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Delete Discussion Intro:
1. Richard Nixion said, "I did some of the big things rather well, but I screwed up terribly on what was a little thing." He was referring to Watergate, a small-time, bungled break-in.
2. Compromise is like that, it seems like such a small insignificant thing, but like small unseen termites, it can slowly eat away at the foundation until the house falls.
3. Failure through Compromise.
I. First, the Gradual road to Compromise. 1:1-10
Judges 1:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?"
2 And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand."
3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him.
4 Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek.
5 And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 And Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me." Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland.
10 Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
A. First, the Contact with the Lord. 1:1-2
1. A Principle - no one is irreplacable.
Joshua was a great man of God (Josh. 24:31) but like Moses he dies and yet the plan of God continues on.
"Sometime, when you're feeling important,
Sometime, when your ego's in full bloom,
Sometime, when you take it for granted,
You're the best qualified in the room,
Sometime, when you feel that your going,
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple instructions,
And see how it humbles your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put you hand in it, up to the wrist,
Pull it out, andthe hole that's remaining,
Is a measure of how you'll be missed.
You may splash all you please when you enter,
You can stir up the water galore,
But stop, and you'll find in a minute,
That it looks quite the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example
Is do just the best that you can,
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There is no indispensable, boy, girl, woman or man!"
2. The Prayer.
Thsi shows they began right, we should always begin by seeking God's will.
James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
G.T Shedd, "Prayer is intercourse with God, and God is the Being in whom the creatures live and move. To stop praying, therefore is to break the connection that is established between the feeble and dependent worm of the dust, and the Almighty One."
3. The Promise.
Send Judah, I have given this land into his hand. God's instructions are very simple and clear
They began in good fashion, they make Contact with the Lord. But it's not how we begin that's the key, but how we Continue and end. Gal.3:1-3; 5:1,7
On several occassions I have had trouble starting my car, and discovered that the battery cables were not making a good contact. It's not good enough for them to make contact once, there needs to be a continual contact maintained.
B. Next, there was the Compromise.
1. The Rebellion. 3
Something is wrong here. God did not say, "Go get Simeon and fight them." It's a small compromise, frankly unnoticed by most commentaries. But notice God never recognizes Simeon. vv. 4,19
"Loyalty and love arent usually washed away in the torrent of a sudden flash flood. Instead, they erode little by little, trickling in rivulets down to the sea of indifference as one little compromise is met by another. You may not even notice it's happening." [Swindoll]
2. The Mutilation. 4-7
This is more compromise. God did not say to mutilate people! This was a pagan practise to keep people from being able to use military weaponds, God instructed them to put them to death.
Exodus 23:32-33 (NKJV)
32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."
Deuteronomy 7:24 (NKJV)
24 And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven; no one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.
C. Thirdly, the Conquest. 8-10, 16-18
Is this not grace? God is a very patient and longsuffering God. It is easy to be deceived into thinking that because God does not immediately discipline us for sin, that sin has no consequences.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 (NKJV)
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
Nixon said before his debate with John Kennedy, "He speaks over people's heads, I did pretty well with Khrushchev. I'll murder Kennedy."
There is a false confidence. Many believer's continue in sin and appear to be doing pretty well. But grace will not make sin profitable. If we persist in unconfessed sin, like Nixon, we are headed for defeat.
II. The Refusal to Compromise. 11-15
Judges 1:11-18 (NKJV)
11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)
12 Then Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife."
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.
14 Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?"
15 So she said to him, "Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
16 Now the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
17 And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.
18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.
A. Caleb - remember him, he was one of the spies that trusted God; and Joshua was the other one, these two show you can trust God when everyone else refuses to do so. Num 13:26-14:2)
B. Othniel - He will be the first Judge, and obviously here demonstrates his faith. 11-15
C. Ruth - the book of Ruth takes place during the dark days of Israel. She was a godly woman in an ungodly world.
Point, living among compromising, lukewarm believers does not mean that we cannot be comitted Christians.
Ammon Hennacy was a farmer in Arizona. He was also a practicing non-conformist who was disturbed about the soceity he live in. He refused to pay taxes because some of the money was used to fund abortion. He even picketed the Internal Revenue Service Office in Phoenix every April 15th.
