Willow Ridge Sermons

Sunday, November 1st • David Allen

"The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him." — Judges 10:6

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Show Notes

Sunday, November 1st • David Allen

"The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him." — Judges 10:6

–
Podcast: https://pod.link/willowridgechurch
Website: https://willowridgechurch.org
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Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowridgechurch
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@willowridgechurch

Creators and Guests

Host

David Allen

Executive Pastor of Connections & Care

What is Willow Ridge Sermons?

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Thanks for listening.

Good morning.

Welcome to Willow Ridge Church.

We're delighted that you're here to worship with us this morning.

There was such a buzz before the 930 service because we started back with kids' ministry,

and just to hear the kids in the church and getting into their small groups was wonderful.

We also had the 2nd through 5th graders in here worshiping with us in the first part of the

service.

So again, it was just wonderful having them back in.

We're grateful to our volunteers who spent time teaching and leading our kids this morning.

Well, just want to encourage you to take your Bible, take the Scriptures, turn to Judges

chapter 10.

We're going to continue in our study of Judges, and we're looking this morning, the judge that

God chose, Jephthah.

That is the judge we're looking at this morning.

It's interesting to me that the Old Testament sometimes gets the shaft.

Here's what I mean by that.

If you were to think about how much time you spend studying and reading the Old Testament

versus how much time you spend studying and reading the New Testament, which would balance

out the most.

Now, take out Psalms, take out Proverbs, because we know that's usually the books that most people

go to in the Old Testament, right?

So as you were to weigh that, where do you spend most of your time?

Well, the joy that's been for me as Pastor Bo has walked us through Judges is the fact

we see God's interaction, not only with the people of Israel, but we see countless times

through Judges God's interaction with individuals.

And so I've enjoyed listening to Pastor Bo walk us through this and teach us through this.

I've also enjoyed walking through Judges with my small group as well.

We've been able to take what Pastor Bo teaches.

We've been able to take what we, the teaching we see in right now media and just walk through

the questions together to get a deeper understanding of Judges, but more importantly, to get a deeper

understanding of God's interaction with His people.

And so we're going to continue that together as well.

One of the things I think we miss sometimes, let me rewind a little bit, is so often we'll

take a verse of Scripture or we'll take a passage of Scripture, maybe three, four, or five verses,

and we'll dive into that and we'll just see what that has to say.

And we miss sometimes the big picture that God has in the entire book of the Bible.

I was challenged years ago when I was in seminary and I was riding with a friend to our classes

and we were just talking about how we spent time alone with God.

What was our reading of the Scriptures like?

And he shared with me that a person that had challenged him one time, say, I want to challenge

you to take an entire book of the Bible and read it all the way through in your time with

the Lord.

And so I think he threw out something like the book of James in the New Testament.

He said, you know, so I read the first chapter and in that same sitting, I read all the way

to the end of the book of James.

He said, what the Lord taught me was all the connective pieces of that entire book of James.

And for me, that's been the case as we've walked through Judges together.

We've seen all the connecting pieces of God, the chosen Judges, and the people of Israel

and how God constantly worked in and through them.

We get to see a little bit of what maybe we look like as the characters of the people of Israel.

So let's continue to jump in together.

Turn to chapter 10.

We're going to start in verse 6 of chapter 10.

We're going to be bouncing around a little bit throughout 10, 11, and 12.

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the

Baals and the Asherah, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods

of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.

And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the

Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites.

We see this word in verse 6 pop up, the word again.

So once again, the people of Israel are going back through their cycle of rebellion, crying

out to God, God rescuing them.

Rebellion, crying out to God, God rescuing them.

But I look at that word and I'm going, you know what?

I can identify with the word again.

So often, I look at myself and go, again, David, you're disobedient to God in this area

of your life.

Again, David, you're not listening to God.

What about you?

Does that word sometimes pop up in your mind as well, again, in your relationship with

the Lord?

But the people of Israel, as it says there, they did evil in the sight of the Lord.

So once again, they're in that cycle of turning away from God and turning towards the culture.

And as it says here, they turned towards the gods of the people.

Several gods, not just one, but multiple gods.

They got caught up in that culture and the worship and the serving of those gods.

But it says there, right at the end of verse 6, and they forsook.

The idea there is they left behind their relationship with God.

They abandoned God.

They made a conscious choice after knowing all that God had done for them by saving them,

by rescuing them.

