Jephthah-The Hammer (Part C)

Whatever you want is leadership that is father ship. He raised his daughter to trust his leadership. No matter what with her own future. And when when it comes push to show this is what he says. Judges 11 verse 35. I have given my word to Yahweh. I cannot go back powerful total is going to set is that I can wiggle out of this. 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. Jephthah the hammer is the title of Pastor Rick's message and today he'll be teaching in Judges chapter 11. He was building up a testimony word was getting around that Jephthah and his men was one posse, you did not want to have coming behind you, coming up behind you. These men recognize that God was making this man into a judge. That's why they're saying we want you to be our commander from Castaway to Cmdr.

You might not of liked him which you were going to respect him. I think the church should be that way. If Christians were that way in the workplace is people despised us because of the salt. The righteousness upon us, they would respect us. We see more converts we had left less problems in our communities. You want to change the way people behave change the way they think about God but the church is so often spoiled her testimony by doing everything on everything, but so often the church just ignores simple things of Scripture and does it their way, and in one of the big ones is casting pearls before swine. The world does not understand the church when we preach a message to her without the Holy Spirit, she just sees hypocrisy. She sees someone preaching an ideal message that they wish was sober when they look at the preachers of the message.

They say this is a fraud. In the end, the woman who rides the beast in the book of Revelation is discovered to actually be a fraud and she is trampled by the beast. They hate her so when the church again is clear about who she is and what what is the church is the bride of Christ was supposed to preach Christ all the other stuff comes with that the righteousness the commandments. The morals all those things are a part and a and indivisible part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But the church all often times extracts from parts of the gospel and puts it upfront before Christ and then you have judges we don't see too much. Now they've abandoned it.

Rightfully so, but trying to say you have to have the word of God and the court solicited a lost flight from the very beginning, God is never called us to that and there was a better way to fight the fight. I know I've said this before but it needs to be said again.

Had they simply said precious Hebrew literature.

They were one that would've been because everybody else's literature is in their but no they had to show how righteous they were disputing that they are honest and decent clean folks love the Lord will be in heaven. But on this item on this line item.

They were wrong and the result is we had write you a righteous judge, no longer on the bench.

Just when we need him. We have to learn to fight distinct spiritual warfare does not come natural to carnal people at what what we are by nature and so the Chiefs they come to him and of course he says all right I'll be the commander before I get to verse 11 oh I want to come to the next group of opposition were talking now the four corners that were against him, his family would discuss them.

We discussed at the tribal elders and now we come to the ammonites themselves.

They were Israel's chief tormentor in Jeff this day we read about it again.

Verse four came to pass after time that the people of a mom made war against Israel. Okay, we've we've got that established. This was going to be a bloodbath in the end, but who is going to prevail, that meant everything to one survival. And God answered the face of lies that came through these adversaries through this man Jeff who a lot of people were uncomfortable with. And we find that Jephthah in the church. Many Christians are prepared for that. There used to pushovers. They used to people agreeing with no matter what, regardless of what silly emotional thing.

They come up with. They used to people agreeing with them making a treaty with them tolerating them. But what they cannot stand to someone saying no can't take that they often leave or they stay and they become and Absalom at the gate or some variation of a troublemaker within God's house and they do this as though they justified because their feelings were hurt. This is a message that if you get in your church know that other churches not all of them, but a great many of them are not preaching this but cannot say it to their congregations why the congregations are so incredibly guilty to be an uprising who wants that Monday morning.

What pastor wants to wake up to it. Congregational split or uprising. I think Congregational split so despicable should never have happened. For this reason you didn't like that place. You should've been long gone.

What you should not of done is hung around to amass the following. And when you split and you take people you're saying. I stayed when I didn't like it, until I had enough to move in even if that's not the case. That's how it looks. Yet you can't change these things which that doesn't mean you let these things change.

You as a God's answer to the lies of Amnon which will get to in a moment was the hammer. That's how God was going to deal with these people see the ammonites. They settled down in the corner of the promise land that was not theirs. This is the where the Gilead you know Manasseh Gad half the tribe of Manasseh, Gad and Ruben.

