Judges 11:1-40

Good morning, Rhema. Oh, come on. Good morning, Rhema. Yeah. I know we got some worshipers

here this morning, right? God's been doing good things in your lives? Gotta praise him

for it. Amen, yes. Let's stand and worship. There's fewer of us on the stage this morning,

but there's many voices in this room, and I know we can feel it, right? Amen.

I believe that you are the way, the truth, the light.

I believe that you are the way, the truth, the life.

I believe that you are my fortress.

You are my portion.

You are my hiding place.

I believe that you are the way, the truth, the life.

I believe through every blessing, through every promise, through every breath I take.

I believe that you are providing, that you are protecting, that you are the one I love.

I believe that you are the way, the truth, the life.

I believe that you are the way, the way, the truth, the life.

I believe that you are the way, the truth, the life.

The mercies that I knew

All my fears and doubts

They can all come true

Because they can't stay long

When I'm here with you

It's a new around

The llbut, the truth, the truth, don't come true If yourooms the world with you And lead me to, an ardent act Or I'm here with you It's a new horizon And I'm set on you And I say yes yes yes yes no no no no no no No no no no, I believe that you are The way, the truth, the truth It's a new horizon And I'm set on you And I mean you to meet me here today The mercies that I knew And I feel my fears and doubts They can all come true Because they can't stay long When I believe that you are The way, the truth, the truth, the truth, the truth

In your life, I believe that you are the way, the truth.

In your life, I believe that you are, I believe that you are, I believe that you are, amen, yes.

In your life, I believe that you are the way, the truth.

At the cross, at the cross

I surrender my life

I'm in awe of you

Where your love ran red

And my sins washed white

I owe all to you

Jesus

There's a place

Where sin and shame

Are powerless

Where my heart

Has peace with God

And forgiveness

For all the love I've never found

Comes like a flood

Comes flowing down

At the cross, at the cross

I surrender my life

I'm in awe of you

Yes, I'm in awe of you

Where your love ran red

And my sins washed white

I owe all to you

I owe all along to you

I owe all to you

And my sin washed white

I owe all to you

Here, I hope it's found

Here, on holy ground

Here, I bow down

Here, arms open wide

Here, you saved my life

Here, I bow down

Oh, here, my hope it's found

Here, on holy ground

Here, I bow down

Here, arms open wide

Here, you saved my life

Here, I bow down

At the cross, at the cross

I surrender my life

I'm in awe of you

Where your love ran red

And my sin washed white

I'm in awe of you

I owe all to you

At the cross, at the cross

I surrender my life

I'm in awe of you

Where your love ran red

And when my sin washed white

I owe all to you

And when my sin was born

My hope is found here on holy ground, here I bow down, here I bow down, here arms open wide, here you save my life, here I bow down, here I bow down, here my hope is found here on holy ground.

Here I bow down, here I bow down, here arms open wide, here you save my life, here I bow down, here I bow down.

Oh, here my hope is found here on holy ground, here I bow down, here I bow down, here arms open wide, here you save my life, here I bow down.

Here I bow down, here I bow down, here I bow down.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Jesus, Jesus.

Thank you.

Jesus, oh for grace to trust you more, oh for grace to trust you more, oh for the grace to trust you more, oh for the grace to trust you more,

Oh, for the grace to trust you, Lord, Jesus, Jesus.

Oh, I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like.

But I've heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night.

And you tell me that you're pleased and that I'm never alone.

You're a good, good father.

It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are, and I'm loved by you.

It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am.

Oh, I see many searching for answers, far and wide, but I know we're all searching for answers.

Only you've grown back because you know just what we need before we say your word.

You're a good, good father.

It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are, and I'm loved by you.

It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am.

Because you're perfect in all of your ways.

You are perfect in all of your ways.

You are perfect in all of your ways to us.

Lord, you're perfect in all of your ways to us.

You are perfect in all of your ways to us.

Peace, soul, unexplainable, I, I can hardly think as you call me.

