Hotdog Faith

Today on Senate life with Jeannie Greer you ever stopped to consider the writer judges is implying to you the Navy. The idol itself is wrong. Maybe you chosen the wrong thing which defined power enjoyed significance may be the reason that you're unhappy in love is not because you haven't found Mr. right, it's because ultimate happiness was not found in him anyway after their religion.

Jeannie here. I'm your host Molly benefits this month. Pastor Jenny is walking us through the knitting book of judges in a teaching series called broken saviors today will see how over and over again, God's people substituted his plan with their own with tragic consequences that sound familiar. I don't think it's actually all that far off from what we're seeing today doing it God's way is always the best choice but were broken. We see it that way. Our message today is creatively titled hot dog faith. Now here's Pastor JD.

A lot of the stories in the book of judges people know stories like Samson or Gideon or maybe even though story of Deborah. Almost nobody knows the story of Jeff in Judges, chapters 10 and 11 because it is terrible.

I mean terrible.

It is going to leave you feeling deeply unsettled, downright disturbed, sometimes at night my wife and I are putting our kids to bed.

It all started on some story surrounds Bible stories Montessori for my life and I will look over at my wife and shall be going to disconnect, shaking her head like this is not appropriate for kids at this age because we have a different filter for that kind of stuff. Well… Suffice it to say that the story would not make for a great bedtime story for your seven-year-old butt first before we get into it.

I want to talk with you about dogs, Americans can keep them some hotdogs, not just on 4 July alone. Americans consume 150 million hot dogs. They say that if you line them up into the end they would stretch from where I am standing to Sydney Australia. Frankly, we love them.

Thank you for that for those you got that. If you have ever looked on the package where it tells you the contents of a hot dog.

However, the first component that you will notice goes into a hot dog is mechanically separated chicken or turkey, which the USDA defines as a and I quote a paste or better like poultry product manufactured by forcing turkey bones with attached edible tissue through a sieve. Under high pressure, a process called advanced meat recovery advancement recovery. Does that make your mouth water and other ingredients include corn syrup, beef, salt, sodium phosphate, sodium airfare abate sodium nitrate and what makes it so tasty alto dextran now.

I just know that makes you hungry and ready to get out of church and go eat something you like hot dogs. The coaches that are carpet us and try to get me to stop eating them. But I told him the only reason I work out so I that I could eat stuff like that without guilt, so lay off, but the point is, a hot dog is not pure meat, and there are some who would say that that eating that kind of stuff is not good for you and by some. I mean the medical community. Many Americans share that because many Americans build their faith like a cheap hot dog. They take a little bit of something from this little bit of something from that they mix it with a little bit of something else. And the result is a concoction that you could hardly call Christian it's more than simply bad for you. It is spiritually toxic and that is what you're going to see with Jep that today he's got a little bit of the meat of Christian faith that has been separated from true Christianity through advanced faith recovery system or whatever mixed with a whole lot of the sodium nitrate in the mall to dextran of his culture. Keep that in mind as we get into Judges chapter Tamil universe asked the people of Israel again did what was evil in the side of the Lord may serve the bales, a master off the got the Siri of the gods side and the gods of Moab and the gods of the ammonites and the God of the Philistines. They forsook the Lord and they did not serve him if you were counting by the way that seven different kinds of gods that they serve seven in Hebrew is of course the number of completion, which is a way of saying they had completely abandoned God.

Their symbolism in the seven or so verse seven studying of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them in the name of the Philistines and in the name of the ammonites and the Christ, and oppress the people of Israel that year not here we see a familiar pattern. The Israelites false gods. In the end up in slavery, we see that although the book of Judges, but now the author inserts a little twist the Israelites begin crying out for deliverance to the very gods that have enslaved him. The ammonites are the ones who enslaved them in the gods of the ammonites of the very ones they cry out to for deliverance. Here is what is being taught and it's very important. It's not just that idolatry leads you to enslavement.

It's that your enslavement usually leads you to more and more idolatry see when sin enslaves you. You usually will end up looking for deliverance to the very things that put you in slavery in the first place anything about us try harder with the same gods. Then they will deliver me now only stop for a minute here because some of you think what's that got to do with me. I don't have any idols in my house and about on any statues and I'm not anybody's slave. That's a great question and it brings up a really important point, one that is absolutely foundational. If you can understand what the Bible teaches about sin. That is that an idol is in the Bible is not just a statute which you bow down an idol is anything that you look to in your life or power or joy or significance apart from God. For example, some people think if I have success, then a high-powered security and safety.

Enjoy.

If I have some academic recognition or or if I moved to some talent that I have is a gift. Maybe it's not personal beauty or the beauty of my spouse or maybe it's that I'm athletically better. Whatever that these things will guarantee for me power enjoying significance in the future now that things are all fine in and of themselves. Of course, but when you look to them instead of God. For power, enjoying significance.