A friend said, "Ammon, why don't you stop this foolish practise? You can't change the world!" To which he replied, "Who's trying to change the world? I'm just trying to keep the world from changing me!"
We are not commissioned to change the world! Caleb, Othniel, Ruth didnt change their world. But we are commanded not to let the world change us.
Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
III. Finally, the Sequel to compromise. 1:19-2:5
Judges 1:19-36 (NKJV)
19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.
21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
23 So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.)
24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy."
25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
27 However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.
29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.
31 Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
32 So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
33 Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;
35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under tribute.
36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
Judges 2:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: "I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.
2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
3 Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.' "
4 So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
A. First, we Lack Power. 1:19,21,27,28
Compromise short circuts God's power working through us. The old Trolly cars, they had extending from the back of them a rod with a small wheel at the top which connected the car to the electrical cable above it. Every now and then the wheel would jump off the cable and the car would come to an abrupt stop. The car had to be connected to the cable inorder for the power to flow.
B. Next, we begin to have a Love for worldly Prosperity. 28,30,33,35
Disobeying God proved to be materially prosperous. How many today are working on the Lord's Day for material prosperity; How many are withholding their tithes and offering, thus gaining material prosperity?
Disobedience to God can be materially prosperous but never spirituallly prosperious.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Compromise will not ultimately satisfy...
A hunter raised his rifle to shot a bear, but the bear said, "Wait! Isnt it better to talk about this? Why not come to some sort of a compromise? You want a fur coat and I want a full stomach." So the hunter compromised and the Bear ate him! The bear got a full stomach and the hunter got his fur coat!
C. Third, we might Lose the memory of our Pardon. 2:1
They were delivered out of Egypt by the blood, but when we compromise we lose sight of that salvation experience.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (NKJV)
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Such a person hardly makes an impact for Christ. America is full of Lot type Christians, who's testimony is even laughed at.
D. Fourthly, we refuse to Listen to God's Precepts. 2:2
God's Word not longer becomes the final word. Judges 17:6; 21:25
Reminds me of a cartoon where a college student was speaking to a missionary. He had on his helmet and shorts. The student asked, "But what do you do when you cant take the superstition and violence and immorality any longer?"
The missionary said, "Simple, we get on a plane and go back to the mission field! Ouch! More and more this Nation is looking like a savage area that is in need of receiving missionaries. That's the result of refusing to listen to what God has to say.
E. Finally, it Leads to a life of Pain. 2:3-5
Compromise feeds self and allows satan to build strongholds and that always spells misery! Unseen forces begin to terrorize our well being.
If I go to the woods and remember to spray on some OFF everything is fine. But if I neglect to put on bug spray I am eaten alive! Chiggers love this old preacher, they stay on me for weeks - the itching is constant and irritating.
Various explorers in South America have been forced to abandoned their journey, not because of leopards, snakes, or crocodiles, but by unsee foes called chiggers they call them "no see-ums!"
Our only repellent for our unseen enemy is fellowship with Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:5-10 (NKJV)
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Con:
1. So we must be careful not to give into gradual compromise, lest we find a lack of power; a living for mere temporal prosperity; forgetting our pardon; neglecting God's precepts; and living a live of needless pain.
2. Few things sadder then seeing one who has wasted their lives through compromise.
Joe Hunter a Bible teacher shares his counseling experience:
"Among others, I knelt alongside a man more than 70 years old. He was a deacon. His silver hair made him look honorable and holy. With a broken, halting voice, and with tears streaming down his face, he poured out his soul. His enemy was a dirty mind. He had a lusting desire for dirty books and pictures.
The whole thing seemed so impossbile, but it was true. He said he wanted to be used of the Lord, but all through his Christian life he had been useless - no good for God. And there was the reason. When he first trusted Christ, he allowed the enemy to remain.
It was small and insignificant at the time, but as the many years had gone by he gradually found himself in bondage to his enemy. Is that you or me? Let me give you a word of encouragement - it is never too late to do that which is right! If your still alive, you still have opportunity to Christ and yield to His Lordship, and thus be empowed to turn away from sin.
Johnny Palmer Jr.
www.strugglingthruscriptures.ning.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/strugglingthruscriptures
