Sermon 8-12-12 superheroes judges 15:9-17 Samson chpts 13-16
9 The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. 10 The men of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?”“We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.”11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?”He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.”
12 They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.”Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.”13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. 14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
16 Then Samson said,“With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them.[a] With a donkey’s jawboneI have killed a thousand men.”17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi.[b] [jawbone hill]
Sermon series- nothing heroic about Samson
Unless killing lots of the enemy makes you a hero.
Life story is a litany of retribution- a cycle of revenge
Title samsons life - Revenge. I will show them.
• Is going to take a goat as an offering.
• Father gives his wife to another.
• 300 foxes – lit torches – burned up their crops
• Philistines burn girl and father to death
• Since you have acted like this…..i swear I wont stop until I get my revenge on you.
• Slaughtered many of them
• They come to take him prisioner. To do to him as he did to us.
• 3000 men of Judah go to Samson. We have gone from 1 goat and one father to 3000 men.
• I merely did to them, what they did to me.
• Samson is bound with 2 new ropes. And handed over.
• Spirit comes upon him. He does not use it for good, but uses the power/ gifts to hurt others
• Finds jawbone… strikes down 1000
Today lets talk about
Revenge and Forgiveness
Revenge is picking up the jawbone and starting another round
1. Revenge always escalates the situation
What starts with foxes and crops to bodies. Revenge always escalates.
2. Revenge is intoxicating. The crowd will often applaud when you take revenge, but the hearts of good people know better. Your heart knows better.
3. It never brings about the end- you may feel that you are ahead, but you will never feel that it is over
The importance of forgiving
• Forgiveness comes up again and again and again
o When we confess our sins, we end up talking about our anger, bitterness, rage
• We become shaped – owned by the things that we refuse to release
• Good people excuse their bad behavior because of some past hurt. We allow that person to totally change our moral compass.
• Forgiveness is important for us
Forgiveness is/ is not
1. Forgiving is not condoning
2. Forgiving is not forgetting
Setting up boundaries with a person. They are toxic. They are going to hurt and abuse over and over. Forgiving is not forgetting.
3. Forgiving does not always mean reconciling
Does not mean that everything is going back to the way that they were
4. Forgivenss is different than justice and consequences
It is ok to get a restraining order. It is ok to go to court if need be.
5. Forgiving is personal. You forgive people, not institutions or organizations. No one has ever been hurt by the church. People get hurt by people in that church.
I will never forgive that business that fired me. I will never forgive the church. You cant forgive a faceless institution.
This is why some people get stuck in life.
6. Forgiveness is a process. Maybe step one is deciding that you really are not going to kill them. It’s a start. Considering the fact that these people may be forgiveable may be a radical concept for you.
7. Forgiveness is a choice.
8. Forgiveness is needed by you as much if not more than the person you may need to forgive.
Forgiveness begins when we decide to put the jawbone down.
Forgiveness begins when we decide to put the jawbone down.
When you surrender your urge to hurt back.
Do you remember this passage From Romans 12……
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How are our minds being renewed? It is followed by
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e] 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is a quote from Proverbs:
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
Leave room for God’s wrath- for God’s Justice:
We take revenge because according to our time table, justice has not been served.
Apparently there is no higher accountability, so I will take action.
When we take revenge, we are saying, god I don’t like the way that you do your job so I am going to take action. The punishment that I feel should be coming, is not coming, so I am going to do the right thing.
Jesus sets the example……….1 peter 2:23
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
When Jesus suffered, he made no threats.
He entrusted himself to God- and turns others over to god as well.
Father forgive them
Jesus further more offers up this advice:
Jesus further more offers up this advice:
27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Love your enemies, pray for those who despitefully use you
Do you want to start the process of forgiveness?
1. surrender the right to revenge- We need to stop telling the stories. Then maybe someone will stop remembering the person in that way
2. understand that something has to happen in our hearts between God and us. things change when we realize that what needs to happen is not something between me and the person, but between me and God
3. Finally forgiveness comes when we are able to wish them well. [I agree not to be the instrument of gods wrath, but I hope that someone else gets them.]
Love your enemies, pray for those who use you
We cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time.
Conclusion
We hear the word forgive and immediately have a picture of a person in our mind.
If this is your experience, then you know where the battleground is, you know where the game is going to be played
Understand that they are not yours. They belong to God. Entrust them to God
1. Today set someone free in your heart
2. release your heart from the burden of bitterness
3. drop the jawbone.
Showing posts with label Judges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judges. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Judges: Tola & Jair Part 4, Judges 10:1-5 08/19/2012
Sermon 8-19-12 Superheroes judges pt 4 Tola & Jair, Super Average
Judges 10:1-5 NIV 1984
After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. 3 He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. 5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
The end of the superheroes series
Where we were trying to go
I hope it has helped you find the scripture to be interesting- I hope is has motivated you to get into it
Disciple bs taste test tonight
Gideon – it can’t be about the strength of the super hero it must be about god
Samson - don’t shoot yourself in the foot- jonathan cooney in princeton
Deborah – you have a chance to decide who you will be
Tola and jair- god uses the least of us
Tola and Jair- There is not much to be said. They get a couple of lines. They were not moses or David or Paul.
