1 00:00:02,533 --> 00:00:03,900 Well, Ian, thank you for being here. 2 00:00:03,900 --> 00:00:07,000 I appreciate the fact that, we got such a great staff that. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:08,433 Sean, I can be gone. 4 00:00:08,433 --> 00:00:10,200 Last week visiting family in Idaho. 5 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,066 We had a great time. 6 00:00:12,066 --> 00:00:14,933 but it is super good to be back. 7 00:00:14,933 --> 00:00:15,800 I appreciate Michael. 8 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,766 He did a great job preaching last week. 9 00:00:18,766 --> 00:00:20,800 covering Jonah. 10 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:22,200 he is. He's dynamic. 11 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:23,300 Man. You're doing a great job. 12 00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:26,133 If he if you're not involved in ministry, don't get involved in ministry. 13 00:00:26,133 --> 00:00:27,900 That youth ministry is a great place to get involved. 14 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:29,400 I encourage you to do so. 15 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,533 but we're picking up judges again, and we're in judges. 16 00:00:33,133 --> 00:00:35,633 chapter nine. 17 00:00:35,633 --> 00:00:37,766 let me just acknowledge it's been a it's 18 00:00:37,766 --> 00:00:40,766 been kind of a happy Sunday already, hasn't it? 19 00:00:40,966 --> 00:00:41,233 Yeah. 20 00:00:41,233 --> 00:00:44,200 Well, it's going to get worse because chapter nine is terrible. 21 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,333 not not like all Bible is great, but it's a tough chapter. 22 00:00:47,566 --> 00:00:51,700 So, thank you also, just for being patient with us as we move stuff around, 23 00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:53,100 we get a lot more people in here. 24 00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:56,100 That whole section over there in the economy section of the airplane, 25 00:00:56,700 --> 00:00:57,733 was completely full. 26 00:00:57,733 --> 00:00:59,233 That's so good for you guys for getting there. 27 00:00:59,233 --> 00:01:00,533 So you don't have to sit over there with those guys. 28 00:01:02,466 --> 00:01:03,166 but we're going to 29 00:01:03,166 --> 00:01:07,100 pick up chapter nine, and, I really was hoping that some of you 30 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:10,700 would read it before we got here, because it's 57 verses long. 31 00:01:11,066 --> 00:01:14,566 And so I'm thinking 1105 32 00:01:14,766 --> 00:01:17,833 we should be done by one easy tomorrow. 33 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:21,633 no, I'm not going to read the whole thing, but I'm going to read sections 34 00:01:21,633 --> 00:01:22,833 and I'm going to and then I'm just going to 35 00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:25,866 kind of encapsulate section and kind of we'll kind of walk through it together. 36 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:30,666 but this very long chapter is what I want you to read it 37 00:01:31,133 --> 00:01:33,966 as I highlight sections, and I want you to watch 38 00:01:33,966 --> 00:01:36,966 how bad things get 39 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:38,733 overall. 40 00:01:38,733 --> 00:01:40,833 Chapter nine 41 00:01:40,833 --> 00:01:44,400 reminds us of the destruction that happens, 42 00:01:45,633 --> 00:01:48,633 when we don't consult God 43 00:01:48,833 --> 00:01:52,200 nor allow God's rule and reign in our life. 44 00:01:52,233 --> 00:01:56,333 I want you to notice how bad things get, how quickly it goes south. 45 00:01:58,366 --> 00:02:00,233 Through this entire chapter. 46 00:02:00,233 --> 00:02:04,600 This chapter is about one of Gideon's sons named Abimelech. 47 00:02:05,466 --> 00:02:08,866 We just got done studying about Gideon, who was one of the judges 48 00:02:08,866 --> 00:02:10,666 that God raised up to lead his people. 49 00:02:10,666 --> 00:02:14,433 An incredible man, a man of great complexity and duplicity. 50 00:02:14,933 --> 00:02:18,600 Sometimes he got stuff right and sometimes he got stuff really wrong. 51 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,600 have you ever done stuff really, really. 52 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,600 Well, then you just turn into an idiot in the next moment. 53 00:02:25,133 --> 00:02:26,100 Any of you? 54 00:02:26,100 --> 00:02:27,900 Yeah. Me too. But welcome to welcome to the Bible. 55 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:30,200 I mean, people are all like that in the Bible, too. 56 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,200 And so, Gideon, this man of great complexity and duplicity, 57 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,600 sometimes a very, very godly man, and other times you just like what he is. 58 00:02:37,100 --> 00:02:40,233 And so his son Abimelech, this chapter is about him. 59 00:02:41,133 --> 00:02:43,833 And and all through this chapter nine, 60 00:02:43,833 --> 00:02:48,400 when it refers to Gideon, he's never referred to as Gideon anymore. 61 00:02:48,566 --> 00:02:51,966 He's referred to as the pagan name Jeru. 62 00:02:51,966 --> 00:02:53,466 But Bel. 63 00:02:53,466 --> 00:02:55,800 That's significant to note, 64 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,700 because what had what we see is that there's a spiritual slide. 65 00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:02,733 So much so they can't even recognize 66 00:03:03,533 --> 00:03:06,833 the man of God, the work of God, the hand of God anymore. 67 00:03:07,666 --> 00:03:10,500 Not only that, but in this entire chapter, 68 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:14,066 the personal name of God, Yahweh, is never used in this chapter. 69 00:03:14,933 --> 00:03:17,133 So they're not even looking towards God. 70 00:03:17,133 --> 00:03:20,133 And and God's people are not even looking towards God anymore. 71 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,366 There's the spiritual slide. 72 00:03:22,366 --> 00:03:24,200 And the culture has been so profound 73 00:03:25,333 --> 00:03:26,900 that there's no emphasis 74 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:29,900 nor thought of God, nor his ways. 75 00:03:30,833 --> 00:03:33,833 One of the biggest problems in our culture 76 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:38,100 is that we value our own thoughts too much. 77 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:43,466 The thrust of our culture is goes along these lines 78 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,366 well, I just think that, well, I just feel 79 00:03:47,366 --> 00:03:52,333 that we value our own thoughts so much. 80 00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:56,766 It's one of the great detriments and faults of this culture 81 00:03:56,766 --> 00:03:59,800 in which we live, because we've forgotten what Isaiah 55 82 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,300 eight says, which tells us that God's thoughts are higher than ours. 83 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:04,100 They're not ours. 84 00:04:04,100 --> 00:04:07,100 They're bigger than ours, they're greater than ours, they're different than ours. 85 00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:10,700 And until we know what God thinks. 