The Causes and Cure for Spiritual Inconsistency

Welcome Summit church morning at our campus locations in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrie got your Bibles as we can invite you to take them out and open them to the book of Judges, the book of Judges, which is in what we call the Old Testament the first of the testaments of God gave something is like the seventh book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges got your Bible over there if you find it, you can keep replacer for the next several weeks as were doing begin the series through it, called broken saviors as your opening your Bible. There will tell you that my wife and I always say that we have been married for 12 wonderful years even though we've actually been married for a total of 14 years. We just had enough rough seasons that we can honestly include them in the 12 wonderful years. So we say we been married for 12 wonderful years and two other wings, for a total of 14 for a few of our first years. There's rough seasons involved.

Ironically enough, our vacations, we could not be more opposite. When it comes to a philosophy of vacations.

My wife likes to have no real plan going into a vacation which is what Hermine makes it a vacation she point out that for the word means is that you vacate. So her daily activities are it up and get a bagel, that's that that's the one day of vacation at me I'm the opposite. I have our day planned out a five minute increments. I get up and I think will forget about sunrise we get to the turtles do their morning routine and then head over to planetarium at 1005. We can see a movie there come home for 18 minutes of downtime then is new hot dog place. I heard about in this. That's how the whole day goes. So it is because the considerable, strife and annoyance, but we could be more opposite one redeeming thing that has helped though, is that we both have a love for museums on vacation that puts us in total nerd life but is, the foundation of our relationship will offer history and fly anything, but it annoys her kids there. I into it yet, but we both love going in and catching a snapshot of entire epic of history, understating the people or movements, just all kind of in a glance. The reason I share that is because the book of Judges is somewhat like a museum of Israel spiritual history, particularly the first two chapters are to look at today because in them. You're gonna see a snapshot of Israel's rather rocky history with God you see Israel go up and down in their faith you to see how their sometimes hot times coal. Most often they're just lukewarm.

There certain temptations that no matter how hard they try they just can't seem to shake them.

I feel like it's something that most of us can relate to ever find yourself asking, why is it that you go up and down so much spiritually. A lot of us feel like we are spiritually bipolar. You like is that even a spiritual condition. If it is that's what I am one week your super Christian next week.

I am sure you believe were you ever ask yourself why are there some sins that no matter how many resolutions I make.

I just can't seem to get rid of these things. Why is it that I have so little joy spiritually. Everybody else seems to have so much joy a cinema church and I got there little Bible and they got their smile in their face and there's a bless you brother and I just don't feel like that all the time. I struggle about to drag myself along.

There's people, by the way are liars and fakes. Just so you know I went to my core principles of the pastor is everyone is screwed up. Once you get to know them.

If you can't see that there screwed up. You just don't know them that well. That includes me.

So that's where most of us are which makes these first two chapters of Israel spiritual struggles, I think so helpful for me on your gonna see I think your struggle in their struggle and out of their struggles were going to draw all three kind of guiding principles that the writer of Judges used to shape the rest of the book. The book opens like this. Chapter 1 verse one after the death of Joshua.

Joshua, you might recall is the mighty warrior general who would let Israel and the Canaan. He had led through things like the battle of Jericho. He was a very victorious Capt. He was a hero but when he died. There were still large parts of the area came in that a yet to be conquered was a huge area so they want done.

So the people of Israel inquire of the Lord. Verse one.

Who will go up first for us against the remaining Canaanites, to fight against them. Now that Joshua is dead. The Lord said Judah shall go up the tribe of Judah, behold, I've given the land into his head while things start out great. Judah went out.

Lord give you Canaanites and the Perez Eitzen with her hand defeated 10,000 of them at days that verse six added. I base act, which literally in Hebrew means the king of bay Zach at Anaya Baeza. He fled and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs in his big toes because this is what you do verse seven and I do not bay.

Zach said 70 kings with their thumbs in their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table, as I have done so God has repaid me if you will allow me to digress for just a moment, one of the problems that people sometimes habitable to judges is they ask how could God send in Israel to conquer a people this looks like a religious crusade and it looks unjust.

That is a good question, but let me at least point out to you.

King and I bay Zach's perspective on this whole ordeal he did not say God this is so unfair. He said God you have repaid me for my wickedness. Listen in Deuteronomy 18 in Leviticus 18 God made clear to Israel that he was driving the Canaanites out because of their excessive wickedness.

