Deborah and Barak: Calling All Leaders, Both Male and Female

Why feel a deep sense of gratitude this morning for those members at every campus of our parking team who slowly put our hands together for them. It is bad enough that we may them more their dorky orange vest or believe them to put them on the freezing rain that just as above and beyond those you that are new to our church and I have three daughters one is named Charis. He is age 11 Allie who is nine and then Ryan who is seven years old. Then on December 25 of 2009 we finally squeaked in the little boy right at the buzzer.

He is five years old.

Now this is a picture of our family here so that is the career plan there. You guys can pray for Ada and my son. I'm someways a flight deck is really stacked against him. He has four moms instead of one who dressed him up like a princess and carry him around our house. He is a pastor's kid and then on top of all that he shares a birthday with Jesus. So I feel like he's got a lot to overcome in his life he developed is pretty late in developing his speaking and his walking abilities was relatively compared our daughters on people a lot and lastly why I think that was is very simply, there was no reason at all for him to do any of those things himself for the first four years everywhere. He wanted to go. One of his four moms carried him around and between them enough words transpire in our house that neither add nor I feel like we have a lot to add but anyway that is the world that I live in and I share that because this passage in the book of Judges today has very special significance for me as a dad of three very smart, very so we say high-spirited daughters. This passage speaks to what I hope for them. What I dream for them. What I pray over them. It is the story of Deborah, the only female judge now guys do not zone out because I'm telling you there is plenty in here that you can learn from to have a Bible Judges chapter 4 is where we are going to be Judges chapter 4 and five where to look at the story of Deborah and Barack, Deborah and Barack Judges 41. The story begins again.

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Now that left-handed Ehud was dead. Number left-handed Ehud was a southpaw Savior. We looked at the couple weeks ago that delivered Israel well as long as he was alive for 80 years. The people follow God when he died. They wandered back into their their ways and so the Lord sold them into the hands of Jaden, the king of Canaan, who reigned in a sore sister, the commander of Jaden's army had 900 chariots fitted with iron if you remember I told you the first week that chariots of iron in those days were like the tanks of modern-day units like the Panzer tanks and so they could mow down hundreds of foot soldiers.

Israel didn't have any of and so since Ry has a decided tactical advantage over Israel.

So he cruelly oppresses the Israelites of 20 years now Israel cried to the Lord for help verse for now.

Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lapidus was leaving Israel at that time she held court under the palm of Deborah creatively named in the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided to visit a gold and white dressers and a blue and black dress. They would ask her questions like that I'm just out of curiosity, how many of you gold and white. Just raise your hand if you blue and black because her crazy and I were gold certain just in honor of it this weekend but she settled things like that for them.

So she sent for Barack said to him, the Lord brought the Lord God of Israel command you go and take with you 10,000 men, I will lead Sisera into your hands. Barack said to her, if you go with me. I'll go but if you don't go with me.

I will go so Deborah responds, you gotta read in this very deep sigh.

Certainly I will go with you, but because of the course you are taking the Jan will not be yours for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Now he were the key night had separated from the Canaanites and pitched his tent by the Okun's on uneven which is near Kadesh that remedy. Della came out of nowhere right were talking about Deborah Moroccan and imminent battle. Now all the sudden we learn about his cunning Hebrew can't get along with the other Canaanites and Zoe take his trailer with his wife and he moved out to the desert but it's not a random detail at all as I will show you so meanwhile back at the palace. Verse 12 Deborah directs Moroccan the Army down to a region of the base of Mount sobor. It's a River basin which is another important detail. Also you in a moment.

Verse 14 then Deborah said to Barack go this is the day the Lord has given Sisera in your hands is not the Lord God ahead of you and the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and flat on foot to find out in chapter 5 that the reason Sisera had to flee on foot was a sudden rainstorm income in the river flooded so Sisera is 900 chariots of iron got stuck know what is remarkable about that is all this took place during the dry season when it never rained. Had there been any chance at all of rain. Sisera would never have taken his 900 chariots down into a River basin so what you see is that God sends essentially a snow in July is how it would be for us, and in a matter of just moments.