Neither are most of us.
We are ordinary
Matthew Arnold- rugby chapel-
What is the course of the life Of mortal men on the earth?—
Most men eddy about -Here and there—eat and drink,
Chatter and love and hate, Gather and squander, are raised
Aloft, are hurl'd in the dust, Striving blindly, achieving
Nothing; and then they die— Perish;—and no one asks
Who or what they have been,
Is 40
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,because the breath of the LORD blows on them.Surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God stands forever. ”
Death is the great equalizer
We are the ordinary. The common.
Yet, heroes come from the ordinary
God uses the insignificant
God uses the mundane. The average.
Albert Einstein once attended a scientific conference at which an eminent astronomer declared that “to an astronomer, man is nothing more than an insignificant dot in an infinite universe.”
“I have often felt that,” Einstein replied. “But then I realize that the insignificant dot who is man is also the astronomer.”
Psalm 8
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is man that you are mindful of him,the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[c] and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
You are able to be used by God
Show video here
Reasons that I struggled with value/self esteem
Ditched at mcdonalds. Picked last in school. Did nt have the clothes. Wasn’t cool. You will never amount to anything. Modern emails
Scriptural witness
1 tim 412 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
The feelings that I had as a youth plagued me into adult hood.
They continue on
Let me say something to the young people here
Let me say something to the older folks here……isn’t it time for this to stop?
Search for significance
Bob Buford. Halftime
Search for significan ce
Victor frankl
1 Love
The people that we love the most are usually not famous or extraordinary. They have become famous to us and extraordinary to us because of how they loved us.
That is something that each of us can do.
Find a few that you can care about
Invest in them
Do it well
Keep doing it
2 Work
3 Suffering
Tola and Jair stood in the face of difficulty.
Those who would be great in this life cannot be dominated by the difficulty that comes their way
They need to be launched by it
The eglet in the chicken coop.
God tells you who you are. God so loved the world.
Judges 10:1-5 NIV 1984
After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. 3 He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. 5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
The end of the superheroes series
Where we were trying to go
I hope it has helped you find the scripture to be interesting- I hope is has motivated you to get into it
Disciple bs taste test tonight
Gideon – it can’t be about the strength of the super hero it must be about god
Samson - don’t shoot yourself in the foot- jonathan cooney in princeton
Deborah – you have a chance to decide who you will be
Tola and jair- god uses the least of us
Tola and Jair- There is not much to be said. They get a couple of lines. They were not moses or David or Paul.
Neither are most of us.
We are ordinary
Matthew Arnold- rugby chapel-
What is the course of the life Of mortal men on the earth?—
Most men eddy about -Here and there—eat and drink,
Chatter and love and hate, Gather and squander, are raised
Aloft, are hurl'd in the dust, Striving blindly, achieving
Nothing; and then they die— Perish;—and no one asks
Who or what they have been,
Is 40
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,because the breath of the LORD blows on them.Surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God stands forever. ”
Death is the great equalizer
We are the ordinary. The common.
Yet, heroes come from the ordinary
God uses the insignificant
God uses the mundane. The average.
Albert Einstein once attended a scientific conference at which an eminent astronomer declared that “to an astronomer, man is nothing more than an insignificant dot in an infinite universe.”
“I have often felt that,” Einstein replied. “But then I realize that the insignificant dot who is man is also the astronomer.”
Psalm 8
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is man that you are mindful of him,the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[c] and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
You are able to be used by God
Show video here
Reasons that I struggled with value/self esteem
Ditched at mcdonalds. Picked last in school. Did nt have the clothes. Wasn’t cool. You will never amount to anything. Modern emails
Scriptural witness
1 tim 412 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
The feelings that I had as a youth plagued me into adult hood.
They continue on
Let me say something to the young people here
Let me say something to the older folks here……isn’t it time for this to stop?
Search for significance
Bob Buford. Halftime
Search for significan ce
Victor frankl
1 Love
The people that we love the most are usually not famous or extraordinary. They have become famous to us and extraordinary to us because of how they loved us.
That is something that each of us can do.
Find a few that you can care about
Invest in them
Do it well
Keep doing it
2 Work
3 Suffering
Tola and Jair stood in the face of difficulty.
Those who would be great in this life cannot be dominated by the difficulty that comes their way
They need to be launched by it
The eglet in the chicken coop.
