When You Don't Know What to Do: Worship

Jul 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When the Scan Reveals a 20cm Tumor

The shock of unexpected crisis strips away illusions of control. Like Jehoshaphat facing three invading armies, we confront moments where human strength fails. Fear becomes holy ground when it drives us to seek God’s face rather than false solutions. The tumor’s discovery became a threshold – not for despair, but for dependence. True strength emerges when we stop pretending we’re holding life together and start clinging to the One who actually does. [37:31]

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b, ESV)

Reflection: What “20cm tumor” in your life – whether physical, relational, or spiritual – have you been trying to manage alone? How might this crisis become an invitation to deeper dependence?

Day 2: Coloring Maps With Prayer Warriors

Intercession transforms isolation into community warfare. Just as Jehoshaphat rallied Judah to fast and pray, the colored maps revealed a global army battling through spiritual knees rather than physical weapons. Each shaded country testified: you’re not carrying this alone. Prayer isn’t wishful thinking – it’s wartime strategy. When God’s people lock arms in petition, chemotherapy becomes communion and hospital rooms become holy ground. [47:08]

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19, ESV)

Reflection: Who needs you to “color their map” through persistent prayer this week? How might inviting others into your battles change your perspective on God’s provision?

Day 3: Waking Early to Failed Surgery

Sometimes deliverance looks like surviving the death of expectations. The aborted surgery became a furnace where self-reliance burned away. Like Jehoshaphat’s army marching into battle singing, true victory begins when we stop demanding specific outcomes and start declaring God’s faithfulness regardless. Waking from four-hour surgery became resurrection ground – not because cancer disappeared, but because Christ’s presence proved enough. [52:29]

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, ESV)

Reflection: What unmet expectation has left you disillusioned? How might this “failed surgery” become a doorway to experiencing Christ’s sustaining grace?

Day 4: Chemo Rooms as Mission Fields

Suffering reshapes witness. Medical staff marveling at inexplicable lab numbers became modern-day Nebuchadnezzars seeing God’s fire survivors. Jehoshaphat’s temple became a chemotherapy chair – holy ground where weakness preaches louder than sermons. When we stop hiding scars and start testifying to the Healer, IV poles become pulpits and hospital gowns become priestly robes. [55:20]

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV)

Reflection: Where has your pain become a platform? How might your present struggle uniquely position you to testify to God’s faithfulness?

Day 5: The Three-Day Plunder of Victory

Christ’s resurrection reframes every battle. Just as Judah plundered defeated enemies for three days, we fight from victory, not for it. The cross guarantees our cancer, conflict, and chaos don’t get the final word. Every chemo drip, every sleepless night, every tear becomes seed for eternal weight of glory. Our present story folds into His greater narrative – where death itself gets swallowed by life. [01:00:07]

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:54, NIV)

Reflection: What current struggle loses its sting when viewed through the lens of eternal victory? How does Christ’s resurrection redefine what “winning” looks like in your situation?

Sermon Summary

Second Chronicles 20 brings God's people into one of those moments when there is no easy answer and no clean path forward. Jehoshaphat had been a faithful king. He had fortified Judah, appointed judges, sent out teachers of the law, and helped get the people back on track. Then, seemingly out of the blue, not one, not two, but three armies came against him, camped just a couple days from Jerusalem.

The text does not pretend that faith removes fear. Jehoshaphat was afraid. That honesty matters because fear is real when something bigger than human control shows up on the doorstep. But Jehoshaphat did not let fear drive the car. He “resolved to seek the Lord,” setting his face toward God and calling all Judah to fast and pray.

Jehoshaphat’s prayer shows how God's people stand when there is no other place to stand. He does not begin with panic or self-pity. He begins with God’s character: “Are you not the God who is in heaven?” He remembers God’s power, God’s rule, God’s past deliverance, and God’s covenant promises. Only after framing the crisis against the greatness of God does he bring the honest question: Lord, how does this make sense?