86 00:04:13,433 --> 00:04:15,900 Our thoughts don't matter. 87 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:18,600 And what we see in chapter nine is, no, 88 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,600 nobody is thinking about God. 89 00:04:21,633 --> 00:04:23,866 Nobody's approaching God. 90 00:04:23,866 --> 00:04:29,466 Nobody's considering what God's thoughts, wills and desire is. 91 00:04:29,666 --> 00:04:33,233 And they make all these decisions in the absence of seeking God 92 00:04:33,433 --> 00:04:36,333 that lead to complete and utter destruction. 93 00:04:36,333 --> 00:04:39,433 Learn the lesson and that the same is true for us. 94 00:04:40,533 --> 00:04:42,900 You run your marriage without the thoughts of God. 95 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:45,866 You will ruin your marriage, your run, your finances. 96 00:04:45,866 --> 00:04:48,900 Without the will of God, you will ruin your finances, your raise, 97 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:51,900 your kids without the will of God, you will ruin your children. 98 00:04:54,266 --> 00:04:57,533 So I'm going to read a couple verses, not a highlight, a whole bunch. 99 00:04:57,533 --> 00:05:01,300 So the first verses I want to read are verses one and two. 100 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,300 A Amalek, son of Jeru. Bel, remember? So. 101 00:05:04,300 --> 00:05:06,366 So there's this kid of Amalek. 102 00:05:06,366 --> 00:05:09,366 And. And Gideon had 70 sons. 103 00:05:10,233 --> 00:05:11,433 You. You know. 104 00:05:11,433 --> 00:05:14,433 You know why he had 70 sons. 105 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:15,033 You remember? 106 00:05:15,033 --> 00:05:17,366 He had a lot of ladies in his world. 107 00:05:17,366 --> 00:05:20,100 Okay? Just an idiot, 108 00:05:20,100 --> 00:05:21,566 I think 109 00:05:21,566 --> 00:05:24,000 for a number of reasons. 110 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,600 And so this could have been Melek, son of Jeru Bel Gideon. 111 00:05:27,866 --> 00:05:29,733 And if you remember Gideon, they said, get in. 112 00:05:29,733 --> 00:05:31,566 Be our king again. Seth. I want to be your king. 113 00:05:31,566 --> 00:05:34,666 But he named his son Abimelech, which means literally my father. 114 00:05:34,666 --> 00:05:35,133 The king. 115 00:05:36,266 --> 00:05:37,700 he's a man of conflict. 116 00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:39,100 His eyes are confused. 117 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:42,466 So a bit like son of Jezebel went to his mother's brothers and shuck them, 118 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:46,666 and said to them, and all his mother's clan asked the citizens of them, 119 00:05:46,666 --> 00:05:47,866 which is better for you? 120 00:05:47,866 --> 00:05:52,166 For you to have all 70 of durable sons rule over you or just one man. 121 00:05:52,166 --> 00:05:53,600 Remember, I'm your flesh and blood. 122 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,433 So he's saying, 123 00:05:55,433 --> 00:05:57,633 daddy had 70 of us. 124 00:05:57,633 --> 00:05:58,333 Who do you want? 125 00:05:58,333 --> 00:06:01,000 You want big government? 126 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,000 That's what he's asking. 127 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,966 Gideon said there shouldn't be a monarchy, 128 00:06:08,966 --> 00:06:11,966 nor should my sons take over. 129 00:06:12,900 --> 00:06:14,533 But there was one of them that wanted to. 130 00:06:14,533 --> 00:06:16,433 Abimelech. 131 00:06:16,433 --> 00:06:19,566 And Abimelech said, hey, let's gather all the people as the people. 132 00:06:20,100 --> 00:06:23,000 Do you want 70 people to lead you, or do you want just one of us? 133 00:06:24,300 --> 00:06:24,733 The thing that 134 00:06:24,733 --> 00:06:27,733 amazes me is what do they not consider 135 00:06:28,666 --> 00:06:31,666 God leading them? 136 00:06:31,966 --> 00:06:34,500 This question should have never been asked. 137 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:36,266 This wasn't God's way of doing it. 138 00:06:36,266 --> 00:06:39,500 Then the monarchy wouldn't come until King Saul, 139 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:43,233 and that's after they kept pitching a fit about not having a king. 140 00:06:43,233 --> 00:06:45,333 It wasn't God's plan. 141 00:06:45,333 --> 00:06:47,400 So the question should have been, 142 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,400 how about we seek God and see what he what desires, right? 143 00:06:50,633 --> 00:06:52,733 That should always be the first question 144 00:06:52,733 --> 00:06:56,133 in every decision we make, then every choice we have to make. 145 00:06:56,233 --> 00:06:57,700 The first one ought to be God. 146 00:06:57,700 --> 00:06:59,366 What is your will and desire? 147 00:06:59,366 --> 00:07:00,733 What's your word say? 148 00:07:00,733 --> 00:07:02,766 Have you ever heard us say, well, we got nothing left to do, 149 00:07:02,766 --> 00:07:04,266 so you know we might as well pray. 150 00:07:05,866 --> 00:07:07,100 We treat prayer as the 151 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:10,100 as, as the last resort rather than the first option. 152 00:07:11,266 --> 00:07:13,700 And so they say, well, you know, who do you want 153 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:16,900 and how many, how many of you want big government? 154 00:07:18,733 --> 00:07:19,566 None of us. 155 00:07:19,566 --> 00:07:22,200 They didn't either. They said no, we just want one. 156 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,933 We want 70. We just want one. We want big government. 157 00:07:24,933 --> 00:07:25,600 It's interesting. 158 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,133 The Bible says in Proverbs 28 two, it actually talks about big government. 159 00:07:29,633 --> 00:07:34,333 And the Bible says big government is the outgrowth of a rebellious culture. 160 00:07:35,233 --> 00:07:37,433 Proverbs 22 is what it says. 161 00:07:37,433 --> 00:07:40,700 It says the result of sinfulness is big government. 162 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:43,700 All of your turn to approach 22, I think I really say that. 163 00:07:48,766 --> 00:07:51,300 No one wants big government. 164 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:54,266 The only reason the government is bigger is because people are more corrupt to the 165 00:07:55,566 --> 00:07:58,566 big government is the same thing. 166 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:00,466 But if you're going to choose one, 167 00:08:00,466 --> 00:08:03,466 you better choose the right one. 168 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,133 To the right leader keeps order, 169 00:08:07,133 --> 00:08:10,166 and when people live under the rule of God, they can govern themselves. 170 00:08:11,166 --> 00:08:14,500 And so we get to verses three four, five, six and the people ask, 171 00:08:14,533 --> 00:08:16,733 come here, this proposal from Abimelech, and they all agree 172 00:08:16,733 --> 00:08:18,300 the city are you go ahead and be our leader. 