God tells you who you are. God so loved the world.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Super Heroes: Gideon Judges 6:11-18 0/05/02012
Sermon 8-5-12 judges superheroes Gideon Judges 6:11-18
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. ”13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”15 “But Lord,[a]” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ”16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you , and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”
Week two of the series
Before we get started…Gideon sees and angel or is it the Lord
Theophany - not uncommon for humans to be confused
Would we know what to say?
Lets just accept it as that and go on.
Finish the story of Gideon
What in the world do you do with this?
This is craziness
Cross over songs
All music is God’s music
God is great beer is good, people are crazy – Billy Currington
Gideon embraced fear, doubt, worry
1. Hiding from the midianites because he was afraid
2. A mighty man of valor
3. My clan is the weakest
4. I am the least- fred smitty vs pioneer high
5. Breaks down the altar of Baal. Cuts down the ashera pole at night
6. Test one- wait until I come back
7. Test two – the wet fleece
8. Test three – the dry fleece
Quote- Ralph waldo emmerson
“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will come out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Something is missing in this story for it to receive superhero status
The theme of sacrifice-
Gideon is afraid
So he wants to take the easy way
He wants to be comforted along the way
Sacrifice
We have lost this theme in our lives
We want to take the easy way
It is one of the sins of our age
Kenda creasy-dean
Moralistic therapeutic deism
1. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth
2. God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other as taught in the bible and by most world religions
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about ones self
4. God is not involved in my life except when I need god to resolve a problem
5. Good people go to heaven when they die
God is a god of granting wishes and handing out hall passes
He has become the god of the easy way.
The story of the gospel is a story of suffering love
Though we humans tend to lean away from it, there is no Christianity without a cross
How do you live this out in your life?
What are we modeling for our families? Our children?
Sometimes you have to do what you have to do
You have to step up to the plate and do the right thing.
Quote from wm bridges book –
Quote from wm bridges book
The words of Julius Cesar, describing how he handled an unexpected, simultaneous attack by an enemy at three different points on his flanks while part of his troops were crossing a river and another part were setting up camp………….
“everything had to be done at once”
Do you suppose Gideon’s parents were proud of him?
What are the three most important things that you would like for your children to learn?
1. Honor god- love your neighbor
2. Work hard
3. Do the right thing
4. Then, enjoy life……….
Ok, Gideon was a mess, that doesn’t really help me, does it?
If God can use Gideon, god can use you
Its not about you being or feeling worthy
Communion - People that wont come for communion because the don’t feel worthy
Do you want your children to not feel worthy?
I am not advocating bad behavior or neurotic behavior
but obviously god uses anybody.
Don’t wait until you are perfect.
Don’t stop working on your stuff, but god looks past your stuff
Meaning of life story- creasy dean pg 84
Robert fulghum author of everything I needed to know I learned in kinderg
Seminar on greek culture – professor asks – any questions
What is the meaning of life – people laugh
Finds broken mirror. Plays game. Shine light into dark places
Later in life saw this as a metaphor………..
You may be broken, but God can use you.
Author Robert Fulghum tells this story of one of his professors, a wise man whose name was Alexander Papaderos:
At the last session on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, Dr. Papaderos turned and made the ritual gesture: “Are there any questions?”
Quiet quilted the room. These two weeks had generated enough questions for a lifetime, but for now, there was only silence.
“No questions?” Papaderos swept the room with his eyes.
So, I asked.
“Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?”
The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go.
Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.
“I will answer your question.”
Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.
And what he said went something like this:
“When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.
“I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine–in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.
“I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light–truth, understanding, knowledge–is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.
“I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world–into the black places in the hearts of men–and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of life.”
And then he took his small mirror and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. ”13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”15 “But Lord,[a]” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ”16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you , and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”
Week two of the series
Before we get started…Gideon sees and angel or is it the Lord
Theophany - not uncommon for humans to be confused
Would we know what to say?
Lets just accept it as that and go on.
Finish the story of Gideon
What in the world do you do with this?
This is craziness
Cross over songs
All music is God’s music
God is great beer is good, people are crazy – Billy Currington
Gideon embraced fear, doubt, worry
1. Hiding from the midianites because he was afraid
2. A mighty man of valor
3. My clan is the weakest
4. I am the least- fred smitty vs pioneer high
5. Breaks down the altar of Baal. Cuts down the ashera pole at night
6. Test one- wait until I come back
7. Test two – the wet fleece
8. Test three – the dry fleece
Quote- Ralph waldo emmerson
“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will come out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Something is missing in this story for it to receive superhero status
The theme of sacrifice-
Gideon is afraid
So he wants to take the easy way
He wants to be comforted along the way
Sacrifice
We have lost this theme in our lives
We want to take the easy way
It is one of the sins of our age
Kenda creasy-dean
Moralistic therapeutic deism
1. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth
2. God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other as taught in the bible and by most world religions
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about ones self
4. God is not involved in my life except when I need god to resolve a problem
5. Good people go to heaven when they die
God is a god of granting wishes and handing out hall passes
He has become the god of the easy way.
