JUDGES
Breaking the Yo-Yo Sin Cycle
By Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmoyer jerry@schmoyer.net
http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/
Main idea: how to keep from repeating the same sins over
INTRODUCTION
TELL STORY OF PRODIGAL SON
How did the story continue in years to come?
What if a couple months later son left again, then home in a few more months?
Then did it again, and again for rest of life
What think of son then?
What think father should do?
Not as nice a story, certainly not as popular
TRANSITION
That’s what book of JUDGES is like
Not too popular either!
Good book to ready on stormy winter night when depressed!
DARK AGES of Israelite people
Sad book, opposite of Joshua
REVIEW up to this point
Book theme
Chart of ups and down
JUDGES: defeat and deliverance
Followed by another defeat and deliverance, and another….
Cycles of sin…
I. CAUSE OF THE CYCLES 1-2
A. FAILURE (POLITICAL) 1
GENTILES still in land, not all driven out
Used for slave labor
Gradually grew stronger
Jewish men married pagan wives
Children raised to worship her idols
Before long Jews living like pagans they defeated
B. FAITHLESSNESS (SPIRITUAL) 2
7 cycles (downward spirals)
1. Compromise
COMPROMISE gradual
Land eroded into river slowly
Drapes fade in living room, don’t notice right away
Our lives gradually drift from God
2. Disobedience
Judges 2:11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
GOD PUNISHES SIN – wickedness of human heart clearly seen in Judges
3. Bondage
Judges 2:14 In his anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.
8 to 40 years at a stretch
4. Misery
Judges 2:15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
Hit bottom, helpless
5. Deliverance
Judges 2:16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
‘Judge’ (deliverer) raised up
Patriots and religious leaders both
George Washington
15 judges, sometimes 2 or 3 together
6. Peace, Rest
20 to 80 years of rest
1. Compromise again…
Judges 2:17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
TRANSITION
What is true of them PHYSICALLY true of us SPIRITUALLY
APPLY TO US TODAY
Us like that as well – Cycles: close to God, sin, away, repent, back close, sin, away
How many times have you been like that in life?
YO-YO spiritual life, up and down, up and down,
1. compromise, disobedience
2. bondage, misery
3. repentance, deliverance
4. peace, rest
1. COMPROMISE, DISOBEDIENCE
DRIFT FROM GOD
Judges: things going OK so forget need for God
-TOO BUSY
Use time for self, make money, enjoy life
Don’t see need for God so ignore Him
-TOO SATISFIED
Everything well, safe, secure, don’t need God
COMPROMISE
Judges: keep outer form of ‘religion’ but play around with sin as well
INDIA Compromised with sin: homosexuality
Materialism
How people treat others
CHRISTIANS Go through motions out of guilt
Tempted to play around with sin seems like ‘fun’
FALSE GODS, IDOLATRY
Baal and other false gods everywhere, many of them
IDOLS TODAY which we put before God, turn to for needs, worship
-SELF, pride, ego,
satisfy self,
entitlement,
expectations for self
-MATERIALISM, things,
home,
savings,
$ for needs met,
security,
feel good about self
-OTHER PEOPLE,
athletes,
singers,
actors, ‘American idol’,
rich
politicians!
INDIA Security here, needs met
Faith in, depend on for future
-MATE, FRIEND Expect them to meet all needs
Expect them to make us happy
Depend on them instead of God
SENSUALITY & LUST
Judges: idol worship and paganism VERY sensual, sex great part of it all
EVERYTHING ABOUT SENSUALITY TODAY
-SEX – Everywhere today: computers, TV, movies
-FOOD – Idol, to meet needs, medicate
Gluttony
Turn to instead of God
Can’t resist, turn from, say no to temptation
2. BONDAGE, MISERY
Judges: to other nations around them
US: Consequences of sin
Emptiness of not living for God
Demonizing open selves up to
Separation from God and His joy, peace, etc.
Stay in it WAY longer than need to
-don’t want to give up the sin/’pleasure’
-pride keeps us from yielding to God
3. REPENTANCE, DELIVERANCE
Finally so bad, convicted, we confess (admit sin, agree with God about it)
When we repent, confess = God there to carry and restore us!
