When the Good Goes Bad

Tom, I want to begin this weekend by to give you additional quick preview about where we are going to go from here. This is going to be our last week in our study of judges before we take a little break will come back to it during the summer, but I figure you had had enough for an scandal at church for a little while at least starting next week were going to be doing a two week series on the cross cousins that doesn't have any door or scandal in it, but we're going to do that going into the Easter season, by the way, I think just about any we can hear the summer church is a good weekend for you to to bring a friend with you because we always try to make the message very accessible and to engage people with questions of their asking, but I think especially there the Easter season. You and I have a unique opportunity to reach out to people that might be open to come to a church service. A place like this for the very first time you have an opportunity like you saw in that video to extend an invitation to extend an invitation, which literally could alter somebody's eternity so I hope that nobody will show up here on Easter Sunday alone. I hope it all you we bring people to be baptizing people to be fantastic on this Friday. By the way, I got a mix in this adversary of Butterfield who was a a an English professor at Syracuse University practicing lesbian came to faith in Christ is to be here telling her story it's in one of those amazing things ever heard our college ministry is hosting that, but it's open all of you, I would invite you to be a part of that if you if you want to come right after Easter. I'm going to get into a series called from the beginning in which we discussed for a few weeks. God's designs for relationships, sex, how would you be looking at what kinds of sexual relationships give life and what kinds destroy it. This is a topic that a lot of people ask me about and so were going to address it for a few weeks were to talk about everything from singleness to same-sex attraction to what it looks like to have a healthy marriage on sustaining marriage for years I've heard it said that if love is a dream marriage can sometimes be the alarm clock and so were going to look at how does not, as you do not have that happen so high anyway, but this week this week we are going to bring our study of judges to a conclusion temporarily as we see in the conclusion the Gideon story and where the writer of judges takes us from their so if you have a Bible and invite you to open it to Judges chapter 8 Judges chapter 8 and I have to begin this weekend by recanting something that I said to you last week in telling you that Gideon was described as a tumbling loaf of bread. I said that no one would ever choose the biscuits as their team mascot. But lo and behold, I got about 40 messages after church telling me there is indeed a baseball team in Montgomery Alabama called the Montgomery biscuits. It came complete with a T-shirt high so so I feel like it was my responsibility to hang Madden to wear here for you so go biscuits go visit. I think one of the worst experiences in life has to be when you take a big swig of milk only to find that it has gone bad happen to me.

Not too long ago I actually felt the lumps of the kernels before I tasted the tape east. It is one of the scariest moments to me is when you are you when knowing that the date is just a couple days past and you are to bring it to your nose to smell if it's gone bad, because you don't thought out notes expensive and so is your is right before he gets up there to your nose is like that moment right before you get a take blood. I know it's not to be that Babbage's please get it over with because of the lateness, or if you're a parent.

Maybe you identify with this when you find that lost sippy cup in the back of your minivan and you're not quite sure what liquid is and there is a water is it milk because of its milk.

It's going to be the apocalypse. When I open it but anyway we are going to look at a good leader this weekend who turned sour her spoils. He never becomes an evil man per se. He just goes batting spoils and he's going to end up ruining his ministry is going to end up ruining the people to follow him and is going to spoil his kids in the process. In order to see today. Three generations of jet of judges that come off of the spoiling of Gideon. So here we go. Part one part two in part three here, part one Gideon turned sour.

Gideon turned sour. That's chapter 8 we left Gideon last week and left them on a high. Gideon had just pulled off what is arguably the most incredible upset in military history with only 300 soldiers you defeated a massive Midianite Army probably scholar say about 100,000 Midianite soldiers without even a single casualty on getting inside how you picture the scene of a been carrying around Gideon on their shoulders and opening champagne bottles and enchanting go biscuits go biscuits. But when he gets back to Israel as often happens after a great victory.

Israel is backbiting and bickering with each other, argued about who should of gotten credit who got snob know what kind of stuff.

So the next chapter opens up with Gideon in conflict with two different clusters of Israelites, the first cluster is a friend which is a large, wealthy tribe in Israel they seem really to have had their pride hurt because they got left out. Gideon only took 300 soldiers. A lot of people what represented me for I am the feelings hurt because they were the Biggest Baddest Most Important Dr. in Israel and they did want represented and so they were they were miffed.