The story of the gospel is a story of suffering love
Though we humans tend to lean away from it, there is no Christianity without a cross
How do you live this out in your life?
What are we modeling for our families? Our children?
Sometimes you have to do what you have to do
You have to step up to the plate and do the right thing.
Quote from wm bridges book –
Quote from wm bridges book
The words of Julius Cesar, describing how he handled an unexpected, simultaneous attack by an enemy at three different points on his flanks while part of his troops were crossing a river and another part were setting up camp………….
“everything had to be done at once”
Do you suppose Gideon’s parents were proud of him?
What are the three most important things that you would like for your children to learn?
1. Honor god- love your neighbor
2. Work hard
3. Do the right thing
4. Then, enjoy life……….
Ok, Gideon was a mess, that doesn’t really help me, does it?
If God can use Gideon, god can use you
Its not about you being or feeling worthy
Communion - People that wont come for communion because the don’t feel worthy
Do you want your children to not feel worthy?
I am not advocating bad behavior or neurotic behavior
but obviously god uses anybody.
Don’t wait until you are perfect.
Don’t stop working on your stuff, but god looks past your stuff
Meaning of life story- creasy dean pg 84
Robert fulghum author of everything I needed to know I learned in kinderg
Seminar on greek culture – professor asks – any questions
What is the meaning of life – people laugh
Finds broken mirror. Plays game. Shine light into dark places
Later in life saw this as a metaphor………..
You may be broken, but God can use you.
Author Robert Fulghum tells this story of one of his professors, a wise man whose name was Alexander Papaderos:
At the last session on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, Dr. Papaderos turned and made the ritual gesture: “Are there any questions?”
Quiet quilted the room. These two weeks had generated enough questions for a lifetime, but for now, there was only silence.
“No questions?” Papaderos swept the room with his eyes.
So, I asked.
“Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?”
The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go.
Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.
“I will answer your question.”
Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.
And what he said went something like this:
“When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.
“I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine–in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.
“I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light–truth, understanding, knowledge–is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.
“I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world–into the black places in the hearts of men–and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of life.”
And then he took his small mirror and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Deborah & Barak Superheroes Judges 4:1-10 7/29/2012
Sermon 7-29-12 judges 4:1-10 deborah and barak superheroes
4 After Ehud(A) died, the Israelites once again did evil(B) in the eyes of the LORD.(C) 2 So the LORD sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) The commander of his army was Sisera,(F) who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots(G) and had cruelly oppressed(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.4 Deborah,(I) a prophetess,(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah(L) and Bethel(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam(N) from Kedesh(O) in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali(P) and Zebulun(Q) and lead the way to Mount Tabor.(R) 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s(S) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River(T) and give him into your hands.(U)’”8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”9 “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this,[b] the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,(V) 10 where he summoned(W) Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
A new series – superheroes
Batman event
Who are your heroes? Who are your leaders?
Session on leadership aug 5 and 12
The story of judges
They did not have a king. God was to be the king
When the people forgot God, they got in trouble,
They would be oppressed by a neighboring King
They would call out to God in their sorrow and pain- god raised up a judge
The people would repent and the judge would lead them out of trouble.
We don’t always get delivered from our trouble, but we sure are good at remembering God when things get tough.
The rest of this story…..what happens to sisera
Not a man is spared. Jael, Heber’s wife – tent peg
This is a story of a missed calling. Barak misses it and Deborah picks up the slack.
Women in the bible
Often think only of paul’s admonition in 1 cor 14 for women to keep quiet in the church
There was a local problem in the Corinth church
Paul refers to this being a part of the law
The real story of women in the bible includes:
See if the congregation can name these……
Abigail, Anna, Esther, Dorcas, Lydia, Eve, Hanna, Mary and Martha, Mary Elizabeth ruth deborah
The story Deborah is both an example to women and an embarrassment to Barak and men in general or anyone who shuns their opportunities for God.
You have a choice to decide who you can be
Numbers 13 – the spies go in to explore the promised land
Come back with a report- – milk and honey, here is the fruit. Its just as you said, but there are giants in the land. Caleb said, lets go, we can do this.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”(AS) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(AT) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(AU) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(AV) 33 We saw the Nephilim(AW) there (the descendants of Anak(AX) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(AY) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
We thought we were grasshoppers and so did they. They thought we were grasshoppers, and we took that on. We have become a people of cannot.
Making a positive influence
Do you have a picture of yourself in your home? Somewhere?
Are you a finished product?
Will you look the same your entire life?
Cant do much about it can we…..
What about the inside of you?
Or, Remake yourself
Repaint yourself
Love, joy peace………..how do I do this?
• Read on the topic
• Apply yourself to practicing the topic
• Attach yourself to a mentor
4 Are you a Deborah or a barak
Do you step up or shrink back
2000 movie the replacements
Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line.