Israel was his instrument of judgment. These were not innocent people that Israel was stealing land from they were cruel and wicked people that God was bringing judgment upon an Israel was his instrument of justice. Now you say that sounds like a very dangerous mentality people taking on themselves the mantle of God to be as instruments of justice and that is true. People who adopt that mentality today commit horrific acts of injustice. The difference is that Israel had a very clear mandate and very clear instructions from God. God simply does not do that anymore. With the coming of Jesus. God began a new way of working in the world. Jesus came on a saving mission, and those who follow him participate in that saving mission.

He did not come to bring justice. He came to extend mercy.

He did not take life he laid his life down so those of us who follow him today are not the instruments of judgment on the world. We are the instruments of mercy.

It is true that one day King Jesus will bring judgment and justice of the world. But our role now is dispensing mercy, not judgment.

And anyone who today claims they are on a mandate from God.

When judgment is either lying or they are pathologically deceived you say all but surely in these conquests conquest their innocent people affected like no one else. The kids were innocent and that is true, innocent people sometimes get caught up in judgment but realize that that's not just something that happens in judges. It happens today. For example, if a man cheats on his wife works each of his business and he loses his marriage and his job. You might look at him and say well he brought that on himself, and you would be right. But what about his kids. They suffer to and the suffering they endured because of the sins of their father. They had no part in whether multiple ways of the Bible answers the question of why God allows the innocent to be caught up in someone else's judgment, but one thing that it assures you is that before the throne of God. Every once receives full, complete and impartial justice, and that what we inherit in eternity is going to make anything we experience in our earthly life seem rather trivial. Think of it like this is the best analogy I can come up with so it's not great, but bear with me. Can't imagine that you discover the post office and overcharged you $0.48 on a stamp so you could out of the post office, a complaint in response your complaint. They absolve you from any future responsibility to pay income taxes you would say that on the whole, your interaction with the US government was fairly positive in my correct it's not that you couldn't complain about the stamp it says that in light of what you received.

It's hard to complain about $0.48 when it forgiven you with thousands of dollars of income tax. By the way that's never going to happen don't go try to miss him you know about you and work okay. I just using of the ridiculous hypothetical will see what happens to us on earth compared to what we receive in eternity is like that $0.48 versus the huge gift of the freedom from income taxes when the all people die and so when these kids died in this they got caught in this is like I was collecting them early and what they received before the throne of God was fully complete and fair in what they receive in eternity makes anything the experience on nursing rather trivial. I know that doesn't answer the question fully but hopefully at least gives you a place to begin thinking or to do further research. What was Québec of the story papers 19 and the Lord was with Judah.

He took possession of the hill country, but he could not work could is really key. He could not drive out the inhabitants of the plane because they had chariots of iron, well that makes sense. Of course, chariots of fire. These were like the tanks of the ancient world just a couple dozen of them could mow down thousands of foot soldiers and all Israel had her foot soldiers and so of course they could not conquer these people because these people had chariots of iron, athletic, and drive amount. Verse 27 and the mass of the tribe of Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth CAM and its villages or to macro door. The Klingons of the Ewoks and all the rest of the water into their peers. Why for the Canaanites.

There were determined to do well in that land sees reward is really difficult. Israel asked them politely to leave and they raise their voice the Masons and angry letters that may method a few attacks, but these people are stubborn is determined to say to eventually set Israel said okay what was put a line will be state like in your room and using your sawdust on my side about me. I will bother you make sense caught even better. Verse 28 when Israel grew strong.

They put the Canaanites to forced labor.

That's a win-win right that's even better now we get some free labor out of it Tim Keller who wrote an excellent commentary on judges that I'll be using a lot during the series says taken on its own terms.

Chapter 1 of the book of Judges reads like a collection of Israel's press releases about their campaign. It's their spin on why they weren't as successful as we and God might have expected.

As you read Judges chapter 1, we are lulled into sympathy with the Israelites. We are told they could not drive out the Canaanites and we are inclined to agree.

They did their best and they found a more economical solution. The boot they got some free labor out of the deal. All in all, pretty savvy if he asked me but then comes God's assessment verse two of chapter 2. You have not obeyed my voice.

