2020-06-21 Judg 6.1-10
Notes
Transcript
1 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years,
2 and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3 Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Qedemites came and attacked them.
4 They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.
5 For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to lay waste to it.
6 So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord.
7 When the Israelites cried out to him because of Midian,
8 the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.
9 I rescued you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 I said to you: I am the Lord your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in. But you did not obey me.’ ”
I. Are you tired the broken cycle we are in?
I. Are you tired the broken cycle we are in?
1 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years,
A. God is sovereign over our days, he does not waste them, but is actively working to bring about our repentance.
A. God is sovereign over our days, he does not waste them, but is actively working to bring about our repentance.
1 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years,
Illus: Do you feel out of control? These days we are living through feel like we are surfing from one crisis to the next. We just jump from one wave uncontrolably to the next.
Each wave seems like a new level of “An America did evil in the sight of God, and God handed them over to...”
I don’t know about you, but my soul is worn down by the constant strain of emergency after emergency defining our lives.
As each new crisis appears in front of us and we react. As the pressure has boiled hotter and hotter, our reactions have been towards anger, bitterness, and rage towards our fellow man.
We have become experts at blaming and yelling at others as each new crisis comes to a head.
In the midst of all of this we have not responded.
As believers we should see God’s sovereign hand over all of this. We should believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is redeeming our days for good.
Our focus matters at this moment, because our focus dictates the way we respond.
If our focus is on the crisis, we will react to the crisis.
If our focus is one the sovereign and strong hand of God, we will respond as God leads.
I do believe that God is calling us to return to him in repentance in these days.
I believe that our faithlessness in him has been exposed in these days.
I believe that fixation on health, politics and culture wars has been exposed in these days.
So the question is, will you keep doubling down on the never ending cycle of brokenness, or will you turn back to God?
9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
B. God works through discipline for your good.
B. God works through discipline for your good.
1 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years,
Illus: Let’s make a distinction between temporary and eternal.
The troubles and controversies we are facing in this world are temporary.
God is using these temporary controversies and troubles to accomplish eternal good for you.
Take a moment and look at your life over the last 4 months. How have you changed?
Have you grown in godlieness and holiness, or has your relationship with God grown dull?
Has the corona virus, and constant fighting online led you to have love and compassion for your fellow man, or has it led you to be always angry with him.
These days can be days where the pain of crisis draws you into godliness and grace, or they can be days where your carnality overtakes your holiness.
11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.
II. Are you willing to listen to those who would challenge you?
II. Are you willing to listen to those who would challenge you?
8 the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.
9 I rescued you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
A. A prophet does not always tell you what you want to hear.
A. A prophet does not always tell you what you want to hear.
8 the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.
9 I rescued you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
Illus: My job as pastor is not to tell you what you want to hear.
My job is to look at the God breathed always true word of God and apply to what you are walking through today.
Here is the deal, I am called to challenge you.
The bible confronts both the ideologies of the right wing and the left wing. The bible is not the servant of any political party.
If you hear a preacher that will not confront both, he is not speaking prophetically, but instead simply parroting what others are saying.
If my words do not confront and offend you at some point, I have not done my job as your shepherd.
I want to challenge you to listen not only to pastors from the word who affirm what your believe, but specifically those who might confront you and call you out.
The bible predicts that there will be false teachers who will simply parrot back what you think… don’t follow them.
And hear me on this, these are speaker who use the name of God, and even the virtues you believe in… but don’t call you and your group to repentance.
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.
4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.
B. A true prophet communicates what God has said, not what they think.
B. A true prophet communicates what God has said, not what they think.
8 the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.
9 I rescued you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
Illus: Over my pastoral tenure I have noticed a sad shift.
As a pastor I do my best to start with the word of God, do the important work of studying it through out the week, and apply it to your life speaking not from my opinions, but instead from God’s Word.
The sad shift is that the Word of God is taken not as God’s infallible word, but as just another take or opinion in a world of information.
I know people who have heard God’s word applied and called me a liberal because God’s word did not line up with their political ideology.
I have had people tell me flat out that they do not agree with the plain and simple application of a text.
I have had people tell me that “their Jesus” does not do the things that scripture says.
What all of these arguments have in common is that we as people want to use scripture to support our opinions… in other words, twist God’s words to match what we believe.
A true preacher, speaks prophetically, taking the always true word of God and applying it to your life by confronting the idols you might be blind to.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom:
2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.
III. Are you ready to trust God again?
III. Are you ready to trust God again?
10 I said to you: I am the Lord your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in. But you did not obey me.’ ”
A. Do not fear this world, or the gods of this world. Instead, fear God.
A. Do not fear this world, or the gods of this world. Instead, fear God.
Illus: What you fear reveals whom believe is in charge.
Do you fear the crisis of this world?
Do you fear the ramifications of a coming election?
Do you fear God?
Hear me out on this… If you fear God, then by faith you know that he everything under his sovereign control. Even the crazy you can’t understand.
If you fear God, you know his wrath is real, and his judgment is sure.
God does not let the guilty go unpunished.
We do not go unpunished.
That said, The God we fear is also the God who loves us. Love us so much that he sent Jesus to take all the punishment we deserve.
We can live confidently in this world, fearing God and standing in the grace of Jesus Christ.
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.