The second group is a couple small townships called suck up and pay has to be one of the worst names for a town in the Bible, but they just refuse to help Gideon because they just don't take Gideon that seriously they don't really think of him without much gravitas. When you look at it really the offenses of the frail men and Val suck a continual RRC pretty similar. They're both snubbing Gideon as a leader. What is striking is how differently. Gideon responds to each. The large wealthy if radium Gideon responds with flattery. He tries to woo them back over because the rich to the smaller towns of sucker continual. However, Gideon responds with harshness you actually go so far as to torture the leaders of sucker by wrapping them in Breyers and and beating them and he does levels without a pain you will and kills all of its inhabitants. His responses are inconsistent. They really seem based more on what is best for Gideon and really and ascertaining of what God wants of the situation using Gideon needed the tribe of Ephraim because they were wealthy and because he knew he couldn't be them anyway.

So we flatter than to get them back on his side. Sucker continual.

There small and insignificant and are weaker than he is. So he does wipe them out. Maybe the biggest point here is that in either case, that he consult God to ask what God wanted Gideon simply did what God would Gideon felt like doing because I'm Gideon have the power to do it. So now it's about what he does what you're seeing is that something is happening in Gideon's heart fresh off this incredible victory over the Midianites. Gideon has already forgotten. It seems as battle it was to begin with.

Gideon has assumed that it was his strength that accomplish this in his heart is turned inward and it is begun to spoil you see Gideon used to say successes just join Jesus wherever he is now Gideon says success with me doing whatever I want to do. Gideon used to say I am so desperate for you that I can go anywhere without you, Jesus, because it your power not mine. Now Gideon says I'm a man of power and I can do what I want to do. Verse 22 than the men of Israel, said Gideon rule over us.

You and your son and your grandson also because you have saved us from the hand of Midian, but Gideon said back to Ben.

I will not rule over you and my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you. That was actually a great response on Gideon's part because God told Israel that Israel was not to have a king because God would be their king, so, so far so good but jump down to verse 30 now Gideon had 70 signs his own offspring, Gideon had many wives. Gideon has a harem and 70 signs, which is pretty king like because only teens in those days had a white pool like that verse 31 and his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son and Gideon called his name Abimelech. Now Abimelech in Hebrew literally means my dad is the king what sounds like Gideon thinks of himself as king. After all, go back to verse 24 Gideon said to them, every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil. Now Gideon is collecting taxes. That's also pretty king like verse 27 Gideon made and he fought out of it and put it in a city and all Israel poured after Advair to begin a snare to Gideon into his family and he thought was the best that was worn by the high priest in the presence of God.

When a high priest when intimate request on behalf of the people got a given very specific instructions that it was only to be worn by the tribe of Levi, and only at the tabernacle. Gideon has now created his own version of that Gideon may not be trying to deny God altogether. But Gideon has put himself in the place of God, and Gideon has taken onto himself.

Some things that belong only to God and is now directing people's attention away from God. What has happened to Gideon when it seems that his victory has given Gideon a taste for glory and that glory leaves that take for glory leads and the blasphemy and instead of being a blessing to Israel.

The deliverer of Israel is become a curse to them is become a stumbling block that keeps them from having faith in God. Rather than leading them to faith in God. I will be honest with you Summit church as your leader. This fills me with fear and trembling, because maybe there is no leader in the Old Testament's who provides a better example for us of faith filled courageous leadership. Gideon leads God's people to do things they have never done before. He pulls off the most incredible victories, but at the end he sours and he makes it all about himself and he ends up leading people astray. You see, would Gideon we see something that we have yet to see in the book of Judges, the people fall away from God. While the judge is rainy, not after you see in every other case, the people fell away after the judge died.

Gideon's generation fell away while Gideon was in power and because of how Gideon used his power and see it makes me asked me and I asked our pastoral team this week. What if I teach you what if we teach you successfully to believe God for great things.