He was a little moisture takes Sisera's huge tactical advantage and turns it into a liability. So Sisera is now running on foot and with his 900 chariots and bind them and he comes verse 17 of the tenant John L wife of Heber. The key night. Remember them. Sisera would never have run anywhere near an Israelite city so now he's running out of the wilderness and there you have no Heber the guy the king along with the other Canaanites and his wife, and if it's their trailer out there you know about themselves.

Gile went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Lord, come in right and don't be afraid, so he entered her tenancy covered him with a blanket. I'm thirsty. He said please give me some water. She did give him water.

She opened up a skin of milk and she gave him a drink and covered them up there. There been more your man needs a little nap that me to start to sing a little lullaby. He drifts off to sleep.

Verse 21, then Gile Heber's wife pick up a tent peg and a hammer went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep. She drove the peg to his temple into the ground and he died.

I'm not sure that last sentence was necessary to be honest but you don't come and visit you don't know the story and neither did he.

That's come the point she walked outside and said no and that's the end. Now you read that you say what a smashing salvation story, but what is there that we can learn from and I know some of you save my things really silent stories like this and judges of our understand, I come back to that for the M but here's the question what piercing truths can we learn from Deborah Barack and Gile. Five of them okay for some of the longest number one God gives to women the same spiritual gifts. He gives the man. That's one of things you learn from that story. You see, the story is much as perhaps any in the Bible gives you a glimpse into the role God has for women in his kingdom. Deborah is called profit. She is a wise and respected leader in Israel. Some people have said that the only reason that Deborah was a prophet is because there was no men. There were no men around to lead, which somehow indicates the moral degradation of Israel, but there is nothing in this passage that would indicate that it's true that you see Barack demurrer waiver in his faith.

But even before that Deborah was an established leader and teacher in Israel. She's not there because Barack has failed. She is there because she is wise in the spirit of God has anointed her in and set her up to be a leader which leads me to emphasize something we believe very strongly here at Summit search and that is that women have access to every spiritual gift that may have access to. You see, there is a myth alive in certain parts of the church that men in the church ought to be taught deep, rich theology and women to learn how to match their curtains with the pillows on the couch or how not to feel sad on rainy days. I sold one Christian author, point out that anytime you go to a Christian women's conference, and they teach of the book of Ephesians.

The only part never focus on is Ephesians 5 Paul talks about how wives are to relate to their husbands as it helped the rest of the book is written for men and just that one chapter is written for women, the entire book of Ephesians and the whole Bible for that matter, is written to women and you women need to learn all I did not marry a weak superficial woman. I am not raising my daughters to be weak. Superficial women do not want this church to create an either.

So our ministry here at the Summit search aims yes we are here to help you ladies be better wives and mothers. If that is a role God has given you, but we are also passionate to see those of you whom God has called to be leaders, those leaders now having said that, in both the old and new Testaments. God establishes certain positions that he wants only men the play and others that he wants only women to play in the Old Testament, for example, women could not be priests you see right here in the store that Deborah won't leave the Army when Barack demurrer. She didn't say well I'll do it.

Note she encourages him or did you notice that when she is introduced in chapter 4. She's in identified as the wife of Lapidus. She the writer never does that, for the man.

Writer never says Joshua, the husband of Kim or Barack the husband of Michelle on the stuff that Karen and then there that is the Hebrew way when he does that, indicating that she has an identity in the home, led by her husband, even though she is the most important person in all of Israel. Arguably, the wisest and the best leader. She has identified herself in a home led by her husband, because that is a role that God has given him to play in the New Testament.

Paul says very clearly in person.

Of the two and three that women should not serve in the role of pastor or elder at the church but that does not prohibit them from leaving in other spheres or from exercising all the same spiritual gifts that men have, including leadership and teaching. Just not in the capacity of pastor hours. There's a really controversial statement of Paul's letter to Timothy on chapter 2 verse 12 Paul says in a church, a woman should learn with all submissiveness, we read that we say, what does that mean, let me tell you what it can't meet. It can't mean that with women do not speak prophetically in the church or teach or even teach mixed audiences.

Here's how I know that we see them doing that all through the New Testament there. Call prophetesses are all Deaconess Priscilla in acts 18 is said to be the tutor of the great preacher Apollo's Paul tells you exactly what he means by that statement in the next couple verses. Unfortunately, in English Bible.