You see, prior to this, in verses 1 through 5 of Judges, chapter 10, we see that 55 years,

they were blessed.

55 years.

Because of the judges that God appointed, they were blessed during 55 years.

Now, you and I go all the way back to the Exodus, when God chose Moses to lead the children of

Israel out of Egypt, and then the children of Israel were handed off from Moses to Joshua,

and then from Joshua to the judges.

There are multiple years in there in which the children of Israel would follow God,

disobey God, cry out to God, and God would rescue.

A long stretch of time.

So coming out of 55 years of serving the Lord, being blessed by God,

they find themselves back in the same place again.

And so they abandon God.

And it says there they did not serve Him.

So part of that abandonment was turning their back on God and turning towards these other

gods and serving those gods.

We also see in this passage that the Lord's anger kindled.

But it says that He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Amorites.

The word sold there is not the same context that you and I would use,

like I was to sell you something for a monetary gain.

The idea behind this is that the Lord released.

He released the children of Israel into the hands of the Ammonites and the Philistines.

Paul in Romans chapter 1, verses 24, 26, and 28,

he uses this phrase three times in talking to the Christians in Rome.

He used the phrase, God gave them up.

Because of their rebellion, God gave them up.

God gave them up to their choices.

God gave them up to their decisions.

God gave them up to the way of life that they wanted to lead.

Instead of leading the life that God desired for them to lead.

In verse 10, we see,

And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying,

We have sinned against you because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.

This was the people of Israel's first attempt of repentance.

I say first attempt because we're going to see here in a second,

they go back to God and ask Him for forgiveness.

But it's one of those half-hearted repentance.

Maybe you can identify with that.

You've sinned in your life, and you're asking God for forgiveness,

but at the same time, you're kind of doubting whether or not you really want to stop doing what you're doing.

And that was the case for the people of Israel.

They wanted God to rescue them.

They wanted God's forgiveness, but at the same time,

they were a little bit comfortable in doing what they were doing.

You see, for 18 years, they were oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites.

18 years.

When God first heard their cry, He allowed it to go unnoticed.

We see that there in Scripture.

Look with me, if you would, in verse 11.

And the Lord said to the people of Israel,

Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Ammonites and from the Philistines?

Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods.

Therefore, I will save you no more.

God reminds them of how many times.

You see, in verse 12, He goes on to give them all the names of the enemies in which He had rescued them from.

Did I not save you?

What's happened to your memory?

Don't you recall when I came in and I rescued you from the hands of your enemy?

But He says, I will save you no more.

Can you imagine being those people hearing those words?

They come to the Lord the first time.

We need your help.

We need you to save us.

But God knew their heart.

He knew their intentions.

And He wasn't liking what He was seeing.

And then in verse 15, we see,

And the people of Israel said to the Lord,

We have sinned.

They now feel the weight of their disobedience.

They now feel the weight of turning their back on God.

And they feel the weight of God's first response to them.

And the people of Israel said to the Lord,

We have sinned.

And here is their change of heart from the first time they asked God to save them.

Do to us whatever seems good to you.

It's almost like they're just, they're dropping their hands like,

You know, we can't do this anymore.

We can't live in this oppression.

And we need your help.

We need you to rescue us.

Not only that, they said,

Only please deliver us this day.

So not only do what you can do,

But today, Lord, today, deliver us.

And here's an important aspect of what they chose to do.

Not only were they giving God the words of their mouth,

Now they're giving actions to their words.

In verse 16.

So they put away the foreign gods from among them.

So they made a conscious decision.

All the gods that they had been worshiping,

All the gods that they had been serving,

Now they got rid of them in their homes.

They got rid of them in their lives.

And now they were going to be true to God and serving God.

It says,

So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord.

And became impatient over the misery of Israel.

So during this time of 18 years,

As the Lord heard their cry,

As the Lord watched them,

The Lord finally decides,

I'm going to rescue you.

I am going to pull you up out of the oppression that you're in.

And so what the people don't see is that God is beginning to work in and through the life of Jephthah.

And preparing a judge for them to lead them out of this oppression.

In verse 18 we read this,

And the people,

The leaders of Gilead,

Said one to another.

Now I find this phrase right here in this verse unique.

Or maybe not unique.

It makes me curious.