What about verse two I brought you up from Egypt. I brought you into the land that I swore to give your fathers, you will not obeyed my voice. What is this that you have done so now I say I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your side, and their gods will become a snare to you. Here is lesson number one.

Small areas of disbelief produce large areas of disaster. These Canaanites that lay left in the land became a thorn in the Israelites side a source of constant warfare. Eventually some of these people like the Philistines would rise up and subjugate them.

Israel response to God is what God we couldn't drive them out. We tried got this actually is not that you can't, it's that you won't. It has nothing to do with you not being strong enough because it's never been about your strength. It has only to do with you not being confident enough in my grace, don't you remember Jericho was there anything about your strength that had to do with the wall falling down all you did was march around it seven times in our I was the one who not walls down. If not, all that Jericho don't you think I can continue to take care of these Canaanites. Here is a question that you and I should ask ourselves where are we saying I can't. But God says in actuality, you won't see you need to start looking at your life, like the unconquered territory of the promised land of Canaan and you look at those areas of your life or you feel like I can't obey God here and realize that where you say, can't God says won't.

Where are you saying that in your life. Here are a few areas that I thought of by way of example, maybe it has to do with your integrity you say will God above are totally honest in my job I would lose it. You can't be expected to play fairly in this career field and survive.

Maybe it has to do with extending forgiveness got. I know that I'm supposed to forgive him or her, but I can't unjust not there yet God maybe it's avoiding some kind of sexual temptation.

You say I know the Bible says is wrong, but I just can't say no. A lot of times people will begin to rationalize their behavior and they'll say well I Bible can't really mean that this is wrong because it just feels so natural to me. I love the person makes me happy… Me to be happy is just who I am. I really can't say no, maybe that compromises being in a relationship you know you shouldn't be in.

I know all kinds of single people who get in or stay in relationships that they know should they shouldn't be and because God I'm just afraid to be a lonely so I'm going to have to do this my way in this section, I'm not to trust you provide because because II need this one of the most common compromise areas I see is in the area financial faithfulness, generosity, God, I can barely afford things the way they are much less be generous to view the firstfruits of what you give me I can afford that. I know wealthy people who say I'm just not sure the church is the best investment for the future.

I know people who begin the cut out interaction with God's kingdom in their lives with God's people because the Sacco work all the time. All these areas are areas of the enemy sets up a little camper. You say I can't, God says no it's not that you can, it's that you will in these areas become the areas of the feet were the enemy brings cursing in your life.

A great example. That's that forgiveness one. Paul said in Ephesians that when you refuse to forgive somebody. It becomes a foothold a little outpost in the promised land of your heart that Satan puts his soldiers in that he uses to tear apart the entire land Israel at this point was of this had not ceased to be zealously religious. They just sees the wall by faith and there is a huge difference in theirs to because the mark that you are walking by faith is full and absolute and unconditional and uncompromised obedience. You see, there are two ways to approach a relationship with God. One way is a way that you really do your own thing but you knew enough that you fight to keep God happy so that you can use them as a safety net. This is the vast majority of people in church the other way to approach God is you yield him complete and total control because you trust him completely. The only question you have in every area is what does God want over the years I've used an illustration to kind of depict these two ways of approaching God and as a story to go with it. You been around. Her music before, but I'll review for you again. I'm illustration is repelling when I was 16 years old I was with a group of friends that we use the rock, the weekends, it probably wasn't the smartest activity that we did none of us knew what we were doing, but I'm alive today so anyway the eye of one of our friends read something about about one repelling and managed to convince the rest of us that he knew how to repel so we all gullible 16-year-olds go up to the hanging rock State Park and were going to repel heat. Somehow I get volunteer to go first. Which I'm not sure still how that happened but I remember standing there as he, you know, ties it in the little boy system, whatever they call that and he tells me got a 75 foot drop behind me is like now you're supposed to just lean back. I don't know if you can overcome this, or you remember them over to like what just maybe it is just lean back in the rope will catch you. There is nothing in you that is going to do that. If not, my manhood had not been on the line.

There is no way that I would've done it but it 16 years old, your manhood is always on the line. So I stood there and I remember like my arbors, staring at me and I was like Annamarie, did you not. I asked Jesus to come in my heart again. Could I just wanted to make sure his long time for a got books of veggies in your I did this just in case.

