Jephthah-The Hammer (Part A)

In Jeff this day.

Israel chose their he did not choose any is not the only one the apostates they have a way of being outstanding. They will be left outstanding from heaven's gates. That is an ear deducible minimal to be against God is to be under the law.

The law is God's irreducible minimum you cannot break a little piece of it be okay this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Judges chapter 11 as he begins his message Jephthah the hammer of text is the first verse of Judges 11, coupled with Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 and I'll just read the segments of the worst of it. Hope would set the tone for all also going to consider about this this judge of Israel in verse one of chapter 11 it says now just for the Gilead diet was a mighty man of valor and ongoing father. Yet you may know it, but will get to the rest of the verse.

Hopefully.

But that is the key to this personality is reconsidering the life and times of the people of the Bible. This man just for that is the outstanding thing about him. The Holy Spirit preserves this statement mighty man of valor when we get to Hebrews in the New Testament the writer of Hebrews comments on Jephthah. He speaks of Gideon and Bari consent and Sampson, but Jeff that is right in there with them and just taking excerpts from verse 32.

It says that time would fail me to tell of Jeff Katz's time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barrick and Jeff Bowen of Sampson, but time would fail us to tell about this man.

There's there's just so many things that come out of his life that are beneficial to us.

So I like to talk about the times that he lived in the man himself, his upbringing, his adversaries, and some closing thoughts and lessons we may gather from such Bible characters. Is this man in those days Israel her leaders were called judges.

They did not have kings yet, Samuel would be the last judge of Israel before the people began to whine about having a king like the other nations. We are about 300 years after Moses and about 1300 years before John the Baptist nods to so happens, there are some songs that we have in our culture that kind of fit.

Some of these characters of Joab, you might say.

If you see me walking better step aside a lot amended and Lotta men died. That was Joab, not number nine coal just don't get in his way.

A ruthless man, but that could not fit Jeff as strong a character as he is, rather, to say, brought at the shoulders and narrow at the hip. Know what everybody did give a lip to Jeff, and I don't not a countrified Jeff Jeff about. You didn't give any let this man not much and I hope that comes out as we we go through this and so again, this time stamped 300 years after Moses 13 before John the Baptist. Of course, the forerunner of our Lord coming at that time also. But in those days, the Israelites often found room for every kind of God except God. Why want to hear that because that's how it is where I live to, they might've been 300 years after Moses 1300 before Christ. But I'm telling you 2000 years after Christ, people make room in their hearts and in their lives.

For every God out there except God. All the fake ones. Paul tried to talk to them about the snap zone speak to you about this unknown God courses message would've been and was he is the only God and all your other ones are frauds and so they had room enough to spare for the file and the vicious Canaanite gods that they loved so much, that makes them apostates who hungered and thirsted for every false idea about deity and then serve that false idea regardless of how severe it was on those in your own household all around. Unfortunately a lot of people claim the true God. Today Jesus Christ. Yet, they make life severe for those around them wrong way is the salt of the earth.

We make life severe for those who are against righteousness, but not for those who share the truth.

That's the ideal that's not always unfortunately again the idea. So, the God of Abraham, God of Moses, God of Joshua, who led them into this promised land is not as much fun as the gods we discovered in this promised land. In spite of the fact that he is true and kind and gracious, strong, and had proven himself time, the countless times that still just was not enough for the flesh to be satisfied Israel. As with the church through the ages, struggled with truth and hard time with no problem claiming it, it's didn't want to live it this time. It took about struggling to live it. I mean he didn't want to limit get all the difference between a rank sinners.

One of you doesn't care the born-again washed in the blood believer cares when they sin it is a big issue to them deciding factor.

I believe in one's eternal state.

Those who consider themselves broad-minded enough to embrace the Canaanite gods would be we would call a liberal in their theology, which is a euphemism for damned for condemn for doomed enemy of God. They were tolerant and broad-minded folk held high positions in the tribes in the villages, the land they thought by making peace with the existing gods that somehow their life would be more peaceful is no peace where there is no truth New Testament course addresses this and why am taking the time to share with our Wednesday night scholars of the word because we need to be reminded of the stink so we can use them see and not always being taught from the pulpit. Many times you are being refitted. That's right. Forgot about that. That's done when you use that tomorrow. That sort of atmosphere is created when the pastor stirs up the congregation with things that are very familiar to us yet. Perhaps a bit out of sight. So when Jesus says enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.

There are many who going by it.