They stayed on the east side of the Jordan. While these from Amann had claimed a section of that land for themselves.

They had a grudge towards Israel there grudge was this that land was never theirs and they didn't like that Israel got it, not them, but this is 300 years ago.

That's when it all happen when Moses was still leading the nation of Israel is a live nursing the grudge any of you nursing a grudge making a comfortable making sure it has everything it needs to stay healthy and strong. The nurse distinct to help the vindictive spirit is a lying spirit is something all of us meeting, you must be on guard against in the best way to do that is is start off by believing what God said and embracing it.

Vengeance is is of someone's dealt wrong with you, he'll deal with that most of the time is not our place to deal with this and even in the administration of justice.

It's the administration of justice is not revenge is not a satisfaction of some urgent side to prevail. So here is a concise overview of What Was Taking Pl. in Judges chapter 11 in verses 16 through 22 when the ammonites's came and said this is our land use stolen from us. Jephthah who is now the judge and the commander of the people he schools them. In the Old Testament.

You can read that verse 16 through 22 and then he response to them with. To the victor go the spoils. If you want to victory through your gods, you would claim that as your gods will. Will we won this to our God, and it is our God's will that this land be ours to the victor go the spoils.

That's how the game is played and then he schools and he says better kings than you had a chance to protest this and they knew better and they did not. They stayed out of it. What's your problem and he says and then that's in verse 25 we talking about phallic who who employed Balin to curse God's people, but he could not do it and then he says to them you had 300 years 300 years to bring this up, and now you bring it up.

Your protest is worthless and that's in verses 26 and 27 and then finally after he stands up to them. With this with his biblical background which comes out in those verses.

He has to slaughter them on the battlefield because they won't back down the landgrab. They're trying to assert power.

They're trying to gain more power in its insatiable they want to to bully the people of God, God raised up Jeff who would not be bullied by anyone God's people prevail, the enemy was forcibly evicted from the place they occupied among God's people in God's land received to this day in the whole world. Nurse is a grudge against Israel. Instead of saying hey you know what maybe all these Old Testament prophecies maybe do something to it.

That's why their judgment will be sure it will be just so intolerant. Jephthah yet dogmatic, absolutely harsh and unforgiving when it came to dealing with lies absolutely era must be dealt with. That is the man Jeff era must be dealt with. How about personally. What about when I know this something I do that's wrong.

Am I willing to admit to myself.

To me that this is not right. If I cannot do that. I am I am trouble to others and myself to.

But I'm trouble to others and if I don't know that it's wrong or it's a gray zone.

It's a difficult thing that I not speaking about that, I'm talking about when we know that something we are thinking or feeling or doing is wrong and we refuse to admit it to ourselves. We are the one in era and God at some point is going to deal with it is not going to tolerated his people and if you're not one of his people. You got bigger problems than a one day going to fall upon you, and that without remedy, and so then finally there is there are his compatriots. The tribe of Ephraim Jennifer God used to teach this arrogant bunch, not to threaten him and not to create Civil War Judges chapter 12 verses one through three.

This is after he dealt with Amann and is victorious now. Then the men of Ephraim gathered together crossed over Xenophon and said to Jeff though. Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Amann and did not call us to go with you will burn your house down on you with fire. Big mistake. Dude, do you know who you're talking to. This is this is why I love this guy. These Ephraimites had pulled the same thing with Gideon.

Gideon was a little bit different character Gideon use soft words kind words and he fought back a be be back Civil War God is saying to Jeff after I've already dealt with this once with them now going to do with this way, Jeff, that was not like Gideon diplomacy was not his forte. He was cut and dry know yes and if he could answer no. Yes, it was that clear. Those were his answers anything outside of that you are looking for fistfight and you will lose this man was trained by God to be the man that he was.

He did not soften the facts when he dealt with wrong people.

