WEBVTT

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now your brother So I was just sitting there

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thinking about how after today, we're going to

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leave behind the book of Judges for a while through

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Easter. And man, Easter is literally right around

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the corner. Resurrection Sunday is coming fast.

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And it occurred to me that this message, at least

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the first kind of action point in the conclusion,

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really speaks about and touches on the crucifixion

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and the resurrection. And so this is sort of

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the first of the Easter messages. As I wrote

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it, I kind of just was, I felt like I was following

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the leading of the Lord. And I'm like, wow, I

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didn't even realize exactly how connected those

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two things are. But I think you'll see it very

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clearly when we get there. Before we begin the

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sermon today, I want to share with you just a

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little story, a little moment, if you will, in

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my life prior to becoming a Christian. When I

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was a young man, my brother and I were very much

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at odds. I was the physical, run around, stay

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out until the street lights come on, and sometimes

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a little later than that and get in trouble.

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Fighting and sports and that kind of thing. I

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didn't play a lot of organized sports in school

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because in junior high I messed up my knee, or

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at least thought I did. And so then I didn't

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want to have to get a knee replacement by the

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time I was 25. I didn't play a lot of organized

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sports, but I did play a lot of sports. Like

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every day, seven days a week, we were playing

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in the yard, playing something. And it wasn't

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always an organized sport, but some kind of game.

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My brother, on the other hand, was very much

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the intellectual. He's four and a half years

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older than me, and so by all rights should have

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been bigger, probably stronger than me and like

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that, but that really wasn't the case. And so

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we fought constantly as I was growing up, and

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I sort of pushed him to do whatever I wanted.

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And it was sometimes got a little violent, but

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never anything like broken bones or anything

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like that, but definitely cuts and bruises and

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that kind of thing. And so I was also kind of

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the bully in the neighborhood with the guys in

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the neighborhood until a guy moved in that was

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bigger and wasn't going to take it anymore. And

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then we fought like cats and dogs for probably

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about a year. And then finally he moved away.

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And so then I got kind of got my position back.

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And by that time we were all kind of getting

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to be teenagers and getting past that stuff anyway.

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So my brother and I were at odds all the time.

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There was a guy in our neighborhood who was,

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he weighed over twice as much as the two of us

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combined. And he was a football linebacker, played

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most of his senior year with a broken arm and

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still was incredible. He was an incredible football

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player. He later went on to play semi -professional

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football with the Toledo Thunder back in the

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day. I don't know if anybody remembers him, but

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anyway. And he came down to my house because

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I had gotten in an argument with his younger

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brother. And it was going to go to blows, but

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he didn't want to fight because even though he

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was bigger than me, he didn't want to get hurt.

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So he went home and got his brother. So his brother

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came down, and his brother, who was, again, probably

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four times my size. I weighed probably a little

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under 100 pounds, and he weighed a little over

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400 pounds. So he was four times my size. He

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was really, really big. He was like 6 '4", 5",

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and almost that big wide. I mean, he was just

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gargantuan. And he said, You know, you're going

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to apologize to my brother, or I'm going to pound

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you in the ground, basically. And I'm looking

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at this gigantic guy, and I'm going, like, there's

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no way this ends good. My parents were not home.

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So I didn't know what to do. So I ran in the

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house, and I got my brother, of all things. I

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said, we need to call Mom and Dad. We need to

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call Mom and Dad. I'm in trouble out here. These

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two guys are down here. They're going to beat

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me up. And Tom, my older brother, who, again,

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is four and a half years older than me, would

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probably weigh about 10 pounds less than me.

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He said, I'll take care of it. We went back outside.

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And there they're standing there, this guy and

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his brother. Between the two of them, they weigh

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close to 600 pounds. I'm 165, 165 foot. I'm about

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5 '5 at that time. And my brother said to him,

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he said, if you want to fight, we'll fight. And

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he said, and I think it's pretty much a foregone

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conclusion. You're going to kick our butt. But

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I will guarantee you that. you're going to wind

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up muddy and bloody. I guarantee it, 100%. I'm

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going to hurt you. You may beat me up, you may

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put me in the hospital, you may kill me, but

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I guarantee you, you will get hurt. And the guy

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looked at my brother, who was, again, less than

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a quarter of his weight or whatever, and he said,

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it's not worth it, let's go home. And that moment,

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my brother and I found peace. And we never fought.

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physically after that ever again, even though

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I was still for sure tougher than him and more

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physical than him. I never coerced him after

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that. Now, I could have probably done the same

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thing, right? I could have probably said the

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same thing, and it might even have been more

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true because I was more physical. I had fought

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more fights, had more scars. I probably could

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have said that, and it probably would have been

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more true than when my brother said it, but I

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didn't say it. So here's the problem. If you

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are the winner, and you do not declare yourself

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the winner, or if you can make it so that the

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winner doesn't want to fight, then you become

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the winner, right? So that guy didn't want to

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fight. He didn't want to take the risk of getting

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seriously injured. And so then he just went home.

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And if you won't claim it, if you won't understand

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it's true in that moment, then it maybe isn't

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true, right? So I could have backed down, apologized,

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even though I truly was not in the wrong. You

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know, I could have went in and think, well, we'll

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see what happens. And I could have just jumped

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the guy, jumped on him and started doing whatever

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I could, you know, to cause some damage or whatever.

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And we'd have both wound up damaged and I'd have

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gone to the emergency room for sure. But my brother

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handled it in a way that we won the fight before

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we had to fight. And he knew that was possible.

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I don't know how. And it worked. So what I'm

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saying to you is that is the position that we

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are in as Christians. And we're going to see

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this in the text today very clearly exhibited.

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And we're going to, I hope, learn some lessons

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about how to apply it in modern day life. So

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it's kind of a fun sermon. It's different. I

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would tell you it's a little different than anything

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I've written in a long, long time. To the point

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that I'm providing a little handout later today.

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and I'll tell you about that later. So grab your

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Bibles if you would, maybe get a little excited,

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hoot, holler, and go with me to Judges chapter

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11. Thank you very much. You'll notice on the

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board that the title is Case Made, and so what

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we're going to see is Jephthah. You'll recall

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that he's kind of a bizarre judge. On the scale

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of all the judges, he's a little different than

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everybody else. He was an oddball, cast out,

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that kind of thing, but he's back now. Judges

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11, beginning in verse 12, it says, Now Jephthah

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sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon,

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that's the bad guys in the story that's been

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persecuting them, saying, What is between you

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and me that you have come to me to fight against

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my land? The king of the sons of Ammon said to

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the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took

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away my land when they came up from Egypt, from

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the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan,

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therefore return them peaceably now. So he gives

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him an out. If you give those lands that we claim

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back, then we don't have to fight. So just surrender

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all those people to us and all that property

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to us. But Jephthah sent messengers again to

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the king of the sons of Ammon. And they said

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to him, this is what the messengers said, Thus

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saith Jephthah, Israel did not take away the

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land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon.

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For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel

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went through the wilderness, to the Red Sea and

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came to Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers to

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the king of Edom saying, please let us pass through

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your land. But the king of Edom would not listen.

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And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he

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would not listen. So Israel remained at Kadesh.

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Then they went through the wilderness and around

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the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came

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to the east side of the land of Moab and they

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camped beyond the Arnon. But they did not enter

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the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the

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border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers to

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Sihon, king of the Amorites, or the Amorites,

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as some people pronounce it. The king of Heshbon

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and Israel said to him, Please let us pass through

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your land to our place. But Sihon did not trust

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Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon

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gathered all his people and camped in Jehaz and

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fought with Israel. So the first two people,

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he said, let us pass. They said, no, we won't

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let you pass. One of those was Ammon, the guy

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who's now accusing them, right? But then when

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they came to the other one, they said, well,

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let us pass. And he said, we'll not let you pass.

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Not only did they not let them pass, but they

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marshaled out force. They came out to fight.

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They didn't just say you can't pass like the

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first two did, but they said, we're going to

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fight. So they attacked Israel. Okay. So verse

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21, the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and

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all his people into the hand of Israel and they

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defeated them. So Israel possessed all the land

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of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

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So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites

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from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and from

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the wilderness as far as the Jordan. Since now

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the Lord God of Israel drove out the Amorites

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from before his people Israel, are you then to

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possess it? So in other words, he said, We didn't

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take your land. We took this other land over

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here that belonged to this other country, and

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God gave us an incredible victory. And if God

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did that, then who are you to say that we can't

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have this land? Basically, there's an international

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law. It's a victory of war, right? So they won

00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:21.659
the land. So of course they can keep the land

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because they won it in combat. Their soldiers

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shed their blood in order to win those lands,

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okay? And so he's arguing we have a right to

00:14:32.250 --> 00:14:34.049
the lands that we won in war, that were not your

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lands. Since now the Lord, the God of Israel,

00:14:36.210 --> 00:14:38.409
drove out the Amorites, he said, from before

00:14:38.409 --> 00:14:40.669
his people Israel, are you then to possess it?