Because in Judges chapter 1,

What we see when Joshua died is that the people of Israel came to God first and said to God,

Who will you give to us to lead us?

But in this moment,

They look to each other.

Don't know the reason why,

But they choose to look at each other.

The fact of the matter is,

No matter what,

God still will carry out what He desires.

We go on to read,

Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites?

He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And then as we jump down to verse 11,

Jephthah comes on to the scene.

And in verses 1 through 3,

We get a description of who Jephthah is.

We get an insight of his background.

We get an insight of what type of leader he could possibly be.

Now Jephthah, the Gilead, was a mighty warrior.

But he was the son of a prostitute.

Gilead was the father of Jephthah.

And Gilead's wife also bore him sons.

And when his wife's sons grew up,

They drove Jephthah out and said to him,

You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house,

For you are the son of another woman.

Then Jephthah fled from his brothers

And lived in the land of Tob.

And worthless fellows collected around Jephthah

And went out with him.

Now I don't know about you,

But when I read that description of Jephthah,

I'm thinking,

That doesn't sound like the resume

That you would go looking for

To be the leader of your tribe.

But yet God, in God's wisdom,

God, in God's guidance,

God in all of his power,

Knows exactly who he wants

For that moment in time

For the people of Gilead.

Could you imagine

Being asked to leave your home

By your brothers?

Could you imagine being kicked out

As if to say,

You're not worthy to live in this house.

And then to find yourself

Among a group of other people.

And it's interesting that it says,

Worthless fellows collected around him.

It would be nice if

Verses 1 through 3

Maybe stretched out to a few more verses.

To get a glimpse of what

These worthless fellows were like.

Why they collected around Jephthah.

But it gives us enough to know

Of the person that Jephthah is.

And why God is going to choose him.

Not based on man's standards.

But based on God's.

And then jump down to verse 6.

And they said to Jephthah,

Come and be our leader.

That we may fight against the Ammonites.

But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead,

Did you not hate me

And drive me out of my father's house?

Like, you guys forgot already

That you cast me out?

That I left the town

At your order?

Have you forgotten that?

This is, for me,

This is a hilarious response

From the elders of Gilead.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah,

That is why we have turned to you now.

That you may go with us

And fight against the Ammonites

And be our head

Over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

That is why.

Because you haven't been living around here.

And this is the reason

Why we're coming for you.

That might speak on the fact

Of as they looked around the room

At the elders in the room

And they kind of went

Well, you're not going to be a leader.

And you're not going to be a leader.

But yet, you are the elders.

And then they looked

Not even the sons of Gilead

Who cast Jephthah out.

They couldn't even stand up

To the task.

But again, the fact

Is God is the one

That is choosing the leader.

In chapter 11, verses 9 through 11

Basically, we see that Jephthah

And the elders

Come to an agreement together.

And basically, Jephthah

Negotiates his contract

You could say

With the elders of Gilead.

And then in Judges 11

All the way through 12

Verses 12 through 28

Now is going to face

The army of the Ammonites.

But before that

We get a glimpse

Of the character of Jephthah.

Before that

Jephthah goes to the king

Of the Ammonites

And he tries to work out

With the king

A way of keeping them

From going to battle

Against each other.

Four different ways

That Jephthah tries to reason

With the king.

But the king

Doesn't want to listen.

In verse 29

We do see what sets

What sets Jephthah

Apart

From all these

Potential leaders.

It says

Then the spirit of the Lord

Was on

Upon Jephthah.

That was the difference.

That's what set

Jephthah apart

From all the other

Potential leaders

That may have been

There

In the tribe of Gilead.

Jephthah had the spirit

Of the Lord.

And he passed through

Gilead and Manasseh

And passed on

To Mizpah of Gilead.

And from Mizpah of Gilead

He passed on

To the Ammonites.

And here's the turning

Of the story

For me.

This is the part

That's kind of like

Wow

Weighs heavy.

