OPTIONAL SERMON OPENER ---------------
Money Grab
Buy play money or go to http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/pl/page.treasurechest/dn/default.cfm
and print off monopoly money (free). Print off one page then you can use your church’s printer for the rest.
Have ushers give one bill to every person who comes into the sanctuary, right when they come in. When you’re ready to play, call some people up to the front - suggestion: 3 people for every 100 people.
On, “Go!” your three volunteers run out in the crowd and grab as much money as possible - the crowd lifts up their monopoly money.
Set a time limit. The one who runs back to you with the most money wins.
Have the one with the most money make a choice between three covered boxes… two cheap prizes and one nice one.
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Today’s message is entitled Let’s Make A Deal...
I would like to start out by making you an offer...
MY FIRST OFFER...
1. I will give each of you $100,000 for your car right now!
Would anyone turn this offer down?
I doubt it; but before you spend the money, I have another deal to offer you
MY SECOND OFFER...
I will give each of you $1,000,000 for your car, but...
a. You must give me back the $100,000 I just "gave" you
b. You must wait one week for the money
c. You must leave your car where it is parked right now until next week
d. You must be back here next Sunday to receive the money
2. Would anyone turn this second offer down? I doubt it...
I suspect everyone would be willing to exchange $100,000 for
a. $1,000,000
b. Not even the conditions would stop you; somehow you would:
1) Get back home (even if you had to walk home!)
2) Get along all week without your car
3) Get back here next Sunday, no matter what--to get that million dollars.
LET’S ANALYZE THIS...
1. The first offer sounded exciting at first, but didn’t even come close to the second offer…
In the first offer…who would wouldn’t want $100,000 for their car?
But then that offer wasn’t as exciting compared to the second offer because:
1) $1,000,000 is worth a lot more
2) Even if you have to wait a week to receive the money
3) Even if you have the inconvenience of no car for a week
By accepting the second offer for $1,000,000 you have turned down the first offer for $100,000:
So you turned down an offer for free instant money costing you nothing but your car.
Now you accepted a larger offer for $1,000,000 that now requires more effort on your part and some personal sacrifice.
You turned down something FREE that required nothing of you, for a greater offer that now costs something of you in return…remember that, while you turn in your Bibles to Judges chapter 2…
To set the scene, somewhere around the year 1200 B.C., Joshua, one of the great leaders of the people of Israel, died at the age of 110 (Judges 2:8). "And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all of the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all of the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel" (vs. 7).
In the course of time, however, "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet know the work which He had done for Israel" (vs. 10).
As a result of this, "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger" (vs. 11-12).
For the next several generations the Lord’s dealings with His people would be in a cycle in nature.
First: The people would sin, turning from their God to engage in the evil practices of the peoples around them.
Second: God would severely punish them by giving them into the hands of their enemies (Judges 2:14 -- "And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.").
Third: The people would cry out to their God in their distress, repenting of their evil
Fourth: The Lord would raise up a deliverer for the people of Israel who would deliver them from the hands of their enemies and bring peace.
Fifth: The judge would eventually die, and the people would return to their evil ways. This cycle repeated itself time and again throughout this period,
a time often characterized as The Dark Ages of Jewish History.
This brings us to the story of a man who played “Let’s Make A Deal” with God.
The story is found in Judges chapter 11
Read Verses 1-3:
First we need to look at his upbringing.
The name Jephthah comes from the Hebrew Yiptah, meaning "he will open" (perhaps referring to the fact that God would open doors for this child).
Jephthah would need that divine assistance, for his early years would not be easy ones. The problem was: Jephthah was not the son of Gilead’s wife, but rather "the son of a harlot" (Judges 11:1).
Some feel this woman may have been a cult prostitute in one of the pagan temples and he was cast out of his house and he fled to the land of Tob.
Tob was on the border of Syria. Now being in this area, outside the borders of Israel, Jephthah would not have had the biblical upbringing that any male would have had within the borders of the twelve tribes.