4. PEACE, REST
GREAT being back with God!
1. COMPROMISE, DISOBEDIENCE
DRIFT FROM GOD
COMPROMISED
FALSE GODS, IDOLATRY
SENSUALITY & LUST
CYCLES CONTINUE!!!!!
TRANSITION
7 cycles (downward spirals) over 400 years
Between Joshua and kings – Saul, David, Solomon
II. COURSE OF THE CYCLES 3-16
|
BONDAGE TO |
CHAPTER |
SIN |
YEARS OF BONDAGE |
DELIVERER |
PEACE |
|
Mesopotamia |
Judges 3 |
Idolatry, intermarriage |
8 yrs |
Othniel |
40 yrs |
|
Moabites |
Judges 3 |
Immorality, idolatry |
18 yrs |
Ehud, Shamgar |
80 yrs |
|
Canaanites |
Judges 4-5 |
Departed from God |
20 yrs |
Deborah, Barak |
40 yrs |
|
Midianites |
Judges 6-8 |
Departed from God |
7 yrs |
Gideon |
40 yrs |
|
Civil War |
Judges 9 |
Departed from God |
3 yrs |
Tola, Jair |
45 yrs |
|
Ammonites |
Judges 10 |
Idolatry,great apostasy |
18 yrs |
Jehthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon |
31 yrs |
|
Philistines |
Judg. 13-16 |
Departed from God |
40 yrs |
Samson |
|
DELIVERER: SAMSON
Special child, promised by God
Blessed, strengthened by God – killed lion by hand
Philistine wife, sexual attraction, not following God
Later with Philistine prostitute
Taunted her/them with strength, couldn’t capture him
Gave up secret about hair, strength, blinded, ground grain
COMPROMISE, DISOBEDIENCE
Physical appearance #1
Sex, lust main goal
BONDAGE, MISERY
Blind, grinding grain like ox
REPENTANCE
Hit botrtom! – REPENTED
Gave up own life destroying many Philistines
PEACE, REST
TRANSITION
I. CAUSES of the cycles
II. COURSES of the cycles
III. CONDITIONS in the cycles
HOW TO STOP THE CYCLES?
Judges: to other nations around them
1. WATCH THE SMALL DRIFTING
Erosion of river bank
Fading of living room curtains
Prodigal son: mind wanders, appeal of ‘outside’ grows
Turn from it, think of Father and provision here
Remember how awful it was when away!
(we think this time different, better – never is!)
US: remember, learn from past mistakes, misery
Alert to ‘little’ drifting of heart, affections
Hebrews 2:12 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
HEARD = Remember TRUTH, THE WORD
Remember this lesson from Judges
Remember solution to cycles of sin
2. STAY CLOSE TO THE FATHER
Prodigal son: develop close love relationship W/ Father
When drift, not as close put him first again
US: QUALITY TIME WITH God each day….
Philippians 3:7-10 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. … 10 I want to know Christ
KNOW = intimacy, personal relationship
Takes quality time
Takes quantity time
Takes openness, honesty, vulnerability
3. RESIST THE APPEALS OF THE WORLD
Prodigal son: needs met ‘out there’ – fun, satisfaction,
Replace with fellowship, joys in father’s house
US: lie that ‘out there’ is better than in here!
Replace with fellowship, joys in Father’s house
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, don’t quit
Race not easy but keep going
Fix eyes on final prize/goal to keep going
“well done my good and faithful servant”
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
HOW to keep going? Eyes on Jesus, not world, temptation, PETER: eyes on Jesus walking on water
JESUS endured cross by looking to future victory in heaven
Same for us…
HOW TO SHORTEN THE CYCLES?
Prodigal son: while walking down road turn around and come home
Can’t always stay as close as we should, but as soon as even a little away
CONFESS SIN
Don’t make excuses, blame, justify, etc.
Do humble self and come back right away
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
CONCLUSION
Where are you on the cycle right now?
GROUP, INDIVIDUAL PRAYER TO COME BACK NOW….