It says

And Jephthah made a vow

To the Lord

And said

If you will give

The Ammonites

Into my hand

Then whatever comes out

From the doors

Of my house

To meet me

When I return in peace

From the Ammonites

Shall be the Lord's

And I will offer it up

For a burnt offering

Here's the thing

God did not

Require Jephthah

To make this vow

God didn't request

Jephthah

To make this vow

There was no reason

For Jephthah

To make this vow

That said

Wasn't anybody

That he had hung

Around with

That said

Hey

Maybe you want

To negotiate

With God here

Unlike

One of the other

Judges that we saw

That needed a little

More assurance

There was no reason

For Jephthah

To make this vow

To the Lord

Because what we see

Earlier in the passage

That the Lord

His spirit

Had already fallen

Upon Jephthah

There was no need

To make the relationship

The commitment

Any stronger

Than what it already was

But yet Jephthah

Didn't guard his words

And he made the vow

In Judges chapter 11

Verses 32

Through 33

We see that the Lord

Gives Jephthah the battle

There was no question

That Jephthah

Was going to win

The battle

All through the many

Many years

That Jephthah

Would have known

About the battles

That his people

Were engaged in

With all the enemies

He saw that the Lord

Came through

With his promise

He saw that the Lord

Would always win

The battle

And that the Lord

Would always

Rescue the people

There was no doubt

In verse 35

Though he returns home

Can you imagine

There's probably

Excitement at this point

We've won the battle

I'm returning home

I'm going to

To follow through

With my vow

Verse 35

And as soon as he saw her

He tore his clothes

And said

Alas my daughter

Can you imagine

The emotions

That were going on

Right at that instance

As soon as Jephthah

Saw his daughter

He heard the vow

That he made

To the Lord

Probably so loud

It was probably louder

Than anything else

He had ever heard

You have brought me

Very low

And you have become

The cause of great

Trouble to me

I read that verse

And I went

Wait a second

Jephthah

Why are you

Throwing this

On your daughter

She's not the one

That made the vow

To the Lord

She's not the one

That opened up

Her mouth

And allowed those words

To come out

On your behalf

It was you

Not her

Why throw that

On her

For I have

Opened my mouth

To the Lord

And I cannot

Take back

My vow

And we get a glimpse

Of the character

Of his daughter

As far as

Her perception

Of the Lord

And she said

To him

My father

You have opened

Your mouth

To the Lord

Do to me

According to

What has gone

Out of your mouth

Now that the Lord

Has avenged you

On your enemies

On the Ammonites

You see

One of the things

That's going on here

Is Jephthah

Yes

He had faith

In the Lord

But just like

The people of that time

There were still

The struggle

And the battle

Of living

In the culture

And he was

Battling in one place

To serve the Lord

And do what the Lord

Want him to do

And in the other place

He was battling

About doing

What the culture

Was doing

And this is where

That conflict

Arises for him

Now he's got to

Fulfill the vow

That he made

Not that the Lord

Wanted him to fulfill it

Not that the Lord

Required him to

Not that the Lord

Wanted him to

But yet here he is

In the midst

Of being double minded

If he would have

Had a singular focus

On just the Lord

If his thoughts

Would have been

Completely obtained

By serving the Lord

And doing what

The Lord

Had called him

To do

He wouldn't

Have made that vow

There was nothing

Else needed

For God to do

What God was

Going to do

You and I

Can't live out

Our faith

And at the same

Time live out

Of the culture

The two will

Collide

The two will

Cause chaos

In your life

And my life

When we try

To live in both

Ways

Even when we see

In scripture

It says

You are lukewarm

God says

I will spew you

Out of my mouth

You can't be

In both ways