Deeper still as you call me.

deeper's ξронiiといっぱものを無視します。 It's who you are. It's where I am. Who you are. Who you are. And I'm loved by you. that's who I am. That's who I am. That's who I am. That's who I am. That's who I am.

in all of your ways

You are perfect

in all of your ways

You're so perfect

in all of your ways

to us

You are perfect

in all of your ways

You're perfect

in all of your ways

You are perfect

In all of your ways

To us

You're a good, good father

That's who you are

And I'm loved by you

That's who I am

Just the voices

Good, good father

It's who you are

And I'm loved by you

It's who I am

Amen, yes

For the Lord will go before you

And the God of Israel

Will be your rear guard

Isaiah 52, 12

He also said in Psalm 139

You go before me

And follow me

You place your hand

Of blessing on my head

He also said in Psalm 136, 16

To him who led his people

Through the wilderness

For his loving kindness

Is everlasting

Thank you God

Thank you

Cause you go before I know

That you've even got

To win my role

And you come back

With the head of my enemy

You come back

You call it

My victory

Oh

Let's sing that again

Thank you

You go before I know

That you've even got

To win my role

You come back

With the head of my enemy

You come back

And you call it

My victory

Holy

Yes, Jesus

Oh, Spirit

You go before I know

That you've even got

To win my role

And love becomes

My greatest defense

And leads me through

The dry wilderness

And all I did was

Yeah

To win my life

Yeah

But

Yeah

I

Hallelujah You have saved me So much better Your way Yeah God Hallelujah Great Defender So much better Your way

You know what You're doing God You know what You're doing God Cause You know Before I did Where my heart can seek To find Your truth Your mercy is the shade

ferment upon立es Young by Father and Savior And you need to läh��라 And Him eternal, God When you need outside meă And you rest on my faith And hope again And all I did was pray Yeah And all I did was Worship Me and Worship Me Jai And all I did was Worship Me and All I did was bow down Yeah So

And all I did was stay still.

God, I love this world, all I want to hear.

So hallelujah, you have saved me.

It's so much better your way.

Hallelujah, great defender.

It's so much better your way.

Sing that again.

Hallelujah, you.

That's right.

It's so much better your way.

We want your way.

Hallelujah.

It's so much better your way.

Oh, so much better your way.

We want your way.

We call out God.

Choose your way.

We want your way.

Because your way, God, is the best way.

Even when it's hard, Lord.

Even when we're scared, God.

We want your way.

Oh, the way, God.

And even when we can't see God.

Because when I thought I lost me, you knew where I loved me.

You reintroduced me to your heart.

You picked up all my pieces.

You put me back together.

You were the defender of mine.

Because when I thought I lost you, you knew where I loved me.

You reintroduced me to your love.

You picked up all my pieces.

You put me back together.

You were the defender of mine.

Sing it again.

Because when I thought I lost me, you knew where I loved me.

You reintroduced me to your love.

You picked up all my pieces.

You put me back together.

I was going to walk second because I was hinged.

And I will never climb second and step.

You left and turn before I left.

I saw this cracked before.

I was going to take me back together.

And unter and that's how I do this together.

You picked up all my pieces. You picked up all my pieces. You put me back together. You are the defender of my heart. Never really lost me. You knew where I left me. You picked up all my pieces. You put me back together. You are the defender of my heart.

You put us back together

And you reintroduce us

To your love

Hallelujah

It's so much better

You were ahead

Your way

Hallelujah

You're a great defender

So much better

You pick up

All my pieces

And you restore

In your time

There's no way

We have to worry God

Cause you are the seer

Of my heart

You see me God

You see them God

You see her God

You see them God

You're restoring God

Your spirit God

It restores us God

We breathe in your spirit God

And we restore

There are no more pieces

We were never lost

You're running God

You're kicking down

And all we need

Is you

All we need

Is you God

Let's just sit before him

Right now

Just sit

Just take your pieces

You restore

Relationships God

You create new

Relationships God

You redeem

You heal

You love us God

And you take the things

That are deep in our spirit God

That we think

Are trapping us

And you break those things

Apart

And then you take them

And you turn them

Into something glorious

And the testimony

Of that God

Is what brings people

To want to know you Lord

By the power of your Holy Spirit

It's always in you And God you are so good To show us that value So God would you turn the eyes Of the young man Who is hurting right now Would you turn the eyes Of the young woman Of the child Of the things That that child Or adult Is struggling with now God And that you would turn those eyes To your face Because you are the healer Because today is the day That that person Can stand up in freedom God And they don't have to look behind

