Write down number two today. You got to remember who God is. We're a forgetful people by nature. We forget names. We forget car keys. We forget where you put your wallet. You forget where your children are at. You forget, we forget things.

14:05 I'm telling you one thing that you can't forget. You cannot forget how good and how powerful and how mighty and how awesome our God is. Oh, come on, everybody clap and praise him. If you believe that God is who he says he is and he can do what he said he would do. See, it's not what you're praying that matters as much as who you're praying to. Oh, I love this. Put it on the screen. King Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah in Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in front of the new courtyard. And he said, Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? Are you not the God that rules over the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand. No one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of the land before your people Israel? He starts going on. Are you not? Are you not? he's not saying this for God. He's saying this for him. Cause sometimes it's not just the fact that you're praying. You got to know who you're praying to. In fact, put this on the screen.

15:14 The next time you go to pray, let me just remind you, you're praying to the God that is holy and faithful. The God that is loving and sovereign. The God that is good. And that's just the God that's merciful and gracious, the God that's compassionate and patient, the God that's wise and all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere and unchanging. Anybody thankful today that you're not just praying to somebody. Come on, you're praying to the God that told the sun this morning, it's time to get up. I'll never forget a few years ago, Julie and I were in New York, and we caught the train to go catch a football game in the morning. We took the train from New York to Philadelphia to go watch the Eagles. And when we got to Philadelphia to get off the train, you know, when the train stops, you're waiting for everybody to unload. And I was just kind of standing there and a guy had his hand on, you know, one of the poles right here just to brace himself. And, um, and I noticed the ring that he was wearing was not normal. In fact, the ring that he was wearing, it said it was big and it said NBA and it said 50. And I was just appreciating it right away because I love sports. And so I looked at the man and I said, sir, wow, great ring.

16:29 I gotta admit, that's a good one. I said, sir, where did you get this ring? And he, I'll never forget, he looked down, he said, oh, I got this ring for being one of the top 50 greatest players to ever play in the NBA. and I was like, yeah, you did, and I was like, oh, please forgive me, and I said, sir, what is your name, and it was Earl the Pearl Monroe that played for the New York Knicks, and is a top 50 greatest players to ever play the game. I said, sir, will you please forgive me? let me just say something he didn't forget who he was i didn't know who he was when you come to pray don't forget who you're praying to you're praying to a god that is holy a god that's loving a god that's wise a god that's sovereign come on clap today if you believe that god is who he says he is clap a little bit louder if you believe he can do what he said he would do it's not that god forgot who he was, Jehoshaphat was reminded himself, you're the God that can. You're the God that will. You're the God that's able. You're the God that's mighty. You're the God that's strong.

17:54 You're the God that's sovereign. You're the God that's on the throne. Anybody thankful that when I pray, I'm not praying to a lowercase God. I'm praying to a capital G God. I'm praying to a God that's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never sleeps. He never slumbers. He never changes. He never grows weary. Somebody praise him like you know who God is in your life. You got to remember who you're talking to. Sometimes I got to remind my boys, you got to recognize who you're talking to. Because sometimes they forget when they're talking to their mom and say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Maybe you forgot who you're talking to. That's the queen of our life. That's the woman that brought you into the world. She could take you out. maybe you forgot who you're talking to. Jehovah said, Hey, Hey, we're not going to panic. We're going to, we're going to fast and pray. And by the way, when we pray, we're not praying like, Lord, we just, we're in a bunch of trouble and we just, Lord, we don't know what to do.

19:00 he said are you not the God that can do it all am I not talking to the God I love when God showed up and started talking to Job Job and his friends they start running their mouth and they said God is this and God is that and when God starts to deal with Job he said brace yourself I'm about to talk to you. He said, let me ask you a question, Job. When was the last time you told the son it's time to get up this morning? He said, let me ask you, Job, were you there when I created the foundations of the world? God knows who he is. It's our privilege to get to know who God is. You got to remember who God is in your life. Look at Psalm 77. I love this scripture. I will remember the deeds of the Lord. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works. I will meditate on all your mighty deeds. If you got a small God, you got big problems.

20:08 But if you got a big God, you got small problems. I will remember the God that can shut the mouth of a lion. I will remember the God that can split a Red Sea. I will remember the God that can feed 5,000. I will remember the God that can raise the dead. I will remember the God. Come on, all Lord God, nothing is too difficult for you. It's not that we, it's not that God forgot who he is. It says sometimes we need to remind ourself who God is. So he calls forth a fast and he starts to recall who God is in his life. And I like this third one, right down number three, only I can do my part and only God can do his part. And I got a part to play in this. I've got a massive part to play in this. Look here, this next verse in verse 17, you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. So clear instruction. You've got to do your part while God is going to do his part.

21:18 Let me just tell you something. We're not going to look back this next year and watch God work. let's see what he's got. I guess we're supposed to just, do we just wait here? Oh, I guess we're watching this year. No, I got something to do while I'm watching. He said here, take up your position and stand firm. I used three S's in the video last week in our vision Sunday video. I feel like this year we need to surrender to God. We need to submit to God and we need to sacrifice for God. We need to surrender our whole life to the living God. We need to submit ourselves under the authority of the word of God and we need to make a sacrifice. That's why I'm asking you to ask God and to pray about the offering on December 7th, because I want to make a sacrifice that honors God with all that I have. We're going to surrender, we're going to submit, and we're going to sacrifice, and we're going to watch God work.