The cancer testimony gives that old story flesh and blood. A faithful servant of Christ can pray over cancer patients for years and still wake up one day as the guy with cancer. A failed surgery, stage four inoperable cancer, and a future that suddenly feels uncertain do not cancel the goodness of God. They become the very place where Second Corinthians 12:9 becomes more than a verse on a page: God’s grace is sufficient, and his strength is perfected in weakness.

Second Chronicles 20 then turns the battle into worship. Jahaziel speaks by the Spirit: “Do not be afraid or discouraged,” because “the battle is not yours but God’s.” Judah still has to go out, but Judah does not have to win by earthly power. The worship leaders go first, singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever,” before anything has changed except the condition of their hearts.

The three days of gathering spoil point beyond Jehoshaphat to Jesus. Jehoshaphat was a good king, but he was not the King. Christ fought the ultimate battle at the cross and rose in victory. Cancer, fear, broken marriages, unpaid bills, and every other enemy do not get the last word. Jesus does. The believer in Christ is not fighting for victory, but from victory.

Key Takeaways

1. Fear must be named, then directed Jehoshaphat’s fear is not hidden by the text, and that honesty keeps faith from becoming denial. Fear becomes spiritually dangerous when it becomes the final authority, not when it is first felt. The faithful turn happens when fear is brought into the presence of the Lord and made to bow before his strength. [43:28]
2. Prayer starts with God’s greatness Jehoshaphat begins with God’s rule, power, and past faithfulness before naming the armies at the door. That order matters because crisis grows larger when God becomes small in the imagination. Prayer trains the heart to see the trouble inside the frame of God’s character, not God inside the frame of the trouble. [49:02]
3. Weakness becomes a pulpit for grace The failed surgery did not become proof that God had stepped away. The weakness became the place where sufficient grace could be seen, named, and testified to before doctors, family, and church. God’s strength is not an accessory added to human strength, but the power that shows up when human strength has run out. [54:22]
4. Praise goes before visible victory Judah’s worship leaders sang before the battlefield changed. Praise did not deny the danger, but it declared that God’s faithful love was more solid than the threat in front of them. Worship becomes warfare when God’s people bless him before the outcome can be measured. [58:51]
5. Jesus gets the last word Jehoshaphat’s deliverance points beyond itself to the King who wins the ultimate battle through the cross and resurrection. The believer’s story is not finally interpreted by cancer, loss, fear, or death. Revelation can be summed up with holy simplicity: Jesus wins.

## [62:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:52] - Opening and personal surprises
[37:31] - An unexpected cancer diagnosis
[39:25] - Reading Second Chronicles 20
[41:03] - Jehoshaphat and Judah’s crisis
[43:02] - Seek God in crisis
[48:17] - Stand on God’s promises
[51:42] - Honest questions before God
[55:20] - The battle belongs to the Lord
[58:34] - Worship leaders go first
[60:07] - Three days and ultimate victory
[61:37] - Every Old Testament story whispers Jesus
[62:28] - Fighting from victory in Christ
[64:16] - Responding to saving mercy

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 13-17, 21-22 (ESV)
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

Observation Questions

What two actions did Jehoshaphat take immediately after feeling afraid? (2 Chronicles 20:3)
How did the people of Judah physically position themselves during prayer? What does this suggest about their posture before God? (2 Chronicles 20:13)
What specific phrase did the worship leaders repeat as they marched toward the battlefield? Why is this significant? (2 Chronicles 20:21)
How does 2 Corinthians 12:9 redefine the relationship between human weakness and divine strength? [54:22]

Interpretation Questions

Why might the writer emphasize that Jehoshaphat’s armies found “so much spoil” that it took three days to collect it? How does this detail point to a greater spiritual truth?
The sermon mentions that “praise becomes warfare.” How does worshiping before victory challenge typical human responses to crisis?
Jehoshaphat’s prayer begins with God’s character, not the crisis. Why is this order vital for shaping our perspective in difficult circumstances? [49:02]
How does the story’s resolution (enemies destroying each other) demonstrate God’s creativity in fighting battles for His people?