God Because you are God Because you are coming God Because you are coming God Because you are coming God You're running You're breaking every chain You're kicking down every wall Because it is your desire To love In a way that we cannot Even imagine No man can love us Like you do God So God we want to give you The glory right now Father And you know what We stand in the gap Right now For those in this room Who are hurting We stand in the gap And cry out to you God On their behalf Because they need to see you

They need to see you They need to see that healing It needs to come Because you were never lost You were never lost You were never lost You were never lost He's here He's here And you're not lost And you're not too far gone

No you're not No you're not Remember when Jesus Was on the shore And the men were in the boat And they said There's the Lord But we're scared And they said Oh it's Jesus And the boat went Immediately to the shore Remember when Jesus Stopped the storm Why do we think That we have to walk in junk

Why do we think That we can't Just surrender It's done It's finished When Jesus said That it was finished On the cross It Is Finished It's finished So all I am Is Praising you God

All we need to do Is worship you All we'll do Is stand still Thank you God Thank you God Thank you for the word Thank you for the testimony Of your word

Because this Is for you In Jesus' name Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah You know during that During that song A verse came to mind It's out of Psalms 18 Verse 30 As for God His way is perfect The word of the Lord Is flawless He is a shield For all who take refuge in him We were singing that So much better His way His way is perfect His way So welcome everybody

Thank you all Thank you all For coming out This morning On this nice cool morning Hope you all Are enjoying it I know that I am Visitors Thank you all so much For coming out as well If you haven't Filled out a visitor card yet There's one located Directly in front of you In the seat Right in front of you In that little pocket Please take an opportunity To fill that out And drop it off In one of the two churches Either on the sides Of the altar Or in the church In the back That's also

Where we receive Our tithes Where we receive Our tithes And offerings So please continue To be faithful To give Thank you so much For everyone who came out And helped out With the Women Unleashed I heard that it was A fantastic Night and morning I was not invited

all people especially to those who belong to the family of believers I say that leading into this Friday we are continuing with Friday Night Fellowship that we have as a church signed on to to do so that is giving giving out food and encouragement to the people who go to his ministries on Friday night so we are needing volunteers to give out food we're needing more important than that we are needing food we're needing food so if you can't get go to that

please make something bring it up to that please make something bring it up to the church we'll refrigerate it heat it up and take it that is this Friday from 430 to 6 also this Friday it's gonna be a busy day at the church here at 6 p.m. we're having a bonfire for the kids so that will be a wonderful time there's gonna be hot dogs and conversation and laughter and games I am sure please bring out some s'mores and some sweet treats

to make as well to make as well around the bonfire also one last thing there is the hope collective table at the back of the church you can see Tina Carbo or Sarah Alexander I believe there it is and so back there we can sign up for the care portal we can grab a prayer calendar there's also some ornaments for sale that were handmade for $10 a piece or any or any more all that is going to help support the hope collect the

the hope collective which helps support foster families who are so desperately in need of just some assistance as they are continuing to do good in this community thank y'all and also we want to dismiss the kids so who is taking the kids alrighty we got we got Brandon and Jimmy kids go follow them as they all go down there thank y'all

one sec one sec one sec one sec before we throw the video as uh as uh as the kids uh head out this morning um coach coach come on up real quick

you got three minutes to be led of the lord all right

i hate when god does this to me but when my heart starts pounding out my chest

and he takes me to a verse or a scripture i gotta do it it goes kind of along with what

we've been singing here it's psalm 138 i will give you thanks with all my heart

i will sing your praise before the heavenly beings

i will bow down towards your holy temple and give thanks to your name

your constant love and faithfulness have exalted your name and your promise above everything else

