Soldiers of Christ
JCC 08.03.09 am
Judges 2:1-23
Flash-back in history and a looking forward
This is where you were, this is where you’ll be, and here is where you are now
Some say don’t look back, look forward, but we need to be reminded of what God has done to give us hope for the future
History Leading to the Period of the Judges
Judges 2:6-19
1. The death of Joshua
2. A new generation who knew not the Lord
3. Israel forsaking the Lord and following Baal and the Ashtoreths
4. The disobedience of Israel causing their deliverance into the hands of their enemies
5. God raised up judges to help the people
6. Israel’s history under the judges-constant failure through compromise
The Israelites were allowing themselves to be content
They had a false rest
This was interrupted by “the angel of Jehovah.”
Some say it was the same angel who appeared to Joshua as Captain of the host of the Lord because he identified Himself with Jehovah by saying: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers.”
God had fulfilled his part of the covenant in bringing blessing and salvation
The people wept
Godly sorrow brings repentance
Sincere sorrow for sin is evidence of a changed life.
Weeping can sometimes be only fruitless sorrow and meaningless religious activity
True repentance comes when we are truly convinced of our awful offense to God in light of His Word
A new generation who didn’t know the Lord Judges 2:6-10
“So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel…When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.”
Why did this generation not know God and his works? In Deuteronomy 31:9-13
The meaning of ‘did not know’ is that the people deliberately refused to acknowledge God’s authority
It is not simply that they were ignorant, but that they were in unbelief
Unbelief is so evident today
Our children sit with no real interest in what’s going on
Why?
Moses tells the people to instruct their children
This message is just as important for us today as it was in Joshua’s day
We read and hear the news headlines what children are doing
We have a generation that does not know God, and who don’t want to know Him
Teach them (we repented the other week of robbing our children the knowledge of God)
Illust
Bedtime stories
Evening, just before bedtime, is crucial. A person reviews in their mind, information learned during the day about five times. However, a person’s mind will review information received just before bedtime about 30 times during his sleep!
Church we must testify to our children and grandchildren
But most of us do tell our children
I’ve told my children, but I think it has to be evidence of God’s power in our lives, not just words
In Judges 2:1 Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim
Gilgal was where Jericho was
Bochim means ‘weepers’ Known to Canaanites as Luz and to Israel ‘Bethel’
(Refer back to allowing the man to escape when he showed them the way in)
The angel traveled the route himself
God never asks us to go anyway unless He goes before us
I wouldn’t travel here unless God comes with me and He has already prepared the way
He makes the crooked places straight
He builds a highway in the desert
When God asks us to do something, He doesn’t send ‘us’ into battle first
The Lord goes before you
The battle belongs to the Lord
Jesus has gone the way before us no matter where that may be
He was tempted like us, He faced evil head on and showed us how to defeat it
He went on ahead in death to prove it He had defeated it, by raising from the dead
Ps 23 though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil
Death is only a shadow to the Christian
Shadows cannot touch you
It proves light is present
Evil has no light; if Jesus’ presence is there leading the way you may see the enemy bigger than it is
Let’s examine the dialogue between the angel and the people
Angel: Why haven’t you done what I asked?
Israel: We don’t have the military capabilities.
Angel: But didn’t I say I would prove myself if you were willing to trust me? You haven’t driven out the enemy, where are they now?
Israel: We thought it would be better to settle down and let them live their life and we’ll live ours. We have an arrangement we them. We have come to terms with it.
Angel: So you think I lied when I said if you make a pact with the enemy I will turn on you?
He reminded them of the law (Deut)
Throughout the bible we see when Israel broke the covenant, it was the reading of the law that bought them back to God
• Neh
• Ezra
• Chronicles
We hear so many times, ‘we’re not under the law’ no but we keep it in Christ
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth
8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us
Illust
On the God channel yesterday, they were out in the streets witnessing. One spoke to a man and asked him if he had ever lied. He said he had told the occasional lie; ‘have you ever stolen?’ ‘Only petty stuff’. ‘Have you ever looked at a women in a sexual way?’ ‘Well Oh god yea, actually just a few moments ago down the street’. ‘And have you used God’s name in blasphemy?’ ‘Not sure what you mean’.
