A LITTLE LEAVEN...

Robert Pendergrass

INTRODUCTION:

1. There are three types of lies in the world… lies, white lies, and servings per container!

2. Albeit we are not so much talking about lying as we are what we might consider small sins.

a. Small sins are a common thing to see in this world, “borrowing” something with no intention of ever returning it; white lies; watching or listening to something you know you should not.

b. There are many things that we just do not think about as being a terrible, terrible thing, but can and will if we fail to terminate it early on.

3. Paul warned the congregation in Corinth who were allowing one in an adulterous relationship with his “father’s wife” that “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” – 1Corinthians 5:6

4. that’s what we want to consider in this hour; how did a little leaven make a full loaf of bread?

DISCUSSION:

I. It Is Not A Big Thing.

A. They failed to drive out and kill the evil inhabitants of the lands they conquered.

1. “We just didn’t have the desire to do exactly what he said,”

2. Do we “just not have the desire to do exactly what he tells us to do?” (Luke 9:23, 14:26, 33)

3. God’s commands all have a reason; they are all intended for our good (Isa. 55:8-9) (Deut. 6:24).

B. Their mindset changed from following God’s way to following a similar but much different path.

1. They were not minding the things of God.

2. They were minding easer things.

3. They were minding the things of the world.

C. Their parents failed to properly instill within them a fear of God and a reverence for his word.

1. Judges 2:8-10

2. That law instilled within the child should always hold some weight throughout the life of the child (Proverbs 22:6)

3. Parental responsibilities should not ever be left undone.

a. In Proverbs 2:17 we read of a young girl “Which forsaketh the guide of her youth”; sadly this does commonly occur, but think with me about a young girl or boy who has no guide.

b. His parents were busy at work all the time trying to afford living; there were no grandparents or relatives really in the picture; he/she spent all of his childhood in the public school system; his friends where his only mentors and examples as he was theirs also.

c. Sadly this nightmare Scenario or worse is happening to this poor child. It is nothing that the child could help, and he/she is not getting the discipline needed or any knowledge of God.

II. It Is Growing In A Big Thing…

A. They made leagues with the enemies of God.

1. “And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?” Judges 2:2

2. How about the church? Have some also to join themselves with his enemies to “be in unity”?

3. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Mat 12:30

4. That scripture would have continued into the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, it’s vitally important that we understand how bad it would be to go into eternity not only intentionally failing to do the will of the Father, but also join his enemies (Heb. 10:26-31, Mat. 25:41).

B. They intermarried with the enemies of God.

1. This is a major stumbling block; Paul would warn about friendship with a nonbeliever (2 Cor. 6:14), how much more so to be married to one!

2. It is especially hard to convert a family member (they often know and may point out your weaknesses or circumstances in defense of their sinful lifestyle, Mark 6:4).

3. There is a natural desire to do what the family does (1 Cor. 7:32-34, 1 Kgs. 11:3-4).

C. they forsook their Great Almighty God for the false powerless gods of the land.

1. We seem to have a long history with this as humans.

2. Though we no longer serve images made by man’s hands like they did, we seem to have one very carefully built even on a microscopic level by advancing technologies, one that we must plug in each night.

3. That’s not all though, we sometimes worship our houses or our vehicles, our jobs and our hobbies in that we give our time, resources, and energy to them rather than God.

4. It’s such a small thing, but watch what sin can grow into.

III. It Is A Big Thing!

A. They set no limits/laws above what they thought was right or wrong.

1. Judges 17:6, 21:25

2. There are many dangers that come with man making his own path (Pro. 14:12, … )

3. Destruction and demise closely follow those that do not seek to obey the Lord (Pro. 3:5-6; Psa. 73:27).

B. As “God’s people” a group of them committed evil to extents never before seen or thought of.

1. The slippery slop of sin is never satisfied though it exhausts every avenue.

2. Notice the striking similarity between Gibeah in Judges 19 and Sodom in Genesis 19

a. Both brought guests into their houses (Gen. 19:3; Jdg. 19:21)

b. Both were surrounded by wicked people in the night (Gen 19:4; Jdg. 19:22)

c. Both mobs intention was to “know” the guests (Gen 19:5; Jdg. 19:22)

d. Both the Levite and Lot begged the mob not to do so wickedly (Gen. 19:7; Jdg. 19:23)

e. Both offered their daughters for the safety of their guests (Gen 19:8; Jdg. 19:24)

3.How could Israel have gotten this low? But it gets worse…

a. In Gen 19 the angelic guest smote the mob with blindness and ended what could have been very bad.

b. Here there is no such intervention.

c. This chapter has been building up the recent life of the concubine up to this point.

d. She had left her husband as a whore and went back to her father’s house; after four months he went back and speaks kindly to her and she is ready to go back with him. However, her father had them stay three days with him; with some trickery he managed to get his daughter and her husband to stay five and a half days until finally the man said we must be going and left in the middle of the day.

e. Judges 19:22-30 – I find myself wandering as I read this what her father’s reaction was when/if he found out.

f. This is very low.

C. They made war against themselves

1. When the rest of Israel sees this awful, thing they too are enraged.

a. They assemble together to destroy Gibeah.

b. The tribe of Benjamin, however, assemble to war against their brothers

c. After three days of much bloodshed Isreal won in the days of Phinehas the high priest the grandson Aaron the brother of the man (Moses) who lead Israel out of Egypt (Jdg. 20:28).

2. What fear and stumbling is in the darkness of our distance from God.

a. We are nourishing seeds planted in us all our lives (Gal. 6:7-8; Jas. 1:15).

b. Here a seed is planted; it’s growing into a plant, and that plant will be harvested on the day of harvest (Mat 13:24-30).

CONCLUSION:

1. As we conclude this lesson, this was a terrible thing that was done; just a little leaven can do that.

2. Sin is a terrible thing, and we need to remove our way far from it.

3. If we can help you to escape the awfulness and guilt of sin today/tonight we would be so happy help you.

4. If you need to be baptized for the remission of sins and most importantly to become a child of God we would love to help you with that.

5. Or if you need the prayers of the church as an erring Christian, would you come forward as we stand and sing?