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24. Do you not possess what Chemosh, your God,

00:14:45.230 --> 00:14:47.610
gives you to possess? Now that's the God of the

00:14:47.610 --> 00:14:52.490
Ammonites, right? One of them. Okay. So whatever

00:14:52.490 --> 00:14:54.830
the Lord, our God, has driven out before us,

00:14:54.929 --> 00:14:58.840
we will possess it. Now, are you any better than

00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:02.080
Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? So basically,

00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:03.840
this is a pretty big -name guy. We don't have

00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.000
to get into it too deeply. Balak was a powerful

00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:10.879
king, built powerful armies, and never laid claim

00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.259
to the lands in question. Does that make sense?

00:15:13.539 --> 00:15:17.700
So he could have. If anybody was going to, he

00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:19.220
could have taken those lands and said, well,

00:15:19.299 --> 00:15:22.379
by justice, they belong to us, or they at least

00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:25.029
don't belong to Israel. But he didn't. Did he

00:15:25.029 --> 00:15:27.610
ever strive with Israel? Or did he ever fight

00:15:27.610 --> 00:15:30.450
against them? Well, Israel lived in Heshbon and

00:15:30.450 --> 00:15:34.350
its villages and in Eroer and its villages and

00:15:34.350 --> 00:15:36.110
in all the cities that are on the banks of the

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Arnon 300 years. Why did you not recover? them

00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:43.629
within that time so he said it's been 300 years

00:15:43.629 --> 00:15:45.889
now no one has ever laid this claim on these

00:15:45.889 --> 00:15:48.549
lands that we rightfully took and now 300 years

00:15:48.549 --> 00:15:50.269
later you're trying to lay a claim on them so

00:15:50.269 --> 00:15:51.929
that's like a claim on statute of limitations

00:15:51.929 --> 00:15:54.370
right so your time was a long time ago if you

00:15:54.370 --> 00:15:57.149
wanted to say that we took your lands i therefore

00:15:57.149 --> 00:16:00.029
have not sinned against you but you are doing

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me wrong by making war against me may the lord

00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:09.820
The judge judged today between the sons of Israel

00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:12.799
and the sons of Ammon. So who is he asking to

00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.519
make the decision in earnest based on the evidence?

00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:18.019
Who is he saying? I want somebody to make the

00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:19.899
decision of who's right here. And he's saying

00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:22.139
God. I want God to make the decision of who's

00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:24.700
right here. And then it says in verse 28, But

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the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the

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message which Jephthah sent him. Now that actually

00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.909
technically ends our text for the day. But I

00:16:32.909 --> 00:16:34.789
do want you to see one thing that follows immediately

00:16:34.789 --> 00:16:37.789
after that because it's a confirmation. So in

00:16:37.789 --> 00:16:41.009
verse 29 it says, Now the Spirit of the Lord

00:16:41.009 --> 00:16:43.309
came upon Jephthah so that he passed through

00:16:43.309 --> 00:16:45.769
Gilead and Manasseh, and he passed through Mizgah

00:16:45.769 --> 00:16:48.149
and Gilead, and from Mizgah of Gilead he went

00:16:48.149 --> 00:16:51.490
on to the sons of Ammon. So this is what happens.

00:16:51.590 --> 00:16:54.529
Jephthah says, Here is a systematic argument

00:16:54.529 --> 00:16:58.370
of why what you're saying is not true. Your revisionist

00:16:58.370 --> 00:17:01.840
history will not stand. Your God did not give

00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.440
these lands to you. Our God gave these lands

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.759
to us. Not only that, but if you were going to

00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:09.720
complain, you had 300 years to do it, and you

00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:11.960
never have. And all these other kings who came,

00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:13.720
and some of them were powerful enough to complain

00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:15.200
and possibly do something about it, they never

00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.920
said this. You're just making this up, basically,

00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:22.039
is what he's saying. God, decide between us who

00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:25.339
is in the right today. And then God's response

00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:28.339
is, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah.

00:17:30.299 --> 00:17:33.619
So in this dialogue between Jephthah and the

00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:36.480
king of the Ammonites, there is a legal and a

00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:39.900
historical debate going on. This is happening

00:17:39.900 --> 00:17:41.660
in the United States of America and the world

00:17:41.660 --> 00:17:45.740
over today. People want to rewrite history. People

00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:48.819
want to use their own logic. People want to redefine

00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:51.559
things to say that they are not what God has

00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:53.599
made them to be, not what they have always been.

00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:56.680
Things are new, different. Today we have the

00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:58.579
authority and the power to make something different.

00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:01.259
So we're going to do it. This is our agenda,

00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:05.299
right? And you don't have to succumb to it. You

00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:08.940
don't have to give in to that method. You can,

00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:14.500
like Jephthah, act as a diplomat and figure it

00:18:14.500 --> 00:18:18.019
out. So let's look briefly at the structure of

00:18:18.019 --> 00:18:20.400
his argument. The first one is he makes a historical

00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:25.890
claim. So this revisionist history. that the

00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:28.910
king of Ammon is trying to say that they have

00:18:28.910 --> 00:18:30.650
a right to these lands. He says, that's not true.

00:18:31.950 --> 00:18:34.549
You're just making that up. That's not the way

00:18:34.549 --> 00:18:37.950
it went down. We didn't steal your lands when

00:18:37.950 --> 00:18:39.950
we came out of Egypt. In fact, we went around

00:18:39.950 --> 00:18:41.990
your lands because your people said that we could

00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:43.769
not. Instead of fighting, we went around your

00:18:43.769 --> 00:18:46.710
land. We didn't take any land from you. We took

00:18:46.710 --> 00:18:51.250
all the land that we took from Sihon. The Amorites

00:18:51.250 --> 00:18:53.430
had previously conquered that territory from

00:18:53.430 --> 00:18:56.690
other people, yes. But because we conquered them

00:18:56.690 --> 00:18:58.890
and took their lands, we have a right to what

00:18:58.890 --> 00:19:01.589
we conquered and took. That's the way it works.

00:19:03.430 --> 00:19:05.789
Secondly, he makes a theological claim. He says,

00:19:05.849 --> 00:19:07.589
hey, doesn't your God give you what your God

00:19:07.589 --> 00:19:09.990
gave you? You take it. So our God gave this to

00:19:09.990 --> 00:19:12.009
us and we're entitled to keep whatever our God

00:19:12.009 --> 00:19:15.329
gave to us. That's a theological claim. And then

00:19:15.329 --> 00:19:18.119
third, he makes a legal claim. In this case,

00:19:18.140 --> 00:19:20.359
statute of limitations, but there are other possibilities

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:23.740
here. So he says, it's been 300 years. There

00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:26.980
were powerful kings that came before you. You

00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:30.500
have forfeited your right to claim this territory

00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:33.319
by waiting 300 years to try to claim it until

00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:36.259
now. Never in history anywhere for 300 years

00:19:36.259 --> 00:19:37.779
has anyone ever said that this land belonged

00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:42.339
to you and not us. You can see then, logically,

00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:44.839
if you were a judge sitting on a bench and somebody

00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:46.359
made those arguments in front of you, you would

00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:48.259
say, yeah, that makes sense. They've made pretty

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:51.359
good arguments, right? There's pretty good arguments

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:57.059
there. They were not only legitimate, they were

00:19:57.059 --> 00:20:01.720
the only legitimate claims. The revisionist history,

00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:06.720
it's just ridiculous. Jephthah's defense was

00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.470
grounded in verifiable history. Longstanding

00:20:10.470 --> 00:20:12.289
occupation. There were people that were living

00:20:12.289 --> 00:20:13.970
in that land that called themselves Israelites

00:20:13.970 --> 00:20:17.710
that had been there for 40 generations since

00:20:17.710 --> 00:20:23.650
the time that Israel had taken the land. Notice

00:20:23.650 --> 00:20:26.190
in the final communication then, there is a call

00:20:26.190 --> 00:20:30.569
for intervention. He says, I appeal to the higher

00:20:30.569 --> 00:20:33.869
court. I have not wronged you, but you are doing

00:20:33.869 --> 00:20:37.029
me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord...

00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.440
The judge decide the dispute this day between

00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:44.960
the Israelites and the Ammonites. And you can

00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.160
say the same thing for yourself. Let the Lord,

00:20:48.339 --> 00:20:52.799
the judge, God of heaven this day decide the

00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:55.700
dispute between his people and the people and

00:20:55.700 --> 00:21:00.799
systems of the world. Is it a legitimate call

00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:03.079
to God to intervene? Does he have a right to

00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:05.519
do that, to appeal to heaven? Well, when two

00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:08.000
parties reached an impasse in ancient politics

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.220
and diplomacy or whatever, they would call upon

00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:12.640
somebody outside themselves to mediate this.