173 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:21,300 And they have this mass donation to his election fund, 174 00:08:21,933 --> 00:08:23,900 and he takes money from his election fund. 175 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:24,366 And it goes on. 176 00:08:24,366 --> 00:08:27,200 He hires vain and light people. 177 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:32,233 The Hebrew text says what it means is he hires arrogant men of no character 178 00:08:32,300 --> 00:08:35,700 who are reckless to be in his cabinet and part of his war cabinet. 179 00:08:37,533 --> 00:08:41,533 It's interesting that he gathers them together, and his first edict 180 00:08:41,533 --> 00:08:46,466 is to get rid of all his enemies, and he gathers all of his his 69 brothers, 181 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,966 and he gathers them on a big stone slab, and he slaughters 182 00:08:49,966 --> 00:08:52,966 every one of them. 183 00:08:53,833 --> 00:08:56,133 I told you, chapter nine is brutal. 184 00:08:56,133 --> 00:08:59,333 He kills them all except one. 185 00:08:59,333 --> 00:09:01,466 One of them, named Jotham, escapes. 186 00:09:01,466 --> 00:09:04,100 He runs away. He gets out. 187 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:06,100 The interesting thing about where this took place. 188 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:08,033 This took place. It shook them. 189 00:09:08,033 --> 00:09:08,866 The last we heard. 190 00:09:08,866 --> 00:09:12,566 The highlight of shocking was that King Joshua 24 191 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,333 and it was at Shechem, where Joshua the Liberator, the deliver 192 00:09:17,333 --> 00:09:20,833 of God's people, after Moses leads them into the Promised Land, it was at them 193 00:09:21,166 --> 00:09:24,733 that Joshua makes a covenant between God and the people of God. 194 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:29,566 And it says, we will serve you and you alone, God in attachment, you 195 00:09:29,566 --> 00:09:30,200 to support of him. 196 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:35,000 When Joshua says the great statement, as for me and my house, 197 00:09:35,166 --> 00:09:40,033 we will serve the Lord, but you choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. 198 00:09:40,066 --> 00:09:43,100 Listen, this is what good leaders do. 199 00:09:44,033 --> 00:09:45,533 As for me, in my house 200 00:09:46,500 --> 00:09:49,500 we will serve the Lord. 201 00:09:49,500 --> 00:09:51,333 It's not open to discussion. 202 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:53,100 It's not open to debate. 203 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:56,100 I'm not going to let my kids figure it out on their own. 204 00:09:56,100 --> 00:09:59,100 As for me and my house, 205 00:09:59,966 --> 00:10:02,633 this is the standard 206 00:10:02,633 --> 00:10:03,333 and it's interesting. 207 00:10:03,333 --> 00:10:06,333 It was at second that the people said, no, we will serve God to, 208 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:07,966 we will serve God to. 209 00:10:07,966 --> 00:10:10,200 And Joshua told them, you're not able to serve God. 210 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:11,066 No you won't. 211 00:10:11,066 --> 00:10:12,566 And they say, yes, we will. 212 00:10:12,566 --> 00:10:16,766 And Joshua tells him, if you will serve God, then get rid of all of your pagan 213 00:10:16,766 --> 00:10:19,766 household idols of the things you worship other than him. 214 00:10:23,066 --> 00:10:26,066 Because Joshua knew that talk is cheap, 215 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:28,866 especially religious talk 216 00:10:28,866 --> 00:10:31,866 is really cheap. 217 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,033 There has been such 218 00:10:33,033 --> 00:10:36,033 a great spiritual slide from generation to generation, 219 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:40,533 from the high point of Joshua at Shechem to the low point 220 00:10:41,666 --> 00:10:43,200 of Abimelech. 221 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,200 That said, this generational slide. 222 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:48,233 In verses 223 00:10:48,233 --> 00:10:52,500 seven through 15, Jotham, the one son that escaped, 224 00:10:52,533 --> 00:10:56,366 stands on Mount Gerizim, and he shouts to the people of them. 225 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,033 This parable. 226 00:10:58,033 --> 00:11:00,466 Before I get to the parable, let me tell you the significance 227 00:11:00,466 --> 00:11:01,833 of what's going on. 228 00:11:01,833 --> 00:11:03,366 He stands on Mount Gerizim. 229 00:11:03,366 --> 00:11:06,366 If you go back to Joshua again in chapter eight, 230 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,400 Joshua gathers the leader, God's people, all 12 tribes, 231 00:11:09,666 --> 00:11:13,566 and he has six leaders of of six tribes stand on Mount Gerizim. 232 00:11:13,900 --> 00:11:17,633 And opposite Mount Gerizim is Mount Ebel and has six other leaders 233 00:11:17,633 --> 00:11:20,700 stand on Mount Evil, and all the people are between Mount Gerizim, Mount 234 00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:25,233 Evil in the Valley, and the leaders of on Mount Gerizim. 235 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,833 Read the promises of God and the blessings of God for obedience. 236 00:11:29,833 --> 00:11:30,900 And in response, 237 00:11:30,900 --> 00:11:34,633 the six leaders on Mount Ebel read the curses of God for disobedience. 238 00:11:34,766 --> 00:11:37,233 The destruction and death that will come for disobedience. 239 00:11:37,233 --> 00:11:39,466 And they read the promises of God and the curse of God, 240 00:11:39,466 --> 00:11:41,133 and the promises of God, and the curse of God, 241 00:11:41,133 --> 00:11:42,833 and the promises of God and the curse of God, 242 00:11:42,833 --> 00:11:45,300 so that all the people in the valley can hear. 243 00:11:45,300 --> 00:11:48,600 This is what happens with obedience, and this is what happens with this happens. 244 00:11:48,733 --> 00:11:49,700 You choose. 245 00:11:51,133 --> 00:11:54,133 And so Jotham goes back to that mount 246 00:11:54,566 --> 00:11:57,000 where he knows that his ancestors is. 247 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,866 Here it is has heard the promises of God, where they promised to follow God. 248 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:04,833 And he tells them this parable, this fable. 249 00:12:04,833 --> 00:12:07,833 He gathers the people around 250 00:12:08,066 --> 00:12:11,066 and he says, I want to tell you this fable. 251 00:12:11,266 --> 00:12:14,800 He said, all the trees gather, the trees represent the Hebrew people. 252 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,400 And he says, they ask the olive tree to be their leader. 253 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,366 The olive tree represents Gideon, 254 00:12:20,366 --> 00:12:22,300 and the olive tree says, no, I'm not going to be your leader. 255 00:12:22,300 --> 00:12:24,600 I'm not going to collect the like, my olive oil 256 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,700 and all the things that I produced to be your leader. 