With Tob being that close to both Ammon and Syria, the Bible tells us that he gathered himself with “vain” men.
The word “vain” carries with it the meaning of “worthless.” A good commentary on this kind of man is found in Proverbs 12:11
Jephthah had become head of a group of men who were probably thieves and criminals of all sorts.
The area in which he lived, between Ammon and Syria, he would no doubt have had a lot of contact with the false religions of that area.
From the types of false gods which were prevalent in that area for worhip, Jephthah probably had a lot of contact with these false gods and their forms of worship.
These worthless men that he rode with were probably all or most came out of these false religious cultures.
Jephthah, being an outcast from Israel, would not have had the knowledge of God and His requirements as did someone who grew up in the land of Israel at that time.
If Jephthah was surrounded by the false religion of these false gods, then he would have grown up and lived within that culture and would have known their barbaric customs--even participating in them--but that we cannot be sure of.
Read Verses 4-6:
So now the elders of Gilead were in trouble and they prayed to the Lord to be delivered from the Ammonites which were camped in Gilead ready to march and conquer Israel.
Now the nation of Israel had sunk so low, they now had to resort to a man who headed up a rebel army.
There was not a godly man in Israel who was able to lead them in battle against such a hardened enemy.
So to fight a pagan army, God places them under the command of a pagan outcast.
Israel had become so corrupt with their worship of false religions, that God raised up an outcast to defend them.
The same holds true even today...
When God cannot find someone in the church to do His will, he will find someone He can work with…
Even if that person doesn’t know the bible as well as you do or has been in church as long as you or I have.
So now Jephthah was approached by the elders of Israel and he agrees to become their head.
Verses 7-10: A Dynamic Deal
He reminds them of what they did to him--He informs them what it will cost them--He makes sure they understand and agrees to his conditions
Doesn’t it feel good when people that have hurt you or doubted you have to eat their words
When God raises you out of the ashes with a new outlook and a new mission comes an air of confidence and leadership
Verses 29-32: A Doubtful Deal
After trying to reason and deal with the enemy in the previous verses, He now knows what he must do.
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord that he will offer a burnt offering of the very first thing that would come out of his house.
Now that was a very foolish vow to make, for how could he possibly have known what or who would come out of his house.
Suddenly Jephthah is focused on Jephthah. There’s fear in his heart. Self-doubt. With all that he knew about God - on the eve of battle - he struggles with trust. “Your mother was a prostitute. Your brothers hated you. You deserved that hate. You’re worthless.”
Ever hear that voice? "Who do you think you are?" "You’re not good enough." "You’re a failure." "You deserve this." "Your sins are too great." "Your past is too bad." "You’ll never amount to anything."
On the eve of victory--Jephthah wallows in defeat. All the while, the voice echoes through his mind repeating endlessly..."People like me don’t become heroes."
"People like me cannot be favored by God--so I’ve got to do something to make Him like me"
It was like a compromise that if the Lord would do something, then he would offer something to the Lord.
Not a Spirit-filled decision…
It is also interesting to note that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. when the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone in the Old Testament, it was for an empowerment to do a specific task.
Here the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah to fight against the Ammonites.
So at this point we are NOT looking at a man who was saved that would be indwelled with the Holy Spirit.
Instead he was being empowered to gain victory over the Ammonites for Israel. Jephthah gained the victory and he returned home and that is where we will pick up the rest of the story.
Verses 33-36: A Devastating Deal
Jephthah now returned home and obviously the victory that he won over the Ammonites preceded his homecoming.
When his daughter heard him coming, she came out and danced the dance of joy and victory. This was his only child as the Scriptures teach.
Jephthah was so filled with anguish that when he saw his daughter emerge from the house, he was filled with so much remorse that he rent his clothes which was a sign of grief and contrition.
He had made a vow to the Lord concerning a burnt offering and believed he could not go back on that vow.
Obviously he had told her what the vow was and since he made the vow to God by requesting that he have victory over the Ammonites and God delivered the Ammonites into his hands, his daughter believed that he must keep the vow.
