The book of Judges starts with “After the death of Joshua…”
- There were 15 judges in all. Eli and Samuel were the last.
THE WORD “JUDGE.”
- “judge," means "bringer of justice."
- These "judges" were like a cross-mixture between a mayor, a marshal, a prophet, and a general.
It was designed to teach spiritual lessons more than simply to record historical facts.
Transition:
Judges is a warning to us all. A warning of what can happen if we fail to obey God.
Outline of Judges Chapter 1:
* The people of Judah conquer many cities (1-10)
* Caleb conquers his inheritance (11-15)
* Failure to conquer all the cities (16-26)
* More failure to drive out the Canaanites (17- 36)
Four Kinds of Disobedience:
1. Delayed obedience. V. 1a
A. EXPLANATION:
- Delayed obedience is DISOBEDIENCE.
- Many times we just know the right thing to do and we don’t want to do it. We choose to sin rather than obey God.
James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
3 possible reasons why we fail to obey God:
a. Fear of being “labeled.”
b. To gratify the desires of the flesh. Gal. 5:16
c.) Waiting for the right feeling.
- Obey God, even when you don’t feel like it.
B. ILLUSTRATION:
Example 1: Luke 9:59-60
Example 2: Matthew 4:21-22
C. APPLICATION: Cultivate a Heart of Surrender.
- Are there areas where you have stubbornly delayed to obey God?
2. Selective obedience. V. 28
A. EXPLANATION:
i. Selective obedience means hearing what we want to hear, not what God says.
ii. Selective obedience is REBELLION.
iii. Selective Obedience is Willful Disobedience.
B. ILLUSTRATION: Luke 6:46
C. APPLICATION: Solution
a.) Live by God’s standards.
b.)Renew your mind in God’s Word regularly.
c.) Establish fellowship with people who can keep you accountable.
3. Redefined Obedience. V. 33
A. EXPLANATION:
i. Definition: Redefine
- To change the meaning of something.
ii. The Israelites redefines the Lord’s command. Instead of killing all Canaanites, they allowed the Canaanites to live among them.
B. ILLUSTRATION: King Saul [1 Samuel 15:12-15]
C. APPLICATION:
- What areas of your life do you need to surrender in obedience to Christ?
4. Rationalized Disobedience.
A. EXPLANATION:
i. Many times we try to rationalized that our disobedience was really obedience.
ii. Question: If the majority thinks something is true, does it make it right?
iii. QUOTE: “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”
iv. Symptoms of rationalized disobedience:
a. Blaming others.
b. Making himself victim.
c. Minimizing his sin.
- Someone else’s sins will not justify your sins.
B. ILLUSTRATION: king Saul
C. APPLICATION:
a.) Don't try to justify your sin.
b.) Evaluate your thoughts and actions based on God’s standards.
c.) Repent.
Conclusion:
Do you excuse your own sin?
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