Jeff, when have you done this?
Most things of value in life are fought for. They don’t come easy. If you want to accomplish great things, you must be willing to face the dangers
Almost everyone who has ever stepped out has been nervous….if they say that they weren’t, the are either lying or thye just don’t understand the danger. Maybe they don’t remember. We always tend to forget most of the pain and romance the past.
That’s a good thing.. the story of joy trumps the story of pain
George Bernard Shaw- journalist and playwright 1856-1950
This is the true joy in life,
the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap…
and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod
of ailments and grievance,
complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
What is God calling you to do? To be?
conclusion
Great week………lavelle, a brown hedrick clif c
How I felt about these people
God thank you so much. This life is so awesome……
How can I make the most out of what I have left
Please join me in this pursuit
What is god calling you to do?
4 After Ehud(A) died, the Israelites once again did evil(B) in the eyes of the LORD.(C) 2 So the LORD sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) The commander of his army was Sisera,(F) who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots(G) and had cruelly oppressed(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.4 Deborah,(I) a prophetess,(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah(L) and Bethel(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam(N) from Kedesh(O) in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali(P) and Zebulun(Q) and lead the way to Mount Tabor.(R) 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s(S) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River(T) and give him into your hands.(U)’”8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”9 “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this,[b] the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,(V) 10 where he summoned(W) Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
A new series – superheroes
Batman event
Who are your heroes? Who are your leaders?
Session on leadership aug 5 and 12
The story of judges
They did not have a king. God was to be the king
When the people forgot God, they got in trouble,
They would be oppressed by a neighboring King
They would call out to God in their sorrow and pain- god raised up a judge
The people would repent and the judge would lead them out of trouble.
We don’t always get delivered from our trouble, but we sure are good at remembering God when things get tough.
The rest of this story…..what happens to sisera
Not a man is spared. Jael, Heber’s wife – tent peg
This is a story of a missed calling. Barak misses it and Deborah picks up the slack.
Women in the bible
Often think only of paul’s admonition in 1 cor 14 for women to keep quiet in the church
There was a local problem in the Corinth church
Paul refers to this being a part of the law
The real story of women in the bible includes:
See if the congregation can name these……
Abigail, Anna, Esther, Dorcas, Lydia, Eve, Hanna, Mary and Martha, Mary Elizabeth ruth deborah
The story Deborah is both an example to women and an embarrassment to Barak and men in general or anyone who shuns their opportunities for God.
You have a choice to decide who you can be
Numbers 13 – the spies go in to explore the promised land
Come back with a report- – milk and honey, here is the fruit. Its just as you said, but there are giants in the land. Caleb said, lets go, we can do this.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”(AS) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(AT) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(AU) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(AV) 33 We saw the Nephilim(AW) there (the descendants of Anak(AX) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(AY) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
We thought we were grasshoppers and so did they. They thought we were grasshoppers, and we took that on. We have become a people of cannot.
Making a positive influence
Do you have a picture of yourself in your home? Somewhere?
Are you a finished product?
Will you look the same your entire life?
Cant do much about it can we…..
What about the inside of you?
Or, Remake yourself
Repaint yourself
Love, joy peace………..how do I do this?
• Read on the topic
• Apply yourself to practicing the topic
• Attach yourself to a mentor
4 Are you a Deborah or a barak
Do you step up or shrink back
2000 movie the replacements
Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line.
Jeff, when have you done this?
Most things of value in life are fought for. They don’t come easy. If you want to accomplish great things, you must be willing to face the dangers
Almost everyone who has ever stepped out has been nervous….if they say that they weren’t, the are either lying or thye just don’t understand the danger. Maybe they don’t remember. We always tend to forget most of the pain and romance the past.
That’s a good thing.. the story of joy trumps the story of pain
George Bernard Shaw- journalist and playwright 1856-1950
This is the true joy in life,
the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap…
and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod
of ailments and grievance,
complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
What is God calling you to do? To be?
conclusion
Great week………lavelle, a brown hedrick clif c
How I felt about these people
God thank you so much. This life is so awesome……
How can I make the most out of what I have left
Please join me in this pursuit
What is god calling you to do?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Gideon Judges 7:1-8a July 18, 2010
Sermon Gideon 7-18-2010 Judges 7:1-8a ===
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Pt 1-Gideon is a judge
The concept of judges- Ehud, Jeptha,othniel, Deborah, sampson
Prior to a king
Selected saul- good looking vs david, gods choice
Israel faithful, no problems
Israel unfaithful, worshipping Baal, then they are invaded
This time it was the midianites
pt 2- what happens in the story
Gideon is hiding in the wine press, threshing wheat
Confusion over whether this is the angel of the lord or if it is the lord
Fire on the altar of sacrifice
Double fleece- wet vs ground dry- 3 day discussion
32,000 down to 10,000 down to 300
Those who lap water by their hands
You can go down and hear what they are saying if you are having doubts
God allows Gideon to be human
300 trumpets, clay pots and torches
For the lord and for Gideon
The midianites, run in terror, falling upon each other
Gideon calls for other Israelites to come out against them.