There's a break between person to be doing first Timothy three that somehow amassed for us are usually masked the flow of thought.

Paul tells you exactly what he means by that statement in chapter 3 when he says right after that the women are not to be the ruling elders in the church. That's all that he means.

Of course they teach.

Of course they prophesy. Of course they explain the Bible we see that happening all through the New Testament, just not in the capacity of pastor elders. Tim Keller says it this way. God forbids one kind of role in the church. The women as he did in Israel.

We must not jump from Matra forbidding all teaching – the women and we shouldn't assert all sorts of specific tasks are off-limits to women.

For example, working outside the home are teaching males over 12 are speaking in the front of church services.

It is better to say that everything a man who isn't an elder can do. A woman can do. Also, you see, there's been a false dichotomy put forward in the church on one side you say will either you believe there is no distinction of roles all with the other side you believe women can only serve in some kind of diminutive role because women don't have the capacity to leave. We need to reject that dichotomy at this church, and instead adopt what the Bible puts forward as our standard women are equals without being equivalents. The Bible teaches equality of position. The quality of gifting, but with distinctive roles to play in the family and in the church so specifically to the women of the Summit search. I want to say three things number one God has a calling on your life.

Yours is not simply to sit on the sidelines and make coffee and have kids, do you know what that calling is that you risen up to obey it.

Like Deborah, you need to get into the fight and not just sit on the sidelines and cheer for the tutor for the men number two you are a leader with spiritual authority. I know a lot of women who are entirely too dependent on their husbands never take spiritual responsibility. That's not what you see in Deborah here you see a leader of the highest caliber. She is the wisest and most courageous person in all of Israel. Number three you can do all of this while respecting God's order as you see Deborah do here she refuses to take positions that God had assigned to men and she identified herself in a house, headed by her husband.

You see, we need to reject both sides of the dichotomy that God doesn't give the women the same gifts he gives the man or that there is no distinction of roles in the church I mentioned that I have three daughters, one of things I pray for them literally that they will become Deborah's is literally how I have it written down in my prayer journal. I pray over Keller Ter., Alley and riots that God will raise them up to become Deborah's because we need a lot more Deborah's in this church and in the kingdom of God when he Deborah's in the home, speaking courage into their children and their husbands. We need Deborah's and ministry that are calling us to give and pray and go and sacrifice and did in the fight and leading us in that I thought of a dozen women at our church. I can use to illustrate, but I chose to because I didn't have time to get either their permission. So these are the two that I knew that I could just do it and they would just go along with it. One is Jenny Warner sitting right here in front of me. She was my personal prayer team. It asserts, and she helps lead our prison ministry. I thought of Bonnie Cheron who is now on our staff. She was a corporate executive in a very high position of vice president.

A large corporation right here. He resigned that he came to help organize and lead in our missions ministries here at the summit church. I did not get the permission but I figured if if Barack can shove Deborah in the battle. I can bring these ladies forward and with usernames and they would complain about it.

We need more Deborah's in society to rule and lead and teach with wisdom and courage and faith.

And that is what our ministry to women here at the summit church is all about. By the way. To that end, you will see in the global newsletter monthly newsletter you got on there is something in there about a women's conference that is coming up. I can tell you exactly what is going to be covered at that women's conference that there are ample people excited about it is about how women can grow in gifting and leadership in the kingdom of God mentally say to you.

Maybe you're married to a Deborah. Maybe you're married.

Maybe her lap at this you need to platform her like lapidary. He's kind of the unsung hero in this story gets one mention because he did what he did he allow her to bless Israel the way that she did.

Maybe you're married to a lapidary can that's the way that you're gonna serve the kingdom of God Cindy Peterson who leads our women's ministries are told me this.

Just this week.

She said you know two years ago when I came on Saturday summer church lived women's ministries. She says I told you this but I bet you made up my mind to say no. I just felt like there was so much going on in our family and our lives in John's life and ministry that I was like I couldn't said my husband John sat me down and said, one day I have to stand before God and I have to answer for how we steward stewarded in these leadership in teaching gift that God gave you Cindy. Do not make me stand before God have to explain why you sat on the sidelines and I did not give you the ability to bless the summit church.

