Star Wars

STAR WARS

Judges 4 & 5

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: The True Danger

Medical Studies have found that:

1. The Japanese eat very little fat - and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

2. The Japanese drink very little red wine - and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

3. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine – yet suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

4. The Germans drink lots of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats – yet suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

5. The French eat a lot of fat – yet suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

CONCLUSION: You can eat and drink what you like. It’s actually -- speaking English that apparently kills you.

Isn’t it a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies?

B. TEXT

4 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord…. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army…. 3 had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help. 4 Now Deborah, a prophet…was leading Israel at that time. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot….17 to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him. 5:1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang…. 20From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. 21 The river Kishon swept them away…” Judges 4:1-4,6-9,15,17,21,24;5:1,20-21.

C. THESIS

1. Science fiction has captured the imagination of millions of Americans for decades. Even before we achieved space travel, men dreamed of building ships to wander among the stars. One day we will -- in our glorified bodies!

2. A recent example of this heavenly desire is the Star Wars movie. But the Wars among the Stars is more than an idea, it's a reality. There are wars going on among the stars themselves. You see, the Angels are called "stars" in Job 38:7, Daniel 8:10, and Rev. 12:4.

3. The Angels of God are warring against the angels of Satan. See Rev. 12:7 and Eph. 6:11-12. In today's text we're going to see how the faith and obedience of one man and woman brought about victory.

4. Many preachers have portrayed Barak as weak, as depending on a woman, and as having inferior faith. But the Bible celebrates the faith of Barak as worthy of emulation (Heb. 11:32). What was so special about this man as to get him into the Hall of Faith?

5. We’re going to look at the Source, Course, and Force of Barak’s faith. The title of this message is “Star Wars.”

I. THE SOURCE OF FAITH 4:1-9

A. THE ENEMY WITHIN

1. Israel was in a deplorable condition: sin was epidemic, Idol worship was prevalent, they were oppressed by Jabin for 20 years, they were imprisoned in their cities, the highways were unsafe.

2. Their oppression by Jabin was their own fault! This was one of the kingdoms they were supposed to have subdued when they entered the promised land. This was the only time in Judges where an enemy from within oppressed them.

3. If we don’t defeat the habits and patterns of our old life when we get saved, they will come back and attempt to dominate us!

4. America too is being overrun by alcoholism, drugs, gambling, abortion, corruption, brazen sexual sin, etc. Is there hope? Yes! God will help us as we grow in faith and trust toward Him.