Collects gold after the battle. Pursues them Kills the kings.
Pt 3- what do we do with this story?
Sermon Gideon 7-11-2010 Judges 7:1-8a ===
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Pt 1-Gideon is a judge
The concept of judges- Ehud, Jeptha,othniel, Deborah, sampson
Prior to a king
Selected saul- good looking vs david, gods choice
Israel faithful, no problems
Israel unfaithful, worshipping Baal, then they are invaded
This time it was the midianites
pt 2- what happens in the story
Gideon is hiding in the wine press, threshing wheat
Confusion over whether this is the angel of the lord or if it is the lord
Fire on the altar of sacrifice
Double fleece- wet vs ground dry- 3 day discussion
32,000 down to 10,000 down to 300
Those who lap water by their hands
You can go down and hear what they are saying if you are having doubts
God allows Gideon to be human
300 trumpets, clay pots and torches
For the lord and for Gideon
The midianites, run in terror, falling upon each other
Gideon calls for other Israelites to come out against them.
Collects gold after the battle. Pursues them Kills the kings.
Pt 3- what do we do with this story?
Faith vs Presumption
Gideon lays a fleece – expecting God to speak
Someone finds a parking spot- it must be gods will- it is a sign
I found this on sale- it must have been a sign from god
God leads Gideon
Tells him exactly what to do
There are cases of this – Paul, and Ananias - Acts 9
Gideon also makes many of his own decisions
Calvinsim vs arminianism
God knows, God causes, God chooses
We have free will. We have responsibility
The balancing act tween Calvnism and arminism
Yes god breaks in
But you have free will
If you think God pushes the buttons, then you can get pretty upset
If you presume to control God or know how he works, then
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." Judges 6:13
What happens the first time that God doesn’t lead us
Or it doesn’t go the way we wanted?
I thought you loved me?????????????
We have our own ideas of better
We want god to do it our way, on our terms
Burger king- have it your way
Joy is not from more or better stuff
Joy is from the relation ships
We ask God - God how long until you deliver?
Son daughter, how long until you see the bigger picture?
If we have free will then we have Choices
The god who expects you to listen and follow
The god who expects you to take responsibility and he celebrates with you.
The responsibility that we have to decide if and how and to what extent we will live the Christian life.
Gideon wanted it easy
All spelled out
No work- no trust, no faith
But we all have to make choices
God could create a perfect bubble of a world
But would that world be satisfying to us
Would our choices even matter in a world like that?
What kind of a world would you like to have your children live in?
making choices – taking responsibility - Questions from a friend
1. my time, my money, my family, my abilities - What am I giving my resources to?
2. What are the things that are invading my ability to use these resources most effectively in the short time that I have here in this life?
3. Where does my mind go when there is nothing else “to do?” What is our default? This tells us a lot about who we are.
4. How can I speak into the lives of my children while I still have their attention?
5. How can I launch my wife/spouse into a place where she is discovering the desires that God has placed in her heart?
6. Who are the people that I need to encourage today?
7. Am I acting out of selfishness in this decision?
8. If I knew I had 10 days, 1 month, 1 year on this earth, would I do the things that I am doing now? If my answer is yes, then my question is . . . .would my approach be the same?
9. How are people going to be affected by the decision that I make.
10. What am I truly bothered by in my life?
11. Is there a conviction that I am not following through on?
12. Am I connected to the holy spirit when I am making decisions?
So where do we go from here?
There is a role for you to play in your life
Don’t ask god to feed the hungry if it is in your power to do so
Are you trusting God to follow him or is somehow your trusting him all about how you want your life to go?
The end of the story is that we have to stop treating god like a magic fairy
And come to understand that he takes joy in celebrating and witnessing our decisions for right
Using your faith- fascinating reduction from 32k to 300
Which life story do you think was more valuable to Gideon
Catching the kings with the 10,000s or routing the midianites with 300
What are you doing in your life that requires faith?
Gideon lays a fleece – expecting God to speak
Someone finds a parking spot- it must be gods will- it is a sign
I found this on sale- it must have been a sign from god
God leads Gideon
Tells him exactly what to do
There are cases of this – Paul, and Ananias - Acts 9
Gideon also makes many of his own decisions
Calvinsim vs arminianism
God knows, God causes, God chooses
We have free will. We have responsibility
The balancing act tween Calvnism and arminism
Yes god breaks in
But you have free will
If you think God pushes the buttons, then you can get pretty upset
If you presume to control God or know how he works, then
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." Judges 6:13
What happens the first time that God doesn’t lead us
Or it doesn’t go the way we wanted?