Those guys were right as would have all my bases covered that rope lightly and back and I kept in a rocket. Eventually, I felt that the weight given I'm falling backwards, and this is like it is. This is the end and you catch and there I am like you are perpendicular to the rock in parallel with the ground in a book, straight up in the my friends face and he's like okay now you gotta jump and let go of the rope and so I worked up every ounce of courage that I could muster and I we will all my might and I jump probably an inch and 1/2 barely perceptible psychic you like did you jump as a you do it again so I did again at 5 feet 10 feet 20 feet is on a really fast learner and did underground 12 my best friend was next to the best friend was even more afraid of heights and I was the best friend he was better looking. I was more athletic girls warning him to me. I needed this kid but he was my best friend and so he was scared of heights. I can see him from 75 people. I can see his whole body just like to say can and he stood there for a while at 10 minutes for Tim and he didn't move it just stood there and eventually I saw him take his leg and, reaching down the rock face and find like you more. The foothold reaches of the leg down. He found the foothold and began to work his way down the rock face what he gets to a point on the rock face. The rockface was pentacyclic bills like a real sharp angle.

They are minute curves and it was inverted. If you're decent rock climber you can, this angle, but Lester built like Chris Gaynor not to be able to climb on an inverted rockface and so he gets to that bird tax in the low wall and he gonna hover there to look for a foothold and eventually this climbs back up. Now, if you've been watching us from a distance, it would look roughly like we were doing the same thing without using a rope about coming down the mountain, but there's a world of difference between rockclimbing and using rope as a safety net and actually repelling because when you rockclimbing and using the rope as a safety net. Your confidence is really your arms and your legs to move up and down the rock and you're just using rope there. If you fall, whereas when you're repelling you have shifted the weight of your body off of your arms and legs and onto the rope entirely. There is a picture in that for you of what it means to walk by faith.

First, being religious, there are a number of people who are religious, still using her arms and legs to get the life they got God kinda tipped all so that he's there when they need him, but that is not the life of faith the life of faith is a life that has yielded full and complete confidence and trust under the rope that is God's promises and your only question is where and how. So if you are religious person what you find is that you give a cumbersome point like that bird tax you can no longer go on in obedience.

And that's when you just go back the other way you stop obeying God financial you stop obeying him.

In the area of waiting on him.

If you are single for the choice that God had any number of areas you're going to just not be able to obey and get a feel like you can't. But God said it's a more fundamental problem, and that is you won't because you've never actually learned to trust me. Israel's compromise started with a failure of belief all sins. Start with a failure of belief by Martin Luther said.

Every sin springs from a wicked heart of unbelief and be small areas of unbelief become large areas of disaster.

Again, you gotta start seeing your life like the unconquered promised land of Canaan lurking in every crevice of your heart are your own little Canaanites of unbelief and sin.

And you gotta send out warriors of faith to subjugate them, which is why we say you gotta preach the gospel to every part of your life to your worries your ambitions or goals or temptations or security your needs.

You gotta drive out the enemy from your heart because those areas of unconquered territory become the means by which the enemy enslaves you well get worse. Verse 12 chapter 2 after the people of Israel abandoned the Lord abandon the Lord God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, and the anger the Lord was kindled against Israel and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them because that's what plunderers do. Israel started to go out to the gods of the people around them. And those people enslave them. Number two we choose we must choose between the God who saves and gods that enslave if there were ever a place in the Bible that demonstrated that sin leads to slavery. This would be a you give yourself to an idol because it promises you power and freedom you want to definition of an idol.

There is an idol is anything that promises power and freedom and happiness apart from God, but what it does is put you in chains. Back in those days it was the promise of security was the promise of rain. Now it would be something for us, like money, money says to us, I can give you power and freedom. If you have enough of me. You have all the power you need. You have all the freedom you need so you give yourself to pursue it, but you never seem to have enough and it destroys your family then it destroys your integrity, then it destroys your health and it is always demanding more. It promised power and freedom and happiness. Yet, you were never satisfied, you're always jealous. You're constantly worried. This is not a life of every man. This is the life of a slave you gave your life to build your reputation because you thought you would have power and freedom and happiness when you could walk in a room and everyone said while there is so and so he or she is just awesome. But instead of finding that power and freedom. You became really sensitive to criticism. You became obsessive of what people thought about you.