He's talking about the broad-minded full who thinks that one way of salvation is to narrow the one the one that thinks that there's a broader way a wider way will we agree with that person that there is a broader and wider way. But it's path leads to destruction that destruction is eternal truth is always narrow all the time without exception.

Truth is dogmatic.

It is exclusive to +2 equals four. Mathematically, in reality, true +2 does not equal, for it is for this little room for discussion or debate when were using that mathematical simple equation to stress the absolute truth about the God who created the equation so when we say to someone, you do agree that there are absolutes in our universe that 2+2 is four. Not using the equal work is not talking about mathematics. God, we've gone beyond mathematics. We use such an illustration. 2+2 is always for whether it is bad for all good for it before, and nothing else, no more no less. No discussion or debate statement is absolute era era. By contrast, is broad is accommodating. It makes room for that which is a lie we know all that the father of lies of Satan and Satan's agenda is always, without exception, the destruction of the human soul by any means he can pull off era has a wide field in which to operate. But truth by nature is narrow have to understand us as Christians that the message we carry is beautiful and it is narrow and that is that when we think that maybe God missed a beat hero. There we can fill it in for him. We are sinning. Jesus said because narrow is the gate difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it. Why don't they find that they don't want to find it. That's why it's not like it's hard I can find. We know this is the way walk in it and I don't want that is not as much fun this is the is what the life and times of the people of the Bible are the life and times of the people of the Bible is are the characters of the Bible we are using to our benefit for us because we too are people of the Bible.

Though our names are not in the Scripture we are in the Scripture era is always wrong. Truth is always right in Jeff Thursday Israel chose era. He did not choose era and is not the only one, but the apostates they have a way of being outstanding. They will be left outstanding from heaven's gates. That is an ear reducible minimum to be against God is to be under the law.

The law is God's irreducible minimum you cannot break a little piece of it and be okay. You cannot reduce the penalty of breaking God's law is irreducible so is his judgment is fierce, and we believe that we know is true, we believe it by faith in faith is a miracle and it is nothing but a miracle. And aren't we glad God has miracles that God can perform that which is inescapable and unexplainable at the same time we call it if we don't we, but the world has a word for that is proper place. It's right. It's a phenomenon. But when we come to Scripture, is an act of God, and so they had as much era as they chose to have as do people today and is not a cultural war that we Christians are preoccupied with is a spiritual war that exceeds culture that includes everyone of every culture reminds us that there's nothing new under the sun. That Earth is a closed system that nothing is coming into this planet.

Unless God allows it.

That makes Jeff the and all the other characters in Scripture that makes their life relevant to my life because nothing is new under the sun. I want to learn to embrace what was from God in their lives and to reject what was not that of those of the times of Jeff as to the man. As mentioned, I think I mentioned Lisa thought enough study does not a man to be fooled with.

He was a counterpunch was in punch counters but if you punched him he punch you right back before you had a chance to stop. He was not the one that provoked violence but he dealt with it. He dealt with it. The hammer deals with a nail if you were going to find somebody to bully. He was not the guy defined scrapper there many other titles, names and adjectives that we could apply to to Jeff the they would all be accurate it would be accurate to call him a hard man that would be right.

Jeff the was a hard man. That's what I hammer the hammer is hard to what it would be inaccurate to call him a harsh man.

I am now old enough to be puzzled that some aberrant behaviors. Where is. Maybe last week, I'd be more tend to get angry with and how often I've saddened marital counseling sessions where the man was wrong flat wrong and felt that he was being handled too harshly by Kane that killed my brother. But this can coming out pretty hard on me.

God wants you so puzzling.

The mystery of lawlessness it wants to be the recipient of mercy, but it doesn't want to give any out the form of ego gluttony. So yeah Jeff, that was a hard man. His harshness was from God. If I had to compile a short list of man to go with me into a tough neighborhood or through a tough mission to be on the shortlist to be on the first list is an underdog in Scripture and overcome her is what action movies are made out of the Rocky story and other movies like that.

He is the outcast hero sought by the establishment who cast him out and now want them on him to help them out is follow that he didn't play by their rules. So they got rid of.

It's a little deeper than that will get to that momentarily, but this is also part of the story. He didn't. He was cast out, through no fault of his own and the one to cast them out of the ones who went to bring him back when they needed him.

This too shows up in many an action, an action movie because we understand that there is an injustice taking place, but it is being overcome by the justice within the hero of the story and we want to put our face on the shoulders of that hero we want to be heroes for God this man is in the Bible is a hero of faith and I want say just reverses about him I like him a lot. In fact, this is not one of the characters on the requested characters. When we put out the boxes to stay with you like to hear us here this pulpit address any of these characters Jeff the was not one of them, but I felt strong compelling of the Lord to do Jeff.

