Small children can say some funny things...especially when it comes to matters pertaining to church and listening to the stories in the Bible. Here are some stories someone gave me:
A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."
A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to
Jerusalem. A small child replied: "They couldn’t get a baby-sitter."
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, Johnny what is the matter? Little Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife."
Sometimes we might not get our bible facts out just right, but we can grow in our knowledge of God’s Word. We can have more faith to become a victorious Christian in this present world. Someone says, “You can’t be a dedicated Christian as a young person today,” or “you can’t be a dedicated Christian working at my job each week.” I believe the Bible which says, “....and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” IJohn 5:4
WE CAN KNOW VICTORY! WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE IN UTTER DEFEAT!
As we continue studying through the book of Judges, we are constantly reminded of how the children of Israel were bouncing back and forth from victory to defeat, from defeat to victory, and then victory to defeat. Their experience is like a yo-yo, or a see-saw. Up
and then down. Much of their time was spent on the downside. Too many Christians are spending their lives on the downside. I believe God wants us to know the upside...the place of victory.
Looking at Judges, 3:1-11 there are several steps to take in order to be a victorious Child
of God!
vv.1-4
1. There is the STAND WE MUST TAKE! (vv.1-4)
The First step...we must get ready to take a stand for the Lord!
v.1 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel...
The new generation coming along were inexperienced in the ways of war. They had not done any fighting like their fathers, and other previous generations. The nations were left in the land to be used as instruments to teach Israel something about fighting. They give a list of those nations: 5 lords of the Philistines. Remember little David killing a
Philistine giant by the name of Golaith. He used a slingshot and God did the rest. All the
Canaanites. This word includes all the heathen inhabitants of the land.
v.4 tells us they were left to see whether the children of Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord.
v.1 says “these are the nations which the Lord left....” It could very well read, “these are
the problems which the Lord left...” It could read, “these are the pain in the neck which the Lord left.” They were called “thorns in the side” in chapter 2:3. They were for certain... problems, headaches, migrain, thorn in the side. Even today, the Middle East is still a sore spot on planet Earth.
(1) Take a stand regardless of the Problems
Those nations were to test Israel. Our problems are not designed to destroy us, they are in our lives to make us stronger. To test us and see if we are for real! They are there not to destroy, but to develop us more like Jesus. So, if we want to know victory, we must TAKE A STAND regardless of the problems
and the pressures we face.
(2) Take a stand in the Presence of Unbelievers
We must take a stand in the presence of unbelievers. The whole Canaanite world was looking on Israel to see if they would remain faithful to their God. Did Israel remain faithful? See vv.7,12 “they did evil...” There is pressure to conform to the ways of the world around us. There is peer pressure. There is the pressure to get along even at the expense of compromising scriptural commands.
(3) Take a Stand even when it’s not Popular.
Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 It is never popular to live for Jesus.
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2Timothy 3:12
Some say, “let’s don’t fight, let’s just get along...Don’t take a stand against abortion, against the lottery, against pornography, against the homosexual lifestyle...just let sleeping dogs lie....” IT’S TIME WE KICK SLEEPING DOGS..IT’S TIME WE WOKE UP TO THE FACT THIS COUNTRY IS ON A LANDSLIDE ON ITS WAY TO A DEVIL’S HELL IF SHE DON’T WAKE UP AND GET RIGHT WITH GOD!!! SOME FOLKS DON’T BELIEVE IN FIGHTING....but there is one fight we should all be
a part of....the fight of faith.
“Fight the good fight of faith, ..” 1Timothy 6:12
Paul at the end of his days told Timothy in 2Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” The Bible calls God’s Word a two-edged sword. (Ephesians 6:17) Too many Christians have laid down the sword. They no longer are fighting the good fight of faith. They no longer read from the Blessed Holy Book. They no longer share from it. They no longer apply it in their daily lives.
v.2 “...might be taught to know war...” Our warfare is not with flesh and blood. We are in a spiritual warfare. We must take a stand. If we are to know victory, there is the stand we must take.
Second step to Victory...
2. There is a SEPARATION we must maintain... vv.5,6
God did not want the children of Israel to allow their sons and daughters to intermarry with the inhabitants of the land because of their beliefs. They served and worshipped Baal. They worshipped a false god. They failed to maintain that separation that God had
commanded them. We can not know VICTORY IN JESUS if we are teaming up and joining up with the devil’s crowd.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? (2Corinthians 6:14-18)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” IJOHN 2:15
Jesus associated with the wicked people when he walked upon this earth. He sat down and ate meals with them. He was among them, but he never yoked up with them, or teamed up with them. He did not fellowship with them, because they were not capable of fellowship. He loved them, He witnessed to them. He shared the love of God with them.