You were always better that people don't recognize your full worth or the accolades that you think belong to you to put on to someone else that is not the life of a free man. That is the life of a slave when we sing it here in our church is that sin that promise joy and live only led us to the grave: contrast of these false gods that enslave them. The writer of Judges gives you a glimpse into the heart of Israel's God now warn you, it's a little unusual. So I need you to follow me through it. Verse 14 to the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he gave them over to plunderers and they were in terrible distress. Then the Lord raised judges who save them out of the land of those who plundered them.

There are three things in those verses that reveal God's heart toward his people. A heart of passionate love. The first stage of those three stages is anger, which is why I said it might be a little unusual. But make no mistake, God is righteously angry at San and that's because God is a jealous God and he is jealously angry over our betrayal because jealousy is a necessary part of love. When you love something passionately. You are jealous for its affection. You may have heard that the opposite of love is not anger. The opposite of love is apathy. If God did not love us, he would not care because God does love eyes. There is a jealousy that he extends to us that when we betray him.

There is a righteous anger. A lot of people don't understand God's jealousy clinic.

Jealousy will like we mean when we say it is a male health is something that you want to unite a border years obsessive about the monies attention, but there's a good jealousy. There's a jealousy that is a natural part of love I am. For example, righteously jealous about my kids.

I'm jealous that they learn to love the right things every parent that I know thinks a lot and worries a lot about the influences on their kid. Why because they want their kids to grow up knowing what is right and loving what is right is a good jealousy I am right to be jealous over the over the affection of my wife. I want her affections to center on me and not on another man that is as much for her good and my family's good as it is mine. Now, obviously, it is possible to be way obsessive about that, but that's not what God is.

God is jealous to be our only God to be our only real object of worship because he passionately loves that and he knows what is good for eyes, the opposite of love would be apathy. God is angry because he was passionately in love with us.

When the father loves the son and the way that the husband loves a bride.

So God is angry but didn't you notice what happened next. He feels pity he sees them in distress verse 18 says he was moved to pity because of their groaning. By the way, the worker groaning there in Hebrew, doesn't mean repentance. It just means a cry of misery. It moves God emotionally to see his people hurting even though they had brought that suffering on themselves and they want sorry for yet, but is likely seen one of my children and suffering even if it's their fault. It doesn't make me cease to love them and I give anything to make you love more. So God sees them in before they cry out for repentance. He acts he sends Judges verse 16, he raised up judges to deliver them. And that's the rest of the book of Judges that she there's a dilemma.

These judges are going to turn out to be broken people themselves. They're gonna sleep better to fall prey to the same problems. Israel had their inconsistent unbelieving, cowardly, greedy rash, immoral to there's a question that begins to emerge from the book of Judges and it's this. How can these men and women be Israel saviors when they themselves need to be saved. How can they deliver us when they got things ready to be delivered from themselves. How can they save us.

When I got the same problems that we have. I have used this story with you before, but I think it illustrates it well true story I heard about a grandmother in California who looked out of her back window in her house and sees to her horror, her two-year-old granddaughter stumble into the deep end of the pool. She rushes out to save her granddaughter three hours later, the EMS pulls out the bodies about the grandmother and the granddaughter out of the pool because the grandmother couldn't swim either one habit who would do to save mean can have the same problem as those who need to be saved. The ones who would save us can't have the same issues as we have otherwise. How could they actually be our Savior. That's why every other religion in the world that work for me all because the people that are claiming to do the saving have the same problems of those of us who need to be say I got your problems when I need to be delivered from sin to I die. So someone is gonna save me. They can have a simple heart and die.

Bruno may have taught some good things, but he died mom and they have lots of good things, but he died. So many gonna save me there to live a sinless life in the be able to come back from the dead little one person in history used on that and that's our Savior to the book of Judges sets up this question points you to the story of another judge. Her story is not to be recorded in judges. Furthermore, there is another dilemma presented in judges and that is read the first two chapters, God appears to be on the horns of a dilemma from two contradictory promises that he made to get this first one I swore to give that land your father's. I will what the next word we can rewrite what's that word, I will never break my covenant with you. Verse 15 will reword this but this is essential.