So what do we

Gain from looking

At the children

Of Israel

What do we gain

From looking

At Jephthah

The one that

God appoints

As the next

Judge

Of the people

Of Israel

I don't know

About you

But after I

Read scriptures

I just ask

Myself the question

God what do

I need to know

What do you

Need to know

That benefits

My relationship

With you

That benefits

My relationship

To others

And that will

Help my faith

Grow deeper

In relationship

With you

Here's a few

Things that

Stuck out to me

Maybe there's a few

That you've got

But the first thing

That stuck out to me

Is this

Guard yourself

Against abandoning

God

Guard yourself

Against abandoning

God

The people of

Israel found

Themselves in a

Culture that

Basically overtook

Them

They weren't

Strong enough

In their faith

To withstand

The pressures

Of their culture

Therefore they

Gave in to the

Gods

The idols

Of that day

And the end

Result was

They abandoned

God

The influence

Of the culture

Was stronger

On them

Than the influence

Of God

Warren

Wiersbe says

The greatest

Judgment

God can send

To his people

Is to let

Them have

Their own

Way

And not

Interfere

That's what

Happened

When God

Said I'm

Removing

My hand

I'm not

I'm going to

Rescue you

I'm going to

Allow the

Oppression

To follow

Through

I'm going to

Allow what

You created

To have

Its way

With you

The greatest

Judgment

God can send

To his people

Is to let

Them have

Their own

Way

And not

Interfere

Has there

Ever been

A time

In your

Life

Where you

Chose

Your way

Over

God's

Way

And then

You

Looked

Around

And wondered

Why are

These things

Happening

To me

Because

You chose

A different

Path

Than what

God

Wanted

For you

And God

Said if

That's the

Path

You're

Going to

I'm

Going to

Let

You go

That

Path

It's

Kind of

The same

Story

That we

See

When one

Of the

Sons

Came to

The father

And he

Says to

His father

He says

Father I

Want my

Inheritance

He said

Give me my

Inheritance

I want to

Go on

About my

Way

And the

Father

Says

Okay I

Will

And the

Son

Goes on

His way

And my

Favorite

Part of

That

That story

In the

Old

In the

New

Testament

Finds

Himself

In a

Pigpen

Left

This

Mansion

Left

This

Lifestyle

Where

Everything

Was

His

Beck

And

Call

And he

Chose

To get

Inheritance

Only to

Squander

Away

The

Inheritance

And find

Himself

Eating

What the

Pigs

Were

Eating

And the

Verse

That I

Love

Or the

Part of

That

Verse

That I

Love

Says

And he

Came

To his

Senses

You

Idiot

You

Traded

The

Pigpen

For

What

Your

Dad

Had

Offer

And

Many

Times

We'll

Trade

What

The

Culture

Has

Offer

For

What

Know

God

Wants

For

And

What

Best

For

There

Will

Always

Things

And

People

Our

Life

That

Influence

But

Can

Influence

Pull

Away

From

God

What

Are

You

Doing

What

Doing

Guard

Ourselves

Against

The

Influence

Our

Culture

One

Things

That

You

And

Can

Constantly

God's

Word

Don't

Know

How

Respond

Culture

Don't

Know

How

Respond

Life

A lot

Times

Because

Just

Don't

Know

God's

Word

Don't

Know

God's

Thoughts

And

Perspectives

And

Because

Don't

Know

God's

Word

That's

Been

The

Beauty

The

Study

Judges

See

And

God's

Reaction

His

People

God's

Reaction

The

Culture

Just

The

People

Israel

One

Way

You

And

Can

Guard

Against

The

Pole

Abandon

God

Simply

Get

Rid

Those

Things

That

Pull

Our

Focus

Off

God

People

Israel

Did

They

Got

Rid

The

Idols

They

Got

Rid

Worshipping

And

Serving

God

That

May

What

You

You're

Struggling

With

Abandoning

God

You're

Struggling

With

The

Influences

Your

Life

You

May

Need

Get

Rid

Them

Sometimes

For

Students

It's

Their

Friends

That

Pull

Them

Away

From

God

But

You

Know

What

Same

Thing

For

Adults

Well

It's

The

People

That

Culture

That

They

Are

Pulling

Away