Application Questions

What fear or crisis are you currently tempted to let “drive the car” in your decision-making? How could you intentionally “resolve to seek the Lord” in this situation? [43:28]
Identify one area where you feel powerless. How might you pray about it this week using Jehoshaphat’s pattern (starting with God’s character, not the problem)?
What practical step could you take this week to “put worship leaders first” in a personal or relational struggle (e.g., playing worship music during commute, writing a gratitude list before bed)? [58:51]
When have you experienced God’s strength in a moment of weakness? How could you share this story with someone facing a similar challenge? [54:22]
What tangible reminder (e.g., a verse on your mirror, a daily alarm) could help you remember that “Jesus gets the last word” in your current difficulties? [01:02:28]

Sermon Clips

46s

#JesusWins

“``Brothers and sisters, I want you to know this. I've read my bible forwards and backwards. I've read to the very end of the story. And cancer does not get the last word in the story of Jay Strother. Jesus Christ does. When all is said and done, I can sum up all the complexities of revelation in two words, Jesus wins. if you have accepted him as savior, then you have already won as well. To live is Christ, to die is gain. And so no matter where you're at today, you need to respond to the life giving gospel of Jesus.”

58s

#VictoryInChrist

“Jehoshaphat was a good king, but he wasn't the king. You see, God would send on our behalf his one and only son. And that one and only son, in the face of all odds, would fight the ultimate battle for our souls on the cross. And so I want you to know this today. Whatever you're fighting, whatever you're facing, whatever you're afraid of, maybe it's a medical condition, Maybe it's a broken marriage, broken relationships with your kids. Maybe it's difficulty finding work, paying the bills. Whatever your fears are, I want you to know this. That if you are in Christ Jesus, you are not fighting for victory. You are fighting from a place of victory.”

52s

#BeginWithGod

“And brothers and sisters, that is so important that we follow the pattern of that prayer. Why? Because if not, we're always tempted to begin where? To begin with us. Notice that Jehoshaphat doesn't begin his prayer by saying, help me, oh Lord. There are three armies about to kick our tail. It's not where he begins. He knows that God knows the situation. So he begins in prayer by reminding himself and his people of the very character and nature of the greatness of God. You see, sometimes our problems seem so big because we have reduced God to something very, very small in our minds and our hearts. But Jehoshaphat models for us that we have to do the opposite. We have to frame whatever we're going through, whatever situation we face against the greatness of God.”

38s

#WorshipFirst

“And God's lavish provision for us is profound. And so to answer our big question for today, what do you do when you don't know what to do? The answer, brothers and sisters, is that you worship our great God. Is that you put him first in all things. That when you don't know what to do, you look to him. And here's what I would tell you today. Jehoshaphat's story is an incredible story. But every story in the Old Testament whispers the name of Jesus Christ.”

43s

#GraceInWeakness

“Because what you see standing before you is not strength that I have. It says in second Corinthians twelve nine. Right? His grace is what? Sufficient for us. And his strength is perfected in our weakness. And so what you see standing before you today is simply the grace of God and the prayers of his people. My medical team, many of them are believers, but some of them I don't know where they stand with the Lord. And they'll look at things like my lab numbers, which remain perfect, and they'll say, there's no medical explanation for this. And I'll say, oh, there's an explanation for this. And it gives me an opportunity to testify to the goodness of God.”

56s

#PraiseLeadsTheWay

“And so in the morning, they got up early. They go out into the wilderness. What do they do? Just like in Jericho, they put the worship leaders first. And the worship leaders declare this. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing, give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love endures forever. They lead the way with praise. And this leads us to our fourth imperative this morning, which is this. We give thanks to the God who has won the ultimate victory. And so as they go forward into battle, the worship leaders crying, give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love endures forever. I want you to think about this for a minute. The battle had not yet been fought. Nothing had changed about their circumstance except what? The condition of their hearts.”