He did not pretend that the evil they were doing was somehow salvageable that there were some things and what you're not so bad.

He did, he would not look on the bright side wall for right side when there was no right side is this darkness is what it is and it's those who are emotionally driven or corrupt that don't like now.

Maybe I'm talking to you. Maybe you're one of those high-octane over-the-counter. Most of Lucas find to be emotional at certain times, but not when it comes to truth and error is never acceptable. You will cause problems for others.

How come you didn't come to my birthday put anyone to why can't that be the and I know it's not that easy. Their variables and that I mean if it's his wife you're going to have problems you argue about your wife brought you dumb Yum. Sorry there's no hope for you but a lot of people on your life and they need to to get over it but they won't nurse that grudge will. Where else can you be, or we we people of Christ.

Where else can be weak with can we be corrected like this in the pulpit. Excellent idea because if he were to walk up to you and confront you one on one, there would be always the skin. Oh that would be bad, but when God's fist bringing it out from his word to so escape all of fire exit is sealed. Now you have conviction, so I needed to get back to this concerning you from this tribe now came against this man of God when they threatened to burn his house down. I would love to see the look on Jeff's face is probably taken off his coat. All right, what if he was a gunslinger that would be the point with the music would play in the distal which show and wouldn't be long before the undertaker had more business and he could handle verse two of chapter 12 it says and Jeff the said to them, my people and I were in a great struggle. Stop right there. I mean, that's life right we were doing something that Nehemiah's word. I'm doing a great, great work. I cannot come stop and come down and hold your hand sorry and he goes on with the work is is my people and I were in a great struggle with the people of them and then he says and when I called you you did not deliver me out of their hands. I gave you notice I called you to help you stand in front of me all hot and bothered because your feelings are bothered you like the reality that you confronted with when you created it and you want me to pretend that these things on so you want me to somehow say to you, I'm sorry, boss, but I'm not saying any of that until you like.

It is I'd you know we don't read about Mrs. Jeff. We know he had a daughter and you need to pause here and confront that right away.

I do not believe Jephthah offered his daughter up as a burnt offering, but I do believe he offered his daughter up to a chase life and I can.

We don't have time to get the whole sermon by itself to deal with all of what the text says and and and what really happened and is kind of foolish to think such a man of God was called a man of faith would've committed a crime beyond sin, but the story makes it clear the holiday that was created because of that, and so forth and so mutant knocking that out of the way here, Jeff.

The standing before them.

Not pretending that their wrongs do not exist. Not giving an inch, to them reminded of the apostle Paul not yielding for one hour and again if you do this and you are right you will be wrong by people who are supposed to be right.

We understand when people outside of the church don't like the way we do what we do.

But when the people in the church? Righteous methods that is always disappointing. I'm not saying people should question things. Not all product dictatorship. But when it is righteous. That's the end of the discussion you would think you would think Ephraim would've said. Praise God, he raised up judges and Jeff who dealt with this, but know they want some of the spoils. They want power. They do not want this man to be a judge. They want to be a judge E from you know they were in descendent of the son of Joseph. They felt that they save the nation nevermind Manas others brother and after a while the northern kingdoms would even be referred to as Ephraim the clout that they craved yet you picked a bad day and one guy try to force some sort of street respect from him. And so Ephraim fought with their feelings and did not like the reality that existed and that was inescapable. And if you again if you think that your feelings are not gonna like this man.

But if you're thinking by faith. You cannot escape the merits and the value of such a character or character traits in your own heart as a male or female is not a promotion of of all being harsh again. He was not harsh. Now some folks.

By nature they are in Christ.

The spirit is given them a diplomatic spirit of someone in my family that is just I'm here they could turn back a tidal wave with diplomacy now. Now there has to be more parts of the other parts of the oceans you want to go to an end and that the waves would go away in shame, but the will of us. We don't have that the shooting at the shapes are like rock, scissors, knife, you gotta know when to use the right thing to deal with whatever is in front of you and for this moment, Jeff.