God says I have sworn to punish injustice and sin because I'm a just and righteous God uses that word swear again. How can God keep both of those promises. How can God say that he will never break his covenant with us, but also be a God who is sworn to punish injustice. You see the dilemma with the answer is that God is going to send a judge that is going to both deliver us from our enemies and he is going to suffer the punishment for disobedience throughout this passage, God keeps referring back to a covenant that he made with Israel when he quickly take you back to one of the first places where God makes his covenant because I want to show you something absolutely fascinating about it that will help you understand the rest of the book of Judges, the situation is when God makes a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 for the first places he made this this covenant, that he was referring to. You turn in your Bible. I will summarize it for you can't, God makes a promise to Abraham that his descendents are going to be his people forever and that and gave him sponsors were to follow you forever. So Abraham a God or to solemnize the covenant through an ancient ritual called the cleaving of the animals now total gross for our standards but work like this, you would cut five animals in half.

You would lay the halves of their body into rows so that their blood flowed into the middle informed this river of blood in the two people making the covenant would put their arms around each other and walked to the blood to that the blood was splashing up on the roads, basically signifying that I don't keep my part of the covenant.

This is what will happen to me this this blood splatter. So right before Abraham and God get ready to go into this covenant together. Genesis 15 says a deep sleep falls upon Abraham and God comes down Abraham's laying there in a deep sleep.

But this doesn't stop God from going through the middle of the animals. God goes through by himself, and what God was showing to Abraham is not only going to be responsible for my side of the covenant I'm to be responsible for yours. Not only will I shed my blood if I fail to keep my part. I'll shed my blood. If you fail to keep your part. This is a promise that God is going to ensure the fulfillment of all by himself. See that deep sleep that Abraham fell into commentators point out that that symbolizes the deep sleep of sin, the slavery of sin that we would put ourselves into. God says but I set my love on you and I made this promise by myself so I'll pay the price for your disobedience and then I'll pursue you when you don't pursue me. I'll draw you to myself how CQ before you seek me, and then I'll sustain you by my grace when you are paperless. I'll be faithful I'll persevere with you to be end and a promise of the good work that I began in you. I will complete it until the day of redemption. That's the message of the book of Judges is that God is faithful when you are not. That's the message of it's a listen I know I noticed some of you feel weak. I know that you feel like you can overcome a certain temptation.

I know you feel like you'll never make it. God says but I determined it. You weren't there when I made the promise. You didn't hang on the cross, helping me pay the penalty for your sin, you and help bring Jesus back from the dead. I did all that by myself so I will see it through to begin what I have determined will come to pass. So the message of the book of Judges is first to rest rest in the promises of God, that he that is, began a good work in you will complete it. He will never let you go any more than I would let one of my children go.

Romans eight says those he foreknew those he predestined, and those he predestined us a call and there she called and she just about in those he justified those he glorified.

There is an unbroken chain between the poor knowing in the glorification once God put you on that train. He's taking you all the way to the station of glorification in the book of Judges says you rest in the promises of God because what God determined he will bring to pass the writer of Judges says you gotta choose between the two types of God's you choose the God that enslave you choose the God that saves you choose a God that will put you in chains, for God will love you like a father God that will pursue you like a husband to God that will love you and forgive you when you turn your back on them. Some of you are making that very decision this weekend. You gotta choose which God you will worship some of you say well I just choose neither.

I'm just not that religious of a person know it's like always explained to you the human heart doesn't give you that option like breathing. You are an instinctive worshiper.

You could know more of turn off your driver worship by not being religious and you could turn off your sex drive and I didn't marry your soul will always find something to cherish something upon which to build your identity something that you determine will give you happiness empowered freedom of peace and security.

The question is often telling is not if you worship the question is only what you will worship. If you give yourself to the gods of the Canaanites, which may have a different form today, but of the same things, money, fame, security, romance, family, respect, you will become a slave to those things. But if you give yourself to God. This God is depicted in Judges you will find the most satisfying, free and forgiving Victoria's love ever known, like Tim Keller says Jesus is the only God who if you find him will satisfy you and if you fail him will forgive you if you run from them will pursue you. Which brings me to the third and final thing that these chapters teach us to number three amnesia leads to apostasy amnesia leads to apostasy. Did you notice that when God confronts them to notice what he says in chapter 2 on the God that brought you up of the land of Egypt. Why does he start there, but it didn't.

Did they not know that it is you need to distinguish know of course they knew that it just that they were no longer thinking about them.