How would your child react to a deal that you made with God?
Verses 37-40: A Done Deal
Before her father was to perform his vow, she had requested that she be allowed to bewail or morn her virginity.
The idea that she will not leave any children for her family was a very reprehensible thing to the Israelite women.
This is especially true since the promise of a Messiah was given in Genesis and each Israelite woman believed that they could be the chosen vessel to bring forth the Messiah.
For a woman not to have a baby was thought to be almost like a curse.
In 1 Samuel chapter 1, Hannah prayed for a child to be born to her and in the book of Genesis, Sarah wanted to give Abraham the promised child. But Jephthah’s daughter would leave no progeny for her father’s house.
Jephthah chose the wrong door on his deal. And now he’s stuck with a done deal that he has made with God.
This shows the foolishness of a sudden deal without thinking it through
Did He Follow Through With The Deal?
Now with the history of Jephthah going back to all the paganism with their rituals of human sacrifice, he would have had no problem following through with what he said, even though he would do it with severe sadness.
Now many say that instead of him sacrificing his daughter in a burnt offering, he prevented her from bearing children. Dedicating her to the temple for the rest of her natural life.
Because in that day, not bearing any children was looked upon as a curse
Many believe this idea simply because they cannot believe that God would not accept a human sacrifice. As in the case with Joseph and Isaac.
But since Jephthah grew up in a region where child sacrifices where quite common, then there’s a very good possibility that he carried through with his vow to the word.
Why did he play “Let’s Make A Deal” with God
God was going to give him the victory anyway. He was going to be with him all the way through.
God doesn’t abandon His own. You and I don’t have to bargain with God. He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
You don’t have to say, "God, if You stay with me through my life, then I’ll do this. God, if You rescue me from this temptation, then I’ll . . ."
You don’t have to do that. By reading God’s word, you begin to understand the true nature of God, and you’re not going to make tragic mistakes the way Jephthah did.
But sometimes, our fleshly self, speaks louder than the Spirit of God within us…
We often like to offer our sacrifices to God in exchange for our obedience to what He wants us to do.
But through reading God’s Word, we find out about the true character of God --- so that we don’t make bad deals -- and we don’t think God is only going to be close to us if we perform for Him through good works.
But sometimes, we still find ourselves making deals with God even after we know God’s character…
Some of the kinds of deals that we make are like this…
1. Buy Now—Pay Later!
A child is sick in the hospital and maybe there is question of whether or not they will live and so a parent, father or mother make a vow or promise to God and say something like...
“God, if you will heal my child and let him or her live, I will do this or that. I will serve you, I will read my Bible daily and go to church regularly and pay my tithe.”
Usually the vow is to do something for God that you know is right and that He wants you to do--but are not doing it currently.
They you then begin to follow through with your deal you made to God…
You go the church, do what is right, turn in the right direction for a few months and soon they get tired of it and just go back to doing what they were before they made the vow to God to change.
Let’s Make A Deal! Buy Now—Pay Later!
Others would loose their job and maybe they were not faithful in tithing to God.
So they promise God, “Lord, if you will just give me another job, I promise that I will be faithful in tithing and giving to your work.”
Then after they get a good job they don’t carry through and give as they promised.
The fact is that many make promises to God that they don’t intend on keeping.
Many times we make such vows (deals) with God—and God will take us at our word and give us a chance and grant their request.
But what we fail to understand is--that God has no pleasure in fools who make deals to Him and have no intention of keeping them.
There is the story of a young man who had gotten saved and wasn’t making much money, but began to tithe as he was taught to do by the pastor on what little he had.
But then as time went on, he began to prosper and be blessed in his business and make more money
So one day he went to his pastor and said, look, since I am making a lot more money than when I first started coming, it is costing me a lot more to tithe so I don’t think I will be able to keep tithing the way I used to.
The pastor then said, “No problem, , if you don’t want to tithe on your current income, I have a solution for that”
And he put his hands on the man and prayed, “Lord, give him the same income as he had when he first came here.”