257 00:12:26,700 --> 00:12:30,900 And so then the trees gather together again, the Hebrew people, 258 00:12:30,900 --> 00:12:34,966 and they ask the fig tree and the vine, the fig tree and the vine were Gideon's 259 00:12:34,966 --> 00:12:38,433 legitimate sons who could have taken over leadership if they chose to. 260 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,366 And they say, no, we don't want leadership. 261 00:12:41,366 --> 00:12:42,533 We don't want that. 262 00:12:42,533 --> 00:12:47,766 Let me just say this sometimes a promotion can be a demotion. 263 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,400 Any one of these sons could have promoted themselves, 264 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:54,000 but that promotion would 265 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,333 have been a demotion because it wasn't at the discretion and direction of God. 266 00:12:57,766 --> 00:12:59,066 Do you understand? 267 00:12:59,066 --> 00:13:02,433 Just because you have an open door, just because it looks like 268 00:13:02,433 --> 00:13:05,600 the next better step, does not mean that promotion is of God. 269 00:13:05,666 --> 00:13:08,666 That promotion could be a demotion. 270 00:13:08,966 --> 00:13:11,533 There's no consultation of God in any of this. 271 00:13:11,533 --> 00:13:13,500 Did you recognize that seal? 272 00:13:13,500 --> 00:13:16,000 Nobody's stopping to ask God, 273 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,000 what do you want? 274 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:21,800 There's been a few times in the past few years 275 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,800 where I've been approached by other churches to be their pastor, 276 00:13:25,466 --> 00:13:27,800 and there's been every one of them has said, I don't, 277 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,800 you know, whatever they're paying, you will double it. 278 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:34,166 So let me just ask you, if you were guaranteed 279 00:13:34,166 --> 00:13:37,566 a double salary, wouldn't that feel like a promotion? 280 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,600 Yes. Don't get spiritual now. 281 00:13:47,700 --> 00:13:48,766 Some company comes. 282 00:13:48,766 --> 00:13:50,133 You said, hey, I'm going to double your salary. 283 00:13:50,133 --> 00:13:53,133 Come work for us. 284 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,500 That would have been a demotion for me 285 00:13:58,766 --> 00:14:01,000 because God wasn't in it 286 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,800 to understand. 287 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:04,900 And until you can 288 00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:07,900 discern God's direction and voice, 289 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,600 you may settle for promotions that feel like it 290 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,600 at the time that turn out to be demotion, be very careful. 291 00:14:15,233 --> 00:14:18,233 And so Gideon's children say no. 292 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,200 And then the trees. 293 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:22,833 The Hebrew people go to the thorn bush. 294 00:14:22,833 --> 00:14:24,166 In this fable they go to the thorn. 295 00:14:24,166 --> 00:14:27,033 But from the thorn bush is Abimelech. 296 00:14:27,033 --> 00:14:29,766 And they say, thorn bush, would you rule over us? 297 00:14:29,766 --> 00:14:32,766 And the thorn bush says, yes 298 00:14:33,166 --> 00:14:33,633 again, no. 299 00:14:33,633 --> 00:14:37,300 One second God, his name isn't even mentioned in this whole scenario. 300 00:14:39,033 --> 00:14:40,800 And in verses 19 and 20, 301 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,100 Jotham then directs his voice to the people again, 302 00:14:44,766 --> 00:14:47,833 and he says, if you've done right in God's eyes, if you've honored Gideon 303 00:14:47,833 --> 00:14:52,733 and his family, take joy in Abimelech, I may be your joy. 304 00:14:52,733 --> 00:14:55,733 But if you've not done right before God, 305 00:14:55,933 --> 00:14:59,066 may Abimelech burn you down to the ground. 306 00:15:01,333 --> 00:15:04,500 Then Jotham escapes and runs to beer. 307 00:15:05,566 --> 00:15:08,433 He doesn't run to have a beer. 308 00:15:08,433 --> 00:15:09,166 He runs to a place. 309 00:15:09,166 --> 00:15:11,500 So it's you're like, I've been there last night. 310 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:14,100 It was very. 311 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:16,866 He runs to a place called beer. 312 00:15:16,866 --> 00:15:18,933 And so as time goes, watch out! 313 00:15:18,933 --> 00:15:21,200 Watch how beautiful God just is. 314 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:22,466 He orchestrates it all. 315 00:15:22,466 --> 00:15:25,833 After a bit of luck, had governed Israel three years God stirred up and 316 00:15:26,266 --> 00:15:29,766 a sort of animosity between Abimelech and the citizens of them, 317 00:15:29,766 --> 00:15:32,800 so that they acted treacherously against Abimelech. 318 00:15:33,100 --> 00:15:37,433 God did this in order that the crime against terrible 70 319 00:15:37,466 --> 00:15:38,833 sons, the shedding of their blood, 320 00:15:38,833 --> 00:15:43,366 might be avenged on their brother Abimelech, and on the citizens of them 321 00:15:43,533 --> 00:15:47,100 who had helped him murder his brothers in opposition to him. 322 00:15:47,100 --> 00:15:51,700 The citizens of them set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob 323 00:15:51,700 --> 00:15:55,833 everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Bill. 324 00:15:55,933 --> 00:15:56,733 So here's what happened. 325 00:15:58,066 --> 00:16:00,800 Literally, the Bible says that God sent an evil spirit 326 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,800 to drive a wedge between Abimelech and the men of them. 327 00:16:04,766 --> 00:16:06,866 Everything 328 00:16:06,866 --> 00:16:08,833 is under the sovereign hand of God. 329 00:16:08,833 --> 00:16:11,833 Even the evil one. 330 00:16:12,333 --> 00:16:14,466 Read the book of Job. 331 00:16:14,466 --> 00:16:17,233 The devil does not have free reign in this world. 332 00:16:17,233 --> 00:16:20,900 God is sovereign over all, and God uses an evil spirit 333 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:24,066 to drive a wedge between an evil man and an evil people. 334 00:16:26,033 --> 00:16:28,566 And in verse 26 and 29, 335 00:16:28,566 --> 00:16:31,666 this guy named Gao Gazelle 336 00:16:32,366 --> 00:16:35,833 moves into Shechem and turns all the people against Abimelech, 337 00:16:36,300 --> 00:16:39,166 and they start robbing people so they can't pay taxes. 338 00:16:39,166 --> 00:16:42,166 And Ben like getting poor. 339 00:16:42,366 --> 00:16:46,500 And the governor of check him in verses 3333, the governor, his name is Zeeble. 340 00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:52,733 He hears this God guy at this bar getting drunk and spouting off his mouth, 341 00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:54,400 and he tells a 342 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,066 bimbo like, hey, this guy goes, this is is causing trouble for you. 343 00:16:58,166 --> 00:17:01,166 He's going to rally people against you, 344 00:17:01,166 --> 00:17:03,733 set an ambush for him. 345 00:17:03,733 --> 00:17:05,533 And so you got the governor of shock. 