00:21:12.740 --> 00:21:13.619
And when you're having a problem, especially,

00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.079
let's say, if you're having a problem with another

00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:17.299
Christian, for example, who's going to settle

00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:20.759
it if not God? And I submit to you that the problem

00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:22.900
that exists between God's people and the world

00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:27.440
has actually already been settled. And yet, people

00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:30.180
are acting like somehow we're the underdogs,

00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:32.849
that Christians are going to not... claim the

00:21:32.849 --> 00:21:34.450
territory that God has laid out for them. And

00:21:34.450 --> 00:21:37.089
that doesn't make any sense. Jephthah has been

00:21:37.089 --> 00:21:39.890
truthful in his historical account. And he's

00:21:39.890 --> 00:21:42.470
even attempted to settle the matter peacefully

00:21:42.470 --> 00:21:44.410
by sending the messengers in the first place

00:21:44.410 --> 00:21:46.210
and communicating it out and so on. He didn't

00:21:46.210 --> 00:21:47.490
just say, I'm going to summon up an army and

00:21:47.490 --> 00:21:50.430
kill everybody. But because he had done that,

00:21:50.490 --> 00:21:53.730
tried to settle it, make it right, justly, and

00:21:53.730 --> 00:21:57.720
peacefully. He can now confidently ask God to

00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:59.880
come in. So this is the problem. Sometimes people

00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:01.240
in the world, instead of trying to settle it

00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:03.940
peacefully, as Christians, we're going to get

00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:07.339
all snarky ourselves. If I say just the right

00:22:07.339 --> 00:22:08.940
thing or I do just the right thing, I can get

00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:11.859
them to back down, right? But then the problem

00:22:11.859 --> 00:22:14.059
with that is what? Now you don't have a legitimate

00:22:14.059 --> 00:22:16.339
concern to ask God to come in and settle it for

00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:18.559
you because you have behaved in a way that's

00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:23.180
not godly. Interestingly enough, Jephthah stands

00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:25.920
out in the book of Judges because he is the only

00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:29.339
major judge who leads with a legal and historical

00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:31.339
defense. They called him for what? What did they

00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:33.960
call him for? To defend them against the Ammonites.

00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:37.220
We need you. We kicked you out, yes, but clearly

00:22:37.220 --> 00:22:38.599
you're a good warrior. You've got all these guys

00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:40.319
gathered around you, so you're a good leader,

00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.940
and we need you. We need you to come and rescue

00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:44.779
us from the Ammonites. And the first thing he

00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:49.220
does is attempt a diplomatic solution. Gideon,

00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:51.680
for example, you recall we studied him a little

00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:55.599
bit. Gideon was a little different. Jephthah

00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:58.980
is bold and confrontational with his words here

00:22:58.980 --> 00:23:02.000
and using diplomacy. Gideon really, the whole

00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:03.980
time you see him as a judge, he only used diplomacy

00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:07.380
to de -escalate internal conflict. There was

00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:11.420
a civil war brewing. People were upset, the Ephraimites

00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:13.599
especially. In Judges 8, we learned about this.

00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:15.440
They were upset and complaining that he didn't

00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.569
involve them in fighting. And so then you see

00:23:18.569 --> 00:23:21.349
Gideon flatter them and tell them, what have

00:23:21.349 --> 00:23:23.589
I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings

00:23:23.589 --> 00:23:25.869
of Ephraim's grapes better than the full vintage

00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:30.869
of Abiezar, the house that Gideon was from? Jephthah

00:23:30.869 --> 00:23:33.470
uses truth and law to stand his ground against

00:23:33.470 --> 00:23:36.069
an enemy. Gideon uses humility and tact to prevent

00:23:36.069 --> 00:23:38.269
a civil war. So that was the closest thing that

00:23:38.269 --> 00:23:40.869
we have to another diplomat. You remember Deborah?

00:23:41.309 --> 00:23:43.069
We read about Deborah, right? She was the one

00:23:43.069 --> 00:23:44.930
who sat under the tree and did the judging of

00:23:44.930 --> 00:23:47.740
the Israelites, whatever. And then the war was

00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:49.819
going on. And what did she do? She called up

00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:52.220
Barak. She said, go get a great army. God is

00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:53.880
going to give you a great. And then she began.

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:55.579
He said, well, I'll go if you'll go with me.

00:23:55.619 --> 00:23:57.160
And she said, okay, well, I'll go. But she wasn't

00:23:57.160 --> 00:23:59.099
a fighter and she didn't lead the army. But she

00:23:59.099 --> 00:24:01.680
did tell them what God told her to tell them.

00:24:02.019 --> 00:24:04.900
So she wasn't a diplomat. And those were two

00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:07.640
really good judges. But neither one of them did

00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:11.059
this, what he did. Remember who he was? Kicked

00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:13.579
out by his people, living surrounded by worthless

00:24:13.579 --> 00:24:15.819
men. Now he comes back as a leader of Israel,

00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:20.619
and what is he doing? So not only is he the Redeemer,

00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:23.500
the Savior, and the judge for the people of Israel

00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:26.440
in this day, but on top of that, when they brought

00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.980
him back, he's showing signs of redemption. He's

00:24:29.980 --> 00:24:33.279
making arguments that say, but we have God on

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:35.900
our side. So why would you be afraid in the first

00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:37.460
place? What does that sound like? Remember David

00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:41.940
and Goliath? We haven't read about him yet, but

00:24:41.940 --> 00:24:44.299
you've got Samson. Samson is maybe kind of like

00:24:44.299 --> 00:24:46.759
one of the worst judges. Everybody likes his

00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:48.779
story, but he's kind of one of the worst. And

00:24:48.779 --> 00:24:51.119
everything that he does, there's no diplomacy.

00:24:51.619 --> 00:24:54.819
He plays tricks. He gives riddles. And then all

00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:56.440
of his fighting, he essentially does it himself.

00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:58.539
He doesn't lead the army. He doesn't organize

00:24:58.539 --> 00:25:00.759
men. He's not a diplomat, a leader, or a servant

00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:02.839
even. He just goes and beats the Philistines

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:04.980
up until the sun goes down. And then he gets

00:25:04.980 --> 00:25:09.450
up and does it again the next day. Right? So

00:25:09.450 --> 00:25:12.549
connecting Jephthah's ancient diplomacy to our

00:25:12.549 --> 00:25:16.329
role as ambassadors in Christ, then there is

00:25:16.329 --> 00:25:19.630
a picture here. There's a powerful thing here.

00:25:20.250 --> 00:25:22.869
First things, seeking first the kingdom of God

00:25:22.869 --> 00:25:25.230
should affect us daily. You should get out of

00:25:25.230 --> 00:25:26.890
bed tomorrow and go like, okay, what does God

00:25:26.890 --> 00:25:29.529
want me to do today? What does God want to see

00:25:29.529 --> 00:25:32.589
happen in my life today? And living like that,

00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:37.390
then you're going to experience opposition. As

00:25:37.390 --> 00:25:42.140
ambassadors, we then look at that opposition

00:25:42.140 --> 00:25:44.700
coming against us, and I would say we'd be better

00:25:44.700 --> 00:25:47.740
off to follow the model of Jephthah than the

00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:51.240
model of even Deborah, who listened to the Lord

00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:55.319
and delivered the message. Or Samson, who went

00:25:55.319 --> 00:25:59.640
out and beat the snot out of God's enemies. We'd

00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:02.180
be better off to follow Jephthah's model and

00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:05.059
let the Lord decide. And what will He decide?

00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:08.900
Like Jephthah, we should lead with words, We

00:26:08.900 --> 00:26:12.339
offer terms of peace, which is the gospel, before

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:16.160
there is ever a judgment. We appeal to divine

00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.700
intervention. Can we ask God to intervene while

00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:21.200
still trying to reach people? You realize you're

00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.000
going to suffer. Some of you are experiencing

00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.720
suffering now. I've been experiencing suffering.

00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:30.240
And so the point is, we're going to suffer. And

00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:32.359
in the midst of that suffering, can we still

00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:35.460
be trying to reach people for God and yet call

00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:40.390
out for God, make an appeal to God? What if we're

00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:42.289
being treated unfairly? Someone's coming against

00:26:42.289 --> 00:26:46.630
us. 1 Peter 2, 19 -20 says, For this finds favor,

00:26:46.890 --> 00:26:50.250
if for the sake of conscience toward God a person

00:26:50.250 --> 00:26:54.349
bears up under sorrow, when suffering unjustly.

00:26:54.549 --> 00:26:57.289
For what credit is there if when you sin and

00:26:57.289 --> 00:26:59.450
are harshly treated you endure it with patience?