The man then quickly replied, “No, no, please, I get the point, I’ll tithe.”
Remember, God hears what you speak and the promises you make and He requires it.
To one whose family was falling apart, the man says, “Lord, if you will put my family back together, we will faithfully go to church.”
But then instead, they are going to the park, going swimming or to a ball game on Sunday and aren’t serving God.
Commitments Are Important
These verbal commitments we make to God with our mouth are called vows in the Bible. A vow is a promise and a commitment to do something.
The general word for a vow Biblically is: A promise made in the form of a prayer or petition. It is not claiming a promise, but making a promise!
It is saying, “Lord I will do this or that if you will do this for me, if you will grant me this favor.”
It is making a promise to do something for God if He will help you, heal you, provide for you, or someone in your family.
In the Old Testament a vow involved an offering or sacrifice of an animal or money brought to the temple.
Vows are promises based on many things, whatever we desire of God and petition Him for.
Some people are afraid to turn their life over to him completely because they view God as a deal maker.
I cannot accept this free gift, I must work for it. Therefore, works become the main focus of this individual instead of growing in love, they are growing in works.
Boundless love. Not a deal that we can make. Only a gift we can receive through faith. The gift has your name on it? Have you opened it?
Another deal we like to make with God is...
2. Low Interest—Refinancing Available:
“We Offer our Service To God Our way Instead Of Through Obedience His Way ”
Many times, we want our commitment to God to cost us as little as possible…and if we don’t like the situation God has given to us, we want to start over…
I want to tell you about Stanley, who said he knew God had put it on his heart to become involved in a motorcycle ministry.
These bikers spend time teaching, preaching and witnessing to men incarcerated in a high-security prison.
Nothing wrong with that. But here’s the deal with Stanley: He doesn’t own a bike, can’t afford a bike and really wants a bike.
And not just any bike. He wants the biggest, baddest, most expensive bike in all of Harley bikedom.
At the same time, he’s been invited to participate in a many mission projects and ministries within and outside his home church---but he flatly refuses.
“God knows the desire of my heart,” he repeats over and over, “and I’m asking and trusting for Him to provide it.”
Stanley is yet another Christian who is trying to play “Let’s Make a Deal” with the Father –- and God doesn’t want to play that game!
Stanley had “Low interest” in his commitment of obedience—and he wanted to “refinance” his commitment by wanting to do it his way.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to own a motorcycle -– that is, unless that desire is greater than your desire to honor the Lord and provide for your family.
What is wrong is trying to offer your service to God in exchange for the desire of your heart ---when the desire of your heart should be to serve Him—we want to serve him “our way, instead of what He desires for us”.
Stanley is standing before a holy God and declaring: “Either you let me do what I want to do, or I won’t do anything at all.”
And in the same way, we stand before God and want to do the very same thing while we want to do it our way, and if it doesn’t happen, we go home---or go to another church---or quit God altogether
And while all of that “dealmaking” is going on….we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we become blind to the people around us (who God had intended for us to be a blessing to) who now are the real victims.
Jephthah’s daughter became a victim of a deal made with God -- who is your victim?
Who is paying for your deal of Buy Now Pay Later?
and finally, we like to make a deal with God by...
3. Leasing To Own:
“I’ll Serve You As Long As It’s Fun—When It Becomes Tedious or Boring, I’m Moving On.”
When you lease a car instead of buying it—you never really own it, and when you get tired of it, you just turn it back in and lease another car…
When you don’t want to maintain it any longer or when it starts falling apart on you and you have to put in a little extra effort to keep it going
We do that with our commitment to God—that’s a popular deal to make
Larry coached youth football. The most talented youngster on his team was Calvin, and he was more than well aware of his abilities.
After the first few games, he came to Larry and told him, “I want to be quarterback.”
Larry said, “Calvin, we need you where I have you,”. And he went on to explain to Calvin why his speed and agility were better used in his current position.