346 00:17:05,533 --> 00:17:09,500 I'm Zeebo, who's talking to a bimbo elect about this guy. 347 00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:11,400 God, he's kind of playing the middle road. 348 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,166 You understand what I'm saying? You saying, hey, watch out for Gaul. 349 00:17:14,166 --> 00:17:15,033 Go beat him up. 350 00:17:15,033 --> 00:17:17,700 Hey, God, why don't you go ahead and listen? 351 00:17:17,700 --> 00:17:20,866 Be very careful of those people that always get you into trouble. 352 00:17:23,033 --> 00:17:23,500 You understand? 353 00:17:23,500 --> 00:17:26,500 I'm saying. 354 00:17:28,266 --> 00:17:29,633 And so verses 355 00:17:29,633 --> 00:17:32,633 34 through 40, A sets an ambush at night. 356 00:17:33,533 --> 00:17:35,766 And watch how this goes down. Verse 38. 357 00:17:35,766 --> 00:17:39,066 Then Zeebo said to Gaul, this drunk guy 358 00:17:39,833 --> 00:17:43,200 Zeebo, the governor of shekels, says, where's your big talk now? 359 00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:45,566 You who said, who is a bimbo? 360 00:17:45,566 --> 00:17:47,800 That we should be subject to him? 361 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,500 Aren't these men? Aren't these men? 362 00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:50,833 You go fight them. 363 00:17:52,833 --> 00:17:53,400 And he kind of 364 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:57,833 orchestrates this battle between the elect and the men of Second Gauls. 365 00:17:57,833 --> 00:17:59,900 People. 366 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:02,600 And Gaul takes the bait, 367 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,600 and he and his men go out to fight, and they're beaten. 368 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:08,233 Some of them escape. 369 00:18:08,233 --> 00:18:09,100 They're not all killed. 370 00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:11,266 And then verse 42 through 45, 371 00:18:11,266 --> 00:18:14,533 Abimelech with his army divides them into three groups. 372 00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:18,100 Why did he divide them into three groups? 373 00:18:20,566 --> 00:18:23,333 Who was his daddy? 374 00:18:23,333 --> 00:18:26,033 Who was a guy who was a bit like to daddy? 375 00:18:26,033 --> 00:18:26,900 Gideon. 376 00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:29,200 When Gideon went off to war with this 300 men 377 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,200 to fight the Midianites, what did he do with his army? 378 00:18:32,966 --> 00:18:35,966 Divided them into three groups. 379 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,566 So all Abimelech is doing is what he saw his father do. 380 00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:41,500 There's no strategy. 381 00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:44,366 There was no military strategy here. There's no word from God. 382 00:18:44,366 --> 00:18:48,366 All he's doing is saying, I have comfort, I'm in trouble. 383 00:18:48,366 --> 00:18:49,333 I got to fight. 384 00:18:49,333 --> 00:18:51,066 I'm just going to do what my father did. 385 00:18:51,066 --> 00:18:52,333 Pay attention. Parents, 386 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,066 you've heard me say before 387 00:18:55,066 --> 00:18:59,133 that our children learn more by what is caught than by what is taught. 388 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,400 Right? 389 00:19:03,733 --> 00:19:05,300 When your kids. 390 00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:08,766 When our kids face trouble, difficulty, 391 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,933 fear, conflict, battles, 392 00:19:11,933 --> 00:19:14,966 they will respond in the exact ways 393 00:19:14,966 --> 00:19:18,000 they see you responding to yours. 394 00:19:29,466 --> 00:19:32,466 You understand? 395 00:19:38,233 --> 00:19:41,400 So he attacks the city and conquers it. 396 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:45,000 And then he covers it all with salt. 397 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Why would he cover the whole land with salt, 398 00:19:50,100 --> 00:19:52,033 So nothing grows. 399 00:19:52,033 --> 00:19:54,700 This guy is an idiot. 400 00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:57,000 This is his home. 401 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,200 He's destroying his own home, his own life, his own future. 402 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:06,300 This is what happens when people do not consult the Word of God. 403 00:20:06,366 --> 00:20:10,500 We make stupid decisions that are destructive to our own 404 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:13,900 lives, our own homes, our own futures. 405 00:20:17,133 --> 00:20:20,133 Stand is. 406 00:20:20,866 --> 00:20:23,400 And in verses 46 and 49, 407 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,400 all these people, they run to the tower. 408 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,966 And Abimelech attacks the tower and sets fire to the tower. 409 00:20:30,833 --> 00:20:33,933 And in that fire a thousand people die, 410 00:20:34,533 --> 00:20:37,900 accomplishing exactly what Jotham had prophesied. 411 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,933 If you have not done right in the eyes of God, 412 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,300 you have been will burn you down. 413 00:20:45,833 --> 00:20:48,833 That's exactly what happened. 414 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,600 Brutal chapter in it. 415 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,600 It gets worse. 416 00:20:55,666 --> 00:20:58,166 In verses 50 through 53, 417 00:20:58,166 --> 00:21:02,233 Abimelech in his bloodlust continues to fight, 418 00:21:02,233 --> 00:21:06,500 and he goes to the city called Phoebus, and he tries to burn down its tower. 419 00:21:06,766 --> 00:21:11,966 And the men and women see him coming, and they run to the tower to escape. 420 00:21:12,766 --> 00:21:15,900 You know, you got to love Old Testament women. 421 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,100 Old Testament women were some bad dudes. 422 00:21:20,933 --> 00:21:22,400 They were awesome. 423 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,166 You think back in just the book of judges, this lady named Jael 424 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,900 when sister was running away, right? 425 00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:33,533 She was the one with the tent peg that drove the tent peg through his temple 426 00:21:33,533 --> 00:21:36,533 as he laid on the ground and nailed his head to the ground. 427 00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:38,033 Incredible woman. 428 00:21:39,066 --> 00:21:40,000 I mean, she's the 429 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,033 type where you're like, yes, dear, no, dear. 430 00:21:44,133 --> 00:21:48,266 If mama's happy, you know, everybody stays alive. 431 00:21:48,266 --> 00:21:51,266 It's I mean, she's just it is amazing. 432 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,400 Another amazing woman. 