00:26:59.549 --> 00:27:02.170
But if when you do what is right and suffer for

00:27:02.170 --> 00:27:05.710
it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor

00:27:05.710 --> 00:27:09.710
with God. Ultimately, we should be acknowledging

00:27:09.710 --> 00:27:13.190
the judge. The judge. It doesn't matter what

00:27:13.190 --> 00:27:15.349
public opinion says. It doesn't matter what social

00:27:15.349 --> 00:27:18.369
media says about you or your grade card or your

00:27:18.369 --> 00:27:20.950
paycheck. We should be recognizing the judge

00:27:20.950 --> 00:27:24.750
of the universe. We should take the burden off

00:27:24.750 --> 00:27:27.730
of our own shoulders and say, Lord, you see the

00:27:27.730 --> 00:27:32.009
hearts, you decide the outcome. But notice our

00:27:32.009 --> 00:27:34.170
appeal is dissimilar from Jephthah's appeal.

00:27:34.529 --> 00:27:38.500
There is a pretty radical difference. His was

00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:41.359
about territorial victory. That meant wealth.

00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:45.119
It meant power. It meant crops. It meant safety.

00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:47.940
That's the kind of appeal that he was looking

00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:51.660
for from God. He wanted God to deal with the

00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:53.700
people that were coming against him. Our appeal

00:27:53.700 --> 00:27:58.799
is for spiritual clarity or protection. Jephthah's

00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:02.839
court case ended in the destruction of the Amorites.

00:28:03.450 --> 00:28:06.809
Our court case is handled by Jesus who literally

00:28:06.809 --> 00:28:10.410
died for all of the people who are persecuting

00:28:10.410 --> 00:28:14.009
us. So when someone's coming against you and

00:28:14.009 --> 00:28:17.609
you beg God to squish them like a bug, your prayer

00:28:17.609 --> 00:28:22.269
is inaccurate, at least. Because God died that

00:28:22.269 --> 00:28:25.569
they might be redeemed. We appeal to God not

00:28:25.569 --> 00:28:28.829
necessarily to destroy our enemies, but to restrain

00:28:28.829 --> 00:28:33.299
evil so that the gospel can go forward. 1 Timothy

00:28:33.299 --> 00:28:36.140
2 says it this way, First of all, then, I urge

00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:39.160
that in treaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings

00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:42.059
be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all

00:28:42.059 --> 00:28:45.640
who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil

00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:48.440
and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:51.579
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God

00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:54.779
our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and

00:28:54.779 --> 00:28:56.500
to come to the knowledge of the truth. Have you

00:28:56.500 --> 00:28:58.000
ever been in a situation where someone is coming

00:28:58.000 --> 00:28:59.900
against you, doing something to you, saying something

00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:02.700
about you, hurting you in some way? and all you

00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:04.940
wanted to see was them stopped? That's all I

00:29:04.940 --> 00:29:07.799
want to see? And did you pray, Lord, stop them?

00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:12.380
Do you realize that if they were saved, truly

00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:13.900
saved, if they were followers of the Lord Jesus

00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:17.460
Christ and God saw the damage that they were

00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:19.200
doing, God would stop them, but He'd stop them

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:25.079
in a holy and completely different way. I guess

00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:27.619
there's a real question today. During COVID,

00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:31.650
there was a pastor down south in Louisiana they

00:29:31.650 --> 00:29:34.630
chose not to close their church, to not stop

00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:36.670
worshiping. And Louisiana was one of the states

00:29:36.670 --> 00:29:38.210
in which you were actually really supposed to

00:29:38.210 --> 00:29:41.670
do that. You were supposed to stop. And up here,

00:29:41.690 --> 00:29:44.109
we just had pressure to stop. We never had the

00:29:44.109 --> 00:29:45.890
law telling us that we had to stop, and we didn't

00:29:45.890 --> 00:29:51.470
stop worshiping God. So protesters came out and

00:29:51.470 --> 00:29:54.509
surrounded his church building because they were

00:29:54.509 --> 00:29:56.690
still worshiping. Now, that's as comical as you

00:29:56.690 --> 00:29:57.809
can ever say. You can't go in the church building

00:29:57.809 --> 00:29:59.089
and worship Jesus because you're going to spread.

00:29:59.849 --> 00:30:02.190
the virus from people to people. But you can

00:30:02.190 --> 00:30:04.609
stand outside the church building in huge mobs

00:30:04.609 --> 00:30:07.349
and protest worshiping because you're not going

00:30:07.349 --> 00:30:09.170
to spread the virus while that's happening, right?

00:30:09.329 --> 00:30:11.269
So anyway, protesters surrounded the church building

00:30:11.269 --> 00:30:13.109
and told that they couldn't go inside and worship

00:30:13.109 --> 00:30:16.230
because they were breaking the law. The whole

00:30:16.230 --> 00:30:18.910
thing is comical. So the pastor came in the church

00:30:18.910 --> 00:30:22.130
van at about two mile an hour and somebody stepped

00:30:22.130 --> 00:30:25.730
in front of the church van and either they hit

00:30:25.730 --> 00:30:29.720
the van or the van hit them or whatever. And

00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:31.859
then he went ahead and parked, went into church

00:30:31.859 --> 00:30:33.599
just like normal, and everything was fine, except

00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:36.119
then he got arrested because he hit somebody

00:30:36.119 --> 00:30:40.400
with his vehicle. The question is, is God going

00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:42.539
to intervene on behalf of his people? Because

00:30:42.539 --> 00:30:44.339
as they persecute us, it seems like it really

00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:46.819
stops the gospel from flowing. If you take the

00:30:46.819 --> 00:30:49.279
most outspoken Christian people, it seems like

00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:51.579
they get the most opposition, right? Now, sometimes

00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:53.299
it's because they're outspoken in a way that's

00:30:53.299 --> 00:30:56.480
insulting, and that's going to brook opposition.

00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:59.319
But oftentimes it's not that. It's like facing

00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:02.380
difficulty. So is God going to redeem? Is God

00:31:02.380 --> 00:31:04.599
going to intervene? Is he going to defend us?

00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:08.960
And the Bible says this, and will not God bring

00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:11.559
about justice for his chosen ones who cry out

00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:14.220
to him day and night? Will he keep putting them

00:31:14.220 --> 00:31:17.859
off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice

00:31:17.859 --> 00:31:20.099
and quickly. That comes from Luke 18, and it's

00:31:20.099 --> 00:31:21.799
out of the end of the parable where Jesus is

00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:23.680
talking about the woman who had to keep going

00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:25.900
after the judge who wouldn't listen. And she

00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:29.099
kept begging him and begging him. And Jesus says,

00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:35.920
God will hear and God will deliver justice. I

00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:38.519
urge you that in treaties and prayers and petitions

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:41.519
and thanksgiving be made behalf of all men. And

00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:48.849
God will hear. God will deliver justice. In Psalm

00:31:48.849 --> 00:31:51.150
91, it says that God is our shield. I won't go

00:31:51.150 --> 00:31:52.589
through and read it, but basically from beginning

00:31:52.589 --> 00:31:55.309
to end, it says that the one who trusts in God,

00:31:55.509 --> 00:31:59.150
God will intervene on their behalf. In Zechariah

00:31:59.150 --> 00:32:02.049
2 .8, it says, whoever touches you touches the

00:32:02.049 --> 00:32:03.950
apple of his eye. Now, this is really cool. By

00:32:03.950 --> 00:32:05.410
the way, I encourage you to go and read this.

00:32:05.450 --> 00:32:06.549
We're not going to do it right now for the interest

00:32:06.549 --> 00:32:09.009
of time. In Zechariah 2, you'll see the situation.

00:32:09.230 --> 00:32:12.329
God's people were unfaithful. That's what was

00:32:12.329 --> 00:32:15.710
happening. And God used the peoples around them

00:32:15.710 --> 00:32:17.529
to punish them because they were unfaithful.

00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:19.700
That's what was happening. That's starting to

00:32:19.700 --> 00:32:21.160
kind of sound present day right there, right?

00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.559
And then it says that God would then punish the

00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:28.160
people that he used to punish his people because

00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:31.980
it says that when somebody messes with you, they

00:32:31.980 --> 00:32:36.180
mess with the apple of my eye. You see? So when

00:32:36.180 --> 00:32:38.359
someone's coming against the church, when someone's

00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:39.880
coming against the gospel, when someone's coming

00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:41.799
against the truth, when someone's coming against

00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:45.000
you, First of all, check yourself and make sure

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:46.680
that you're not provoking it and causing the

00:32:46.680 --> 00:32:49.779
problem, right? Because then you could cut it

00:32:49.779 --> 00:32:52.400
out. You could stop that from happening, right?

00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:54.400
But sometimes people are going to come even when

00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:55.799
they shouldn't come. And sometimes people are

00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:57.000
going to come when they should come. And either

00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:59.039
way, they're going to suffer for it because God

00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:00.759
is going to bring about justice on the person

00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:03.799
that comes against his people because we are

00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:07.039
the apple of his eye. Whoever touches you, God

00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:11.769
says, touches the apple of his eye. This emphasizes

00:33:11.769 --> 00:33:14.269
that God is sensitive to how His ambassadors

00:33:14.269 --> 00:33:18.890
are treated. So what can we do about it? If God

00:33:18.890 --> 00:33:22.190
is our defender, then He is our action plan.