Nonetheless, Judges 11 again verse one. Our text just the text of tonight's message. Now Jeff. There was a Gilliard Gilliard. I reread that now Jeff to the Gilliard diet was a mighty man of valor. Then in verse 35 in Judges 11 we hear him speaking. He says I have given my word to the Lord and I cannot go back on it. Then again, that secondary verse of our text time would fail me to tell Jeff, wouldn't you like someone to be able to say that about you in a righteous way and I like to tell you about this person. If I got time because God is just all over them. Spirit flows out of them just the right person for the for XYZ you whatever is going on at the moment and it is true that at times God seeks a man who is hard against wrong and and that's Jeff. He seeks such a hard natured man for service in the midst of greed and folly and apostasy. In other words, God is trying to do something about the wrong that is going on and is using such an outcast character that others might find abrasive but is really nonabrasive.

God cannot always work with pleasant folk needs someone that's willing to stand up the things that others don't want righteous people to stand up to an indomitable spirit.

In other words, you will not dominate me you will not dominate my spirit with your sin or your blasphemy. Whatever Indiana I will be worshiping the Lord and so is judgeship great service to the nation save countless lives. The promise land people we know as the Jews did not accommodate era and he did not accommodate emotionalism. And if you do this in your own life if you refuse to accommodate emotionalism and era you will be labeled by someone or some group you will be wrong and if you're one of those people that is easily excited and is and and and let's step excitement run away with your behavior and you're good with that. You are like a man like Jeff is going to be rain on your parade my own life. There are a lot of things I just flat out don't like that people have come up with holidays is one of I don't like I don't mind of others like him. I don't judge them, but I'm not going let anybody force me to skip along the something that I don't have to skip to and I made many an enemy over the year.

This is why I like this guy.

I think I can tell you how many times a bid in an environment where someone is popped up all the awesome awesomeness to this is in no way over-the-top that I don't like you is you not playing along this have to be something that is sinful is just something that steals your freedom. I don't want to be a person that lays on laser trip on people as as we used to say colloquially, I don't want to lay my burden on someone else. I want to be that guy. But I also don't want to be the guy someone else lay something on what we have a customer around here and if you don't do this. What if I don't do it. What I don't love you at all of them birthday parties going mother hey we learn to like being this way, here's here's an example and get back on Texan women.

There was a time when there was a baby coming that they would have a baby shower, but Scott is an appropriate name for anything with a little baby but anyway and all the ladies would go and and be at the ladies with the baby shower, and the men would have free time they could go hunting, eat earthworms, they can do anything they wanted to do notice within the last few years.

Somebody's trying to put an end to this. They now have a cubbyhole for all the men to gather in and open the little window they put in ships and soul and they close it back now if you like that, that's fine. But if I don't like it don't you try to come against me about this is all fine with these incidental things there probably people of the tuning in to just turn this off long time ago when I mentioned birthdays and that said I don't want to hear it and that's my point is the very point we have no right to lay on other people, our standards, regardless of how much of a thrill we get out of it and this man typifies this this case is worse and that he was wrong before birth before he was even born. Things went wrong for him again. Judges chapter 11 verse one nudge after the Gilliard. I was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot.

Gilliard begot Jeff as part of his life, tragedy was the son of a father who was unfaithful. How do you as a man be taught to be a man by a dad whose unfaithful by a dad who did not take the time in spite of his mistake to take steps to make it right because look at verse two. Judges 11 Delia's wife, more sons, and when his wife sons grew up. They drove Jeff out and said to him you shall have no inheritance in our father's house. You are the son of another woman will read about. Their names are not listed in Hebrews 11, but Jeff that is so before birth. He had unfaithful father, but it gets worse for him. Not only did he have a father that trampled upon his marriage vows, but he had an unclean mother as well. Jeff there was a child of shame, something that he was on the blame for that and stop people from stoning him, not with rocks but in their heart with their words. What a miserable childhood must've been. He was a fragment of a home that never was. Now, if you've been born and raised in a fine home, you can appreciate this when I think of my childhood which stands out to me the most is my parents love more than anything and everything else speckled, good, bad, that parental love is always right. My father you know he had a scowl when he was upset he had a scowl and he wasn't and he wasn't upset as a loving man and I appreciate my dad and my mom more and more as time goes by. I tried to think about it too much in the pulpit.

I don't break down this man just the did not have that is cheetah didn't get it move.

You've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast is teaching is available free of charge at our website.

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