433 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,200 Now, this woman is a man, but she's up in the tower as a woman comes 434 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,000 to set fire to this tower, and she takes what's called an upper millstone. 435 00:22:01,433 --> 00:22:06,566 It was a central, cool cylinder stone that was used for grinding grain. 436 00:22:06,733 --> 00:22:11,133 And she grabs this, this stone, and she throws it down and bam! 437 00:22:12,066 --> 00:22:15,533 Hits him in the head, drops a stone on his skull, 438 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,800 and it breaks his head open. 439 00:22:20,033 --> 00:22:23,033 What an awesome woman. 440 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,100 He has severe head trauma, 441 00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:29,100 but he's not dead. 442 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,200 Hurriedly, he called to his armor bearer, 443 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,933 draw your sword and kill me so that they can't say a woman killed me 444 00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:39,466 like anything but that. 445 00:22:39,466 --> 00:22:42,033 Please. 446 00:22:42,033 --> 00:22:44,366 So his servant ran him through 447 00:22:44,366 --> 00:22:47,366 and he died. 448 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,066 When the Israelite saw 449 00:22:49,066 --> 00:22:52,066 that the violence was dead, they went home. 450 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,400 it's. 451 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,400 It's so abrupt. 452 00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:05,700 Because they're so stupid. 453 00:23:06,533 --> 00:23:09,000 Nobody's seeking the Lord. 454 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,066 When you don't seek the Lord, you make stupid decisions. 455 00:23:12,933 --> 00:23:15,933 You follow stupid leaders. 456 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:20,733 The boom was dead, so they went home. 457 00:23:20,733 --> 00:23:22,066 You cut the head off the snake. 458 00:23:22,066 --> 00:23:25,066 The snake dies. 459 00:23:27,366 --> 00:23:29,933 Look at verses 56 and 57. 460 00:23:29,933 --> 00:23:32,733 Thus God repaid the wickedness that had been like 461 00:23:32,733 --> 00:23:35,733 had done to his father by murdering his 70 brothers. 462 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,200 God also made the people of second pay for all their wickedness. 463 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:43,366 The curse of Jotham, son of Jeru Bel came on them 464 00:23:43,866 --> 00:23:46,866 may burn you down. 465 00:23:47,133 --> 00:23:50,233 Friends, this is the law of reaping and sowing 466 00:23:52,166 --> 00:23:54,466 would have been 467 00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:55,000 sowed. 468 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,233 He reaped what the people of shuck them, so they reaped. 469 00:24:00,333 --> 00:24:01,366 I want you to remember. 470 00:24:01,366 --> 00:24:04,366 How did Abimelech die? 471 00:24:05,366 --> 00:24:07,066 Before the sword was run through him. 472 00:24:07,066 --> 00:24:08,400 What was it? 473 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,566 The stone dropped on his head. 474 00:24:10,566 --> 00:24:13,566 Where was it that he killed his brothers? 475 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,200 On the stone. 476 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,200 You see how creative God is? 477 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,800 It's the law of reaping and sowing. 478 00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,300 Now I'm thankful 479 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:31,300 that we live in a place after the cross, 480 00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:35,066 because Romans eight one says, now therefore 481 00:24:35,066 --> 00:24:38,066 there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 482 00:24:40,666 --> 00:24:42,866 Our sowing was reaped 483 00:24:42,866 --> 00:24:45,866 by Jesus on the cross. 484 00:24:47,266 --> 00:24:48,033 Spiritually. 485 00:24:48,033 --> 00:24:50,400 There's no condemnation. 486 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,066 It's not like when we really mess 487 00:24:53,066 --> 00:24:56,300 up, God gets angry with us and holds a grudge against us. 488 00:24:57,333 --> 00:25:00,000 God doesn't repay evil with evil. 489 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,866 God repaid our evil on His Son on the cross. 490 00:25:02,866 --> 00:25:05,833 So now the spirit of there is no condemnation. 491 00:25:05,833 --> 00:25:07,533 God doesn't hold a grudge against you. 492 00:25:07,533 --> 00:25:10,533 He's still not getting you back for what you did back then. 493 00:25:10,566 --> 00:25:12,500 That's not how he operates now. 494 00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:15,566 Now listen, there are some natural consequences for sure. 495 00:25:16,233 --> 00:25:18,666 We know that all too well, and some of you are still living 496 00:25:18,666 --> 00:25:21,066 in the natural consequences of what you've sold. 497 00:25:22,700 --> 00:25:24,433 But even in the sowing of 498 00:25:24,433 --> 00:25:27,433 those natural consequences, we can see God's grace. 499 00:25:28,733 --> 00:25:32,266 And I want you to understand the mercy and grace of God, 500 00:25:32,533 --> 00:25:35,700 even in those things, that the natural consequences 501 00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:41,033 of what you are reaping from what you've sold, and what I've sowed God's grace 502 00:25:41,033 --> 00:25:45,066 and intended to bring us back to him and God does in three different ways. 503 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,000 The first way God gives us grace to bring us back to him 504 00:25:49,766 --> 00:25:52,700 is seen in the blessings of God. 505 00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:56,933 God's desire is that we are his and we worship him, 506 00:25:56,933 --> 00:26:00,000 and we are in love with him, and we're enamored by him. 507 00:26:00,666 --> 00:26:04,000 And the reason God's pour out blessings on people like us 508 00:26:04,133 --> 00:26:06,266 is so that we will see the blessing of God. 509 00:26:06,266 --> 00:26:08,400 Say, father, you are so good. 510 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,666 I don't deserve this. 511 00:26:09,666 --> 00:26:13,500 I haven't merited this, but this is your undeserved and unmerited 512 00:26:13,500 --> 00:26:17,300 favor and blessing on my life, on my presence, on my feet. 513 00:26:17,333 --> 00:26:21,100 My family and I just need to worship you, for you are so good. 514 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:22,966 Do you understand? 515 00:26:22,966 --> 00:26:25,200 That's what blessings are intended to do. 516 00:26:26,466 --> 00:26:29,700 Our problem is when we receive the blessings of God, 517 00:26:30,033 --> 00:26:33,033 we either take credit for it or we take advantage of him. 518 00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:36,466 God has given me this blessing of a of a boat. 519 00:26:36,466 --> 00:26:38,400 I'm going to make sure I'm not going to church on Sunday 520 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,133 because I need to go to the lake. 521 00:26:40,133 --> 00:26:43,866 That blessing is intended to draw you to him, not get you away from him. 522 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,200 Do you understand that? 523 00:26:48,300 --> 00:26:52,400 And when we don't, when our hearts aren't drawn to God, we don't draw so God, 524 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,400 because of the blessings that he's given us, 525 00:26:55,866 --> 00:26:58,833 then. 526 00:26:58,833 --> 00:27:01,400 He wants us to see his grace and the blocking. 