00:33:22.769 --> 00:33:25.049
And our action plan looks different than the

00:33:25.049 --> 00:33:27.589
world's action plan. We relinquish the right

00:33:27.589 --> 00:33:30.650
to vengeance. Leave room for God's wrath. If

00:33:30.650 --> 00:33:33.049
we try to defend ourselves with anger, then we

00:33:33.049 --> 00:33:35.890
will get in God's way. And if God takes a good

00:33:35.890 --> 00:33:38.069
hearty swing at one of your enemies, and you

00:33:38.069 --> 00:33:39.589
get in the way, guess who's going to get hit?

00:33:43.589 --> 00:33:46.069
Leave room for God to do what it is that God

00:33:46.069 --> 00:33:47.410
wants to do. You don't need to do it yourself.

00:33:48.009 --> 00:33:50.930
All the greatest victories of the Old and New

00:33:50.930 --> 00:33:54.029
Testament are in God intervening, not in mankind

00:33:54.029 --> 00:33:57.750
doing something special. We focus on the mission.

00:33:57.950 --> 00:34:00.789
Since God is handling the defense, we can focus

00:34:00.789 --> 00:34:05.470
100 % on the embassy, on the ambassadorship.

00:34:06.380 --> 00:34:09.239
We can be kind to people who are unkind to us

00:34:09.239 --> 00:34:12.599
because we know our case is in the hands of the

00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:15.719
best lawyer in the universe. We can pray for

00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:18.460
boldness, not just safety. In Acts 4 .29, when

00:34:18.460 --> 00:34:20.099
the early church was threatened, they didn't

00:34:20.099 --> 00:34:23.340
pray for the enemies to disappear. They didn't

00:34:23.340 --> 00:34:25.780
pray to rain fire down on them or anything like

00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:28.119
that. They prayed, Lord, consider their threats

00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:31.059
and enable your servants to speak your word with

00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:33.539
great boldness. That's what we need, great boldness.

00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:38.139
So this becomes like an action plan for us. If

00:34:38.139 --> 00:34:39.900
you're facing a situation in which you're being

00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:42.980
wronged while trying to live for God, your prayer

00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:44.800
might sound something like this. You might say,

00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:47.900
Lord, you are the judge of the earth. I am here

00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:50.380
as your ambassador seeking to honor you and my

00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:54.420
family. And I have tried to speak truth and peace,

00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:57.539
but I am meeting resistance. I appeal to you

00:34:57.539 --> 00:35:00.639
to intervene, not for my pride, but for your

00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:03.250
glory. Protect my heart, restrain the hand of

00:35:03.250 --> 00:35:05.670
the enemy, and let your kingdom come in this

00:35:05.670 --> 00:35:09.690
situation. Now that isn't what it usually sounds

00:35:09.690 --> 00:35:12.849
like, right? It's more like, Lord, I'm suffering

00:35:12.849 --> 00:35:15.610
here. And you know I'm a good guy. You know I'm

00:35:15.610 --> 00:35:18.190
a good girl. I need you to intervene. I need

00:35:18.190 --> 00:35:20.269
my sickness to go away. I need my finances to

00:35:20.269 --> 00:35:22.889
get better. I need my words to be heard. I've

00:35:22.889 --> 00:35:24.469
been trying to tell them, boy, if only they were

00:35:24.469 --> 00:35:26.489
here to hear this sermon, they could get all

00:35:26.489 --> 00:35:30.710
fixed up. Right? That's what it usually sounds

00:35:30.710 --> 00:35:35.409
like. Do we have a position from which to come

00:35:35.409 --> 00:35:37.769
that we can entreat the God of the universe and

00:35:37.769 --> 00:35:41.250
have a reasonable expectation that He will intervene?

00:35:42.449 --> 00:35:45.369
We have to move from a defensive posture to a

00:35:45.369 --> 00:35:48.409
legal one. Stop woe is me and making excuses

00:35:48.409 --> 00:35:52.530
and start thinking about, as an ambassador of

00:35:52.530 --> 00:35:56.489
Christ, your territory is your soul, your peace,

00:35:56.530 --> 00:35:59.170
and your divine calling. Here is how you can

00:35:59.170 --> 00:36:01.809
use Jephthah's three -point logic, I just gave

00:36:01.809 --> 00:36:07.309
it to you, to shut the door on the enemy. Number

00:36:07.309 --> 00:36:10.710
one, you can make it a historical argument. Jephthah's

00:36:10.710 --> 00:36:12.929
argument was like this. We didn't steal your

00:36:12.929 --> 00:36:16.789
land. We received it from a definitive victory

00:36:16.789 --> 00:36:21.929
over the Amorites over 300 years ago. Your argument,

00:36:21.969 --> 00:36:27.139
my argument, sounds like this. You claim we belong

00:36:27.139 --> 00:36:31.380
to the kingdom of darkness. You want me to be

00:36:31.380 --> 00:36:35.239
ashamed. You want me to do something stupid with

00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:37.900
my time. You want me to give in to temptation,

00:36:38.159 --> 00:36:41.480
etc. However, the historical record of Colossians

00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:46.139
2, 14 -15 shows that the legal debt was nailed

00:36:46.139 --> 00:36:50.739
to the cross. You have no legal standing to attack

00:36:50.739 --> 00:36:55.869
me for my past. That territory was bought and

00:36:55.869 --> 00:37:00.210
paid for by Jesus Christ. The right of conquest

00:37:00.210 --> 00:37:03.869
belongs to Him, not to the world or my old self.

00:37:04.010 --> 00:37:07.969
I am a new creation, and the old boundaries no

00:37:07.969 --> 00:37:14.130
longer apply. Or, and or, you might make the

00:37:14.130 --> 00:37:16.789
theological argument, the higher authority. Jephthah's

00:37:16.789 --> 00:37:19.110
logic was, whatever the Lord our God has given

00:37:19.110 --> 00:37:22.489
us, we will possess. He challenged the enemy

00:37:22.489 --> 00:37:24.489
to respect the boundaries set by the supreme

00:37:24.489 --> 00:37:30.730
authority. Our argument, Matthew 6, 33, Seek

00:37:30.730 --> 00:37:32.429
ye first the kingdom of God and all these things

00:37:32.429 --> 00:37:34.550
should be added unto you. If God has assigned

00:37:34.550 --> 00:37:37.429
me a mission, a family to honor and a kingdom

00:37:37.429 --> 00:37:40.949
to seek, then any spirit or worldly system trying

00:37:40.949 --> 00:37:44.230
to stop me is actually contesting God's sovereignty.

00:37:46.769 --> 00:37:51.400
Do you realize? That you have no sovereignty

00:37:51.400 --> 00:37:55.719
unto yourself? You were created to represent

00:37:55.719 --> 00:37:59.519
God. You were created to be a deliverer of the

00:37:59.519 --> 00:38:02.440
truth that God ordained. If you're delivering

00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:04.960
your own truth or your own idea of the truth,

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:09.019
you're nothing but a liar. Because the only truth

00:38:09.019 --> 00:38:15.500
that is eternal is the truth of God. We say,

00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:20.769
I am occupied by the Holy Spirit. If you, and

00:38:20.769 --> 00:38:23.449
you could be talking to Satan or fear or evil

00:38:23.449 --> 00:38:27.769
spirits, anxiety, the world system, whatever.

00:38:27.849 --> 00:38:31.769
If you want me, if you want to evict me from

00:38:31.769 --> 00:38:35.329
my peace, then take it up with my landlord. Since

00:38:35.329 --> 00:38:37.849
God has granted me every spiritual blessing in

00:38:37.849 --> 00:38:40.369
the heavenly places, that's Ephesians 1 .3, your

00:38:40.369 --> 00:38:45.269
gods, which are money, status, anxiety, concerns

00:38:45.269 --> 00:38:48.489
of life, whatever they may be, have no jurisdiction

00:38:48.489 --> 00:38:53.150
here. and or you might make a legal argument

00:38:53.150 --> 00:38:56.889
concerning the statute of limitations. Jephthah

00:38:56.889 --> 00:38:59.329
said, why did you not deliver them within the

00:38:59.329 --> 00:39:02.989
last 300 years? You never even tried. For 300

00:39:02.989 --> 00:39:04.550
years you never claimed this, and now all of

00:39:04.550 --> 00:39:07.050
a sudden you're claiming it? The enemy often

00:39:07.050 --> 00:39:09.929
waits until we are weak to bring up claims from

00:39:09.929 --> 00:39:13.550
years ago. I'll never forget, I was driving home

00:39:13.550 --> 00:39:16.650
from Radio Shack one night. I was not a Christian

00:39:16.650 --> 00:39:19.260
at the time. I was very, I was... It was in my

00:39:19.260 --> 00:39:22.280
searching period. And I was on the expressway,

00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:27.539
I -280, coming south toward the... I don't even

00:39:27.539 --> 00:39:29.059
know if the Wales Road exit existed there. I

00:39:29.059 --> 00:39:30.320
think I was going to the Woodville Road exit.