58s

#GodIsWithUs

“God says, watch. Watch as I get the glory. As a matter of fact, I don't want you to lift a finger because this story belongs to me. And so in a similar way, we are learning as a family, as a church over and over again. Right? That this battle ultimately belongs to the Lord. And I love this. This is his third point of his sermon. He says it twice for effect. He is with you Judah and Jerusalem. So don't be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow go out to face them for the Lord is what? With you. Emmanuel, God with us. It doesn't mean that we get out of the valley. It doesn't mean that we don't go through relational troubles. It doesn't mean that everything's easy at work if we follow the Lord. But what it means if we know him is that he is with us every step of the way.”

45s

#EternityInChrist

“The one who paid the penalty on the cross that you and I deserve. The one who showed in three days his victory over sin and death so that every man, woman, boy, and girl who turns away from their sin and to Jesus as savior can be reconciled to God forever. Your eternity secure. I heard somebody say earlier in this service, the best is yet to come. And for those of us in Christ Jesus, I believe that with all my heart. This world is not our home. This cancer's reminded me of that. I love my life, ministry God's entrusted to me, my beautiful family. But this is not all that there is. There is so much more in Christ Jesus.”

40s

#WeLookToYou

“We can bring our honest questions to God. I hope you realize that. And that's what Jehoshaphat does in this situation. He says, God, I'm having a hard time reconciling this. You're going to allow these people that you allowed to live to now destroy us. He was like, Lord, that doesn't make sense. But I love what he says at the end of this passage. Look with me. At the end of verse 12, he says, we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.”

40s

#CloserToGod

“And I will tell you, and every other cancer patient will tell you, and everybody who's ever struggled with anything medical will tell you, I would not have stepped forward and said, Lord, sign me up for this. And yet, there's a certain nearness and sweetness and closeness that I've experienced to God unlike any other time in my life. I've been in ministry for thirty years. And some of the moments I've had with the Lord in the last few months have been just incredible. As he's assured me that he's what? That he's near. That he loves, that he cares, that he sees, and that he knows.”

56s

#RespondToTheGospel

“So today, as you bow your heads and you close your eyes, if you need to respond to the life giving gospel of Jesus in any way. Mike's told me there's gonna be people here for you to pray with as we sing in a few moments. There's gonna be the opportunity for you to respond. If you're watching online or on television, if you're in this room within the sound of my voice, do not leave this place until until you have done business with the Holy Spirit. The same God who rescued Jehoshaphat and his people. The same God who sent his one and only son for you. That same God who will be with me when I go to chemotherapy in Nashville tomorrow morning. That same God is with you right now. And he beckons you. He calls you to respond to his saving mercy and to his saving grace.”

43s

#DeclareHisGoodness

“We're powerless, but God, we look to you to do what only you can do. And if you would have told me on April 3 that I would be standing in a pulpit in Spartanburg, South Carolina declaring the goodness of God, that I would have the energy and stamina to stand and preach before this congregation two times, if you would have told me that I was gonna return to full time ministry within about a month after that failed surgery, I would have said, man, I don't know. But here I stand, and I will declare this gospel with every breath that I have.”

43s

#FightWithPraise

“And so we all know our days are numbered. We all know that we're in God's hands. But now it's front and center because I'm standing here. Right? And all we can do is look to God, and this leads us to our third imperative, our third must when we don't know what to do. We must fight spiritual battles not merely with earthly power, but with praise. You see, as Jehoshaphat in verse 13 called the people to pray, it says all of Judah were standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. And in the middle of the congregation, the spirit of the Lord came on Yahaziel, who was a Levite.”

45s

#SingGodsPromises

“You see, sometimes our problems seem so big because we have reduced God to something very, very small in our minds and our hearts. But Jehoshaphat models for us that we have to do the opposite. We have to frame whatever we're going through, whatever situation we face against the greatness of God. We need to be reminded, and we need to remind each other. It's why what we do in corporate worship, as we'll talk about in a few moments, is so important because we need to sing the promises of God. We need to remind ourselves of God's character and nature, And we need to rehearse the saving acts of God, his redemptive story all throughout scripture. Jehoshaphat models that for the people well.”