We can be a witness, and we can act in a loving way towards the unbeliever without having to partake of wickedness. We maintain separation in our beliefs. We maintain separation in certain things we do, and say, and places we do not go. There are some
things Jesus never allowed to come forth from His mouth. We too, must be separated in our speech and conduct. We don’t separate with a prideful attitude, or like we are Mr. or Mrs. Special Person. We can be loving toward others, and yet be separate and clean in
our daily actions. Too often, Christians think if they talk like a worldly person, or adopt attitudes like a worldly person, or even behave like a worldly person, then they will be able to win their respect and in the final end bring them over to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour. All that does it make the worldly person a little more churchy, and the
church a little more worldly.
I feel inclined to step into this second point a little further. Why? We as the Church of the Lord Jesus have failed to teach what worldliness is all about. What is worldliness? It is a lifestyle that does not have Christ at the center, but rather it has self at the center of attention. Worldly talk is talk that promotes self, brags on self, and uses God’s name in vain, not reverently. Worldly talk is foolish talk. Worldly talk is talk that is a whole lot
about nothing. Worldly behaviour and worldly dress is that which brings attention toward self. If you are dressing up in such a way that brings undue attention to yourself and the whole purpose is to promote and exalt self rather than bringing glory to Jesus,
then that is worldly dress style. The Bible says, to dress modest.
I was working at a high school one year. A lady who was a part of the English department asked me if I thought her dress style was okay...did it have too much color. She was a Mennonite...she drove a car, but she wore no makeup, and no bright colors. I told her she could really use a make-over. (No, I’m just kidding!) YOU KNOW... YOU CAN REALLY RUN THIS WORLDY DRESS IN THE GROUND! I believe the main concern
is that of the heart. Are you worldly in your heart? Are you in love with the world, or with Jesus Christ?
TO KNOW VICTORY, we must be separate, we must be Different from the World! There must be in our daily walk a difference, a distinction that other folks can tell there is something different about you. WE must have the evidence of godliness in our life.
The TRAGIC RESULTS of not standing for the Lord, and being separate from the world:
v.7.......did evil......They FORGOT the LORD their God.....served (adopt) the lifestyle of the pagans.
v.8.......in the path of the judgment of God, God will deliver us into the hands of others....
Chushan Rishathaim means “blackness of double wickedness”. The word means an intensified dose of evil and wickedness. Chushan Rishathaim was the king of Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means “deceiver from the place of the two rivers.” This is Double Wickedness. Double-EVIL! Fogetting God, Forsaking God leads to bondage. Satan is the deceiver. HE HAS FOLKS BOUND IN WICKED HABITS AND WICKED LIFESTYLES. THE RESULTS GETS WORSE, THE CONSEQUENCES BECOME WORSE.
8 Years of bondage, 8 years of defeat and misery!
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (V.9) CRIED OUT TO THE LORD
Thank God, there’s hope for us....if we fail....there is deliverance!
a THIRD STEP...
3. There is the SAVIOUR we must follow vv. 9-11
...the Lord raised up a deliverer... OTHNIEL....name means “the hour of God”
v.10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him....and he defeated the blackness of double wickedness....and the land had rest for 40 years. There was peace.
God has raised up a deliverer. His name is Jesus! Jesus is Our Deliverer! OTHNIEL MEANS “the hour of God”......Our deliverance is now. God’s hour to deliver you is now!
I don’t know why they waited for 8 years before they cried out to the Lord. I don’t know why folks wait so long before they turn to the Lord Jesus.
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Othniel.
Luke 4:18,19 “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Jesus is the anointed One. He is the Son of God sent to deliver us from our sins.
Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save [deliver ] His people from their sins.”
Do YOU WANT DELIVERANCE? DO YOU WANT VICTORY?
Acts 2:21 “....whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13 “...whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Joel 2:32 “...and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall
be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance...”
v.11 “the land had rest for 40 years” It was temporary because after Othniel died they
went back to doing evil again. The peace did not last. WE HAVE A DELIVERER who will never die....and his peace will last forever.
(Thanks to some studies by Louis H. Bartet)
Chris Gowen
Pastor Swan Creek Baptist
4/1/2001
