WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.800 Thanks for having me today. 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:09.279 I was trying to figure out why I got asked for Samraps here, Russ is here, like all the normal guys are here, and I was trying to figure out why me. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:13.759 You know, maybe I thought I was just that good of an elder or something like that or whatever it may be. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:16.000 And then I read the passage of scripture that they wanted me to preach on. 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:17.199 I was like, that's why. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:19.120 Nobody wants this. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:20.480 So I got it. 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.440 Which is usually the way it goes with the fifth string guy. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.199 You know, he needs some snaps every now and then. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.039 Uh but that's just that's just part of it. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.920 So we're going to Judges chapter three today. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.479 Um, and just let's just buckle up, okay? 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.399 Let me just throw out that disclaimer real quick. 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:35.679 Let's just buckle up a little bit. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.320 If your children are in here, there may be a point for some earmuffs. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:42.000 Um there's a lot of a lot of things going on here, okay? 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:45.039 Um people getting hurt, wars going on, all kinds of stuff. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.119 But I'm just gonna read through it, okay? 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:48.640 I didn't make a word of this up. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.960 It's all in the Bible in Judges chapter 3. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:51.759 I promise you that. 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:53.439 So we're gonna read from Judges chapter 3. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.439 I'm reading out a New American Standard Version. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:57.119 This is English Standard Version on the thing. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.439 They're not very different, but there may be a couple words that are off there. 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:00.399 You'll you got it. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:00.960 You'll be fine. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:04.239 All right, so we're gonna start at Judges chapter 3 and verse 7, and here's what it says. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:11.040 It says, The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals in the Ashirath. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:21.680 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan Rashethim, the king of Mesopotamia, and the sons of Israel served Cushan Rashathim eight years. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:30.560 When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othnel, the son of Kines, Caleb's younger brother. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:34.000 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:41.359 When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan Rashathim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan Rashathim. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.040 We can stop saying that name now. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:48.400 Then the land had rest forty years, and Othnel the son of Kines died. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:51.680 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:57.280 So the Lord strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:04.159 And he gathered to himself the sons of Amon and Amalek, and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:07.599 The sons of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, eighteen years. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:08.960 Here's where it gets weird. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:16.719 But when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud, the son of Jerah, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:21.199 And the sons of Israel sent tribute to him by Eglon, the king of Moab. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:28.800 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.520 He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab. 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:34.000 Now Eglon was a very fat man. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:46.319 It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute, but he himself turned back from the idols, which were at Gilgal, and he said, I have a secret message for you, O king. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.240 And the king said, Keep silent. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:50.159 And all who attended him left him. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:57.439 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and Ehud said, I have a message from God for you. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:02:59.280 And he arose from his seat. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:05.759 Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.319 The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:15.199 For he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the refuse came out. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:18.560 I I I warned you. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:20.159 I told you. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:25.599 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:33.840 When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked, and they said, He is only relieving himself in the cool room. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:36.400 Oh boy. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:41.919 They waited until they came, they became anxious, but behold, it did not open the doors in the roof chamber. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.560 Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:52.960 Now Eh escaped, and they were delaying as they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Shera. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:04:02.400 And it came about when he had arrived that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him into the hill country, and he was in front of them. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:07.520 And he said to them, Pursue them, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:13.520 So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:20.399 They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and vibrant men, and no one escaped. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:27.199 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was undisturbed for eighty years. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:28.240 Thank God. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:29.600 We are through with that. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:31.519 Let me pray for us this morning. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:33.839 Father, thank you for your word. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:40.240 Even when there's so much that it's almost impossible to cover, we're so thankful that you speak to us through your word. 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:46.720 Lord, I pray this morning that as we get started, your word would be a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:51.040 We'd hide its words in our hearts, Father, that you would make it as fire in my bones. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:53.600 Lord, to present to your people. 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:55.680 Father, be with us during this message. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.399 I pray, as always, that it's all of you and none of me. 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:00.079 Chris, in Jesus' name we pray. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:00.879 Amen. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:02.319 Alright, so here's the deal. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.759 Um, there is no way for us to cover all that. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:09.360 I promise you this, we will not read all of that again. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:09.759 Okay? 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:10.959 We're just not going to. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.279 It's over, it's done, you made it through, it's great. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:22.079 The thing you have to realize is that when you look at a book like Judges, we're not looking, trying to figure out every single person that comes along and every single date and all the stuff that they did. 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:25.600 It'd be impossible to cover that in this little bit of time we have on Sunday morning. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:29.120 So we have to look at the patterns. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.720 The patterns that go on in a book like Judges are what really matters. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:34.560 And all of us are familiar with patterns, right? 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.120 Some of you, you work in patterns every day. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:42.879 Whatever it may be, maybe you take a blueprint and that pattern is kind of the same where you start at one end, you finish at the other. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:44.639 Some of you are a lot smarter than I am. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:49.439 You work in the stock market and you think I can see the patterns of what's coming in the markets and all of this stuff. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:51.199 I'm not smart enough for any of that. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:06:00.560 I just know that there are patterns in my life, and I've discovered one of the newest patterns in my life is that we have to have every now and then a date night. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.839 Now, let me tell you how this pattern begins. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:08.560 Typically, I come home somewhere between Tuesday and Thursday, okay? 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:10.800 Walk in the door on one of those days. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:21.040 At this point, our children have pushed my wife over the edge of return, and her response is that she needs a night off, and we must have a date night. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:23.759 Now, that starts the pattern. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.079 Here's the reason we really need a date night. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:34.000 It's because one of you fools put on Instagram how great your life was at some restaurant you went to, and now we have to go. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.399 And it's your fault. 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:43.839 That's how I end up at a place that only serves tapas. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:51.600 If you're unfamiliar with tapas, it's Spanish for small plates. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:58.800 If you're unfamiliar with the English term small plates, it's a quarter of the food at the full price. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:06.480 And we end up at the tapas restaurant because someone went and it was glorious. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:09.920 And now we must go on our date night. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.040 To which I say, okay, let's go. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:15.360 We shell out the money for the babysitter. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.639 We don't have to put our kids to bed, which is the real treat. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:24.879 We end up at this restaurant, and I, in a restaurant, am like a Pro Bowl quarterback. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:27.920 You hand me the menu, and I'm looking for three receivers. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:29.920 Number one is steak. 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:33.519 I want steak on the skinny post for six in the end zone. 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:34.160 You know what I mean? 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:35.120 That's what I'm looking for. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:41.199 Second one I will settle for, check down in the flats out here is brisket and or pork. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.720 I will take either one of those. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:47.759 And then last is chicken out here that you dump it off to and hope you just get a couple yards out of. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.199 That's what I'm looking for. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:54.000 So when we end up at the top of the restaurant, I find steak. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:56.879 And I'm happy. 00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:59.199 Until the steak arrives. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:03.279 And I realize that it is steak. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:06.879 Steak. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:09.600 And he goes, Can I get you anything else? 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.240 And my response is, Yes, the rest of it. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:15.199 Wherever it is, bring the rest of it to me. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.720 Because this, and Mandy's like, isn't this wonderful? 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:22.160 You can get all of these different places we can share. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.759 It's gonna be amazing. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:29.920 And I'm like, this sounds like the devil describing his eternal home, is what this sounds like. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:31.920 I, this is terrible. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:44.240 And and I'm situated at this point across the Marietta Square, watching people walk out of a steakhouse looking like they just ate a 72-ounce cowboy killer, and I'm over here nestled up with my small plate. 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:51.039 Because you went and had a great time. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:09:00.480 And then we end the pattern, continues, and the pattern is we get in the car, and Mandy goes, Well, what'd you think? 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:04.480 To which I respond, I'm still hungry. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:06.879 Where's the ice cream place? 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:16.080 And we end up there, and then I say, I wish we had gone to and name the place that we've been to a hundred times, that I wish we could have just gone back to and I could have spent my money there. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:16.879 It's a pattern. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:18.480 We go through this pattern all the time. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:24.000 And as silly as that is, when you study a book like Judges, there is a pattern taking place all the time. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:31.679 Even in the stabbings and the killings and the war and the weird things about fat people and all of this stuff, it's all a pattern that's happening. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:37.200 And so this morning, I just want you to see the pattern because it's impossible for us to cover everything else. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.840 So here is the first thing in the pattern that I want you to see. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:42.960 The first thing is this sin enslaves. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:44.639 We don't like to talk about sin. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:47.279 It's not it's not fun to talk about sin ever, right? 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:48.399 That's just not a good time. 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.399 You don't like to be reminded of your sin. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:52.799 I don't like to be reminded of my sin. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:54.879 It's just something we don't like to talk about. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:59.440 But at the end of the day, the truth of the matter from the word of God is that sin enslaves. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:00.399 Now look at this. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:02.639 Look at Judges chapter 3. 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:04.000 We're just going to start in verse 7. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:13.679 It says, the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and Ashirath, false gods. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:14.080 Okay? 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:19.679 It says literally, they forgot the Lord their God. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:33.039 And the Hebrew word there literally implies that not just a forgetfulness, but they allowed their love for God to wither on the vine. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:35.200 Get that in your head. 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:35.679 Can you imagine? 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:37.519 Do you know how long it takes for something to wither? 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:39.519 It doesn't happen necessarily overnight. 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:42.799 Sometimes that process takes a long time for it to wither. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:49.759 And what God is showing us in His Word right here is that the Israelites, they didn't just all of a sudden have this constant wave of sin that came over them. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:56.159 What it was was little by little this sin entered, and all of a sudden it turns into what? 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:59.120 This giant mountain that was upon them. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:06.559 When we read about sin in the Bible, we like to think that it's this wave that just shows up and it just encompasses everything that it touches. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.799 But the truth of the matter is it's probably more like your life and my life, especially. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:16.080 I know my life, I don't know how great you are, but my life especially is that it doesn't come like a wave. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:24.080 We allow it to come in piece by piece by piece until all of a sudden it's everywhere. 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:32.639 And and I know I remember this because I can remember bringing home our our first child into the house. 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:37.919 You know, I I know I didn't have any like real experience to share with dads at that point. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.519 So it was, it was kind of my thing of, you know, I didn't know what we were getting into. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:51.440 And there's and now that that we have three kids, and I there's two things that I tell new dads all the time, I'm like, your life is gonna change in two ways, and they will never be the same. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.399 And those two things are trash and laundry. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:12:02.559 You might as well, if you're a new dad, whenever you bring home kid number one, you might as well go get a job with Department of Sanitation. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.320 Because you'd be better off. 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:09.679 All you're going to do is roll a trash can from the curb to the house and back again. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:16.399 You'll see the dads in Marietta the first time, dads, they just stand at the curb holding the 90-gallon can, staring off into space. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:16.960 Why? 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:23.759 Because somehow, someway, one child makes your trash go tenfold what it was before. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:31.440 When Mandy and I were just lit, when it was just us with no kids, the trash guys would show up, you know, on Mondays and they'd be like, hey guys, good to see you. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:34.240 Now they come by and it's just side-eye the whole time. 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:38.399 Because there's 72 bags by the curb. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:39.279 How did it happen? 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:40.960 You brought home a kid. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.639 You'll never wear clean clothes again until that kid's 10. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.639 One day you're gonna come home, your wife's just gonna be sitting in the laundry room, piles of laundry all around her. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:55.600 She'll probably be crying, she'll probably be drinking, and you'll and walk away. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:57.840 You just turn around and walk off. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:02.799 Turn your underwear inside out, wear the exact same thing tomorrow that you wore today. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:04.480 Don't say a word. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:06.720 I had no idea. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:08.240 It all just snuck up on me. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:11.679 It just all of a sudden it was like, what happened? 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:13.519 You brought a kid home. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:19.360 When we talk about these things entering our lives little by little, it's not this wave that all of a sudden just overtakes you. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.000 It's you when you look up and you go, How did we get here? 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:25.279 The sons of Israel are looking around, they have had peace up to this point. 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:28.799 They've been given the promised land, they know exactly where they are and what they have. 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:29.919 And guess what happens? 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:36.240 Is all of a sudden they look up and they go, Wait a minute, we've gotten so far off course we don't even know how to get back. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:43.600 And they realize that it's so bad, they are literally enslaved to their sin. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:55.039 And if you look at verse 12, not only do they do it once, verse 12 says, Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:14:00.240 So the Lord strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:01.039 And guess what? 