The way that God is gifted you to bless the summit church there man of you that are married to this kind of woman and you need to platform her and you need to be behind her and you need to release her. That is lesson number one God gives to women. Every spiritual gift that he gives to men there's more. Though this is number one.

The coaches longest the others are in the next chapter. Chapter 5 is Deborah write a song and in that song are four important lessons for both men and women, by the way if you happen to be one of those people who thought women should never teach you in church you should probably excuse yourself during the section because this entire chapter is written by woman and so you might have a conflict of conscience or you just change your mind and community at number two when the leaders lead when the leaders way the people praise the Lord. That's the first thing she says chapter 5, verse one. Deborah says when the princes and Israel take the lead.

When the people willingly offer themselves.

Praise the Lord, my heart is with willing volunteers among the people. Then in verse 13 she begins to list out the various tribes of Israel, and she talked about which ones join the fight which ones did not. For example, verse 14 from Ephraim. They came to help verse 15 the Issachar faithful, followed us in the battle. Verse 18 the people from Zebulon buddy from Zebulon risk their very lives in verse 17. However, Gilead remained in Jordan and Dan Dan. Dan lingered with the ships. Blessed are the ones she said he step forward in faith. The fight now you can apply this to both men and women but specifically she talks about the men because Prince as princes, not friends of the princes is is male. She saying when the leaders lead when the princes leave and the people praise the Lord to let me direct this point specifically for the men we have a lot of men hanging back by the ships that ought to be out in the fight is one way of reading Genesis 3 the story of the original sin in which you see the original sin as beginning with past 70 on the part of the man in refusing to take the leap. God had given the man instructions that they would eat of every tree, except for this one. And when Genesis 3 opens up you see the serpent having a conversation with Eve and we are tempted to think that Adam was somewhere you know raising crops or doing quiet time something here's Eve. I'll talk with the state, but the way it's written, the economy didn't become clear in Hebrew and in English and Hebrew. This is that Adam was with her when this conversation was happening in with her means. He was spinning right beside so he's watching this thing go down.

He's on the serpent have a conversation with Eve.

He knows that God has said the day that you eat of it you will surely die. So he let her take the first bite like a crash test dummy owner shall dropdead know what she did. Now take some to the first the original Sanders one way of reading it where you could say before there was a sin where anybody actually did anything wrong. There was a failure of the man to do anything.

The temptation of men, the great temptation. A man is not that you do something evil.

The greatest temptation of men is that you do nothing even block your demurrers. At first they won't go without her. The great temptation of man is not to do evil to do nothing. The same is true today. We got a lot of guys who are not bad guys there just hang about motherships when they ought to be out leaving in the fight you what a great example of this international mission board whom we sent most of our missionaries through says that for the last five years in a row. When you look when you look at the places in the world that are the hardest to reach the places where is the most dangerous to spread the gospel. Women applicants to those places serving as places outnumber the men for the one praise God for the women that are stepping forward to do that. Where are the guys that are hanging back motherships want to be out leading in the fight is when the princes lead that we praise the Lord. Deborah says men God has given you a crucial role to play. That cannot be replicated by anybody else, and if your family is gonna praise the Lord is going to be because you stepped forward to leave every sociological study of its type done points to the fact of the leadership of the father is the greatest determining factor in how the kids turn out. For instance, one study that I have right here in front of me and I shared with you before, says this.

If a child in a family is the first one to come to faith in Christ and that family. There is a 3.5% chance that everybody else in the family will become Christian. If the mother is the first one to come to faith in Christ and the family. There is a 17% chance that everyone else in the family will become Christian. If the father is the first want to come to faith in Christ. There is a 93% chance that everyone else in the family will come to faith is when the princes lead. She says that we praise the Lord.

When the princes advocate their duties. The people suffer. I'm reading a book right now given to me by a friend book is written by Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician who works for teenage girls in the book is called strong father strong daughters until she told a story about a girl named Leah sat in her office one afternoon, very sullen exuding.