00:39:30.340 --> 00:39:34.840
I think it was pre that exit existing. And in

00:39:34.840 --> 00:39:37.579
my mind, I flashed back to something that I had

00:39:37.579 --> 00:39:41.300
said to Sherry. We were not married at the time.

00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:47.469
She was pregnant with Alicia. And I was so stricken

00:39:47.469 --> 00:39:52.670
with how stupid I was, how mean I had been, how

00:39:52.670 --> 00:39:56.389
worthless I was in that moment. And I was like

00:39:56.389 --> 00:39:59.369
a post -traumatic stress disorder vision, right?

00:39:59.469 --> 00:40:03.250
I'm a flashback. And just then my car hit a patch

00:40:03.250 --> 00:40:08.159
of black ice. And I, for the first... half a

00:40:08.159 --> 00:40:10.940
second of my car spinning out of control at 65

00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:12.780
miles, 60 mile an hour. I was probably speeding.

00:40:12.820 --> 00:40:14.320
It was 55 there, but I'm pretty sure I was speeding

00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:18.559
60, 65. And my car started to spin out of control.

00:40:18.679 --> 00:40:20.800
And for the first half a second, I did not respond.

00:40:22.019 --> 00:40:24.300
I didn't do anything. I didn't turn the wheel.

00:40:25.079 --> 00:40:27.980
I don't think I realized I was so back in the

00:40:27.980 --> 00:40:30.480
moment of how stupid and ignorant and mean I

00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:32.900
had been to say what I had said that I did not

00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:36.679
even begin to respond. And in a snap, in a flash,

00:40:37.190 --> 00:40:38.869
In an instant, I realized my car is spinning

00:40:38.869 --> 00:40:40.929
out of control. And I began to try to steer into

00:40:40.929 --> 00:40:43.150
the skid. And my car went around and it bounced

00:40:43.150 --> 00:40:46.349
off the concrete in the middle there, the divider.

00:40:46.429 --> 00:40:47.929
And then it went around the other way and it

00:40:47.929 --> 00:40:49.789
bounced off the concrete again. And then finally

00:40:49.789 --> 00:40:52.590
skidded to a stop or slid to a stop on the side

00:40:52.590 --> 00:40:54.769
of the road. And the front bumper from that time

00:40:54.769 --> 00:40:56.510
on, I owned that car. The front bumper was always

00:40:56.510 --> 00:40:58.289
pushed to the left and the back bumper was always

00:40:58.289 --> 00:40:59.610
pushed to the right. And you go down the road,

00:40:59.670 --> 00:41:00.769
it looked like you were going sideways the whole

00:41:00.769 --> 00:41:06.579
time like a crab, right? I could have died. I

00:41:06.579 --> 00:41:08.860
was literally on the pathway. I was not wearing

00:41:08.860 --> 00:41:13.860
my seatbelt. I could have died. Because in that

00:41:13.860 --> 00:41:16.500
moment, I was wrapped up in the worthless, stupid

00:41:16.500 --> 00:41:18.820
thing that I had said. The enemy loves to bring

00:41:18.820 --> 00:41:20.719
it up at the moment that it will cause you the

00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.159
most damage. The moment that you feel called

00:41:23.159 --> 00:41:26.099
to go and do something for the Lord. God wants

00:41:26.099 --> 00:41:28.760
you to clean, to work, to serve, to give, to

00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:33.199
pay. To become a member, to be baptized, to be

00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:35.940
witnessing, to share the gospel, to whatever.

00:41:36.019 --> 00:41:38.039
God calls you to do something and you start to

00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:40.179
move to go to do it. And right then, God, the

00:41:40.179 --> 00:41:45.440
enemy wants to throw up something that will stop

00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:51.340
you. And you say back to him, my identity in

00:41:51.340 --> 00:41:53.539
Christ was established before time began. It

00:41:53.539 --> 00:41:58.230
wasn't just when I prayed to accept Jesus. You

00:41:58.230 --> 00:42:00.349
say, why do you now come at me with accusations?

00:42:02.670 --> 00:42:06.110
By failing to successfully contest my ownership

00:42:06.110 --> 00:42:11.050
when I was created in my mother's womb and at

00:42:11.050 --> 00:42:14.090
the altar when I gave my life to Christ and every

00:42:14.090 --> 00:42:16.610
time I ever prayed and saw God do miracles and

00:42:16.610 --> 00:42:18.690
every time I ever cried out in anguish and God

00:42:18.690 --> 00:42:24.289
comforted me. By failing then, you've lost all

00:42:24.289 --> 00:42:30.059
rights here. I stand on the ancient landmark

00:42:30.059 --> 00:42:33.900
of God's eternal election. And then make that

00:42:33.900 --> 00:42:37.219
final appeal of Jephthah. He said, let the Lord

00:42:37.219 --> 00:42:42.000
judge and decide this dispute. And you do the

00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:45.800
same. Because we are the elect, Scripture promises

00:42:45.800 --> 00:42:48.360
that no weapon forged against you will prevail

00:42:48.360 --> 00:42:51.239
and you will refute every tongue that accuses

00:42:51.239 --> 00:42:57.519
you, Isaiah 54. This is our heritage as servants

00:42:57.519 --> 00:42:59.440
of the Lord. Now, I understand it's fully possible

00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:01.840
that you may be sitting in this room not actually

00:43:01.840 --> 00:43:04.039
a Christian, not actually having surrendered

00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:05.840
your life to the Lord. You cried out, Lord, Lord.

00:43:05.980 --> 00:43:07.860
You said words, but it didn't do anything. You

00:43:07.860 --> 00:43:09.480
didn't actually mean it. You didn't submit your

00:43:09.480 --> 00:43:14.320
life. Or not actually dedicating yourself to

00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:17.480
following the Lord, in which case then maybe

00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:20.539
your heritage as servants of the Lord is something

00:43:20.539 --> 00:43:23.690
different. It's a one foot in both worlds mentality.

00:43:26.210 --> 00:43:28.750
But in reality, if you are a follower of the

00:43:28.750 --> 00:43:30.750
Lord Jesus Christ, you've become part of a family

00:43:30.750 --> 00:43:34.230
that holds all the power, all the resources,

00:43:34.550 --> 00:43:37.090
all the success, all the victory, all of eternity.

00:43:38.909 --> 00:43:41.389
God is still on the throne. And if you are God's

00:43:41.389 --> 00:43:44.789
child, you will inherit everything that God has

00:43:44.789 --> 00:43:49.099
for you. In time when Arden was still young,

00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:51.119
we went out in the side yard and tried to fly

00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:55.079
a kite. We couldn't get the kite to go up in

00:43:55.079 --> 00:43:56.519
the air. The wind was blowing pretty decent,

00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:58.260
but it was kind of gusty, not steady, and we

00:43:58.260 --> 00:43:59.340
couldn't get it to go up in the air. And so we

00:43:59.340 --> 00:44:01.659
took it out into an open field that was two fields

00:44:01.659 --> 00:44:03.340
over. Not our field. We didn't own the field.

00:44:04.260 --> 00:44:05.900
Two fields over, and we tried to get the kite

00:44:05.900 --> 00:44:08.840
to fly. Do you remember this by any chance? Yeah,

00:44:08.980 --> 00:44:12.699
it was a long time ago. So we're out there trying

00:44:12.699 --> 00:44:14.280
to get this kite to fly. It'd go up, and it'd

00:44:14.280 --> 00:44:15.679
fall back down. Basically, what we were looking

00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:19.159
for was this. a long strand of wind because you

00:44:19.159 --> 00:44:20.840
get it up there then even after that if it's

00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:22.639
kind of gusty back it'll still stay up because

00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:24.059
it'll start to drop and then the wind will push

00:44:24.059 --> 00:44:26.440
it up again but we just couldn't get the kite

00:44:26.440 --> 00:44:28.760
to fly up into the sky with consistent wind so

00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:30.739
we were trying to find bigger open area right

00:44:30.739 --> 00:44:34.159
so this guy comes out and he says um what are

00:44:34.159 --> 00:44:38.429
you doing i mean like I don't think there's really

00:44:38.429 --> 00:44:39.650
an answer to that question because here we are

00:44:39.650 --> 00:44:41.250
standing in the field running back and forth

00:44:41.250 --> 00:44:42.949
with a kite. I'm all sweaty. The kite's been

00:44:42.949 --> 00:44:45.309
up and down and up and down. He walked a quarter

00:44:45.309 --> 00:44:47.190
mile practically to get out there to talk to

00:44:47.190 --> 00:44:49.150
us. He clearly saw us trying to fly the kite.