And what if God doesn't really do plan a thousand churches in our generation. What if we sent out 5000 people on mission all over the world. What if we change the religious the spiritual climate of Raleigh-Durham and we start rewriting the history here. What if we transform our college campuses so that they become places where the gospel but what if God gives us all that and then at the very ends after we had all that success, we make it all about us and what if I and what if your pastoral team become a stumbling block to you. You see, from Gideon's life during the season clear indicators that you begun to make it all about you. Never happens all at once. It just starts to happen by dilemma. Gillis slows out for you become apply more to those of us that are in an empty and leadership on user asset here, and I yell you, you want to consider.

Listen to yell at me for a while. Okay so Jason present JD just get the lesson from here the sign that is begun to come become all about you.

One in frequent prayer whenever it becomes about you. Prayer becomes infrequent Gideon at the beginning didn't have to be told to pray to God. He was desperate for God and so he would know the notion of going anywhere without asking God what he wanted and he would he would have done right there.

Many of us who are leaders who pray as a discipline right anywhere.

What is type A and alkyl.

We get up every morning and we do up your time with God, and it includes a prayer time and that's all prayer is a discipline is is great. Prayer is desperation is better because when you really understand your dependence on God.

You don't need to be disciplined or pray you do it. I describe it like breathing right at the least discipline person in here does not need to be reminded to brief I don't care who you nobody has to call you and say you hate us one check in on you man hold you accountable you breathing today. I series you gotta do this you just dictated you got the victory debris right now. Do it happen. Why is your body craves air.

When you understand how dependent you on God nobody's got a discipline you to be able to play computers do it because it's instinctive and you could not do it. One of the signs that you have begun to make it all about you and operate in your power is prayer becomes more of a discipline for you than it does desperation. Here's the second thing that that that happens.

A failure to consult others. Not only does Gideon felt consult God evenly consult anybody know I've seen this so many times.

Where would you get a leader that begins to get successful and so no studies on a different plane. Now it in your ability to listen anybody thinks higher than everybody else.

He is an island even need to humbly listen other people. He's the one that always knows best. I've seen this more times and I can tell you, and it always destroys Proverbs 18 worn a man and isolated man seeks his own desire and he rages against all sound judgment is begun to become about you when you quit humbly listening to people as if you are wise and God is not even able to speak to you through other people, you just quit listening, here's number three. When you begin to have resentment in your article 3 resentment when it's all about you. You resent those you getting your way, you become harsh and cruel to those who challenge you you you fly off the handle.

People you lose your temper you can forgive people who challenge or obstruct you because that's an insult to you and your leadership except for the rich people, by the way, I Gideon you got a flatter, then you gotta keep them on your side as you need them. Number four materialistic excess is assigned. If we come Gideon takes people's jewelry and makes a suitable goal for himself yell no I'm not a poverty guy. I'm not a God feels like it only you glorify God is by you having the basis things you bottle. You have, God is his eyes, a generous God.

God gives us things he wants us to enjoy what you can see a sign of a Christian leader that is made it all about himself when he or she begins to live excessively on on a different plane than everybody else. And so what they drive and what they wear and how they vacation is just something so far about people because now they are taking from people and they said it's all about me. On the one who deserve the treasure. I don't have the name name for you can probably think of a dozen of them in your mind right now.

Number five constant worrying about your name when it's all about you. You're always guarding your reputation.

Any chance you have the put.your name forward you to do it. That's why you can't handle criticism. That's what you crave praising the constant affirmation because this is about the exultation of your name. Those are signs that it is become about you and maybe you are a great leader. Maybe you let God's people to do such great things would begin you use that success to substitute yourself or God you make an e- five so that people began to look at you and give you the attention that they gave you that success not to turn their attention to you got to do that success simply so that you can point people to Jesus. In fact, the Bible describes what a wedding you think about that some of the wedding. This is the right you are the bride of Christ as a servant of the church.

