Be Ready to Lead

Thank you to the leaders this weekend.

Thank you Jacob and Halle for leading us to a place of worship

This group will never be the same, because, 8th graders you get to go on to High School

Judges 4:6

Definition of a leader:

To be a leader means to guide, inspire, and influence others toward achieving a common goal or vision. Leadership is not just about holding a position of authority; it’s about setting an example, taking responsibility, and motivating others to do their best.

So the example you set will be motivating others to follow, which direction are you leading them? To Jesus or away from Jesus?

Deborah , Barak and Jael -

Chapter 4 starts out:

talks about Ehud dying.

Ehud was the one who was left handed and he made an 18 inch sword stabbed it into Algon and the guy was so big that the sword remained inside of him.

But once Ehud died everyone did evil in the sight of the Lord again.

And now they were oppressed for 20, years

First leader is Deborah the prophetess -

She is a prophetess the wife of Lippidoth and was leading Israel at this time.

Deborah is notable as the only female judge and prophet mentioned in Judges

The nation had fallen so low that it was now judged by a woman,

Even in today’s world not everyone steps up.

Guys you need to take the lead

Josh touched on it yesterday about being unequally yoked that also pertains I believe to when you even get the idea about dating, the first question is what is there relationship with the Lord not an outward appearance but the heart

For twenty years the Canaanites had oppressed Israel, so God raised up this prophetess to lead the way to victory.

Please stand as we read

Judges 4:5–7 NET

She would sit under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled. She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun! I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army. I will hand him over to you.”

Lets pray

Second Leader

Deborah summoned Barack from Kadesh and said is it not true that the God of Israel is commanding you.

We miss the voice of God because we are not in tuned to Him

We may come to church, Sundays and Wednesday

We may sort of worship, sort of hear the Word spoken

Our intentions may be I want to learn but us applying it to our everyday life is not there

So that is why we are always saying be in the word - Bro Eddie even talked about it last Sunday.

Barak, was a military leader featured in Judges 4

This means he knew how to lead, 10,000 men is a lot

But who was he listening to as where was he getting his advice from?

Who are you getting your advice from

Parents, grandparents

Church leaders

Friends

Out of all of those are they in tuned to God

Barak led 10,000 men from Mt. Tabor, trusting the promise of God given by His servant, Deborah.

Deborah gave the battle plan to Barark, which was from the Lord

Usually the Kishon River was dry, but God was going to send a great storm that would flood the river-bed and trap the chariots of iron

Although Deborah conveyed God’s promise of victory, Barak insisted that Deborah accompany him to battle; she agreed, but told him the ultimate honor would go to a woman rather than to him.

I think Barak wanted Deborah there because of her relationship with God

The comfort that having other around you who are faithful to the Lord is important

Because who you hand around, you will act like them

Well I can change them, unfortunately I have seen the opposite they end up bringing you down

Gideon kind of same situation because of the testing to make sure God was there

Judges 6:14 NASB95

The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

Same thing, Have I not sent you?

God wants so much more for us and our actions make a difference

A decision you make has a rippling effect

White water story - cleared the pool

What decisions that you have made that have effected others in a negative impact?

Now the enemy had 900 chariots and the men to follow (3 men per chariot, plus the men to follow results in lots of men)

Barak led Israel’s army to a decisive victory over Sisera’s forces, aided by a divinely sent storm that disabled the enemy’s iron chariots. 

God kept his promise - he delivered that army and wiped them out

God is in control when we do not see how

God is in charge and keeps his promises

They all died by the edge of the sword an Siseria jumped out of his chariot and ran away on foot

Barack chased the Chariots and all the army away

Siseria whole army died not even one survived.

Siseria ran away on foot and ended up in the tent of Jael the wife of Herbert the Kenite

The third leader - Jael

Herber the Kenite had left the other Kenites and the descendants of Hobab Moses brother in law and pitched his tent near the battleground

She said stop and rest my lord

Stop and rest with me don’t be afraid - opening up her home to this man, which was not the normal custom

So he rested in her tent and put a blanket over he said to her give me a little water and drink because I’m thirsty

She opened a goat state container of milk and gave him some milk to drink then she covered him up again

He said to her stand watch at the enter to the tent if anyone comes along and ask you is there a man here say no

Canalope illustration

Then Jael the wife of Herbert took a peg tent in one hand and hammered in the other

The women would be the one to set up the tents, just like today Women are usually the one that will set up the house.

So the hammer and peg were normal use for the women

She crept upon him drove the peg through the temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion and he died .

Barack who was chasing Siseria, Jael went out and welcomed him said to him come here and I’ll show you the man you’re searching for he went with her into the tent and there he saw him spread out dead with a tempeh through his temple

That day god humiliated King Jabin of cannon before the Israelites Israel Israelite power continue to overwhelm King Jaman and of King until they did away with him.

Barak is listed as a man of faith in Heb. 11:32, we see him here as a man who had to depend upon Deborah for victory.

Application

God can use anyone—no matter how ordinary or unexpected—to do extraordinary things when they trust Him and take action.

What Can We Learn from Jael?

Courage Over Comfort: Jael could have chosen to do nothing, but instead, she acted bravely even though it was risky.

We have to remember that sometimes God uses people to do what he wants because Jael broke a very strong policies and rules of Middle Eastern hospitality. 

God Uses Unexpected People: Jael was not a military leader, prophet, or famous person. She was an ordinary person, but God used her because she was willing and available.

Step up when you see a need. You might be the only one who notices someone who’s lonely or being bullied. Like Jael, don’t just wait for someone else—take a stand, offer kindness, or speak up

God’s strength is bigger than your weaknesses. If you feel “not enough” for a big task, know that God equips and helps ordinary people, just like Jael, to do important things.

What are you going to do?

Be Ready to Lead......

What are you ready for?

We get ready for practice

We get ready to go on a trip

We get ready for the new school year

The areas that we spend getting ready for in life we live is where your focus

The devotion last night said - Because God knew Sampson would notice his physical strength mission before he realized God’s presence was missing. God took away his strength.

What is God going to have to take away from you, before you realized that your relationship with the Lord has slipped away.

Response is now up to you

Salvation - how many times are you going to ignore that Jesus is wanting a relationship with you?

How many times will you so no to God and yes to your way of living?

Are you going to respond in a way that is not just for the moment?