00:44:49.230 --> 00:44:51.630
So I took him to mean that we were not allowed

00:44:51.630 --> 00:44:53.670
to be trying to fly the kite there because he

00:44:53.670 --> 00:44:56.250
said, what are you doing? And I said, we're trying

00:44:56.250 --> 00:45:00.190
to fly a kite. And he said, well, this is not

00:45:00.190 --> 00:45:04.989
your land. And I said, yes, that's true. It belongs

00:45:04.989 --> 00:45:07.820
to, and it wasn't his land either. Right? But

00:45:07.820 --> 00:45:09.500
it belonged to a guy. And I knew the guy. And

00:45:09.500 --> 00:45:10.599
I didn't think the guy would actually have a

00:45:10.599 --> 00:45:11.960
problem with us being on his property. Otherwise,

00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:15.039
I wouldn't have been there. And he said, you

00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:17.340
can't be out here trying to fly this kite because

00:45:17.340 --> 00:45:21.260
this is my son's land. And I said, well, I know

00:45:21.260 --> 00:45:24.940
him. And I named him. And I said, and I don't

00:45:24.940 --> 00:45:26.420
think he would have a problem. But if you think

00:45:26.420 --> 00:45:28.619
he would, we'll quit. It's fine. I said, but

00:45:28.619 --> 00:45:31.420
I also want to say to you that we're not causing

00:45:31.420 --> 00:45:34.860
any harm on this land today. And I think ultimately

00:45:34.860 --> 00:45:37.750
this land belongs to God. Not to you, not to

00:45:37.750 --> 00:45:39.969
your son, and not to me. It actually belongs

00:45:39.969 --> 00:45:42.570
to God. And I think God would not mind if we

00:45:42.570 --> 00:45:43.590
were out here, especially because we're not hurting

00:45:43.590 --> 00:45:48.250
anything. And he got tears in his eyes. And he

00:45:48.250 --> 00:45:51.809
says, well, I think if you want to really fly

00:45:51.809 --> 00:45:53.289
the kite, you should probably take it to a park

00:45:53.289 --> 00:45:55.110
because even here you're not getting enough air.

00:45:55.190 --> 00:45:56.730
And I said, yeah, we're figuring that out too.

00:45:58.210 --> 00:46:01.469
And he walked back to his house. We walked back

00:46:01.469 --> 00:46:03.090
to our house. We did not go and fly the kite

00:46:03.090 --> 00:46:04.369
because we were short on time for some reason.

00:46:04.409 --> 00:46:06.769
I don't remember what it was. Now I had five

00:46:06.769 --> 00:46:08.829
more conversations with that man after that.

00:46:09.969 --> 00:46:12.489
That man had served in World War II, and during

00:46:12.489 --> 00:46:14.750
World War II he had given his life to Christ.

00:46:15.449 --> 00:46:18.690
And for the decades following, he had not lived

00:46:18.690 --> 00:46:22.929
for the Lord. But in the five conversations that

00:46:22.929 --> 00:46:24.949
we had after, he came over, I was using my burning

00:46:24.949 --> 00:46:27.170
can. He came over while I was raking leaves.

00:46:27.530 --> 00:46:30.010
He came over and gave us tomatoes from his son's

00:46:30.010 --> 00:46:32.190
garden, which I thought that was super comical

00:46:32.190 --> 00:46:35.059
actually. He didn't ask his son. He just thought

00:46:35.059 --> 00:46:37.079
his son would want us to have the tomatoes. Pretty

00:46:37.079 --> 00:46:40.480
funny. But anyway, in those five conversations,

00:46:40.900 --> 00:46:45.440
he drew close to God and began, he went back,

00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:48.639
back to church. And like, not our church, but

00:46:48.639 --> 00:46:54.579
back to his son's church. You see? This is our

00:46:54.579 --> 00:46:57.639
heritage as servants of the Lord. Look around.

00:46:57.760 --> 00:47:00.440
You see those clouds? Those are your clouds.

00:47:01.739 --> 00:47:05.260
You see that sun and the stars? If you're a follower

00:47:05.260 --> 00:47:06.920
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that belongs to you.

00:47:08.380 --> 00:47:11.320
Now, it's messed up right now, but eventually

00:47:11.320 --> 00:47:14.119
it's going to be awesome. It's going to be better

00:47:14.119 --> 00:47:16.960
than anything that we've seen. And it's ours.

00:47:17.639 --> 00:47:20.539
The Jephthah pattern is a universal spiritual

00:47:20.539 --> 00:47:24.059
language defense. Whenever the evader is an external

00:47:24.059 --> 00:47:28.480
enemy or an internal struggle, or you're not

00:47:28.480 --> 00:47:31.039
even sure who or what it is, the three arguments

00:47:31.039 --> 00:47:34.159
of history, authority, and either statute of

00:47:34.159 --> 00:47:38.760
limitations or jurisdiction, they still work.

00:47:40.039 --> 00:47:42.760
And they always will. I'm going to give you one

00:47:42.760 --> 00:47:46.320
example. We're in the closing now. I'm going

00:47:46.320 --> 00:47:48.559
to apply this to a new set of variables, such

00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:51.880
as maybe like anxiety or mental oppression or

00:47:51.880 --> 00:47:57.019
financial lack or broken relationships. Say the

00:47:57.019 --> 00:47:59.800
situation is you're facing a spirit of fear or

00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:02.260
a season of lack that claims you will never have

00:48:02.260 --> 00:48:05.500
enough or never be safe. Anybody ever have that?

00:48:05.739 --> 00:48:11.280
Sounds like really common, right? Jephthah pointed

00:48:11.280 --> 00:48:14.360
to the specific moment the land became Israel's,

00:48:14.360 --> 00:48:17.460
the defeat of Sihon. The Christian points to

00:48:17.460 --> 00:48:21.460
the resurrection. The summary is this. Fear,

00:48:21.699 --> 00:48:25.659
you claim, I am a victim of my circumstances.

00:48:26.440 --> 00:48:29.219
But the historical record of the empty tomb proves

00:48:29.219 --> 00:48:33.340
that death and lack were defeated. Since I am

00:48:33.340 --> 00:48:36.000
in Christ, I have inherited his victory. You

00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:38.179
are trying to occupy a territory that was legally

00:48:38.179 --> 00:48:40.599
transferred to the kingdom of light 2 ,000 years

00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:46.300
ago. I hold the title deed of peace. See how

00:48:46.300 --> 00:48:50.559
that argument works? Or a theological argument.

00:48:50.679 --> 00:48:54.860
The world's system Culture, peer pressure, or

00:48:54.860 --> 00:48:57.639
debt tells you that you must bow to its rules

00:48:57.639 --> 00:49:00.760
to survive. Jephthah asked why the Ammonites

00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:03.360
didn't just stay in the land their god, Chemosh,

00:49:03.519 --> 00:49:06.280
gave them. He established that Yahweh's jurisdiction

00:49:06.280 --> 00:49:10.659
is where he stands. Our summary, the world system,

00:49:10.920 --> 00:49:14.380
you have your own territory. So people like want

00:49:14.380 --> 00:49:16.519
to do things on Facebook, there's plenty of room

00:49:16.519 --> 00:49:19.360
for them to do that. They want to go have sex

00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:21.340
outside marriage behind closed doors, they can

00:49:21.340 --> 00:49:25.519
do that wherever. They want to go talk a certain

00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:27.260
way, use a lot of cuss words, take the Lord's

00:49:27.260 --> 00:49:31.139
name. There's place for that in the world. But

00:49:31.139 --> 00:49:35.320
it's not here. It's not with me. Because I belong

00:49:35.320 --> 00:49:38.860
to the Lord. My life is governed by the law of

00:49:38.860 --> 00:49:41.880
the spirit of life, Romans 8 .2. Since I seek

00:49:41.880 --> 00:49:44.500
first the kingdom, Matthew 6 .33, I am under

00:49:44.500 --> 00:49:46.800
the provision and protection of heaven. You have

00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:49.699
no legal right to impose your laws of stress.

00:49:50.360 --> 00:49:52.980
and compromise on a citizen of the New Jerusalem,

00:49:53.199 --> 00:49:55.500
I answer to a higher court. You see how that

00:49:55.500 --> 00:50:02.820
works? These are actual, legal, diplomatic arguments

00:50:02.820 --> 00:50:09.059
that hold. Lastly, self -accusation or a spirit

00:50:09.059 --> 00:50:11.559
of shame brings up a mistake from 10 years ago

00:50:11.559 --> 00:50:14.099
to argue why you don't deserve God's blessings

00:50:14.099 --> 00:50:17.400
today. Jephthah asked why they waited 300 years

00:50:17.400 --> 00:50:19.960
to complain. If it was really their land, they

00:50:19.960 --> 00:50:23.079
should have spoken up centuries ago. And you

00:50:23.079 --> 00:50:25.980
say, shame, you're bringing up a debt from a

00:50:25.980 --> 00:50:28.960
decade ago, but I've been walking with God, honoring

00:50:28.960 --> 00:50:31.739
him and being cleansed by the blood daily. Why

00:50:31.739 --> 00:50:33.679
did you wait until I was stepping into a new

00:50:33.679 --> 00:50:36.199
calling or something big was happening in my

00:50:36.199 --> 00:50:39.780
life? Why would you wait until then? By God's

00:50:39.780 --> 00:50:42.059
law of justification, that debt was canceled

00:50:42.059 --> 00:50:45.019
the moment I confessed it to the Lord. Your silence

00:50:45.019 --> 00:50:47.760
for all these years proves you have no claim.