She says all the symptoms of depression after some questioning, the girl revealed the doctor Meeker that the sign of a family friend had date raped her. As Dr. Meeker continued to question her.

Leah revealed that she had told her dad about it in his response was well boys will be boys. We can shrug it off. Then he and Leah's words went golfing. Dr. Meeker says the assault was devastating to Leah but the blow that really seemed a broader down was the fact that her father didn't care for and defend her. She says a sexual assault is possibly the most traumatic event a broken experience.

Now consider that many psychologists and psychiatrists say that your response to your daughters assault, especially dad if you are the first one that she comes to is among the most important factors in shaping your daughter's future emotional health.

After the event.

She continues when a child is humiliated or harmed her natural instinct is to get back at the offender to fight to defend yourself, but she's physically weaker than her attacker. Now she sees you in her eyes, dad, you are big you are tough your smart gut tells her he can help. He's the answer. My dad will make things right because he loves me will stand up for me before you even learn what is happened. She has imagined your heroic response. If you do what your instinct tells you to do if you get angry and you take action. She will feel love she will feel defended, she will feel a sense of justice, she will move closer to a sense of closure over the incident and Leah's dad responded the right way.

She said that he acted as a man, rather than shrugging his shoulders and weakness. I submit the miter preventively is depression if he didn't prevented the might of at least help mitigate the depth of it.

Dr. Meeker talks about how in our culture. Masculinity has been disparaged by feminist or been distorted by rap artist true masculinity she said is the moral exercise of authority. You were made a man for a reason.

You were made a man to be strong, a loving husband and father to listen to your instincts and do what's right.

Be a hero. That's what Deborah says in the princes lead the people praise the Lord.

There are plenty of guys in the world. Too many guys too many dudes. We need men to me and I will tell you Deborah up maybe is a good way to say it time for you to Deborah up and be a man. Which leads me to number three God curses spectators never list out the people who sat on the sidelines.

She comes to a crescendo in verse 23 car slows, said the angel of the Lord curse its people bitterly because they did not come to help the Lord to help the Lord against the mighty doesn't say that the people of Monroe's did anything bad to say all they hung back and smoke dope and club prostitutes in red and everybody stents just as he did nothing.

Guys hear me from time to time rail against those people are terse to look at this church like a religious event.

They attend become their funeral to three times a month, or hear the church and made a young fellow like you're dating the church and sometimes I tell you what you're missing out on. Here's what you see from this passage, God curses that kind of inactivity. Some BB horses. We just read the Bible sitting on the sidelines not only robs you of reward put you under a curse you active in the kingdom of God in your time you leverage your talents to be of use in the kingdom of God about your treasures in your resources, how much of your resources. How many are engaged in the expanse of God's kingdom you want to know the difference between a budget that God blesses him one that God does not has a lot to do and how much of what God is given. He was engaged in the expanse of God's kingdom.

Do not tell yourself that you're okay as long as you're not committing crimes. And as long as you are somewhat regular at a church attendance is more than one way in God's eyes to be wicked. Wickedness can come from what you do but wickedness can just as easily come from what you fail to do this. Even Jesus called his disciples he didn't say watch me intensely and say listen to me. When Jesus called disciples.

He said follow me, which means that some of you need to stop listening and watching them start following you need to act on that this weekend so I know where to start.

What I do what he saw. I joined the church to get involved. You could start to invest your time and your talents and treasures. You taught your campus pastor say how can I serve in the kingdom of God. A friend this week say how do we do we really help people better are being persecuted for the fatal run will be 21 killed in each of what can we do, we can all go over there and fight for them or whatever.

Here's what I told him yes we can do that.

But did you know that the summer church has people in the same regions are serving with your representatives are serving their to what you can do is be a part of the church and at the part of a church that is praying and serving and giving and the way we act locally here when we become that church and we have our way of supporting what is going on over there. You can get involved. That is what God I think tells us through this is blessed are the people when they willingly offer themselves. Number four the story shows us that all that God requires of us holy God requires of us a simple obedience. You see we see in the story recurring theme in Judges going God brings down the most powerful tyrants in the world with very weak instruments.