From

God

And

They

Just

Need

Rid

Themselves

Now

That's

Hard

Thing

Hear

It's

Even

Harder

Thing

Yet

You

Really

Want

Serve

God

And

God

And

Worship

God

And

These

Things

Over

Here

Are

Pulling

You

The

Opposite

Direction

That's

The

Hard

Decision

That

Has

Made

Guard

Yourselves

Against

Abandoning

God

Turn

Your

Back

God

And

Making

Sure

The

Things

Your

Life

Aren't

Pulling

You

Away

From

God

The

Other

Thing

Matter

What

God

Will

Not

Abandon

You

God's

Grace

And

God's

Mercy

The

Fact

God

Will

Never

Abandon

You

God

Never

Abandoned

The

People

Israel

See

That

Judges

Throughout

Scripture

You

Never

See

God

Abandon

The

Individuals

That

Relate

With

God

Matter

What

Even

When

The

Disciples

Turned

Their

Back

Jesus

When

Was

Taken

Captive

When

Was

Leading

The

Cross

Even

Those

Disciples

When

They

Ran

Away

From

God

After

Came

Back

And

Rose

Again

Went

Right

Back

Them

Didn't

Abandon

Said

Listen

Got

Get

Back

Work

Guys

Forget

About

That

You

Left

Behind

Got

Get

Back

Work

God

Does

Not

Abandon

You

Does

Not

Abandon

His

People

But

Maybe

You

Feel

God

Has

Abandoned

You

Maybe

You

Thought

God

Why

Have

You

Abandoned

Why

Not

Feel

Your

Presence

That

Causes

When

Have

Thoughts

That

Also

Causes

Ask

The

Question

David

Why

Are

You

Having

thoughts

As A

Student

God's

Word

And

Relationship

With

God

Know

That

God

Doesn't

Abandon

Know

Throughout

Scripture

That

Not

God's

Character

Why

This

Thought

Entering

Into

Mind

And

Heart

Who

Listening

Who

Who's

Telling

Things

This

Lot

Times

Just

Have

Self

Evaluation

And

Ask

Ourselves

Who

Listening

What

Seeing

And

Usually

Those

Are

The

Telltale

Signs

That

Are

Telling

Why

We're

The

State

We're

Why

We're

Choosing

Turn

Away

From

God

Abandon

God

Again

Goes

Back

Filling

Our

Minds

And

Our

Hearts

With

The

Word

God

Because

That

What

Solidifies

Our

Foundation

And

Our

Faith

God

That's

What

Gives

The

Strength

Those

Times

Weakness

That's

What

Gives

The

Strength

Those

Times

Battle

That

Comes

Into

Our

Lives

Deuteronomy

Verse

When

Moses

Dying

And

Now

Joshua

Becoming

The

Leader

The

People

Israel

Says

The

Lord

Who

Goes

Before

You

Will

With

You

Will

Not

Leave

You

Forsake

You

Not

Fear

Dismayed

These

People

Should

Have

Known

That

Right

One

Thing

The

People

Israel

Did

Very

Well

They

Handed

Down

The

Stories

Their

Faith

From

One

Generation

The

Generation

The

Generation

The

Generation

They

Knew

The

Story

Exodus

They

Knew

Every

Location

They

Had

Gone

Jephthah

Even

Quoted

That

Back

The

Ammonite

King

You

And

Need

Realize

That

Well

The

Promises

Never

Change

The

Lord

Who

Goes

Before

You

Will

With

You

Will

Not

Leave

You

Forsake

You

Not

Fear

Dismay

When

You

Have

Thoughts

Abandonment

That's

Great

Verse

Remind

Yourself

Remind

Yourself

That

God

There

With

You

Another

Thing

That

Stands

Out

God

Will

Use

Who

Needs

Carry

Out

His

Plan

God

Will

Use

Who

Needs

Carry

Out

His

Plan

Really

Believe

That

Sometimes

God

Sends

People

Into

Your

Life

Just

For

Moment

Time

Also

Believe

That

God

Sends

You

Into

Somebody's

Life

Just

For

Moment

Time

I've

Seen

That

I've

Had

Friends

That

I've

Witnessed

That

Their

Life

When

God

Needs

You

And

Something

For

Him

Prepares

The

Way

Sets

All

Prepares

The

Person

That

Needs

And

Prepares

The

Environment

Which

It's

Going

Take

Place

God

Will

Use

Who

Needs

Carry

Out

His

Plan

Doesn't

Look

Jephthah

Would

Have

Been

The

Man

But

That's

You

And

Looking

But

When

God

Looked

Jephthah

Saw

What

Needed

And

Jephthah

Was

The

One

See

That

Again

First

Samuel

Verse

Seven

The

Lord

Talking

Sam

Says

But

The

Lord