That's all that I am as a servant. I'm a servant is never to take the attention off of the bride is between the groom and the bride and the best thing I can do is stay invisible as much as I can. John the Baptist converted to wedding the city was like the best man at a wedding. Jesus would be before but you been a wedding and you know that moment the greatest name of the wedding is when there's back doors open and there she stands and all her resplendent glory. The bride is a walk down the aisle to that room at at that moment every eye turns and looks at that bride Basil watching her walk down this always happens right. I'm always up here and I'm watching it happen. Everybody concerts cut knives between the bride and the groom do they want to see if he gets a tear to the Gazetteer that's on the wedding to be awesome right of marriage can be awesome, but you can have now and that's what you imagine in that moment you have the best man standing right here beside the groom. Imagine that you know she's walking down their eyes.

Like you, leans over around the groom is making eyes at her and you start to make and to see me face with her whatever outerwear original floor with her and trying to steal her attention away from the groom onto himself.

I've asked you what would the groom do if you saw that we just laugh and punch the best man of the throat.

Why right because all the best man traditionally all his role is to make sure the wedding happens to make sure the bride gets to the groom safely.

Now he is using his position to steal people's to her attention away from him onto himself. What a horrible offense that would be what a horrible offense. It is to God.

If I take you his bride, and instead of mixing your heart and affection to Jesus Christ. I jump in the way and put on the part of Satan to pay attention to me to.

What a horrible offense to God. What a disservice to you and God help me God help your leaders that it no point of God gives us success. Should we ever stand in the way or ever tried to direct your attention to us because you need to be in love with Jesus Christ, not us. So I will tell you what I said last week. This is what happens to Gideon Didion success lets him makes him stand in the place of God. Christians most often pass the test of adversity. Gideon past that it is the test of prosperity that we fail to see when Gideon was small and weak. He was depended on God it was when he got strong that he forgot automated about himself. Beware your strengths don't bemoan your weaknesses beware your strengths.

Beware, your prosperity, because that is the thing that will woo your heart away from God to give this to you. One of the waiver of one and maybe even more applicable to you. Proper 730 verse five this verse is always haunted me for some of this give me neither poverty nor riches, give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say who is the Lord or become poured steel and so dishonor the name of my God easy was asking God. Don't make it more important than might be tempted to steal. But if you may be rich. I'll probably even forgot how to forget who you are altogether and how to say you who is Lord. I don't really need him to be just enough for today so that I am dependent on you and not on how much money I have now you apply that does that mean it's wrong for Christians have savings accounts are going to be rich, not at all.

It's showing you something about your hearts, it means that when God does prosper you. You have to plead with God. God, do not let these things that you've given me take my heart away from you.I want to be as dependent on you as I was when I had nothing you need to make sure you are is surrender to God when you are rich as you were when you were poor because when you report on God.

I don't know how to free myself tomorrow what you want from today after God is given you wealth you say God it's all still yours. I want to know what you want to do it, surrender to you now as I ever was.

The other thing you should do. By the way is giveaway extravagant amounts of it because there is nothing that will cure the love and trust of money like giving it away. Do not take the success that God gives you. Don't take his blessings and let it spoil you. Didion was going to do great things would be and he shall lose his relationship with God is going to spoil Israel and then his children are going to spoil after him. I do not want to be Gideon where bald guy give me great success. And at the end I lose everything that is precious to me. Which leads me to part two here Abimelech the tumbleweed after Gideon's death. Abimelech maneuver him. He was the son, the Gideon name. My dad is taking all day.

Abimelech says I want to be king like my dad was without the name of someone have the name so then why goes out chapter 9 and he hires a bunch of worthless vagabonds to be his posse and they ambush and kill all 69 of Gideon's other sons except for one and Joe the move escaped by hiding in a closet and Abimelech says well I guess I have to be king now since my dad has no other sons left leaders of Israel, who know all of this goes along with it and crown Abimelech at Shechem King. This was a terrible scandal. First of all, as I told you Israel was not supposed to have a keen God was supposed to be there during second when they do choose a king. They choose a brother murdering scoundrel to be there first being in the top it all officeholders down at Shechem which was a holy place for the Jews because it was the birthplace of their nation was a place where God given the covenant Abraham and were God renewed it with Joshua.