In this case, a housewife of the tent peg tent peg in those days. By the way, was a very common household item to be like me say to you, she killed him with a frying pan or an iron. She took iron and whacked them on the side of the head over and over. The book of Judges teaches us in so many different ways God does his work in the world never through our ability need our ability. He does it through our availability is a contrast of set up in this chapter that will make sure you don't miss in chapter 5 or six in those days the highways were abandoned. The villagers cease their travel.

It was so dangerous. The people were so weak they would even go outside their houses. What's this first floor when the Lord rolled out only one scared the earth trembled. The clouds drop water in dry season. The mountains equates. In other words, Lord airbase characters. When both other house Lord opened the garage door roles outputs the top down turns the music but is rolled down the street nurse earthquake hello that image of an earthquake because something quakes when the pressure against it is too much, or think like an ice quake Kennewick is not a reason term but ice quake would be if I were to try to walk across a frozen pond that the ice wasn't thick enough, there's a group of squirrels out there and there's three or four squirrels in their runaround player and whatever scrolls do you wrestle going out to each other and and I think I will find some of you out there with them, and your saucer to walk out there, but because I way significant way more than the squirrels. When my feet hit the ice begins to begins to quake and eventually it splits and I fall through this poor little squirrels that they were trying to pierce the ice could jump up and down to backflips and never to make the ice move, but I have so much weight that I can just split it just by walking on it. So what happens is you got the little Israelites runaround like squirrels and there's this ice of oppression over them. There's this ice of inability and is much as I hop up and down the can't do a thing and what God does is he rolls out put the top down and the earth just quakes because a little moisture that comes out of his mouth is going to do more than the Israelites could do and see in the thousand years what God needs is a housewife with a tent peg who says here my send me not a man with an army. What God needs from you is not your ability.

It's your availability. God has never needed you to crack the ice got it just needed you to obey and what you see in the stories you see Giles looking back up at Jesus. Looking back up at God and say here in my send me blessed above women blessed among women is Giles over 24 says was amazing about that. The phrase is repeated.

One other time in the Bible.

It's in the New Testament set about Mary blessed among women is Mary you got another impossible situation with God comes to a woman named Mary and says you give birth to a child to be the Savior of the whole world.

She's a virgin version has obvious limitations for bringing for the Savior of the world.

What is Mary say to me according to your word.

That is a prayer both surrender and faith because it says God I'll do what you tell me to do I give her you tell me to give a go. You tell me to go sir, what you tell me to serve, leave the results of power to you which is in a restaurant.

You tell me the rest you pray that prayer surrender of faith.

That's the question that a man come up to me just after the last service you said he's from Ghana. He is came here to go to business school. He said two weeks ago when he made the point that it's not our availability at sore in our buildings, our availability is merely the spirit of God told me because he's basically that come to a renewed faith ear. He said that that the church culture. I come out of the Ghana is it is totally that they don't. I thought understand the power of the gospel. I thought God was telling me that I need to go back and explain to my church is about to have any money to do that so I just said God. This is what you told me I committed to him is that I will afternoon I called and he said somebody I talk to somebody and they told him other people and they bought my ticket and I'm flying back over there tomorrow and I'm just going to preach. Can you help me come up with something that I can preach that I might.

We can do that. The ice quakes when God moves God doesn't need your ability need your availability.

Number five, the stories teaches us. God will one day right every wrong for the end of Deborah's song. She begins to mock Sisera verse 28. She sarcastically puts words in Sisera's mother's mouth.

Deborah pictures Sisera's mother standing by the window, wondering why my senses were taking so long to return the sycophant ladies of the court all around her, say it's because of so much Israelites boil to divide up flights taken a long time to come back in verse 30 they say really crudely how and there's a 2 for every man. In other words, the men have girls to write. That's why take a while to get back. Meanwhile, Sisera is in a tent being killed by a woman.

She was happening. Perfect justice is being served. Sisera has spent his life oppressing and abusing women in the end he's brought down by a woman with a frying pan. This is the Old Testament version of kill Bill verse 26 Deborah sings. She struck Sisera. She crushed his head to shatter to bidders the temple from another tune, but scholars do say that the way this is written, she is mimicking the blows of the hammer against Sisera skull. She writes this was really staccato, short phrases even read aliveness between her feet, he sank. He fell file still between her feet, he sank.