on the day i called you answered me you increased strength within me

all the kings of the earth will give you thanks lord

when they hear what you have promised

they will sing of the lord's ways for the lord's glory is great

though the lord is exalted he takes note of the humble

but he knows the haughty from afar if i walk in the thick of danger you will

preserve my life from the anger of my enemies you will extend your hand

your right hand will save me for the lord will fulfill his purpose for me

lord your love is eternal do not abandon the work in your hands

real quick um i'm a lot like paul i was one of the worst sinners

but god saved me from two car crashes that i probably should have died in

and why so he could clean me up get me down here get me all saved

and so that i could speak life into the school children

and the athletes that i get the pleasure of coaching

because why because god was my purpose

and i thank him and that's why i get pretty emotional all this but

his word is truth that's in this book it never lies

stake your claim on that you people with young children lay hands on your kids

bless them every night and speak god's life into them

and you'll be amazed at the result i praise him every day and thank you

amen amen

so today is national stand sunday where churches across the nation are coming

together to take a stand against the foster care crisis that exists

in our

and while we are so excited that your church has stepped up and joined the collective i have to tell you there is so much work to be done in our community and so today you have an opportunity to take a stand for these children that are right here in our community today one of the things that i have thought about often is what we want the story of our children here in our community to be in the future do we want them to have a

to look back and say i wish that the church that the church that the people of god had stood up for me or do we want their story to say it was the people of god and the local church that gave me hope in my time of need when i was in foster care i think we would all agree on the latter and today you have that opportunity to give them that opportunity for that to be their story

in the your lobby of your church you'll find your task force representative there with a table with information about your individual church project how your church is being a part of this collective effort to end this crisis friends don't stay seated today there's a child in our community that needs you would you take a stand with us thank you

amen amen amen um

we'll have some more information uh tina carborough will be where will you be tina

uh tina sarah at that table right there at the end of the service today and this is one of the reasons why

if you're a regular here um we're going to take a break from our expository study in the book of genesis this week

um we'll jump back into chapter 37 next week uh for those of you who are visiting we uh most of what we do is we tackle things in an expository manner we believe in

teaching the whole counsel of the word of god because if you teach the whole counsel of the word of god we believe that

you deal with a lot of these issues that come up in life and there's nothing better to embrace yourself in and dive in than the word of god and its completion

but today we're gonna you're gonna see you'll have a better idea at the end of the service today too why

we're taking a one week hiatus

uh from our study in genesis because today is stand sunday and

uh hope uh 1312 is one of the ministries that we believe in

and fostering d and adoption is a big part of our dna here in our church i'm really proud of our

church we have you know we have a small church uh by some numbers and we have uh five uh five

licensed foster families here in the in the life of our church but more importantly we have so many

people that are that are connected to the care portal system the care portal system allows you to be

involved somehow some way whether it's with transportation whether it's with diapers formula this that and the

other to be able to help foster parents out and families uh because no child should ever have

to go into care because of poverty because somebody's hurting and and down on their luck i mean all of us

have been there when that when the nickels aren't coming together to rub and no no child should go into

into care because uh there's poverty the church should step in and be the church to allow the family

unit to be as the family unit god designed it to be amen amen so today though the message

that god is really putting on my heart and and again you'll understand more at the end of the

service is entitled rejection restoration and redemption rest rejection restoration and redemption

take your bibles your books your phones your apps whatever let's turn to judges chapter 11

judges chapter 11 i i want to there's a story in the scriptures one of my most favorite stories in

the scriptures story of a young man named jephthah and some of you may have never heard of jephthah

before so today i'll be a great uh introduction for you but before we get started in this this

morning i want to give you some statistics this morning they are a little bit outdated but i believe

that they would probably err on the side of being a little bit greater now than what the 2017 statistics

reveal and in 2000 uh but these 2017 statistics still make a very valid point the point is

you

we'd have we'd have a whole lot more ministry and a whole lot less mess in the church today to care for the orphans and the widows and to keep oneself unstained from the world man that's busy that's busy enough right there okay these are the statistics I want to uh to share with you here in the United States United States right now there are approximately this is from 2017 400,000 children in the foster care system