I thought you loved me?????????????
We have our own ideas of better
We want god to do it our way, on our terms
Burger king- have it your way
Joy is not from more or better stuff
Joy is from the relation ships
We ask God - God how long until you deliver?
Son daughter, how long until you see the bigger picture?
If we have free will then we have Choices
The god who expects you to listen and follow
The god who expects you to take responsibility and he celebrates with you.
The responsibility that we have to decide if and how and to what extent we will live the Christian life.
Gideon wanted it easy
All spelled out
No work- no trust, no faith
But we all have to make choices
God could create a perfect bubble of a world
But would that world be satisfying to us
Would our choices even matter in a world like that?
What kind of a world would you like to have your children live in?
making choices – taking responsibility - Questions from a friend
1. my time, my money, my family, my abilities - What am I giving my resources to?
2. What are the things that are invading my ability to use these resources most effectively in the short time that I have here in this life?
3. Where does my mind go when there is nothing else “to do?” What is our default? This tells us a lot about who we are.
4. How can I speak into the lives of my children while I still have their attention?
5. How can I launch my wife/spouse into a place where she is discovering the desires that God has placed in her heart?
6. Who are the people that I need to encourage today?
7. Am I acting out of selfishness in this decision?
8. If I knew I had 10 days, 1 month, 1 year on this earth, would I do the things that I am doing now? If my answer is yes, then my question is . . . .would my approach be the same?
9. How are people going to be affected by the decision that I make.
10. What am I truly bothered by in my life?
11. Is there a conviction that I am not following through on?
12. Am I connected to the holy spirit when I am making decisions?
So where do we go from here?
There is a role for you to play in your life
Don’t ask god to feed the hungry if it is in your power to do so
Are you trusting God to follow him or is somehow your trusting him all about how you want your life to go?
The end of the story is that we have to stop treating god like a magic fairy
And come to understand that he takes joy in celebrating and witnessing our decisions for right
Using your faith- fascinating reduction from 32k to 300
Which life story do you think was more valuable to Gideon
Catching the kings with the 10,000s or routing the midianites with 300
What are you doing in your life that requires faith?
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Pt 1-Gideon is a judge
The concept of judges- Ehud, Jeptha,othniel, Deborah, sampson
Prior to a king
Selected saul- good looking vs david, gods choice
Israel faithful, no problems
Israel unfaithful, worshipping Baal, then they are invaded
This time it was the midianites
pt 2- what happens in the story
Gideon is hiding in the wine press, threshing wheat
Confusion over whether this is the angel of the lord or if it is the lord
Fire on the altar of sacrifice
Double fleece- wet vs ground dry- 3 day discussion
32,000 down to 10,000 down to 300
Those who lap water by their hands
You can go down and hear what they are saying if you are having doubts
God allows Gideon to be human
300 trumpets, clay pots and torches
For the lord and for Gideon
The midianites, run in terror, falling upon each other
Gideon calls for other Israelites to come out against them.
Collects gold after the battle. Pursues them Kills the kings.
Pt 3- what do we do with this story?
Sermon Gideon 7-11-2010 Judges 7:1-8a ===
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Pt 1-Gideon is a judge
The concept of judges- Ehud, Jeptha,othniel, Deborah, sampson
Prior to a king
Selected saul- good looking vs david, gods choice
Israel faithful, no problems
Israel unfaithful, worshipping Baal, then they are invaded
This time it was the midianites
pt 2- what happens in the story
Gideon is hiding in the wine press, threshing wheat
Confusion over whether this is the angel of the lord or if it is the lord
Fire on the altar of sacrifice
Double fleece- wet vs ground dry- 3 day discussion
32,000 down to 10,000 down to 300
Those who lap water by their hands
You can go down and hear what they are saying if you are having doubts
God allows Gideon to be human
300 trumpets, clay pots and torches
For the lord and for Gideon
The midianites, run in terror, falling upon each other
Gideon calls for other Israelites to come out against them.
Collects gold after the battle. Pursues them Kills the kings.
Pt 3- what do we do with this story?
Faith vs Presumption
Gideon lays a fleece – expecting God to speak
Someone finds a parking spot- it must be gods will- it is a sign
I found this on sale- it must have been a sign from god
God leads Gideon
Tells him exactly what to do
There are cases of this – Paul, and Ananias - Acts 9
Gideon also makes many of his own decisions
Calvinsim vs arminianism
God knows, God causes, God chooses
We have free will. We have responsibility
The balancing act tween Calvnism and arminism
Yes god breaks in
But you have free will
If you think God pushes the buttons, then you can get pretty upset
If you presume to control God or know how he works, then
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." Judges 6:13
What happens the first time that God doesn’t lead us
Or it doesn’t go the way we wanted?
I thought you loved me?????????????