One scholar said this would be like Americans reinstituting slavery at a meeting in Gettysburg or restoring the Jim Crow laws in Montgomery will choke on the one brother who escape comes out of hiding when Abimelech is away on a trip and he gets in front of Israel's leaders and he tells them a parable about a about a bunch of trees in a forest who are going to choose for themselves. One tree to be king to first he says they go to the olive tree and they said would you be the king over us because you're awesome. Valtrex is now I don't really want to be bothered without.

It is a map and making too much money making others, olive oil, and so I want to get involved in all the politics and so then they go to the edge of the fig tree image of victory would you be working for Chris is now the whole fig Newton thing just exploded and I got I give myself of that and they go to every tree eventually to go to Grapevine grade bonds. Not much of a tree, but on the WB are king, the reverse is nominal is awesome on all be working to follow the go to tumbleweed and they say the tumbleweed will you be our king.

The tumbleweed says serve up first thing you gotta do is I need you to cut down all the other trees and burning to the ground and so they do that in the tumbleweed becomes their king and then joked and says to the leaders of Shechem.

This is just what you've done an anointing Abimelech to be your leader now and that parable listen to this.

There is an implicit criticism of Gideon's other sons because evidently there were a bunch of them that would've been qualified to lead Israel, but they were too self-interested to go away from the life of ease to get involved in leading Israel. You think they learn that from Bill and Efrain Gideon who uses power to serve himself, and now they don't want to be bothered with leading others because they're too rich but Jonathan's joke of his main critique of Israel's leaders is of Israel's leaders for anointing and obviously worthless. Self-interested opportunistic politician to lead them and show them says this is going to come back on you.

Sure enough, that's what happens. Abimelech turns out to be a terrible leader. No surprise there.

Judges chapter 9 records a dizzying amount of scandal and sabotage and mass murder. During Abimelech's reign. Eventually all those leaders in Shechem that anointed Abimelech realize what a scumbag he is and they revolt against him. So Abimelech and his army attacks them, and so the people there and Shechem flee to the city tower, which in those days was like on, the last holdout on the baby. They go up and that and Didion takes a B2B Abimelech takes ironically enough bunch of tumbleweeds and he packs around the base of the tower lights are on fire so that it burns a thousand people alive in the tower. Then he goes on to the next city and he drives all the people of that city back in the bear tower, but as he is about to like that tower on fire. A woman in the top floor takes a moderately sized millstone which was a kitchen appliance used to grind flour and she drops it out of the top window and it lands on Abimelech's head is quite kill him, but it smashes him up pretty bad and as he's lying there, barely conscious, with his head all mangled.

He says to one of his servants quick kill me with your sword so that I don't go down the book of Judges as yet another guy who got killed by a woman with a kitchen utensil and his servant obliges him and takes a sword and kills him, and he dies now on the story so pleasant, you're likely to release my kids and I before they go to bed yes you should check number 56 does God return the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father and killing his 70 brothers upon his head, literally first 57 and got also made all the evil of the minute Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Joseph and the son of Jared Bayle which was the other name Gideon what is this teaching us what is this generation of judges tediously give you 333 things here in one the story teaches you the God's judgment is slow and sometimes subtle, but it is always sure if you're reading the book of Judges.

You'll notice that when you get to chapter 9 God's name is noticeably absent.

In fact his covenant name is not used at all between the end of chapter 8 and halfway through chapter 10, but the narrator of Judges shows us in chapter 9 verse 56 and 37, which we just read that God has been at work the whole time even though he appears to be absent. He's actually been like the invisible hand in the glove using sinful men is as instruments who have no idea that they're being used by God at all, and what he is showing you is that it may seem for a while like evil was in charge.

It may seem like evil prevails, but stories like this when show you that in the end God will indeed have the last word perfect justice will be served, and God's purposes will be fully accomplished. Not one thing that God has intended will fail to come to pass every single thing that God has determined is going to happen. I have heard it said this way, the wheels of God's justice grind slowly but they grind finally.

Now I told you a few weeks ago that that in this life. We may not see everyone writing. Millstones don't get dropped on the head of every bad person that we know. But every once in a while Scripture records stories like this one to show you that what is not happening here on earth will indeed happen in eternity. And the more important point.

Listen, is this you must not let the slowness of God's judgment, you must not let his apparent absence wool you into complacency because the apostle Peter says that throughout human history, mankind has repeatedly made the mistake of assuming the God's patience is long-suffering and his subtlety and judgment equate with his absence.