I want that to sink in approximately 108,000 of these children are eligible for adoption less than half of them will be adopted well what happens to them well you know what happens they stay in the foster care system and then what happens they what they call age out now you're on your own you're on your own

in the state of Georgia in 2017 there were 14,000 children in foster care 14,000 in Georgia to 2740 these children wanted a permanent home meaning they wanted to be adopted 2740 listen to me this is a solvable problem what yes this is a solvable problem

um now according to uh 2016 statistics and it's probably more now but according to 2016 there are 12,292 churches in the state of Georgia

that's a whole lot that's a whole lot of doors a whole lot of churches you drive up and down this street I think there's like seven right through here on 341

12,000 to do the math 12,292 churches and there are uh 2740 children who want a permanent home okay we could solve this problem this week

seriously we could solve this problem this week and it only takes about a third of the churches to adopt

and and we would clean out the system just a third a third of the churches I didn't say individuals

I said churches to step up and just just to be the churches be one of those churches

but the problem is is we've got we've got these we've got these children and it's not being done

that's why these agencies had to be birthed because the church never stood up and did what the church was supposed to do

in the very beginning can we own that and I was talking with Bobby this morning about some things and you know what it really boils down to

and I'm not throwing stones at anyone but you know why these these kids begin to be in in these crisis situations

and why there's there's no answer for them a lot of times and again I'm not throwing anyone under the bus

I'm just I'm I'm I'm talking with me here too selfishness we get so self-centered

it doesn't touch our hearts it doesn't move us it doesn't move us now you thought we're going to

take a break from genesis and I was going to give you this really good feel good message right

hey listen these children in this system let's not sugarcoat things this morning okay

rejection is a terrible thing

it is a terrible thing any young person who is caught up in the system they are there because they have been rejected

now it may not be intentional okay I get that it may not be intentional

maybe they were caught up in a situation where the mom and dad couldn't take care of them

maybe the mom and dad were caught up in the criminal system

you know there's a there's a plethora there's a myriad of reasons and issues but the bottom line is

that they have been rejected they have been rejected not having a place to call heart home

and as we step into the story of Jephthah that's what's going on here

and I'm going to summarize it because of time but as we step into the story

that's exactly what's happening and we'll see in the story today within the scriptures today

it's a story of rejection but it's a story of restoration and it's a story of redemption

and it's a story really of he him being bullied at home

he's being bullied at home okay that's that's kind of weird

and I'll stop

stupidity okay it's it's it's it's temporary insanity you're in a state of temporary insanity when you're knee-deep in sin but but here in judges you have a cycle where they rebel against God they disobey God God spanks them okay and then they repent and he raises up a judge and then they rebel against God God spanks them and then they repent and then he raises up another judge and the cycle continues and continues and when we get to chapter 11 they're on the

south side of the south side of the south side of this cycle okay and things are going really well for them but their nemesis the Ammonites are waiting in the shadows they're waiting in the shadows judges 11 beginning in verse 1 now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior but he was the son of a prostitute Gilead was the father of Jephthah and Gilead's wife also bore him sons

and when his wife's sons grew up they drove Jephthah out and said to him you shall not have an inheritance in our father's house for you are the son of another woman then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him right away we see Jephthah is rejected

he is rejected he is rejected and in verse 1 he has this shameful past okay his dad had a relationship with a prostitute and his father's actions were an offense to the household they betrayed the honor of the household the honor of the home the marriage covenant is violated and all of that and here you have Jephthah you have Jephthah right here and as you read these three verses you have to ask yourself

why is Jephthah to blame why is Jephthah to blame why is he to blame you know why is he to blame for the fact that his dad sinned his biological mom sinned why is he to blame and it makes me think that we have to stop blaming people for the stuff that happened to them we have to stop blaming people for the stuff that happened to them we have to stop blaming people for the stuff that happened to them we have this we have this little notorious

tendency because they come from a questionable background okay a questionable background and

the questionable background has not so much with what they did but do you know about well about

them you do you know about their the mom the mom's in on drugs now and their dad's in jail right now