527 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,500 And here's what I mean. 528 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:05,866 Sowing and reaping. 529 00:27:05,866 --> 00:27:08,866 None of us who are Christ's 530 00:27:09,666 --> 00:27:12,666 have reaped all we've sowed 531 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:14,366 didn't sin. None of it. 532 00:27:14,366 --> 00:27:16,400 You know, you might have reaped a lot of bad, 533 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,200 but not all the bad that you sowed. 534 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,700 So God has blocked some of the bad, 535 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:26,966 and you've not had to reap it. 536 00:27:26,966 --> 00:27:29,666 And God's grace is intended to help us see God. 537 00:27:29,666 --> 00:27:32,833 You have been so good not only in your blessing of my life, but 538 00:27:32,833 --> 00:27:36,600 in what you've blocked from taking fruit in my life. 539 00:27:37,266 --> 00:27:39,166 I have not reaped all that I've sold. 540 00:27:39,166 --> 00:27:40,700 You've been merciful and gracious, 541 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:43,700 and you've kept it from being as bad as it could have been. 542 00:27:44,666 --> 00:27:45,466 And because of what? 543 00:27:45,466 --> 00:27:46,600 You've blocked the evil, 544 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,200 you blocked the pain, that you've blocked the despair that you bought, 545 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,466 the distraught destruction that you blocked. 546 00:27:51,466 --> 00:27:54,466 I worship you and I thank you for your mercy. 547 00:27:54,733 --> 00:27:57,033 Do you understand? 548 00:27:57,033 --> 00:27:58,533 But if a person doesn't 549 00:27:58,533 --> 00:28:01,866 worship God in His and through his because of his grace 550 00:28:01,866 --> 00:28:05,933 in the blessing, nor in the blocking, God will allow breaking, 551 00:28:07,233 --> 00:28:07,900 but God's 552 00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:11,200 grace for the Christ follower can be seen even in the breaking. 553 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,400 When God says, you don't worship me because I bless you 554 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,233 and you don't worship me because of what I blocked from you. 555 00:28:16,233 --> 00:28:20,200 I will allow your own natural consequences to break you. 556 00:28:21,366 --> 00:28:24,066 But in that break, 557 00:28:24,066 --> 00:28:25,800 God's grace will make it 558 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:30,333 so that we have the strength and the faith 559 00:28:31,066 --> 00:28:33,400 to stand up under it, 560 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,900 and we'll cut it short so it doesn't destroy us. 561 00:28:38,033 --> 00:28:41,700 So even in the breaking, we can see the mercy and grace of God, 562 00:28:41,966 --> 00:28:44,566 and it's intended to again turn us back to him. 563 00:28:44,566 --> 00:28:47,166 Do you understand? 564 00:28:47,166 --> 00:28:49,800 Before Christ, 565 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,800 stone tablet, upper millstone. 566 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:55,933 Before Christ you reap, you sow. 567 00:28:55,933 --> 00:28:56,666 After Christ. 568 00:28:56,666 --> 00:29:00,333 Spiritually it's been leveled against Christ, and there is the mercy 569 00:29:00,333 --> 00:29:06,366 and grace of God to mute it in our lives so that we turn to him. 570 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:07,766 Those without Christ. 571 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,800 You bear the condemnation. 572 00:29:15,433 --> 00:29:18,200 And there's no great guarantee 573 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,200 of blocking or breaking. 574 00:29:22,033 --> 00:29:25,033 And if you realize that and turn to him, that's all he wants. 575 00:29:25,966 --> 00:29:28,966 Your heart. 576 00:29:29,233 --> 00:29:30,533 That's intended to bring us to. 577 00:29:30,533 --> 00:29:32,300 And so here's the question. 578 00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:35,300 Which of those do you recognize in your life? 579 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:38,900 Do you recognize the blessing of God? 580 00:29:39,466 --> 00:29:42,466 Let that turn you in adoration of him. 581 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,500 Do you recognize how much he's blocked from taking fruit and root in your life? 582 00:29:47,166 --> 00:29:50,333 Let that turn you in thankfulness to him, in gratitude. 583 00:29:52,766 --> 00:29:55,433 If God is allowing breaking to take place right now, 584 00:29:55,433 --> 00:30:00,500 I encourage you in the name of Jesus to turn your face to him 585 00:30:00,500 --> 00:30:03,633 and bend your knee in confession and repentance. 586 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:08,700 And ask him in mercy. 587 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:11,566 For his grace. 588 00:30:13,333 --> 00:30:16,333 Let it drive you to him. 589 00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:19,100 But without your acknowledge what Jesus did 590 00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:22,100 on the cross, you bear the full brunt of it all. 591 00:30:23,266 --> 00:30:26,266 And I want to save you from that. 592 00:30:26,533 --> 00:30:30,600 See, part of the point of chapter nine is when the people of God chose 593 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,266 to try to live in a monarchy independent rule, 594 00:30:34,266 --> 00:30:37,266 it failed miserably. 595 00:30:37,266 --> 00:30:39,933 And the point of that for us is this 596 00:30:39,933 --> 00:30:43,000 if you want independence from God, 597 00:30:43,633 --> 00:30:47,400 the independence of his rule, and reign over your life, 598 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,466 what you put your hand to will fail 599 00:30:51,833 --> 00:30:54,833 miserably. 600 00:30:56,133 --> 00:30:58,933 They want an independence from God rather than a deepening 601 00:30:58,933 --> 00:31:02,166 dependance on him and submission to his rule and reign over their life. 602 00:31:02,833 --> 00:31:05,833 And you saw the result. 603 00:31:07,500 --> 00:31:10,700 Chapter nine is a great warning, and that's a great lesson 604 00:31:11,966 --> 00:31:13,366 about the harm of living 605 00:31:13,366 --> 00:31:16,433 an independent life away from God and submission to him. 606 00:31:18,133 --> 00:31:20,500 And so let me leave you with this. 607 00:31:20,500 --> 00:31:23,166 Choose today 608 00:31:23,166 --> 00:31:25,600 whom you will serve, 609 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:27,866 in the words of Joshua, as for me, in my house 610 00:31:27,866 --> 00:31:30,866 we will serve the Lord. 611 00:31:35,466 --> 00:31:37,533 We stand on Mount Gerizim, Mount Eyeball, 612 00:31:37,533 --> 00:31:39,700 hearing the blessings of God and the curses of God. 613 00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:42,700 And we get to choose. 