That was the man, and in those times in life, you have people that are out of bounds and they need to be brought back inbounds Jeff the that is the man. So when they threatened to burn his house down. They did not understand they just sign their own death warrant.

This was going to be huge that he has something why say listen to the emotionalism inside of this tribe of Ephraim.

They had no stomach for fighting M on themselves. They knew they were swatting in that part portion of land they knew they were threatening war. They knew that it was going to be an insatiable appetite but they were afraid they did not want to go out onto the battlefield and the fact that E from that Jephthah goes out and deals with them decisively with their false claims. Then like that.

You would think they say no, wait a minute. We weren't tough enough to go against him on Jeff that was maybe is not a good idea to pick with him. Maybe we should go find me and of the tribe of Asher or the tribe of Naphtali and pick on that but Jeff does the guy believe alone, but they can't because their feelings are doing the thinking at this point and now that you know to save face.

They're going to have to go through with this whole thing and is going to cost many lives. They made the mistake to think of thinking that they could push this man around and they had no right to do it. So finally he was a man of action man of God's word in his own word, under God's word that's integrity when he said something he did it.

We know this because, of course, when he said, Lord, if you give me this victory and he's wanted publishes this give me this victory whatever comes out my house first to greet me.

I will offers a burnt offering to you and it was his daughter dies as stated he did not sacrifice his daughter is a blood sacrifice.

But he sacrificed everything in this life was everything for him. She in evidence of his upbringing. Since dad whatever you want whatever you want.

I'm good with that is leadership that is father ship.

He raised his daughter to trust his leadership. No matter what with her own future. And when when it comes push to show this is what he says. Judges 11 verse 35. I have given my word to Yahweh, and I cannot go back on it powerful a total what is going to do this set is that I can wiggle out of this. I guess I do over these of his big words, they are robust their masculine is nothing flabby or cheap about those words. They are high-priced upper level words. I've given my word to Jehovah God I cannot go back on and I want some of that I want as much of that like collecting manna on on Friday. I want to collect as much of it as I can for the Sabbath come and then in Judges 11 verse 27 I'm reading from the old King James version dealing with his adversaries. Again, he says, but without do with me. Wrong to war against me you messing with the wrong guy and and you're wrong I'm right is not like well you know I'm just you know than the other song Beverly Roy Brown use me as guy in hotel, but he was still creepy guy Jeff is not a creepy guy but he is made as a junkyard dog and so is as you do wrong war against me this other understatement. You know when someone says something negative just Jeff and everybody back to regret those words when it when I get to heaven.

I have no questions for Jeff.

I would just like to look them in the eyes and shake his hand, submissiveness, a model of a man of of and in the midst of adversity from every corner of life.

Judges chapter 11 verse 29. Listen to what is says in the spirit of Jehovah came upon Jeff. The and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead and from Mizpah of Gilead.

He advanced to the people of them on no backing down once he was on the warpath. He is going to see it through, and the Holy Spirit captured this followed Jeff again.

He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and Mizpah of Gilead. They could've backed Danica thought of you know what maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe we need some woman sent another note to Ephraim. We could sure use his battalions only.

No battalions, battalions, I don't got no stinking but okay anyway so here's is a close to the whole thing. There was more to Jephthah than other people's rules that I like that about him. He put those who needed to be put in their places like that about him. When was his authority mother.

They came to him is a counterpunch or don't bed not understatement is in a critical part of what were talking about when Jephthah pulled his sword.

It's because someone else pulled this first one is free to side against him, but only so far for the hammer drops this respect that's to understand that is not an inflexible man but he is an intolerant man after you reach the point of no return if he was labeled harsh. It is because he refused to cooperate with wrong ideas you come across a Jeff for in life. It is best to not try to inform him, let him be made is makers image so finally you do yourself. Wrong war against this type of serving.

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. This teaching is available free of charge at our website. Just visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you can do so@crossreferenceradio.com or search for cross reference in your favorite podcast app store.

That's all for today joined Pastor Rick for more character study right here on the cross reference or a