If he couldn’t be the quarterback, Calvin retorted, he wouldn’t play.
“Then I guess you don’t play,” Larry answered. “Calvin, you’re a great athlete, but I’m your coach.
I can’t let you tell me my job. And I can’t let you play if you won’t take the position I’ve assigned you.”
After that, Calvin sat the bench, watching our team be pounded by four consecutive opponents.
After that, he apologized and asked to go back to his former position. The team won every remaining game of the season.
Avoid Bad Deals…
Words are cheap; actions are what counts -- We don’t have to be Old Testament believers paying vows of animals and lands to fall into the sin of broken promises. That’s proven in Hebrews 9:13-14
Just as in the beginning of my message when I offered you something that cost you nothing—God offered His son that costs you nothing---we have a difficult time understanding that
Satan doesn’t want us to realize that---he wants us to think of this free gift God has provided for us into a deal---I’ll take that free gift that cost you nothing and give you a life of sin and pleasure, plus eternal life—you just have to do some “community service” for God to keep it on the up and up.
Satan wants us to feel we are unworthy and have to work for our salvation so we can feel like we’ve EARNED IT.
Yes, it’s true that we are unworthy -- but there’s nothing we can do -- nothing we can sacrifice that would come close to His son’s life for us.
The only sacrifice God accepts from us is mention in Psalms 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Don’t Play “Let’s Make A Deal”…
You and I don’t have to bargain with God. He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." You don’t have to say, "God, if You stay with me through my life, then I’ll do this.
God, if You rescue me from this temptation, then I’ll . . ." You don’t have to do that.
If you know what God’s Word says, you will save yourself and your family a lot of grief.
God is not a negotiator or a paymaster who rewards us for our labors and accomplishments. God is a giver.
It is all grace, all the time. You don’t do anything to earn the gift – we cannot do anything to earn the gift.
This is something that those of us who are the longest and most active church goers are probably most in need of remembering--myself included
Because we forget that our faithfulness is not what keeps God loving us—REPEAT!! It is the GRACE of God!
Faithfulness is an admirable quality in a believer, but it DOESN’T GUARANTEE GOD WILL DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR FAVOR. Many times, some of us are FAITHFULLY wrong in what we do!
So What’s Your Deal?
It is all grace, all the time. For those who have not darkened the door of a church in a long time, and for those who are here week-in and week-out.
And with grace —- no deals are required -- just receive it and live it.
Let us stop trying to make deals with God and do things on our terms, or our way, and expect God to bless it.
Because sometimes our deals get in with way with our relationship with God —- no matter how small they are…
Some of us feel as if we have even been burned by trying to make “Deals With God”
We’ve listened to the enemy whispering in our ear (as Jephthah did) by doubting that God will come through with a promise that He has confirmed in your Spirit
And you feel that you need to do something to speed it up...
Maybe some of you have made a deal by working for God as a means of trying to “work off” your sin to try and get back in good with God---
When you know, that through obedience, you just need to surrender to Him and experience His loving grace of forgiveness
Some of you perhaps are so worn out spiritually and even physically, because you’ve made deals with God and you’ve been working hard and faithfully in keeping it.
When you know that it’s not the right thing that you need to be doing…
Your faithfulness is admirable —- but Jesus cherishes your love and heart
Here’s the deal that Jesus offers you in His very own words…
Come to me all who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Take my yoke (my deal) upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke (my deal) is easy, and my load (my collateral) is light.
I don’t know if you’ve made deals in exchange for simple obedience, but I would ask you today, to come to the Father’s table, and renegotiate.
The question I ask you today is this -- “Deal” or “No Deal”?
Will you say: "Deal"
and by that you’re saying to God:
“I like the fact that I can make my own decisions just the way I want them, and YOU will understand —- because YOU’RE just that way”
Or will you say “No Deal”
and by that you’re saying to God:
“I want what You ask of me Father -— no substitutes, no cheap deals -- I trust You completely in doing what’s best for me.” "No more deals, just complete obedience."
Let’s pray...
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