614 00:31:42,766 --> 00:31:45,766 Independence from him or dependance on him. 615 00:31:47,133 --> 00:31:50,133 Independence from him or submission to him. 616 00:31:51,566 --> 00:31:52,600 And I want to encourage you 617 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,600 with every fiber of my being, 618 00:31:55,966 --> 00:31:58,100 to repent 619 00:31:58,100 --> 00:31:59,866 and commit 620 00:31:59,866 --> 00:32:02,866 to living as an apprentice of Jesus. 621 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:11,700 God's mercy and grace are profound. 622 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:14,566 And we don't have to live 623 00:32:14,566 --> 00:32:17,566 in the destruction that we've sowed. 624 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:21,966 Why don't you pray with me? 625 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,200 Father, I thank you for your word. 626 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,900 And I thank you for the truth 627 00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:36,733 that is in it. 628 00:32:36,733 --> 00:32:39,733 I thank you, father, for your son. 629 00:32:40,533 --> 00:32:43,500 I thank you for the cross 630 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:44,133 and Jesus. 631 00:32:44,133 --> 00:32:46,866 I thank you for the submission to your father's will. 632 00:32:46,866 --> 00:32:49,866 For my sake and for ours. 633 00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:55,200 I thank you for the many blessings that you bestowed upon us. 634 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,200 May those turn us to you. 635 00:32:58,733 --> 00:32:59,433 Holy spirit, 636 00:32:59,433 --> 00:33:02,433 I pray that you would let us see 637 00:33:03,166 --> 00:33:06,366 the blocking of the destruction that we rightly deserve, 638 00:33:07,300 --> 00:33:10,300 that that would turn us to you. 639 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,200 And father, in our breaking, 640 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,300 be merciful and gracious. 641 00:33:18,133 --> 00:33:20,300 Allow us the strength to endure 642 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:23,300 or the mercy to relent. 643 00:33:25,633 --> 00:33:28,633 And turn us to you. 644 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:30,600 I thank you 645 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,700 for the cross that spiritually we bear no condemnation. 646 00:33:36,533 --> 00:33:38,400 And I pray, 647 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,400 Holy Spirit, that in this moment, 648 00:33:42,366 --> 00:33:44,033 with great mercy and grace 649 00:33:44,033 --> 00:33:47,033 you would convict us. 650 00:33:48,066 --> 00:33:50,033 Of where we've tried to live in, 651 00:33:50,033 --> 00:33:53,033 in dependance of you. 652 00:33:55,066 --> 00:33:58,066 And in mercy. 653 00:33:59,633 --> 00:34:00,833 Counting on your mercy. 654 00:34:00,833 --> 00:34:03,433 We repent. 655 00:34:03,433 --> 00:34:06,166 For I encourage you in this moment. 656 00:34:06,166 --> 00:34:08,700 Whatever that looks like, whatever that means for you to say. 657 00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:11,333 Father, 658 00:34:11,333 --> 00:34:14,700 I agree with you about my own sin. 659 00:34:15,133 --> 00:34:18,166 I confess it to you and I repent of it. 660 00:34:21,933 --> 00:34:24,933 I turn around, I go the other way. 661 00:34:25,366 --> 00:34:27,866 Holy spirit, I ask in the name of Jesus right now 662 00:34:27,866 --> 00:34:30,866 that you would cause us to be remorseful. 663 00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:35,900 Over the sin in our lives, 664 00:34:35,900 --> 00:34:40,000 over our desire to be independent of you and Your word and direction, 665 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,200 would you cause our hearts to be remorseful over it? 666 00:34:43,433 --> 00:34:46,833 Saddened by it, grieved over it as your heart is? 667 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:54,933 And I encourage you in this 668 00:34:54,933 --> 00:34:57,933 moment just to come before God said, God, I repent. I'm 669 00:34:58,833 --> 00:35:01,333 today, I choose you. 670 00:35:01,333 --> 00:35:04,166 I accept your forgiveness. 671 00:35:04,166 --> 00:35:07,166 Give me your mercy and your grace continually, 672 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,000 as best as I know how 673 00:35:11,066 --> 00:35:12,066 I want to live. 674 00:35:12,066 --> 00:35:15,066 As an apprentice of Jesus. 675 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:18,500 Tell them, say God today 676 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:21,000 you are mine, 677 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,000 and I choose to be yours. 678 00:35:25,033 --> 00:35:28,033 Give me all that your grace will allow me. 679 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:32,633 Father, you're a good God. 680 00:35:32,633 --> 00:35:35,633 I thank you for these people. 681 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,200 I thank you for your love. 682 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:43,633 And, father, I ask that we would live an ever 683 00:35:43,633 --> 00:35:46,633 increasing intimacy and dependance upon you. 684 00:35:47,966 --> 00:35:49,766 Submission to your word, in your will. 685 00:35:49,766 --> 00:35:52,200 In your name I pray. Amen. 686 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:56,633 Church, I love you and I love going through Bible with you 687 00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:59,500 next week. 688 00:35:59,500 --> 00:36:02,500 Judges ten 1112 I want to introduce you to, 689 00:36:03,266 --> 00:36:04,766 to a friend of mine. His. 690 00:36:04,766 --> 00:36:06,800 His name is Jotham or Jeff Suna. 691 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,533 That's his name, Jeff Tuna. 692 00:36:08,533 --> 00:36:11,466 And and he's a gangster. 693 00:36:11,466 --> 00:36:13,800 He's a member of a gang. 694 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,500 his mom was a prostitute. 695 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:20,333 and he lived a horrendous life that was used of God 696 00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:23,333 in some incredible ways and made a really stupid decision. 697 00:36:24,233 --> 00:36:26,500 he's a lot like us. 698 00:36:26,500 --> 00:36:29,100 And so I want to introduce you to read it this week, and I'm 699 00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:32,133 we're going to talk about I'm going to introduce you to him next Sunday. 700 00:36:32,133 --> 00:36:33,733 You got it. 701 00:36:33,733 --> 00:36:34,100 Okay. 702 00:36:34,100 --> 00:36:34,666 If you know 703 00:36:34,666 --> 00:36:37,666 someone who doesn't have a church home, guess what your job is this week. 704 00:36:39,500 --> 00:36:43,033 Invite them and get them here early so they don't have to sit in economy. 705 00:36:45,366 --> 00:36:45,833 Nothing thing. 706 00:36:45,833 --> 00:36:46,100 Jeff.