They will always enslave you. What do I mean by enslave you when you start to feel like you could never be happy until you have that thing and so you'll do anything to get it in us, the definition of slavery is that when it speaks you obey have got to do that what it says because I gotta have it and when you do get that thing you never thought you have enough of it, you're always worried about losing it. So you begin to make really destructive choices to hang onto it or to get more of it. You feel like I have to be beautiful. If I'm going to have power, enjoying significance, so I will, for example, starve my body even though it's bad for it so I can be a certain size because I couldn't be worth anything about not the way that will hate myself. And when I'm not at that way, or you say II need more money so I will work until I destroy my family or I will cheat outbreak nine to people, by the way, who cheat in business are not usually inherently dishonest people are just people who want something so bad that they're willing to compromise their integrity to get it. William James, who was not a Christian is a postmodern philosopher said that success is the primary God of the Western world and he said, success is a goddess. He said because no matter what you give to her. She always demands more seasick for me on the altar of success. I first gave my family visited then the goddess that I need more.

And so I gave them my integrity and on the gotta said. Lori said, and I finally give my health in my life and the goddess never quit demanding more. You ever stopped to consider the writer Judges is implying to you that maybe the idol itself is wrong.

Maybe you chosen the wrong thing in which to find power enjoying significance.

Maybe the reason that you're unhappy in love is not because you haven't found Mr. right, it's because ultimate happiness was not found in him anyway. Jeremiah chapter 213 probably gives you the clearest description of sin anywhere in the Bible.

Jeremiah 213 universe. I think you ought to have memorized my people have committed two evils, the first evil they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters may have skewed out evil number two cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water all in those days, water was a precious commodity in the best thing to do was to bind up a natural underground spring that's living water constantly flowing constantly fresh.

He said that was me that was God that was my love. I was the one who gave you power enjoying significance in security and safety. But you pursuant me and then because that left you parched. You started to dig out sister not a cistern was what you would dig in the desert to collect rainwater and then the problem is oblique to the ground, it will become muddy was terrible is not nearly what you would compare to a natural underground spring is like. So the evil number one was you pursuant me minute lecture so parched and you just dug cisterna process turn up a cistern up a cistern to try to get enough water to satisfy your soul.

It's the wrong well you think I got a dig dig dig deeper deeper deeper deeper. There's gotta be some kind of satisfying water in here somewhere.

God says it's wrong.

Well I created those things in me. I'm the one who gives you power enjoying significance, not those queued out cisterns and hold no water burst in the people of Israel cried out to the Lord then saying we have sinned against you because we have forsaken our God and to serve the false gods Lord said to the people of Israel.

You have forsaken me, and serve other gods, therefore I will save you no more want to go cry out to the gods whom you chosen. Let them save you and your time of distress. For the first time in the book of Judges God says no. Why will see it's one thing for the wayward prodigal to come home and true repentance. God will always receive someone like that. But imagine a wife who is been unfaithful again and again and again and again and she is caught in the midst of her adultery and so she pleads with her husband for security and provision just until she find somebody else to take her on. That's a totally different scenario.

These people God sees their heart they don't want God for God there just in pain may want somebody, anybody, to make it stop. There's no change of heart toward God.

This is not God, I'm going to use you to get out of trouble. There's a difference you see in using God and worshiping God. This is very very important for many of you listen, it is possible for you to come back to God in an idolatrous way that he will not receive I see it all the time.

To be quite honest with you, you see a man whose marriage begins to fall apart and he panicked, so he runs into church and he begins to make promises to God. God does give you my family back. Or maybe he's out of a job and so he comes in. Gotta do this.

I'll do whatever you read. Repentance looks so sincere, but it's not because the moment that the danger the immediate danger is gone and he gets his family back to get his job back.

He goes back to the independent way that he would live in the begin with. See you got to evaluate Mrs. a huge, huge question. Are you using God or are you worshiping God for God because God can tell whether you come to God in pain is not really the issue will go to anybody you think you get you out of pain. The question is will you follow him the same when the immediate danger has passed. Are you using God or you worshiping God is inherent in just a moment. I wanted to quickly share a little bit more about our current resource is sometimes we have big question I made about God and the Bible. We need to know how to give solid answers for this difficult moment those questions are coming from those he stuck with a topic that just doesn't sit right in her newest resource pastor JD quickly answer some questions and keep okay get divorced. Is there such a thing as unanswered prayers call volume 1 of this event called honest questions make answers from years ago. We have some copies of that first available as well. If you missed getting in.

Give us a call at eight 663-3550 teacher training or go online changing gear.com and reserve your copy today. Now let's get back to today's message with pastor JD Greer here on verse 15 the people of Israel said to the Lord then we have sinned, so do whatever seems good to you only.