00:50:48.239 --> 00:50:55.079
Case dismissed. There comes sermons a lot of

00:50:55.079 --> 00:50:57.380
times where we ask ourselves, what's our part?

00:50:58.500 --> 00:51:03.179
What are we supposed to do? And the answer is

00:51:03.179 --> 00:51:09.260
simply, honor your foundation. I will honor,

00:51:09.420 --> 00:51:13.820
obey my parents, recognize that God uses my roots

00:51:13.820 --> 00:51:16.550
to stabilize my future. I will value the treasure.

00:51:16.590 --> 00:51:20.510
I will joyfully trade worldly distractions for

00:51:20.510 --> 00:51:23.750
the hidden treasure of Christ's presence. And

00:51:23.750 --> 00:51:26.250
I will appeal to the judge. When I am wronged,

00:51:26.250 --> 00:51:30.269
I will not seek vengeance. I will present my

00:51:30.269 --> 00:51:33.190
case to God and trust Him to intervene on my

00:51:33.190 --> 00:51:38.130
behalf. At 1 .27, those of you who are in the

00:51:38.130 --> 00:51:41.130
texting group are going to get a text that has

00:51:41.130 --> 00:51:45.199
the three -part summary. for these arguments.

00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:50.039
How do you use it? The motion of history, the

00:51:50.039 --> 00:51:52.500
motion of jurisdiction, and the motion of possession.

00:51:53.300 --> 00:51:56.539
How do you use it to win when you're facing those

00:51:56.539 --> 00:51:59.300
difficulties? And on the back side, you're going

00:51:59.300 --> 00:52:02.300
to get that summary about four minutes later.

00:52:02.360 --> 00:52:03.480
You're going to get a text, if you're getting

00:52:03.480 --> 00:52:05.900
texts, that's going to have that summary of what

00:52:05.900 --> 00:52:08.980
we do day in and day out. And you can just say

00:52:08.980 --> 00:52:10.239
it this way if you want. I'm going to be found

00:52:10.239 --> 00:52:13.139
faithful to God. And when somebody comes against

00:52:13.139 --> 00:52:17.139
me, I'm going to leave that in God's hands. And

00:52:17.139 --> 00:52:20.179
then I'm going to make an appeal to God that

00:52:20.179 --> 00:52:22.119
I may be found faithful in sharing the gospel

00:52:22.119 --> 00:52:24.119
and continue after I suffer whatever I'm going

00:52:24.119 --> 00:52:25.619
to suffer. You could do it that way if you want.

00:52:26.260 --> 00:52:28.460
But I submit to you that Jephthah gives us a

00:52:28.460 --> 00:52:30.840
little bit more detailed pattern, steps you can

00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:33.619
take, how you know that you can be vindicated

00:52:33.619 --> 00:52:39.539
in the court of the spiritual realm. You can

00:52:39.539 --> 00:52:42.880
make an argument and know for certain. That you

00:52:42.880 --> 00:52:45.440
have submitted your life into the hands of Jesus

00:52:45.440 --> 00:52:50.320
and Jesus will decide in your favor. Now you

00:52:50.320 --> 00:52:52.400
say, well, if I'm doing wrong, I'll still suffer

00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:54.539
the wrath of God. I'll still struggle. I won't

00:52:54.539 --> 00:52:55.860
lose my salvation, but I'll still struggle, right?

00:52:55.940 --> 00:52:59.420
And that's true. It's true. You will. And then

00:52:59.420 --> 00:53:02.019
the beauty of that is those who God uses to punish

00:53:02.019 --> 00:53:05.500
you will then be punished themselves because

00:53:05.500 --> 00:53:10.679
you are the apple of his eye. You see? God is

00:53:10.679 --> 00:53:13.019
not going to desert you. He's not going to leave

00:53:13.019 --> 00:53:15.880
you. He's going to fulfill His promises. He will

00:53:15.880 --> 00:53:18.340
bring to a conclusion in you that which He has

00:53:18.340 --> 00:53:22.400
begun in you. If indeed He has begun it. Are

00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:24.260
you here today and you can say that I know that

00:53:24.260 --> 00:53:27.019
Jesus Christ is Lord? He tells me what to do

00:53:27.019 --> 00:53:29.400
and I do it. Yes, I get it wrong sometimes, but

00:53:29.400 --> 00:53:34.059
I know He is Lord. And He is Savior. He has paid

00:53:34.059 --> 00:53:37.500
the price for my sins. My debts were nailed to

00:53:37.500 --> 00:53:40.989
a cross almost 2 ,000 years ago. And by virtue

00:53:40.989 --> 00:53:42.929
of that, I will spend eternity in heaven with

00:53:42.929 --> 00:53:45.510
God. Can you say that and know that's true? Because

00:53:45.510 --> 00:53:49.369
if it is, then everything that you see, including

00:53:49.369 --> 00:53:51.849
the enemies that come against you, have been

00:53:51.849 --> 00:53:54.269
given over and will be given over eternally into

00:53:54.269 --> 00:53:58.630
your possession. You will not lose. Now, if that

00:53:58.630 --> 00:54:04.510
is true, why not make the argument? Why not start

00:54:04.510 --> 00:54:07.409
with diplomacy? Someone comes against you, start

00:54:07.409 --> 00:54:09.960
with... I'm a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:54:10.059 --> 00:54:11.380
I just want you to understand right now that

00:54:11.380 --> 00:54:16.139
I'm praying to God for you. I'm asking God that

00:54:16.139 --> 00:54:18.599
you would be saved. I'm asking God that He would

00:54:18.599 --> 00:54:22.480
intervene in your life. And then you beg God

00:54:22.480 --> 00:54:27.380
to make you bold. And when you face anxiety,

00:54:27.599 --> 00:54:30.639
temptations, distractions, whatever, just say,

00:54:30.760 --> 00:54:33.699
no, those things have no power over me because

00:54:33.699 --> 00:54:36.900
my case was decided almost 2 ,000 years ago on

00:54:36.900 --> 00:54:40.800
the cross. Do you need to cut some things out

00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:43.460
of your life in order for these things to be

00:54:43.460 --> 00:54:47.360
true? Maybe. Repent. Turn to the Lord. Do you

00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:49.719
need to add some things in that God would call

00:54:49.719 --> 00:54:53.559
you to? Maybe. If so, repent. Turn to the Lord.

00:54:54.400 --> 00:54:57.699
Prepare yourself. Because the attacks won't stop

00:54:57.699 --> 00:55:01.579
coming. But by understanding Jephthah's logic,

00:55:01.719 --> 00:55:07.159
we learn that we don't have to feel strong to

00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:12.369
be protected. We simply have to know our rights

00:55:12.369 --> 00:55:17.289
as children of God and claim them as members

00:55:17.289 --> 00:55:20.489
of the kingdom. That's what I'm asking you to

00:55:20.489 --> 00:55:26.010
begin to do today, tomorrow, and for the rest

00:55:26.010 --> 00:55:29.929
of your life. I ask the praise team to come forward

00:55:29.929 --> 00:55:33.070
and lead us in our final song. If you're here

00:55:33.070 --> 00:55:35.809
today and... You're giving your life to Jesus

00:55:35.809 --> 00:55:37.809
Christ and following him for the first time ever.

00:55:37.909 --> 00:55:39.610
Then as we sing this song, you come and say,

00:55:39.670 --> 00:55:42.889
that's me. I want to follow Jesus. You're here

00:55:42.889 --> 00:55:44.349
today and say, I'm already a follower of Jesus.

00:55:44.510 --> 00:55:47.010
I know something that God wants me to do or not

00:55:47.010 --> 00:55:50.369
do. I've been trying, but I've not been claiming

00:55:50.369 --> 00:55:52.230
my position. I've not been claiming my right

00:55:52.230 --> 00:55:54.309
to the child of God. I've not been claiming the

00:55:54.309 --> 00:55:57.369
victory. And I intend to do that. Beginning today,

00:55:57.590 --> 00:56:01.289
then you come. However else the Lord might be

00:56:01.289 --> 00:56:03.369
speaking to you. Whatever he's calling you to

00:56:03.369 --> 00:56:05.550
do. If you need to say, that's me, I'm going

00:56:05.550 --> 00:56:08.289
to be back, then you say that to the Lord in

00:56:08.289 --> 00:56:10.010
your heart, and then if he needs it too, you

00:56:10.010 --> 00:56:12.690
come up here and you say it to us. Would you

00:56:12.690 --> 00:56:14.630
stand with me and sing this song? As we sing,

00:56:14.809 --> 00:56:17.210
if the Lord is urging you to respond, you respond.