what does that have to do with the child what does that have to do with the child

okay and this sense of of classism nonsense that messes over us and one of the reasons why a lot

of these children that we're talking about are not adopted is because they have baggage they got

baggage where'd they get the baggage where did they get this baggage you know and so you know here and

here's the here's the reality here's the reality you know what you and i we got baggage too we some

pretty messed up people when you get down to it we got some baggage okay i've met some i've met some

messed up folks i mean some seriously messed up folks who've come from a good mom and a good dad

and a good home life

i'm i'm dead listen to me obedience is not biological

obedience is not biological how many of you here moms and dads have saw your your children lose their

ever-loving mind and make decisions and you scratch their head and you go oh my gosh

is that my child did i rate is that the same one that was under my roof they have lost their pee-picking

mind

so you have a situation where he comes from a shameful past and to add insult to injury

he's being scorned at home jephthah is being scorned at home and his brothers say no we ain't having it

we we ain't having it yeah um um he and we're not we're not having you and he's thrown out of the

house by his half brothers

he's been scorned at home and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and their brothers and his brothers and his brothers and their brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers and his brothers

okay boys you you make the decisions around here you know so what you have is you have this child growing up in a situation where he has no advocacy no one stands for Jephthah no one is standing for this child they wanted him out of the house because they were embarrassed they were embarrassed everybody's talking you know Jephthah didn't do anything his daddy didn't

he did nothing but the main reason they wanted him out of the house money I'm not splitting no inheritance with him let me see do the math here do the math here wow hey we can get rid of one that makes all of our cuts a little bigger doesn't it okay it's all pinky swear let's get Jephthah out right so they move in this direction and they ask him to leave and when the text and when he leaves the text is interesting and although it's not it's not here

in the text there is a hint of threat and violence around him because it says that he fled he fled now I don't know what his half brothers are going to do but he has to leave it and he goes to the land of top and in the Hebrew it's very interesting here because in the English it says and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him and the inference here is not so much that the worthless fellows affected Jephthah

but Jephthah affected these worthless fellows he's a leader he's a natural leader people are drawn to him and he began to develop this incredible loyalty around himself and by the way if you read the rest of the story God needed to get Jephthah out of this dysfunctional situation much the same way that God in his providence needed to get Joseph

out of his family out of his family and away from his dysfunctional situation Jephthah wasn't the dude with the problem the problem was the family the problem resided in his family and Jephthah Jephthah wasn't dysfunctional they were and so they they kick him out and God has to get him in a place where he's preparing him for something incredible

so the story goes from rejection but it's also a story of restoration restoration you know there's an old saying it holds true what comes around goes around right it's about to come around on these guys too what goes around comes around it's very it's very true but what happens next is that the Ammonites begin to put a little stranglehold on Gilead

and they start raiding all their villages and have having their way and so and so the Ammonites are moving on them they're threatening them and Jephthah's reputation he's he's out there and his reputation is building and growing and building and growing he's got he's amassing this army he's amassing this army it's almost like David when David ran from Saul and they send all these worthless guys out to David next thing you know David's

got this huge army got this huge army God uses it for his good and for his glory right so he masses all these people around the same thing happened to Jephthah and Jephthah is becoming incredibly an incredibly famous leader and now the tables are about to be turned and they send this delegation to talk to Jephthah and these guys got their hat in their hand because man they're desperate they're absolutely desperate and we pick it up in verse 4 after a time the Ammonites made war against Israel

and when the Ammonites made war against Israel the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob and they said to Jephthah come and be our leader that we may fight against the Ammonites okay we've heard about your reputation man we've heard about your we we need you back over here but Jephthah says wait a second not so fast Skippy you know I you know

how how how amazing is it how many times often do do the bullies end up depending upon the very people that they scorned and rejected you see it in the scriptures you see it in life how many times does the bullies end up in real life working for that nerd that they gave a hard time to all those years yeah

yeah

you're not going to do this to me again and frankly listen you need me I don't need you I'm fine out here I got my own peace I'm fine verse seven

but Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead did you not hate me and drop me out of my father's house

why have you come to me now when you are in distress and the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah that is why we

have turned to you now that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites

and be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead

so Jephthah you know was hard-nosed he says listen I need some guarantees here you know