Said

Samuel

Not

Look

His

Appearance

The

Height

His

Stature

Because

Have

Rejected

Him

For

The

Lord

Sees

Not

Man

Sees

You

We'll

Look

Person

We'll

Look

Situation

With

Our

Eyes

Through

Our

Filter

But

Need

Look

The

Situation

Need

Look

Individuals

Through

God's

Eyes

That

Verse

Goes

Say

Man

Looks

The

Outward

Appearance

But

The

Lord

Looks

The

Heart

What

God

Saw

Jephthah

Why

Got

Used

You

See

The

Lord

Saw

Jephthah's

Faith

Faced

The

Battle

You

See

Jephthah

Knew

That

The

Battle

Was

Going

Won

Jephthah

Knew

The

Outcome

Was

The

Lord

Not

Him

Not

The

People

It's

What

Taught

Last

Week

The

Week

Before

Last

When

God

Took

Army

Thousands

Ten

Thousands

Whittled

Army

Down

300

Against

Army

That

Had

120

Thousand

That's

God's

Way

Doing

Things

Not

Man's

Way

But

When

God

Desires

Accomplish

Something

Through

You

And

You

And

With

Group

People

When

They

Listen

God

Will

Happen

You

See

Jephthah

Even

Pronounced

The

King

Ammonites

That

The

Lord

Was

The

Judge

And

This

Passage

Right

There

Chapter

Verse

It's

Not

Spelled

With

Lower

Case

The

Word

There

Spelled

With

Uppercase

And

That's

Significant

Jephthah

Made

The

Difference

That's

Why

With

Confidence

Jephthah

Could

Into

This

Battle

Not

Even

Being

Concerned

Whether

Not

Was

Going

Win

Because

Knew

The

Lord

Was

With

Him

And

That

Was

Why

Accomplished

What

Accomplished

You

Know

See

That

Jephthah

Was

Man

Faith

Because

Hebrews

Chapter

The

Chapter

The

Faith

Lineage

You

Wanted

Say

That

Way

Throughout

This

Chapter

See

These

Words

Faith

And

Then

Goes

Explain

Who

Faith

Did

What

For

God

Over

And

Over

Again

Faith

Verse

And

Says

And

What

Shall

Say

For

Time

Would

Fail

Tell

Gideon

Barak

Samson

Jephthah

David

And

Samuel

And

The

Prophets

Who

Through

Faith

Conquered

Kingdoms

Enforced

Justice

Obtained

Promises

And

The

Rest

That

Chapter

Goes

And

All

The

Things

They

Accomplished

Because

Their

Faith

God

You

May

Have

Few

Reasons

Why

You

Think

God

Can't

Use

You

I've

Had

Those

Thoughts

There's

Times

Still

Have

Those

Thoughts

Why

That

Sometimes

Have

The

Thoughts

That

Can't

The

Person

That

God

Wants

Use

Probably

All

Kinds

Reasons

Jephthah

Could

Have

Come

With

Few

But

Didn't

Instead

Didn't

Make

Any

Excuses

Jephthah

Just

Followed

God

Was

Working

Said

Yes

And

Every

Step

The

Way

Matter

What

Jephthah

Thought

Followed

Through

Challenge

Myself

Challenge

You

When

God

Asks

You

Something

Don't

Question

Your

Ability

Because

God

Going

Give

You

The

Ability

God

Going

Give

You

The

Things

That

You

Need

Accomplish

The

Task

That

Put

Before

You

Course

You

And

Can't

The

Things

That

God

Calls

Our

Strength

It's

Impossible

There's

Things

Along

That

Path

That

Only

God

Can

And

We've

Got

Recognize

That

But

We've

Got

Guard

Ourselves

Against

Coming

With

Excuses

Don't

Have

Time

Don't

Have

Time

Make

Time

For

The

Things

That

Are

Important

And

God

Important

And

The

Thing

That

God

Has

Called

Important

Then

Make

Time

For

You

And

Have

Ready

And

Willing

And

Say

Yes

And

Not

Based

Our

Abilities

Not

Based

Our

Strength

Anything

Else

That

But

Simply

Based

Our

Availability

And

Our

Obedience

God

The

Last

Thing

See

Here

Guard

The

Words

You

Say

Over

And

Over

Again

Chapter

See

How

Good

Jephth

Was

With

His

Words

Negotiated

With

The

Elders

What

Was

Going

Receive

For

Being

Leader

Reasoned

With

The

King

The

Ammonites

Even

Though

The

King

Didn't

Want

Listen

His

Most

His

Biggest

Mistake

Though

Was

Allowing

His

Words

Out

His

Mouth

Before

Really

Gave

Time

Think

When

Made

Vow

Ended

Being

His

Daughter

The

Lord

Have

Guard

Our

Words

Can