In the example of Peter uses is Noah. Did you know that between the time God said to become a flood in the time.

Again, there was nearly 100 years and then Peter says in Noah's generation. They assume that that hundred year gap meant that Noah was a fool and that God had not really spoken to separate the flood came upon them when they weren't even expecting it and they miss use that time they thought of the Lord was slow concerning his promise second Peter chapter 3 the Lord is not slow concerning his promise, Peter said one day with him is like a thousand years from the reason he did it. Peter said, is because the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that also come to repentance. He given them that hundred year space to allow them to repent and they confused though this sign of God's patience with the fact that he wasn't there and I hate reading another coals are all coming thing that that Genesis shows you know there's one other prophecy about the flood. The people always overlook Methuselah know the name Methuselah means in Hebrew when he dies it will come if you add up the years Methuselah died the year that the flood came, he was 969 years old.

The longest man Scripture records living as a sign that God's patience is what holds history together and you must never confuse his space that he's given you to repentance as the fact that he is not there. You see, Peter says this is what you do with the coming of Christ is been 2000 years.

Many of you say well I got time out of winter. Next week, next week because, like this week. Tomorrow will be just like today. Next year because, like this year. I'll get to this later. And Peter says don't be a fool. God is simply done this to give you a space to repent.

But in the moment. You don't realize it's happening. The flood comes the coming of Christ comes. Your death comes and you will of abuse what God intended for patients toward you. When I lived in Southeast Asia.

I am live in the place where the tsunami came through 2004 and killed hundred 80,000 people.

I was gone before it came, but went back into thousand for just three weeks after the tsunami had come to visit that area and I talked to a guy that I knew there he told me the most remarkable story. He said I was on the beach.

I spent the night on the beach with eight friends of mine. We were doing a camp out in the morning the night that the tsunami came to Canada. Think about 8 o'clock that morning and he said that we spent the night there in the beach and he said something focus on the morning none of us knew what was I looking back now realize it was the earthquake is about. We got ourselves up and walked out side and sold the most unusual thing the water you see the pictures had receded back several hundred yards, he said we never said anything like that, he said.

And so my eight friends thought it was the strangest thing so they just went walking out on the ocean bed to see what was going on is that I felt like something was not right. So I got on my motorcycle. I drove back to my parents house because I wanted to check on them because last we heard from any AR of those eight friends. He said I sometimes wonder what it was like for them as they got out there and then suddenly they see a 70 foot high wall water that is coming to not only kill them, but would destroy hundred and 80,000 people in our country using the cross and resurrection of Jesus are like the receiving of that water the cross and resurrection show you that God is indeed in charge that God is the judge and that God will one day return and God has given you a space to repent. Do not use this moment to treat it like a curiosity for you say well I'll get the best when there's time. It assures you that it is coming for God's judgment is coming and he's giving you right now a space to repent. Don't confuse his patients with his absence. God may not be as obvious right now.

But God is every bit as present in God is working history and he commands you to repent. Here is number two. The second thing we learned from the story is that the problem is not out there are problem is in here you see the stories. The first one and Judges were the actual oppression comes not from outside of Israel depression come from within them.

If one of their own people the sign of one of their greatest leaders.

That is the oppressor. This time, and so finally in the book of Judges. It is made clear that foreign nations are not Israel's problem. Israel is Israel's problem.

As I told you that's always kind of been the case, but now you see it clearly if I think about this. There's really no special outpouring of judgment in the story is there.

There's no fire from the sky God just allows Israel to experience the results of their own simple choices is getting himself into self-centeredness and glory loss that produces a son he murders his brother so that he can be king is Shechem's disregard for God's commands and their self interest that lead them to selecting an opportunistic man like Abimelech who will betray them is Abimelech's treachery and backstabbing that lead to his downfall was it showing you listen.

