Lessons or Take Aways. 1. Live a Life of Repentance. 2. Live a Life of Service to the Lord

Transcription

1

2 Lessons or Take Aways 1. Live a Life of Repentance 2. Live a Life of Service to the Lord

3 Sin and God s Discipline The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of for years. [Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites, Ammonites, Philistines]

4 Repentance and God s Deliverance Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer,. [Ehud, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson]

5 1. Live a Life of Repentance

6 PHILISTINES (Samson) 5 MOABITES (Ehud) 1 ISRAEL CANAANITES (Deborah/Barak/Jael) 2 4 AMMONITES (Jephthah) 3 MIDIANITES (Gideon)

7 Addictions Drugs Alcohol Sex Gambling 5 Postmodernism Religious Pluralism Religious Liberalism vs. Conservatism 1 Secularism Materialism Christians; Church 2 Consumerism 4 3 Tribalism, Nationalism, Political Liberalism vs. Conservatism, Racism, Sexism Individualism

8 Like the ancient Israelites we too are being squeezed into the mold of the pagan world around us Our preoccupation with material prosperity, which turns Christianity into a fertility religion; Our syncretistic and aberrant forms of worship;

9 Our refusal to obey the Lord s call to separation from the world; Our divisiveness and competitiveness; Our moral compromises, as a result of which Christians and non- Christians are often indistinguishable;

10 Our [male] exploitation and abuse of women and children; Our reluctance to answer the Lord s call to service, and when we finally go, our propensity to displace Thy kingdom come with My kingdom come ;

11 Our eagerness to fight the Lord s battles with the world s resources and strategies; Our willingness to stand up and defend perpetrators of evil instead of justice. Daniel I. Block, The New American Commentary (Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, TN), page 71.

12 Acts 2:38 38 And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

13 Acts 2:38 38 And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

14 2. Live a Life of Service to the Lord

15 God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

16 EHUD (Judges 3) a left-handed man (Judges 3:15) = restricted in his left hand

17 DEBORAH and BARAK (Judges 4-5) Deborah = a woman Barak = weak-willed; reluctant; indecisive; timid

18 GIDEON (Judges 6-8) A man of fear Bitter toward God Lacked faith, confidence, and courage

19 JEPHTHAH (Judges 11-12) Son of a prostitute; illegitimate; outcast; inferior Rejected; ostracized; discriminated against No standing in society

20 SAMSON (Judges 13-16) Sexually immoral; womanizer; adulterer Hot-temper; anger Avenger

21 The picture the [Book of Judges] paints of this man is ugly. Samson is disrespectful of his parents, callous toward his Nazirite calling, without any loyalty to his own people, compromising in his ethic, rude to his wife, flippant with his tongue, and driven by lust, egotism, and appetite. Daniel I. Block, The New American Commentary (Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, TN), page 437.

22 Hebrews 11: (Hall of Fame of Faith) 32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,

23 enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

24 God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

25 1. Live a Life of Repentance. 2. Live a Life of Service to the Lord. As Spirit-empowered people, we are God s agents of deliverance in the world today.

26 Opportunities in the Church Summer in Children s Sunday School Spring Hill Day Camp (Jul 30 Aug 3) Host Homes Registration Check-in Lunch Providers Counselors in Training

27 Opportunities in the Community Royal Family Kids Camp (July 20-25) Gifts for Birthday Boxes Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) 3-4 hours/week Open Door Serve in Kitchen (1 day/month)

28

29

30 BENEDICTION

31 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

32 NOAH was a drunk ABRAHAM was too old ISAAC was a daydreamer JACOB was a liar LEAH was ugly JOSEPH was abused

33 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

34 MOSES had a stuttering problem RAHAB was a prostitute EHUD was disabled BARAK was timid GIDEON was afraid JEPHTHAH was an outcast SAMSON was a womanizer

35 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

36 DAVID had an affair and was a murderer NAOMI was a widow RUTH was a foreigner ELIJAH was depressed and suicidal JEREMIAH was too young JONAH ran away from God JOB went bankrupt

37 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

38 JOHN the Baptist ate bugs PETER denied Christ THE DISCIPLES fell asleep while praying MARTHA worried about everything MARY MAGDALENE was demon possessed

39 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

40 ZACCHEUS was short The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced multiple times PAUL was a persecutor of the church TIMOTHY had an ulcer And LAZARUS WAS DEAD!!!!

41 (All Read) But God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

42 1. Live a Life of Repentance. 2. Live a Life of Service to the Lord. As Spirit-empowered people, we are God s agents of deliverance in the world today.