Those things again in chapter 2 legato verse 10 there was another generation after them who did not know the Lord or remember the mighty things that he had done for Israel. What inning. This generation never heard of the Passover, but he never heard about the Red Sea, the never heard about the walls of Jericho. Of course they had. They knew their stories. Listen to the word no in Hebrew the word that you spare the word… Has sexual connotations to Adam knew his wife Eve, which means he had sex with his wife to say that they knew they did not know the Lord means they may have known about him here, but they never learn to trust him and cherish him and so there arose a generation that was not intimately familiar with these things and these things are no longer precious to them. That's why God starts our reasoning with them.

This is how much of out of Egypt if I'm not lost on Jericho, don't you think I can handle the Canaanites if I split the Red Sea and the feel of the most powerful army in the world. Don't you think I could conquer these little bands of people everywhere but me ask you a question I want you really think about it.

Why would you trust God with your eternal salvation and did not trust him with your day-to-day life.

Why would you believe, you say. I believe he pay for my sin but I don't believe that he can take care of the needs that I have in the future God that you can trust with your eternity is certainly a God that you can trust with your budget, a God that you believe suffer the penalty of sin in your place is a God that you can believe will provide for you emotionally provide for you and your marriage will provide for you and your parenting D if he did not withhold the greater.

Surely he will not withhold the lesser. You gotta think about that and parents are going to see things your children. Parents want you to consider this in one generation. One. You go from a group of people who salt God, not the walls down to a generation that doesn't even know God at all.

One generation of how fast it is.

Parents if I could be the voice of your children for a minute if your children could suddenly get a perspective on life and speak with an adult voice, they would probably say something you like this mom and dad. You were the only one that can teach me the no these things to think that they are precious.

I can learn about a church which are the one is how to show me what they look like they got a show me what it means to trust you.

I get to see him reflected in your priorities. I got to see them reflected in how you pray I get a spirit in your passion if you when I look at how you structure my life, I've got to be able to tell that God is a priority and he's most important. I've often said this to her parents and I don't say this is not in the face of this want you to be sober about this, that, based on how you set your kids extracurricular activities. Many of your kids can rightfully conclude that where they go to college is more important to you than where they spend eternity because you may say one thing with your mouth, but your life sets up a priority structure that instructs them no money and romance and success and only know about God and the and the mental sense when God said these things, Israel in chapter 2, people begin to weep. They look with regret and what they had done but evidently they didn't repent. Why, because nothing changed.

You see, I know that there are people who even when I'm listening.

There's a sense of regret weaving is good and repentance is better.

Repentance means that you change.

Repentance means that you begin to look into the unconquered territories of your heart and you send out gospel warriors to preach the gospel over your worries over your fears over your ambitions over your goals. You say God search me and know me, show me what areas of never learn to trust you in where my worry, God cannot trust you there. Where do I have idols but will I submit to you.

There, that's what it means to repent as a family.

Your repentance may look like we need to rearrange our priorities. We need to rethink our budget.

We need to make the people of God, the center of our community. It's like often say the church needs to be not an event you attend in the weekend and needs to be a community that you belong to that year that reflects the your priorities in the value gift to God. I don't know where it is, but I have a sense of the Holy Spirit is saying the same thing to many of us that he said to the children of Israel and you have a chance to make a choice. They didn't make. They refuse to make and that is to actually follow God and see this victory.

This abundant life and he wants to bring it to you but it starts with the decision of fate. It starts with repentance want you all of our campuses bow your heads. If you would nondescript turn this over to the real preacher of the summa church that is the Holy Spirit is one him to give you a minute to call out things in your heart, but it might now bring out two or three things in your heart that he's wants to identify their their this is an area you don't trust me or is that I will say this there are many of you in here that have never begun this relationship with Jesus and begin with you promising to be better against with you.

Understanding that God is a Savior who did your salvation all by himself in the office that he was a gift. If you receive an you can't save yourself Jesus did. He says if you will receive me to as many as received me. I'll give you the power to become the sons of God is repentance and faith, repentance means you surrender control to him, and you receive him personally, as your Savior never done that you do it right. In this moment to leave you here with the Holy Spirit, all of you and just let him search your heart, let him bring these areas where he says follow me. Trust me father I pray in Jesus name. You might have your way that you might identify areas of disbelief and compromise that will be a people who walk in victory because we want confidence in your grace