Sin is its own curse, God curses your family because your sin, you curse your family because of your sin. CS Lewis said to those people who object to the idea of God's judgment. I got judgment next. God mean Lewis said that in the long run. The answer to the question to be answered. All those who object to God's judgment is a question what are you asking God to do the asking God to wipe out people's past sins and give them a fresh start. Are you asking him to offer miraculous help in the new life that is exactly what he's done to the cross are you asking him to forgive them. They refuse to be forgiven. Are you asking him to leave them alone. Alas, that is what I'm afraid he does. In the end. You see, there are only two kinds of people.

Those who say to God, I will be done in those to whom God says diet will be done soon as its own curse Israel as its own problem. You wonder why doesn't God take everyone into heaven little what this race of people have done to the earth. God doesn't want heaven to become hell and he knows if he just takes as they are the way that we are, we will turn heaven into hell.

Which leads me to number three. We need a new King. We need a better judge like the Israelites, we come to God, thinking we primarily need him to deliver us from some bad thing. The Midianites of pain or broken relationships or lack of money we need him to give us a new marriage. It affects our family and we might need those things. But see, that's not what we most need what we most need is freedom from our own heart because we are our own curse. Thus, any salvation that fails to do with the human heart is not a real or sufficient salvation. Think about what if God cured all of the prayers of the human race would've the answer them all in, one fell swoop. He gave us everything that we as a race of passport we had prosperity to infinite amounts of money make people virtuous sitting Kardashians mean anything to you.

I saw survey recently or study that show the drivers of luxury cars are less likely to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Those people in higher bracket the wealth and education are four times more likely to cheat a card game when any money is at stake so no money does not make people virtuous. In fact, usually pervert virtue, what if we were all educated without take away evil stall and women were the most well educated men of their generation, so I didn't keep them from being two of the most evil murdering men that ever walked the face of the earth. What if we were all perfectly govern the good government guarantee goodness in people want the best answers that came from Alexander Solzhenitsyn who was imprisoned under Stalin. Stalin thought that good government would make everybody virtuous. We made everybody equal well Solzhenitsyn and 20 million other dead Russian said that's not true, then Solzhenitsyn wrote the most remarkable thing in the Gulag and in the prison. He said I entered into the gulags thinking that the calmness for the problem. We never shake off communism. Then everybody would be okay if we get back to democracy. We always thought evil somebody else listen to this. If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and we could separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.

But the line dividing good and evil cuts to the heart of every human being who is willing to destroy his own hearts. You see, we always think the evil is held evil is the communist evil is a capitalist evil are the Republicans all know the evil are the Democrats the evil are uneducated people know the evils on Wall Street and goddesses know the evils you the human heart has to be change your heart needs to be changed, which means that we need a Savior who can deliver us not only from the curse around us. We need a Savior who can deliver us from occurring with hers within us will see the Savior to fix our situation. We need a Savior who can fix us.

We need a king who would not only rule with love and justice.

We need a king who can make us more like him and that's why all the stories point us to their messiness and their disappointment and their failures to the ultimate king who would come the Lord Jesus, you see Jesus in many ways, would be the opposite of Gideon. Unlike Gideon Jesus had every right to demand service as a king, and unlike Gideon he rightfully could wear the E5 because he was himself the tabernacle of God's presence on earth. But unlike Gideon Jesus successfully resisted the temptation to rule over the nations. When God had not appointed it to Jesus and the temptation said no to Satan and until the very end of Jesus life. Jesus maintained that he did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus did not take our treasures to make a garment of gold for himself. Jesus poured out his blood, to clothe us in his righteousness. Give us a seat at his table forever. Jesus was definitely the opposite of Abimelech. Unlike the trees of the forest to her to self-interested the rule Jesus was more than willing to be our shepherd.

But when we chop them down and kill him. He didn't burn us to the ground in his anger. He willingly took the fire of God's judgment for us and to himself in love so that we could be saved. The millstone of God's judgment was dropped on his head, not ours, so that we can live is the true king that we seek in every reform you think salvation comes from a better situation, God says salvation comes from being embraced by the Savior for whom you were created you think that a gobble picture marriage that he would fix you God says no.

I gotta fix you before I fix your marriage. You don't need a better situation. You need to have your heart changed.