We have our own ideas of better
We want god to do it our way, on our terms
Burger king- have it your way
Joy is not from more or better stuff
Joy is from the relation ships
We ask God - God how long until you deliver?
Son daughter, how long until you see the bigger picture?
If we have free will then we have Choices
The god who expects you to listen and follow
The god who expects you to take responsibility and he celebrates with you.
The responsibility that we have to decide if and how and to what extent we will live the Christian life.
Gideon wanted it easy
All spelled out
No work- no trust, no faith
But we all have to make choices
God could create a perfect bubble of a world
But would that world be satisfying to us
Would our choices even matter in a world like that?
What kind of a world would you like to have your children live in?
making choices – taking responsibility - Questions from a friend
1. my time, my money, my family, my abilities - What am I giving my resources to?
2. What are the things that are invading my ability to use these resources most effectively in the short time that I have here in this life?
3. Where does my mind go when there is nothing else “to do?” What is our default? This tells us a lot about who we are.
4. How can I speak into the lives of my children while I still have their attention?
5. How can I launch my wife/spouse into a place where she is discovering the desires that God has placed in her heart?
6. Who are the people that I need to encourage today?
7. Am I acting out of selfishness in this decision?
8. If I knew I had 10 days, 1 month, 1 year on this earth, would I do the things that I am doing now? If my answer is yes, then my question is . . . .would my approach be the same?
9. How are people going to be affected by the decision that I make.
10. What am I truly bothered by in my life?
11. Is there a conviction that I am not following through on?
12. Am I connected to the holy spirit when I am making decisions?
So where do we go from here?
There is a role for you to play in your life
Don’t ask god to feed the hungry if it is in your power to do so
Are you trusting God to follow him or is somehow your trusting him all about how you want your life to go?
The end of the story is that we have to stop treating god like a magic fairy
And come to understand that he takes joy in celebrating and witnessing our decisions for right
Using your faith- fascinating reduction from 32k to 300
Which life story do you think was more valuable to Gideon
Catching the kings with the 10,000s or routing the midianites with 300
What are you doing in your life that requires faith?
Gideon lays a fleece – expecting God to speak
Someone finds a parking spot- it must be gods will- it is a sign
I found this on sale- it must have been a sign from god
God leads Gideon
Tells him exactly what to do
There are cases of this – Paul, and Ananias - Acts 9
Gideon also makes many of his own decisions
Calvinsim vs arminianism
God knows, God causes, God chooses
We have free will. We have responsibility
The balancing act tween Calvnism and arminism
Yes god breaks in
But you have free will
If you think God pushes the buttons, then you can get pretty upset
If you presume to control God or know how he works, then
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." Judges 6:13
What happens the first time that God doesn’t lead us
Or it doesn’t go the way we wanted?
I thought you loved me?????????????
We have our own ideas of better
We want god to do it our way, on our terms
Burger king- have it your way
Joy is not from more or better stuff
Joy is from the relation ships
We ask God - God how long until you deliver?
Son daughter, how long until you see the bigger picture?
If we have free will then we have Choices
The god who expects you to listen and follow
The god who expects you to take responsibility and he celebrates with you.
The responsibility that we have to decide if and how and to what extent we will live the Christian life.
Gideon wanted it easy
All spelled out
No work- no trust, no faith
But we all have to make choices
God could create a perfect bubble of a world
But would that world be satisfying to us
Would our choices even matter in a world like that?
What kind of a world would you like to have your children live in?
making choices – taking responsibility - Questions from a friend
1. my time, my money, my family, my abilities - What am I giving my resources to?
2. What are the things that are invading my ability to use these resources most effectively in the short time that I have here in this life?
3. Where does my mind go when there is nothing else “to do?” What is our default? This tells us a lot about who we are.
4. How can I speak into the lives of my children while I still have their attention?
5. How can I launch my wife/spouse into a place where she is discovering the desires that God has placed in her heart?
6. Who are the people that I need to encourage today?
7. Am I acting out of selfishness in this decision?
8. If I knew I had 10 days, 1 month, 1 year on this earth, would I do the things that I am doing now? If my answer is yes, then my question is . . . .would my approach be the same?
9. How are people going to be affected by the decision that I make.
10. What am I truly bothered by in my life?
11. Is there a conviction that I am not following through on?
12. Am I connected to the holy spirit when I am making decisions?
So where do we go from here?
There is a role for you to play in your life
Don’t ask god to feed the hungry if it is in your power to do so
Are you trusting God to follow him or is somehow your trusting him all about how you want your life to go?
The end of the story is that we have to stop treating god like a magic fairy
And come to understand that he takes joy in celebrating and witnessing our decisions for right
Using your faith- fascinating reduction from 32k to 300
Which life story do you think was more valuable to Gideon
Catching the kings with the 10,000s or routing the midianites with 300
What are you doing in your life that requires faith?
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