‘Well you have said three times, “Oh God!” while I’ve been speaking to you.’ ‘Have I?’
The reporter went on to say to him; ‘So you admit you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer and a blasphemer?’
‘Well I’m not as bad as others, surely God won’t send me to hell, I’m not a bad person.’
The reporter went to explain how he couldn’t measure himself by other people’s standards and how ‘yes’ God would have no other choice but to do that. The man was concerned and wanted know what he could do about it. ‘Could I ever get back out of hell?’ The conversation continued.
It is when people are faced with God’s law they see that they don’t measure up
We have to be honest with them
We have to dialogue with them has the angel did
Yes Jesus has dealt with the law but the consequences of saving grace belong to those who follow His word, who walk in obedience
We tear down their altars when we tell them the truth
Because they cannot defeat the enemy in their lives, then we must pull down what they trust in
Jesus said, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me……… the Spirit is in us who believe
Are you anointed of the Lord?
Are you preaching the good news to the poor?
Are you setting the captives free?
Are you binding the broken hearted?
Are you releasing those held in the prisons of oppression?
Do we act boldly against our spiritual oppressor and act in the name of the One whom we represent?
Does it concern us to see the glory of God and His people being oppressed without acting upon the word of God in faith to meet the enemy of the things of God?
We shouldn’t move in our strength or our name, but His, and then we will experience the victory the Lord has for us
1 Tim 1:5-11 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
8But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust
In 1Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith; be a good soldier
The Christian life is warfare, not a game
People cannot sit back and accept others to fight for them
The whole bible tells us we live in war-like conditions and a soldier metaphor can be seen threading throughout
If you are comfortable, then you must be in the barracks of your life
Soldiers are trained to fight
Hard discipline
Shared hardships
People get hurt in battle
But that shouldn’t stop you taking up the fight
Do you want this what you have now?
Why are you settling for less than God wants to give you?
You are being robbed, this church is being robbed
What are you prepared to do?
Spiritual greatness results from warfare
We want salvation, but we’re not prepared to take up our cross
God wants us to slay the flesh, the carnal nature not settle down with it!
We retreat from the cross because:
1. Of the luxuries in our life; we’re too well fed, too comfortable
John ate locust and dressed in camel hair
2. We’re not willing to take hardship
Like Paul, imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked etc
If you look at the periods of power they correspond with times of simple living
A soldier doesn’t go to war when it’s convenient for him
Illust
Our troops at war in the Middle East
They don’t have comforts, they’re rationed!
You live and you fight
I’m engaged in a war to change this church
We need to stop playing with our spiritual toys and pick up weapons
Grow up and mature
Fight for Jacksdale has a soldier fights to defend their country
If you are at ease, then stand
Take up your sword with one hand and your hammer with the other Neh
If you do, then you won’t have idle hands
Take your today and each and every day, not yearly
Are you civilian or soldier?
When Pilgrim entered heaven in Pilgrims Progress he was scarred from the journey
Most Christians will enter unscathed not a mark on them, but what will He say to them?
‘You left the battleground; you let your brother/sister fight alone, why? Don’t you trust Me? Can I lie to you?’
There’s a word in the army for that, a traitor, a deserter; what happens to them? They get shot!
Rebellion is as witchcraft
If you argue with God, you will always lose, just like Israel did
If you refuse to enter and take what He has already given, then you come under His judgement
Choose this day whom you will serve, God, self or Satan himself?
Either God’s hand is against you, or Satan’s; it’s one or the other
If you are prepared to enter Jacksdale with a fighting spirit, with no thought for your own comforts, with the sole aim of pleasing Him, then stand with me
If you stand with me, then you stand with Him and together with the captain of the Lord of Hosts we will see salvation, healing, deliverance and this generation’s opposition of unbelief destroyed.