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.919 If you continue on through Judges, do you know what you're gonna hear? 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:11.200 You're gonna hear that same verse over and over and over again, where they continually turn away from the sight of the Lord. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:13.919 It could be up to 80 years. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.840 In the case of Ehud, they had peace for 80 years. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:31.519 And all of a sudden, throughout those 80 years, piece by piece, they let this sin come back in and enslave them, and they wake up one day and realize we're not even worshiping the one true God anymore. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:35.600 We've gotten so far away from him. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:39.120 And it enslaves. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:45.919 The second thing I want you to see today is this desperation searches. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:47.840 Desperation searches. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:49.759 Judges 3, look at verse 9. 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:56.080 It says, When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.600 Athnil, the son of Kines, Caleb's younger brother. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:00.879 Look at verse 15. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:01.919 We're jumping ahead. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:06.000 But when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:14.399 Ehud, the son of Jared, the Benjamin, a left-handed man, and the sons of Israel sent tribute to him, to Egon, to the king of Moab. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:20.720 Now, what you've got to understand is this is that now that this sin is enslaved, and the Israelites, remember, we're looking at a pattern, okay? 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:31.360 The pattern is they become enslaved to this sin, and now out of their desperation, they've got to search for something to get back to the place where they know they should be. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:38.399 Desperation always searches out a way to get back out of that desperate place. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:43.039 You will always search for a place to become undesperate any longer. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:53.919 Whether it be financially, I let me just uh there's been times, man, where financially, old Brad was looking around, desperately searching for a place to get back to a good spot, right? 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:56.480 We've had that point in our lives where we had to do that. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:02.960 Maybe it's in your marriage, maybe it's in your family, maybe it's somewhere where desperately you seek out a place to go back to a good spot. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:15.759 What the Israelites are doing here is that all of a sudden they reach this point where the only thing they can think to do, look at verse 9, when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:29.519 They hit a point in this enslavement of sin where the only way to get out of it is to literally cry out to God in desperation. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.279 Can I just say something? 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:36.399 That's a brad problem, too. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:38.080 I do the same thing. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:47.440 It's not just some Old Testament passage that sits on a page and we read about it every now and then when we decide to flip past out of the New Testament and go study a book in the Old Testament. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:55.279 It's not just something that sits on a page, it's something that I literally myself have had to do out of desperation. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:08.240 Because just like the Israelites, you wake up one day and realize I've gotten so far off the course that I'm desperate to find a way out. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:10.880 I know this will come as a shock to you. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:22.640 I've been known maybe, allegedly, to enjoy a pinch of Copenhagen every now and then in my life. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:28.240 I'd like for you to know that when we had kids, I quit. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:29.839 I gave it up. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:32.720 That's the worst. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:34.880 Because my mom didn't raise a quitter. 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:36.160 You know what I'm saying? 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:39.039 Like, it's awful. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:43.359 And so I'm I'm, you know, I'm desperate. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:54.240 Like, I'm I'm in this thing, and like, you know, I you don't realize how that stuff takes a hold on you, man, until like you try to give it up, and then it's like, what is wrong with me? 00:17:54.400 --> 00:18:00.319 Um, and so I would I would literally like seek out alternatives, trying to figure out like how can I get through. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:02.799 I'm desperate here trying to figure out how to get through this. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:07.920 And like one guy gave me this stuff that's made out of dried kudzu leaves. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:15.920 It's got like stuff, it's and you're supposed to put it like it's even like I can smell it right now. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:16.319 Do you know? 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:19.440 Do you have one of those in your life where you're like, I can't talk about it? 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:20.880 I can't talk about it. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:28.400 One guy was like, no, you gotta use this particular kind of lifesaver, and and you you, you know, you uh yeah, 97 of them a day. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:30.640 I don't think that's helping, you know what I mean? 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:32.880 Like, I that's not gonna do anything for me. 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:38.559 Another guy was like, oh no, you gotta take uh you can take a teabag and roll up this tea bag and put it in your mouth. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:40.079 I'm like, this is what am I doing? 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.599 And finally, this one old man, I was telling him how much I'm struggling, you know. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:46.480 I'm I'm like, I'm the addict, that's just like out of it at this point. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.880 And I'm telling this one old man, and he's like, Don't you think you could just be man enough just to quit? 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:58.559 I'm like, I'll show that old codger, I'll just quit. 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:01.440 You know, like now it's a challenge, you know. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:02.799 I'll show you, buddy. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.359 And so sure enough, guess what worked? 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.039 Quitting. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.920 Just cold turkey, just stopping, just not doing it anymore. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.599 It's the only thing that worked. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:26.720 I had desperately sought out all of these alternatives, all of which were terrible, awful, worse than the original thing, and yet desperately seeking those things out, the one thing that I finally realized is just stop. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:30.000 Just stop doing it. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:39.839 But it only came about when I got to that desperate point where nothing else was working. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:43.759 Do you understand what's going on with Israel in this passage of scripture? 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:49.920 They call out to God because of the enslavement that their own sin put them in. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:20:01.200 The only alternative to which is to cry out to an Almighty God in hopes that He has grace and peace and mercy on you to relieve the situation. 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:07.839 This is a desperate plea from Israel. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:09.039 Why? 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:18.160 Because they've been enslaved to their sin, and out of that desperation, they are searching and searching for something to get them out of that place. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:19.599 So remember, we're looking at a pattern. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:22.160 Third thing I want you to see today is this God hears. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:23.519 Look at verse 10. 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:25.359 Judges 3, verse 10. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:28.400 It says, The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:30.400 This is talking about um Othnil. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:34.720 Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel when he went out to war. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:41.359 The Lord gave Cushan Rashathium, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan Rashathium. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:48.799 Now, if we jump ahead to verses 16, now we see Ehud made himself a sword, and this is where we get into all the weird stuff. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:53.599 The stabbings, all this, remember the stuff we read where Ehud goes out, he's a left-handed guy. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:54.640 Let me tell you something. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:21:01.039 If you ever really want a great, if you really want to feel like a scholar, go and study Ehud for a little while. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:03.839 Just open up some Old Testament commentary. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.319 You know, the books that are like this, they look like an encyclopedia. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.759 Open it up and just study on Ehud because here's what's funny about Ehud. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:12.880 Uh Old Testament guys like to argue about him, is what I figured out. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:15.519 There's like two groups and they fight each other. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:16.880 It's fun to watch. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:18.319 They fight each other over Ehud. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:18.960 You want to know why? 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:21.440 Because he was a Benjamite and he was left-handed. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:24.319 The Bible literally says in verse, uh, what was that? 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:26.240 In verse 15, that he's left-handed. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:28.640 A lot of Benjamites apparently were left-handed. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:29.599 Did you know that? 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:30.960 I didn't. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.960 Until I studied Ehud. 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:33.920 Guess what? 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:35.039 He's left-handed. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:37.279 And you would think, why do I need to know that? 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:41.279 Well, the Old Testament guys, that's when you jump into the war room, buddy. 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:42.400 Guess what? 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:45.599 He would that some people say he was left handed because it was a disability. 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:47.599 They're saying he had no use of his right hand. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:50.079 Then there's another group that says, those guys are idiots. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:51.440 They don't know what they're talking about. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:54.079 The reason he was left handed is because he was a Benjamite. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:55.920 And it was because of where he was from. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:58.480 And you sit there and go, what does it have to do with anything? 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.839 Where the guy's from if he's left handed. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.279 Handed or right-handed? 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:03.839 And they go, Don't ask that question. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:07.039 You just need to know his left-handed. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:10.240 And you run yourself in circles trying to figure this guy out. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:17.279 And the problem is this is that when you compare him to Othnil the first guy, Othnil was like, I call him like a true Marietta man, you know? 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:21.599 If Othnil lived in our city right now, all of y'all would be talking about Othnil. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:23.200 Oh, he'd be the man, buddy. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:24.160 He'd stroll up in here. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.480 He had the wife, the kids, the pedigree, all of it. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:27.519 You know what I'm saying? 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:30.160 He was he was from the house of Caleb. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:32.559 That meant something, buddy. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:38.480 Oh, if he showed up in here today, man, we'd be like, Othnil is here. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:40.559 He was the man. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.240 And if Ehud showed up here today, you go, who's that loser? 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.200 You have no clue who this guy is. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:50.559 All we know is this is that the same thing happened. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:52.319 Remember, we're looking at a pattern. 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:58.079 God heard the cries of his people, the desperate cries of his people, and guess what happened? 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:02.640 He raised up someone to come and do his work. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:11.519 It didn't matter if the guy was the most important person in town or if he was a complete loser that nobody heard of. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:14.400 The most important thing in this pattern is this. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:18.240 He was sent by an almighty God. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:21.920 Period. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:32.319 And when you come from a place where sin has enslaved you and you're desperately looking for a way out, you're not concerned about the pedigree of the person that shows up. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:50.880 What you're concerned with is the fact, can they get me to the place that I'm trying to get to in every single situation as we run through the book of Judges, every single one of these, when you read that Israel turns their back on the Lord, that they cry out to the Lord their God, you know what the very next thing you're gonna see is? 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:55.039 God hears them and raises someone up. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:02.480 It never fails and it never happens out of obligation. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:08.000 It always comes from God's love for his people. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:12.640 There's a guy that I work with on a daily basis. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:13.599 I love him. 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:15.119 I talked about our trash earlier. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.119 It's funny, I didn't think these two things can go together. 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:20.079 Sometimes we produce so much trash that I take some to my office. 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:22.480 I work in the construction industry, so there's always a dumpster. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.640 I don't want the trash guys to get mad. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:26.480 I worry about things like that. 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.400 And and so I put it in my truck and I take it to the office to put it in our dumpster. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:33.599 So I'll do the work, you know, like just don't be mad at me. 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.319 Um so I do that. 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:44.640 Well, one day I just kind of left it in there and forgot, and I come out at the end of the day and I'm like, oh, I gotta take the trash to the dumpster, and I look in the back of my truck, the trash is gone. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:46.400 Like, that's weird. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:48.559 I didn't think much of it, so I just kind of went on. 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.799 The next day somebody told me that a guy that I work with came and got the trash out of my truck and threw it in the dumpster for me. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:55.519 So I went to him and I said, Hey man, I really appreciate that. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:56.319 Thanks for doing it. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:57.680 He goes, That's no problem. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:04.000 Next couple days, some more trash appears in my truck, and I go out at the end of the day, I'm going to get it, and it's gone. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:05.279 So I go back to the same guy. 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:07.200 I'm like, hey man, did you get the trash out of my truck again? 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:08.240 Yeah, no, don't worry about it. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.319 I said, Wow, thanks, I appreciate that. 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:21.200 So then happens one more time, and all of a sudden, this time, I see him going to get the trash out of my truck, and I hear some other guys over here, and they tell him, hey, why don't you tell him to get his own trash? 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:23.119 Why are you getting the trash out of his truck? 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:24.400 Tell him to get his own trash. 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:27.519 And I kind of started thinking, I'm like, yeah, I mean, this doesn't look great, you know. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:30.240 Like, I need to do this myself, you know. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:34.720 So I go to the guy and I'm like, hey man, look, you don't you don't have to get the trash off my truck anymore. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.680 Like, I'll I'll get it. 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:36.480 Don't worry about it. 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:38.720 I said, I kind of heard guys give me a hard time. 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:39.759 They're probably right. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:40.960 Just leave it. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:43.279 He calls me boss man, even though I'm not his boss. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:46.000 He says, he says, Bossman, let me tell you something. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.640 He said, You don't worry about what them fools over there say. 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.759 Because as far as they're concerned, I'm doing this out of obligation, and they have no idea that I'm doing it out of love. 00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:57.759 Can I tell y'all something? 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.279 This is this is a guy that drives a backhoe for a living. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:03.599 Probably said one of the most incredible. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:07.759 That statement jumped all over me. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:09.839 Do you understand? 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:14.079 I don't do this out of obligation, I do it out of love. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:27.039 That that statement got all over me to the point to where I could not stop thinking about all of the things that I do in my life out of obligation instead of love. 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:38.880 Out of all the ways that I go about my day out of obligation instead of love, the people that I come across every single day and I treat them a certain way out of obligation instead of out of love. 00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:56.160 Do you understand that when the nation of Israel cries out to God, seeking out of their desperation to get away from their sin, God does not raise up a leader out of obligation, he raises someone up out of love every single time. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:03.440 It has nothing to do with how good or bad his people were. 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:08.480 He is a heavenly father that hears the cries of his children. 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.279 And he answers out of love. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:15.920 The last thing I want you to see today is this. 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:17.599 The Savior delivers. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:20.079 Look at Judges 3, verse 11. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:26.720 It says, Then the land had rest 40 years, and Othnil, the son of Kines, died. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:28.240 Look at verse 30. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:36.000 It says, So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was undisturbed for 80 years. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:37.680 Think about that, for 40 years. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:41.759 80 years in the case of Ehud, the guy that nobody knew, that nobody cared about. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:48.880 He gave the nation of Israel the longest period of peace that they had ever had, ever recorded in Judges. 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:51.440 Eighty years is the longest era of peace. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:57.599 That was ushered in by Ehud going out and doing what he did with the stabbings and all the stuff that we won't get back into. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:27:58.640 All of that stuff. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:12.000 And then Othniel, he gave 40 years of peace to these people, and they're in this place of peace and rest, and all of a sudden they realize our Savior, our God, has delivered us. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:15.519 They complete the pattern. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:20.640 The pattern is they slide into sin slowly, but they get enslaved by it. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:23.440 They cry out in desperation to the Lord. 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:26.160 God hears them and then delivers. 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:33.519 And this pattern happens over and over and over again in the book of Judges. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:39.039 You won't believe some of the stuff God delivers his people from as we study this book. 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:40.079 It's insane. 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:45.039 And we sit in a place like this today and we go, Brad, that's great. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:46.160 Awesome. 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:48.559 Thanks for telling us the pattern. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:51.920 What in the world does that have to do with us today? 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:53.680 And I'm glad you asked. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:58.000 Because in John chapter 8, you're going to see what it's got to do with us. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:00.640 John chapter 8, this is the best. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:01.440 You ready? 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:04.000 We're going to start in verse 31. 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:14.000 It says, so Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him, if you continue in my word, then you're truly disciples of mine, and you'll know the truth. 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:16.319 And the truth will make you free. 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:23.519 And they answered him, We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:26.319 How is it that you say you will become free? 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:33.759 And Jesus answered them, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:37.279 The slave does not remain in the house forever. 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:39.839 The son does remain forever. 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:46.880 So if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 00:29:48.799 --> 00:30:02.640 Do you understand that from the time of Judges through all of the generations to these descendants of the very Israelites that we're talking about, Jesus is talking to their descendants, the people that truly had been enslaved. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:11.599 Do you understand that from all of that time, from the book of Judges all the way to the book of John, the pattern never changed? 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:18.319 And the beauty is this neither did Almighty God. 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:21.599 He never changed. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:23.519 Look at what he says to his people. 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:24.559 Verse 34. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:27.119 They answered him, We're Abraham's descendants. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:29.680 We have never yet been enslaved by anyone. 00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:32.400 How is it that you say you will become free? 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:36.480 They are desperately searching for a reason to make all of this work. 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:42.720 Jesus is saying things to them that make no sense because they're going, We've been free our entire lives. 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:44.640 What are you talking about? 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:46.240 You have no clue. 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:47.680 We've always been free. 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:57.440 No one's ever enslaved us, not having the first clue that Jesus is talking about the first step of the pattern, which is sin in slaves. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:02.319 They have no idea that it's not enslavement from another group of people. 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:04.319 They're enslaved by their sin. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:05.279 Look at the second thing. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:06.480 Desperation searches. 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:07.519 Look at verse 33. 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:08.319 We just read it. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:08.960 They answered him. 00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:10.319 We're Abraham's descendants. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:13.200 They're searching for a reason to make all of this work. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.759 But God hears, look at verse 35. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:20.079 The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son does remain forever. 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:26.559 Jesus is making a distinction that this is not about you being a slave, it's about me being a savior. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:31.759 He hears the cries of desperation, even though they don't realize they're desperate yet. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:35.440 He's still eagerly trying to deliver them from their desperation. 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:38.880 And the very last thing in verse 36, what does Jesus tell them? 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:46.240 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:52.400 Folks, the best we can do today is study the pattern. 00:31:52.640 --> 00:32:04.000 That no matter where you are in your life, no matter what is happening with you, no matter what is going on, you need to know the pattern is still the same, but so is the Savior. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:22.480 And whether you're entangled in sin and enslaved by it, whether you're desperately seeking to get out of the situation that you're in, you need to know today that God, in all of his infinite wisdom, hears you and has sent a savior to deliver you, whose name is Jesus. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:32.000 My brothers and sisters, do not walk out of here today in the same pattern that you walked in. 00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:38.240 Because there is a savior desperately seeking to deliver you. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:40.720 Let's go to the Lord in prayer this morning. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:41.599 Father. 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:48.079 In my mind, that made zero sense. 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:51.440 So I hope you'll make sense of it. 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:54.720 Thank you for your word. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:59.839 Thank you for the pattern that you deliver us through. 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:04.880 That no matter where we are in our sin, in our enslavement, you deliver. 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:06.799 We love you. 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:11.039 We pray that you'd have your way with this time of communion, and we ask all this in Jesus' name. 00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:11.839 Amen.