I'm not playing a game here anymore and I actually think that verse eight is somewhat of a repentance in here

but I um but I I think they they they basically offer Jephthah the presidency over all of Gilead

you can be the next president Jephthah you rule over all over over everything and so um and that's what

verses nine through eleven uh nine through eleven show us that when they they make this offer to him

he says um you know Jephthah Jephthah says I'm committed I'm all in

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead verse nine if you bring me home

again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me

I will be your head and the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah the Lord will be

a witness between us if we if we do not do as as you say so Jephthah

went with the elders of Gilead and to the and the people made him head and leader over them and

Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mitzvah okay he knew the elders were desperate

but still he didn't trust them you know I I don't blame him here I think there's good reason for that

but he demanded that they make it that they swear a commitment and they say before the Lord they

they say before the Lord and they make this oath with Jephthah and Jephthah says man I'm all in

I'm all in I'll do that and and once uh once he once he's all in you get to the third scene of

this of this story and that that the third scene in the story is the redemption and you know he

rescues them and we don't have time to go through all of this but um let me just say here in the

context here the scripture he gives hope listen he gives hope to those who took his very hope away

he brings hope for people who tried to take his hope and isn't that interesting this story grabs me

because Jephthah doesn't make them pay back for the wrong that they did to him

I'll help you but you know some of you all some of you guys got to come up here and you I need an

apology somebody's somebody's got to say a few words to me here in this situation he doesn't make

them pay them wrong for the wrong that they did and I think we need to say this this morning some

of us are too old to keep holding on to some offenses

I mean you got relatives that have hurt you you have issues in your life you have folks that have

said some things to you you know first of all you need to forgive them but we need you but we need

to get over some stuff I had an old pastor that says used to say man you just need to build a bridge

and get over it you need to build a bridge and get over it okay but you know some of you might get

mad at me but when you are 30 40 50 years old you have got to get over some stuff there has to come

a point in time where you can't be dragging anchor on some of this stuff that you continue to hold on

to I'm telling you it will become a poison to you it will become a poison to you and so you have to

be free enough to bless those who have messed you over how do you get to be free enough to bless

those who have messed you over only in Christ in Christ

to give back to people who did something wrong to you and you and here you find that the way

Jephthah responds is he takes the high road the high road is always the best road to travel you know

why there's not a lot of traffic on it a lot of folks don't want to take the high road because

it's work and there's humility

you

Humility involved

Man he could have said he could have said you know listen my half-brothers tried to flush me down the toilet

You know thinking I wouldn't survive. I'm not lifting a finger to help these stinking people

You wanted nothing to do with me nothing to do with me until your backs are against the wall

In fact, I'm gonna be a mercenary for the Ammonites because I know where you all live

And I know where the back place to get into town is

You think I'm a bad soldier now just go ahead take a nap

Take a nap you'll be all right

You're all right

But this vengeance is gone and something happens in jephthah's life. It's taken away from him

And now we find you know in verses 12 through 33. We're not going to read it all right now

But he stands for those that rejected him

Does that sound like someone that we know does that sound like christ stands for those who rejected him?

Just as jill was saying, you know, that's basically what that song was was talking about the fact

God was warring for you before you ever wanted him to war for you

God was chasing you before you ever realized that he had you by the nap of the neck

Again

Summarize here but jephthah jephthah was a brilliant dude, okay

And you need to see how he he negotiates with the elders of gilead

But then he also negotiates with ammon, okay, and he tries to negotiate with these people

And he tries to have this this peaceful settlement, okay into this crisis

He tries to talk sense into him. He doesn't want to just go out there and fight

He tries to talk sense into him

But first thing he does is he applies

His knowledge of israel's past if you read through all that passage in there, okay

The ammonites say oh, no, this land belongs to us and jephthah says no, no, no

Let me repeat the history to you

Let me tell you the history and he goes back through the history and by the way in verses 25 through 27

You know, he says that that the land man. It's been israel's for 300 years guys

It's been israel's land without any

Surrounding nation contesting this and he says

Um, you know, why do you do this now? We're not squatters

We're not squatting on this. This land belongs to us

What gives you the right and what gives you the authority to come in here and take this land and he tried to do it peacefully?