Please deliver us this day. So they put away the foreign gods from among them, and they serve the Lord will either not to get it to seal different with a set verse 15 is from others and understand members.

Tammy said we want peace from you. Verse 15 said we want peace with you, even if it continues to make trouble for us here do whatever you're going to do. That's a huge difference.

We would rather not have trouble they say, of course, but having you having peace with you. That's the essential part that's true repentance.

I don't care if life gets easier. Life gets hard. I just want you know some people who talk as if when you come to Christ he just makes everything in your life easy to be here and give testimonies and I think there you know don't mean Barb came to Jesus. My marriage is an awesome and I can started so my bedside go to Scripture and my boss can you raise we discovered oil near my house and it was just awesome. You know, and this and that is not always expect is not usually the way that it works. A friend of mine calls it a train wreck conversion regardless most people have a train wreck conversion. Where were you thinking alike to start going wrong in one of his purposes and that in Scripture is to see if you're coming to God for something he can do for you if you come in for him. Sometimes the things in your life begin to go wrong and you don't get the raise in the marriage doesn't turn immediately better because gotta say to you in this for me.

You and this just to use me for something. Are you using gotta worshiping God. That was the question what Israel genuinely repents and so the Lord becomes inpatient over the misery of Israel or the NIV says he could bear it no longer a love that phrase.

It just shows you how God feels about his people. He hurts with them. He says now your pain is painful to me and he rises to his feet. Chapter 11 now Jephthah was a mighty warrior but he was a sign of a prostitute. Gilead was Jephthah's father had many other sons by his wife. You know is is not a prostitute, and when his wife sons grew up the drive Jephthah out because they said in you shall have no inheritance in our father's house for you are the son of a prostitute. So Jephthah fled from his brothers and they lived in the land of Tobit and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and ran and came out to a becomes a kind of crime boss land pirate is what we would call in verse four, but after a time the ammonites made war against Israel, and so the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back and I said hey can be our leader, that we may fight against the ammonites. I apologize for this but this can't help but be reminded of season seven and 24 were they collected Jack Bauer and they say we only like you but we need you to come fight the terrorist verse seven so Jack Bauer said to the elders of Gilead, did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house and I you come crime back to me when you're in our pain, no deal. By the way, Jephthah's respondent just like I did jump is likely you want me for me to use me sober save as I'm really sorry this time if you come home to be in charge. Again, I would hear your mom is you have CT you will be present ever. All we care whatever you want. So Jephthah agrees and Jephthah says I'm taken my talents back to Cleveland. But first he tries diplomacy.

He tries diplomacy with the ammonites and he says to the king of the ammonites are you attacking us in the king of the ammonites says locations of my land. Jephthah responds with three I think rather compelling points of reasoning is is number one well as a point of fact, it wasn't your land we took. It was the Amorites and not ammonites what Amorites your name is never the title deed.

So get off your high horse number two.

We took their land. We were simply responding to Bayer aggression against us when we pass through their land. They attacked us and we kick their tails we get their land because I given it to us anyway number three in this land is really a gift from your God commotion you want to come and get it in verse and verse 30 said okay were common 30 jump that I made about Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and he said, Lord, if you will give me the ammonites in the my hand whatever comes out from the doors in my house to greet me when I return in peace from the ammonites, shall belong to you. The Lord, and I will offered up as a burnt offering to jump across to the ammonites to fight against them in the Lord indeed gave them into his hand and Jephthah came to his home and missed time to hold his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child, besides her. He had neither son nor daughter, and as soon as he saw her coming out after the battle he tore his clothes and he said alas my daughter you brought me very low. You've become the cause of great trouble to me for I've open my mouth the Lord and now I cannot take back my bow. Verse 36 she said to him I father you have open your mouth the Lord said to me according to what is going out of your mouth. Now that the Lord is avenged. You and your enemies on the ammonites, so she said to her father, but this thing be done for me. First, leave me alone for two months and I may go up on the mountains and wait for my virginity with my friends. So he said go sooner away for two months and she departed. She and her companions, she wept for her virginity in the mountains and the end of the two months he returned her father did with her according to his vow that he had made. Sometimes commentators try to soften what has happened here.