30s

#StandOnPromises

“And you see, that's what Jehoshaphat modeled for the people. I'm a leader. Mike's a leader. DJ's a leader. We will tell you, right, as a leader you always wanna come with this position of strength. I know what the future is. I know what is to come. And yet there are times when you have to admit in all humility, God, only you know. As a matter of fact, this leads us to our second point this morning. We must stand on God's promises when there's no other place to stand.”

44s

#SubmitAndPray

“But they're learning to call on the name of God. And oh my goodness, have they. You see, even before my diagnosis was complete, we knew something was going on. We were preaching through first Peter this spring, and a message on suffering was right in the middle of February. And in my a little bit of stubborn pride, was like, Lord, I wanna have this all figured out, and then I'll tell the church what's going on. And as I was preaching and the word submission in the book first Peter, right, is there over and over again that sometimes we have to submit to the things that the Lord puts us in the middle of, I realized I needed to submit to what was going on in my life. And I needed to bring that to my church family and to ask them to pray.”

39s

#PastorInTheStorm

“Now you need to know I've been in ministry since I was 19 years old. You need to know that I've prayed over countless cancer patients. I've prayed over countless people before they go into the surgery. I'm the guy who prays for the guy with cancer. Lord, I'm not the guy who gets cancer, am I? First Chronicles 20 tells the story of a king. A king who for the most part had been faithful to the lord. He he'd gotten Judah back on track. He's the guy who does the thing. Lord, you wouldn't let something difficult happen to him, would you?”

57s

#FaceFearWithFaith

“We have to seek God's sovereign strength in times of crisis. You see the text tells us honestly that Jehoshaphat was what? Afraid. Don't fly past that. Pay attention to that. Because oftentimes when difficult times come in our life, people will say, well, you know, you just need to have more faith. Well, often if we're honest, there's fear and fear's real. And we need to name those fears. We need to confront those fears. We need to deal with those fears. But we can be human. We can be honest. We can say there are moments in which there are things bigger than us that we have no control over. Jehoshaphat in this moment finds himself in an incredibly challenging situation trying to lead the people. And so we can name our fear. But it's what we do with that fear that matters.”

64s

#GodsSurprisingVictory

“They believed and they knew and they were strengthened by the prayers, strengthened by the word they had received from the Lord through his servant. They had been strengthened for this moment, and they declared that God's faithful love endured forever. Verse 22. The moment they began their shouts and praises, praises, the lord set an ambush. And what happened? The three armies turned against one another, and they destroyed each other till not a single member of those armies was left. The people stumbled into the camps. Hard for them to believe what had taken place. And as they were in the camps, they they were able to plunder. There was so many things to take that they couldn't even hold them all. They walked around the camps of the defeated enemies for how many days? Three. Does that ring a bell with anybody else? Is there an ultimate victory that God has won for us in three days?”

80s

#FacingCancerWithFaith

“And so on April 2, one day before Good Friday this year, I went under. I went in for that surgery. And as you've already seen, my wife will say, you and that surgical team were the most prayed for people on the planet. I was supposed to wake up sixteen hours later in the ICU. I woke up four hours later in regular surgery recovery because the surgery was unsuccessful. As a result, diagnosed with stage four, as Mike Tarter told you, inoperable cancer that there's no cure for. And so I wanna be honest with you, as I woke up, as I come to grips with that, as my surgeon who had just come from MD Anderson, one of the finest cancer institutes in the world, said with tears in her eyes, I'm sorry we got in there and there was so much cancer. There wasn't anything that we could do. Lord, I've tried to be faithful and serve you. Lord, we we have beautiful children that I wanna see grow up. Some girls I wanna walk down the aisle. Some grandbabies I'd like to hold. You put me in this position as as pastor of this incredible church. You you've given us a worldwide network of friends and mission partners. Lord, you've done all this. Help me understand it all.”

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When You Don't Know What to Do: Worship

Devotional

Day 1: When the Scan Reveals a 20cm Tumor

Day 2: Coloring Maps With Prayer Warriors

Day 3: Waking Early to Failed Surgery

Day 4: Chemo Rooms as Mission Fields

Day 5: The Three-Day Plunder of Victory

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

When You Don't Know What to Do: Worship

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