The problem is not this way. The problem is between you and me and if you will come to understand Jesus as the King for you and been seeking that he will change your heart to but you become like him. Which leads me to the conclusion of this whole thing was all discover very very briefly look at this is a great way to put a bookmark in and come back to the summer you get introduced to the next generation of judges in all it says is this what's this Septembers one after Abimelech the Rosa save Israel Toler who was the son of poor son of dodo, which was really tough names.

My daddy due to his dead proof Toler Lippitt Schommer in the hill country of Ephraim. He judged Israel 23 years then he died after him arose Gyro the Gilead I judge Israel 22 years and will possibly relearn us at the wanted details know it's it's what's not said that you should learn from. Two things are not said their number one, there's no mention of who is likely to be delivered from you know why that's irrelevant now failing to mention the enemies anymore, because the enemy is not the four nations. The enemy is them. The judge needs to deliver them from the curse here not to curse their the second thing that's not mentioned watch this. Do you see any reference in there to them crying out to God for help.

They're not in, crying out to God anymore.

Yet God keeps saving them over and over in the book of Judges, you are confronted with the fact that it's not that Israel is getting himself into a shape were God and feels like he's gonna come after them. If the God seeks them when they're not seeking him, the goddess chasing them. He is pursuing them when they're run as hard as they can. The other direction.

What that teaches you something is probably the most important thing for you to learn the book of Judges is a God is not waiting on you to get yourself in shape before he comes to you God like a father who seeking you.

God came to you. Romans 5A, while you were a center while you were as far as hard as you could be other way God is coming after you say to you come back come back. I can tell you this weekend if you're sitting here listening to me that in itself is evident that God is been pursuing you, your like the people in the book of Judges, you keep wondering God.

Now I get yourself together and cut his hair turned my face towards you. I point this out a couple weeks ago another place and judges were. This was taught it was in first for the story Gideon supported outlet when Israel wandered from God. God sent a prophet who told him about their sin as we come to the end of the profit sermon.

We are expecting Israel to respond in repentance, but I showed you before Israel responds. God starts raising of Gideon God starts working salvation before they ever say I'm sorry and I said you see there you see it, it's that God is coming to us before we are even interested in him you seeking out the father seeks a loss on her daughter that night at dinner, I asked my family. My two older daughter said through the service and I have semi-set up so would you get out of sermon. My second daughter, Allie. She said that I thought of someone you're preaching is okay what she said you showed we like to watch the voice said you and she said okay she says here that I was thinking near that point you made about God comes after us when were not even searching for him. I said yes she said to what I thought about was on the voice you know how like when you're singing. The judges have their backs turned to you, but they like your singing them to turn around their seed and it says I want you in big letters across the bottom. I said yes. She said it's like it's like God turns his chair toward us before we ever even start singing now. When she was tell me that I kept thinking like she was going to say. As a result of our pretty singing to correct or initially said that I was and I very much got it. That's the gospel lesson the gospel is that you were dead in your trespasses and sins long. My imprisoned spirit lay fast down the center natures nighttime high diffused quickening Ray. I rose the dungeon flame with light my chains fell off my soul was free.

I rose, came forth and followed the is because God is been pursuing you that you're here is because God has turned his chair toward you and the judge has become Savior and the Savior reaches his arms out wide and he says a been waiting for you the whole time.

It's not that you clean yourself up. It's that I've come to say my chair is toward toward you and if you will recognize that on the father on the deliverer and on the King. You've always been searching for.

I'll save you right this very moment. That's the most important thing for you to learn and judges is a God has pursued you and God wants to bring you back to himself. Want to buy your headset. All of our campuses. This is where I want to hand this part of our series there many of you that need to come back to God right now. I think dozens of you at all of our different campuses come back to God. It's a prayer like this one. Listen, Jesus, I'm sorry for my sin. I'm sorry I wandered away from you, but I believe that you came to save me. I believe your chair is turned toward me right now and I receive is my Savior said so in your own words, is not a cute little prayer and giving it a repeat its cry repentance from your heart, Jesus, and sorry for my sin I receive you as much butter for like your spiritist told me that dozens of people in the services in this moment are going to come home from wandering away from their father got help in the sense in the field.

The reality of the love of the father in this moment I pray in Jesus