He fell where he sank 30 fell dead. Israel love the stories of how God delivered them. They love to savor them like a fine wine step-by-step if they enjoyed recounting the songs of their deliverance, how much more should we answer Deborah enter song this way so may all your enemies, parish, Lord, may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength. You say, but we don't always see justice served.

Not every rapist.

Not every sexual predator is brought to justice. That person that messed with me.

That person that messed me up seem to have gotten away with it and that is true if you're only evaluating by this life. We often see the guilty go unpunished. But that doesn't mean the discussion is over. You see in the store we get a glimpse of how it is all going to the end God is going to settle all scores this story. Like all the stories of the judges. All it does is pointed forward to the ultimate judge Jesus like John Aiello he will be the unexpected Savior who everybody assumes is weak, slays the enemy by surprise and him oppression is ended. Justice is restored and for those of us in Christ, the son of God's love and life rises on us in its strength. It melts the ice of oppression and makes the fog and darkness and what were in today disappear. This story tells you eternity is coming is not that far away. When you're to be a land that is bursting with the brightness of justice and glowing with the glory of love were God says he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

There will be no more pain or crying all morning and that there will be that the old things are passed away and all things are become new.

One of my favorite images for heaven is that there needs to be no sign and no moon there because there is no darkness there, but the Lord our God is the light where he brings glory and love and acceptance and oppression has ceased.

That's what the story tells you look forward to before I end let me deal with one other objection I looted to the very beginning. Some people read this story and they say well the stories are so violent elitist of violence. People take justice into their own hands and killing their enemies, not at all not at all if you understand them correctly. In fact going to send the correct to do exactly the opposite. God commands us. As of this in Romans 12 never to take vengeance into our own hands because keyword the Lord will repay.

In other words, I know that one day God is going to serve perfect justice. Therefore, I don't feel like I have to take it on myself. You see, when an atheist believes that there is no God, who serves out justice and eternity, who bears the burden of making sure justice is served when you must see when you don't believe that there is a God who brings justice when you suffer injustice. You see under it and you have to get back at them. You have to avenge yourself. What kind of worlds that create fearful, hateful, vengeful, the cross of Jesus Christ creates a different kind of world is in the cross, I see two things I want to see that all wrongs will be righted, and I see number two that the wrongs that I have done personally, but what I'm Jesus had what that means for me.

You say listen is that means that every sentence ever been committed against me is going to be rectified Italy to be paid for by that person in the judgment or Jesus going to pay for them across the way that he paid for mine and because I know that God carries around the tent pegs injustice in his hand. I don't have to carry them around my driving them through the skull of everybody that hurts me because I see that God carries those bags in a God will avenge wrong and I know that when it came time avenge my wrong God took the peg of justice that Oregon in my head. What in the Jesus is, and that creates a spirit in me, that looks at the Cicero's who have destroyed me and hurt me and it makes me say that them. I hope that you can come to faith in Christ find forgiveness of your sins, as I have found mine. There is one message of the book of Judges and that is there is a Savior, who is coming a Savior who can say the Savior who can sustain and try to save yourself you're going to fail you will live a life of hate. You will live a life of fear. You will live a life of envy and vengeance.

But if you trust in Jesus, you will live a life of peace, you will live a life or you know that all things working together for good, and you can finally be free.

Which way are you living much about your heads. If you would two ways to live to isolate are you controlling try to save yourself. Are you submitted to Jesus worth the worry and fear dominate your hardware does you hate what you have. Vengeance is so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word just to rest upon his promise and no, says the Lord. Maybe your spectator in the Holy Spirit of God is said time, but hang out by the ships and was go get in the game should resolve right now to take that step maybe for the first time in your life maybe finally understood.

Listen to every story in the Bible every verse of Scripture. Every chapter is about Jesus. It's all one story about a Savior who came to save Savior did for you. What you could do for yourself. Every story have you come to that one point the Bibles make any Jesus. Maybe today. Right now you can submit father. We trust you. We look to you.

You are Savior, Savior, greater than we could've hoped for Savior who took our sin a Savior who made the sun rise on us string son who forgave rather than judge everything that God is