They'll say, like, well, Jephthah must have expected it to be an animal that came out of his house personnel for these promising to God as a burnt offering, but animals will not be kept in the house. I didn't have pets like we have pets is not talking about that, by the way, we said whatever greets me the word used for greet definitely connotes acumen encounter. It's not a word you would use with an animal so he's deathly thinking human sacrifice, or they'll say commentators so Jephthah did not she kill his daughter sacrificing her just meant that she had to die as a virgin like you know she just would remain a married for the rest of her life wife that's true why the two month hiatus that would make any sense. Obviously were talking about human sacrifice, and obviously he actually burnt his daughter he killed his daughter. This is that he expected the first one out of his house would not be his daughter. He thought it would be one of his many servants or one of his many comrades in arms. So a couple questions I want us to consider here is the first, why did Jephthah make this about, so you think this is nothing to do with me. It has a lot to do with you, I'll say that it toward the end but why did Jephthah make this value to reasons because he was desensitized to violence.

He was desensitized to violence is just the way they did things human life was cheap in those days when it came to the idol, obtaining the idol of military dominance. Now it seems unspeakably horrific eyes but that's just because violence is no longer our idol of choice before you and I shake our heads in bewilderment and say what a backwards primitive people. We ought to consider that we commit similar excesses with our idols.

We do not wince nearly as much when we do. For example, a woman can tear apart her family and devastate her kids because she finally realizes she's been married to the wrong person. That's why she's not happy and she's gotta be true to herself and so she's got to go find true love, even if it devastates her kids and we can shake her head, say well she's gotta be true to herself and I guess that's is what she's got to do. We talk about this for a minute because our culture idolizes romantic and sexual fulfillment of the point that anything you sacrifice on the altar that is okay because that idol is enthroned an unquestioned. For example, if I is an evangelical pastor decided that I preferred sex with men and I left my wife and my kids for another man. By the end of this month. I would be celebrated as a national hero. I would be on Ellen. I would be on Oprah and they would say things like just being true to himself. What a courageous guy to come out.

Just acknowledge the truth about who he is. The fact that I had to abandon my family.

That's just the price you gotta pay for true love that I devastated my family would be totally insignificant. What is true love meant that is not actually about me anymore. Our culture confuses true love was self-love and you can't wrap up self idolatry and the close of romance and call that true love in another sphere man can neglect his wife and kids in order to get ahead and say well that's what it takes to get ahead, to survive in this business will never succeed in the finance world unless you work will not every night. Must you never take days off.

It is been easy for me to justify the sacrifice of an awful lot of the altar of ministry success like Jeff might well gotta succeed in doing God's work and that means I gotta sacrifice relationships in family and even integrity. Well, that's just the price I got to do your work God somebody in our culture, gets pregnant and inconvenient time and they eliminate the child in an abortion. We say well, only she has the right to determine what will save her life will take and of having a kid right now in her judgment to mess up your life. Well I guess that's okay since the price of freedom, usually before we shake our heads in bewilderment at Jeff but we should realize were probably not as advanced of a culture as we think. We always got different titles number two. Here's the reason that he made about this because this is how you pleased pagan gods.

That's how you pleased pagan gods offered sacrifices to gain their favor, the greater the sacrifice. The greater favor you could earn from your God. You needed some big from M. Gotta sacrifice something big.

But God elicited this never ever ever puts this out as a requirement to get his attention or his favor not yet right for visit.

Deuteronomy 1810, there shall not be found among you, anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering.

So what about Abraham that was a test of faith and obedience. This is an attempt by Jeff that a pay got off to negotiate with them. It's totally different. Here is what has happened. Listen, Jephthah has mixed all kinds of sodium phosphates and poultry paste into his faith and come up with something that looks like the meat of faith, but it's really not faith at all because it's totally different than how God said that we should pursue him and do his work. Here's the second question first question why did Jephthah make the bow wow I did Jephthah keep his bow.

That's the second question, maybe you could excuse him for in his fear. Save some stupid but after he saw was his daughter for two months. He sat there considered in the news went through was of this he kept it for the exact same reason that he made it.

He has no concept of the grace of God he feels like he has to earn God's favor, the way you are the pagan gods favor by making sacrifices that merit it.

Now he feels like God and keep his horrific valving God punish them. But God does not give injury or favor her salvation because we are never that is not by works of righteousness which we have done. It is according to his mercy that he saves the mourn his own body. The price for Arby's by his sacrifice that we were healed. A moment ago.

Culture has made an idol out of personal choice or society celebrates when someone chooses to walk away from their family in order to be true to oneself and yet the Bible exposes the folly and the consequences of this kind of self-love. Let's be countercultural in our walk with God. You're listening to some it might like to encourage you to get a copy of our newest resource inspired by Pastor Janie's ask me anything podcast our new book titled an honest question answers volume 2 tackle some tough questions from listeners like you and answers are short and concise. Our goal is to get overly deep, comprehensive responses and accessible answer. If you miss, volume 1, a couple of years ago when we offered it printed a new edition of that is about get your copy today when you get a financial gift of $35 or more by giving us a call by the 2552 20. Give online fear.com by Molly Witt of HVC were to listen again when you right here on some in my prayer ministry