22:17 Come on, clap if you've got faith for it. because there's things that only I can do. There's things that only God can do. Only I can serve my wife. Only I can raise my kids. Only I can shepherd and lead this church. Only there's things I can only do. And there's things that only God can only do. When I talk to my boys, I tell my boys, I'm trying to raise you to release you. I'm not trying to keep you in my house forever. I'm trying to get my wife back. Your mother and I will be found in Cabo San Lucas having chips and guac. You are not invited. I'm raising you to release you because the Bible says these are like arrows. I'm trying to send them out and get as far away as possible. Somebody say amen.

23:15 by the way Julia's parents are in this service can you clap for Pastor Bob and Sue McGregor where do they live? two states away praise the Lord no free babysitting around here praise the Lord you don't want to watch my kids do you? just raised them and released them praise God. But you know, I'm, I'm trying to teach my kids right now. You know, um, we do an allowance thing where, um, they work to earn an allowance. I'm not just giving you free money. You work to earn money. Somebody say amen to that. And I teach them, you know, I give them a certain amount and I'm teaching them now to tie. The first thing they do when they get paid is they tithe. Cause I figure if they'll learn how to tithe off $30, it'll be easy to tithe off $3,000. You understand what I'm saying? I'm raising them to release them. And I, I listen, I will not be, when they grow up, I will not be able to surrender for them.

24:14 I will not be able to submit for them. They will not be able to live off my faith. They have to have their own faith. Listen, there's things that only you can do. Only you can keep your heart right. Only you can repent and confess for your sin. Only you can keep the windows of heaven open for your life. There's things that only I can do in my life, and there's things that only God can do because he's God. So I'm going to pray like it depends on God, but I'm going to work like it depends on me. I'm going to do everything in my power. I like that Jehoshaphat said, stand firm, take your positions. Come on, Zoe. I feel like we're in ready position. We're going to watch God work. How is he going to work? He's going to work as we surrender. He's going to work as we submit. He's going to work as we sacrifice. We're not sitting on the couch to say, watch God work. Come on, clap if you're down for it. I'm going to be active. I'm going to be surrendered. I'm going to be obedient. Clap a little bit louder. I'm not putting the bill on you. I got something I got to do in my life. See, some people get frustrated with God because like, I thought God was gonna, I thought God was gonna, and how come God didn't? And it's like, you never applied for a job.

25:29 So mad, I'm still single. You haven't said hello to a female in five years. Give him something to work with. That's a word for somebody. Some guy in the back is like, I hate this guy. I hate him. I hate that guy. just put up on a screen, you stand and God fights.

26:02 I do my part. I stand and I don't stand with a bad attitude. I don't stand offended at others. I don't stand as a victim to my circumstance. I don't stand blaming others. I stand in worship and praise to God. So Jehoshaphat calls a fast, even though he was afraid, he prayed. You can be in fear today. That's fine. But you can be fearful and faithful at the same time. You can take all that emotion and stir up your faith and belief that God is for me, who can be against me. And Jehoshaphat, he said, you know what? I know who you are. and I know that you're powerful and I know you're good and I will recall and remember who you are. And then they stood firm and I like this next part.

26:55 Worship team, you come join me because Jehoshaphat said, okay, we're gonna go out into battle but we're gonna do it different this time. The Navy and the Marines and the Army, y'all stay back. We're gonna send out the worship team first. so we're not going to go out with force and strength. We're going to go out with the worship team first. Could you imagine if this happened today? All these military guys up in their outfits, just ready for service, and then all these little urban outfitter kids just walking down. You know how many beanies would have been in that crowd? just Yeezys, Cons, Vans just Hallelujah Write down the last one today. Praise prepares the way.

27:49 Praise breaks open the atmosphere. Jehoshaphat said, we're going to send the worshipers on the front lines because something happens when we worship. There's power in my praise. And I'm not going to go into this battle trying to fight it in my own strength. It is not by power and it is not by might, but it's by my spirit, says the Lord. verse 21 after consulting the people Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him for the splendor of his holiness and as they went out ahead of the army saying give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever as they began to sing and praise the Lord sent ambushes against the men of Ammon as they began to praise not think about praise as they did praise. As they began to lift up their voice, all of a sudden, God sent ambushes to the people of Ammon. I want to encourage you today. Don't let somebody else praise for you. You got to lift up your own worship. You got to lift up your own thanksgiving. You got to lift up your own praise. Oh, come on, clap. Nobody else can clap for you today. Nobody else can worship for you today. There's something that's got to get on the outside of you. There's something on the inside that's got to honor God to the outside. There's power in your praise.

29:17 I like that the Hebrew word here is halal. What it means, it means to boast, celebrate, shine, and rave. Think unrestrained, joyful praise. I like that they weren't just walking as the worship team, getting ready to go on stage. No, they were shouting.

29:38 They were joyful. I can see the enemies against us, but I can see a greater God that's for us. Now I'm not going to worship based upon what they're doing. I'm going to worship based upon who God is. God is holy. He is just. He is loving. He is compassionate. He is patient. Don Mariano, we want to thank you for your video today and your testimony. We honor your praise. We thank God for your conviction. We thank God for you. We thank God for you. thank God that when the enemy was in eyesight you turned to heaven and you worshiped it's encouraging to us because all of us are going through something today I never come to a Sunday when someone's like, you want prayer?

30:32 Nah, I'm good. Straight. Zero problems today. you got zero problems that yeah no not a problem in the world where are your kids combo with their mother the question is not if you have problems. The question is if you have a praise.

30:59 Last verse today, put on the screen. Verse 12, for we have no power to face this vast harmony that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Thank you. our eyes are fixed. all eyes on you stand to your feet again thank you so much for listening we pray that today's message brought you great strength and great encouragement make sure to hit the like and the subscribe button wherever you're streaming and also don't forget the over and above offering happening sunday december the 7th ask god what he would want you to give this year in the over and above offering but we love you and we'll see you next sunday