Either

Build

Tear

Down

Words

Can

Either

Bring

Words

Can

Separate

You

Can't

Reel

Words

Back

Once

They're

Spoken

Does

Not

Work

Fishing

Rod

You

Can't

Throw

Those

Words

Out

And

Sit

There

And

I'm

Going

Get

Those

Back

For

Those

Get

The

Ear

And

Get

The

Brain

And

Blah

Doesn't

Work

That

Once

Words

Out

Our

Mouth

They're

Gone

The

Only

Thing

That

Can

That

Point

It's

Not

Good

Damage

Control

Have

Guard

Our

Words

Learn

The

Lesson

That

Jephthah

Taught

About

Not

Saying

Something

You

Shouldn't

Say

Not

Saying

Something

That

You

Were

Never

Supposed

Say

Begin

With

Again

God

Didn't

Require

The

Vow

God

Didn't

Require

Jephthah

Make

Any

Kind

Commitment

Him

God

Just

Wanted

Jephthah

Obedient

God

Just

Wanted

Jephthah

Available

God

Just

Wanted

Jephthah

Step

Through

The

Challenge

Proverbs

Verse

Says

These

Words

One

Who

Guards

His

Mouth

And

His

Tongue

Guards

His

Soul

From

Troubles

One

Who

Guards

His

Mouth

And

His

Tongue

Guards

His

Soul

From

Troubles

His

Soul

His

Who

Guard

Our

Mouths

Guard

Our

Lips

Protect

What

Comes

Out

Says

Reduce

The

Trouble

That

Bring

Upon

Our

Life

Man

Jephthah

Could

Have

Known

That

Verse

The

People

Israel

Could

Have

Known

That

Well

Those

Are

The

Challenges

Those

Are

The

Things

That

See

Scripture

That

Can

Learn

Apply

Our

Own

Life

It's

Important

For

You

And

Always

Remain

Christ

See

That

The

Gospels

See

That

Matthew

Mark

Luke

That

Are

Remain

Christ

And

When

Remain

Christ

There's

Less

Likelihood

Abandoning

Our

Relationship

The

Lord

When

Remain

Christ

We're

Less

Likely

Say

Words

That

Got

Destructive

Tendencies

Them

We're

Less

Likely

Make

Promises

Our

Spouse

We're

Never

Going

Able

Hold

Keep

It's

All

That

Remaining

Relationship

God

Staying

Grafted

Who

God

And

What

God

About

Let's

Pray

Together

Lord

Just

Thank

You

For

Your

Love

For

Father

Thank

You

Much

For

Always

You

Reveal

Yourself

Your

Word

That

Know

Little

About

You

Each

Time

Know

About

Ourselves

Lord

Through

Your

Word

Your

Instruction

Also

Gain

Insight

How

Live

Our

Life

See

What

Not

But

Lord

You

Also

Reveal

What

Can

And

Should

Lord

Help

Take

Your

Word

Heart

Lord

Help

Have

Make

Sure

That

Our

Relationship

With

You

Constant

Father

Help

Realize

Too

Lord

That

Your

Grace

Your

Mercy

Your

Forgiveness

Your

Love

That

Reaches

Out

That

Picks

Those

Low

Places

That

Have

Not

Been

Abandoned

You

But

You

Are

There

Just

Simply

Guide

Love

Lead

Lord

Thank

You

Thank

You

For

Loving

Ask

This

Prayer

Your

Name

Amen

Don't

Know

What

Goes

Your

Heart

Your

Mind

But

Maybe

There's

Something

That

Read

This

Morning

That

God

Just

Said

Something

You

And

Maybe

You

Say

You

Know

Need

Talk

Somebody

Sort

Through

These

Things

Down

Front

Here

While

We're

Singing

The

Closing

Song

Even

After

The

Service

You

Need

Talk

Through

What

That's

Going

Your

Heart

And

Mind

Maybe

You

Realize

You

Need

God

Save

You

Life

You

Need

Come

Him

Your

Lord

And

Savior

You

Need

Establish

Relationship

With

But

You

Don't

Know

What

With

That

I'll

Standing

Down

Front

Love

That

With

You

This

Song

That

The

Band

Leslie

Are

About

With

It's

Become

One

Favorite

Songs

That

I've

Recently

Heard

Wonderful

Reminder

God's

Love

For

Wonderful

Reminder

That

Always

Has

Our

Back

Pray

That

You

Will

Hear

These

Words

Clearly

Pray

That

You

Will

Take

Heart

You

Will

Take

Your

Mind

And

Your

Spirit

Continue

Worship

Together

Thanks again

for listening

to the

Willow Ridge

Church

Weekly

Podcast

We hope

that you

enjoyed

listening

to this

week's

message

you'd

learn

about

who

are

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