He tried to do it respectfully

But then you have the last line here verse 28 in that section

It says but the king of the ammonites did not listen to the words of jephthah that he sent and jephthah says I don't want to fight

I don't want to fight but you're not going to destroy my people

You're not going to destroy my people now my people were willing to destroy me

But you're not going to destroy my people

I'm going to take the high road

I'm taking the high road. It's interesting. It's interesting. So jephthah says

You're not going to raid these cities anymore

It's not going to happen and he says to his army

Let's do this thing

Let's do it

We need to protect those

Who refuse to protect me

I I need you guys to join with me. We're going to protect them

It's an astonishing story and that's exactly what jephthah does

He fights for them because what was at stake was not all the idiot stuff that his family did

But he realized that what was at stake was god's people

God's people

And verse 29 says then the spirit of the lord was upon jephthah and he passed through gilead and manassah

And passed on to mitzvah of gilead and from mitzvah of gilead. He passed on to the ammonites

Don't miss that statement or that the the spirit of the lord

The spirit of the lord was on jephthah. You were born for this moment

You were born for this moment

I let you go through all of that to show you what I can do in changing your legacy

I'm changing your legacy. I got you out of that situation

Okay, and when they booted you out of that house jephthah god said you need to understand they played right into my hand

That's what I wanted to happen. Okay, I needed to take you. I needed to keep you by yourself

And i'm going to give you success in the wilderness

And what was meant to kill you is going to be used to rescue them

It's going to be used to rescue them

I'm going to i'm going to build strength in your life jephthah through this situation

And the anointing of god comes upon him and the rest is history. He goes and he rescues

four suggestions that I believe are triggered in this story that fit with what we're talking about here today. Four suggestions. The first is we all need to realize that we've all been adopted. Every one of us have been adopted. You know you hear preachers say that in the Bible it says that we're adopted and this kind of thing. And a lot of times you just you kind of just extract that from your reality. And it's not meant to be extracted.

from your reality. It's not. The truth of the matter is before you and I came to Christ according to Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 2 we were children. Here we go. Of the devil. What? Yep. That's what you were. Before you came to Christ. No you weren't. You were a child of the devil. Before you came to Christ. We were aliens and strangers. You were without hope. You were without a

permanent home. You were without a permanent home. You were without a permanent home. And yet we have. Oh no wait. Wait a minute. I'm sorry. You had a permanent home but it was called hell. We're going to get real Baptist on you this morning. Okay. It was called hell. But Jesus Christ came into our hearts and our lives and we have been adopted into the family of God. And the very nature. The very nature of Christianity should flush

any arrogance. Any arrogance and any classism. Any arrogance and any classism. Because there is nothing. Nothing that we have. Nothing that we have. That could ever commend us to God. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

We had. Listen. We had offended God. What? No. You have offended God. But He came after us. He came after us. And we are privileged. And the only reason why we are privileged is because He gave us the privilege to be privileged. You got nothing. I don't care how cute you are. I don't care how big and strong you are. You got nothing. Nothing.

Nothing. Second thing we need to remember is we need to love those and welcome those who have been rejected. We need to love and welcome those who have been rejected. And I'm not saying that we all should adopt. You don't walk out here and say well Pastor Curtis says we all have to adopt. And I guess we're just lousy Christians because I'm not ready to adopt. Listen. I get it. Not everybody is called to adopt. Not everybody is supposed to adopt. But you can be part of the

of this ministry somehow. You got some things in your life that you can offer someone to be a blessing and sow into their life. And I want to commend you Rhema Community Church. Bobby and I were talking this morning. That is happening in the life of our church as we see it today. I see grandparents

I see grandparents who have a thriving relationship with their grandchildren. I see grandparents who are helping to raise their grandchildren. I see parents, two white Caucasian parents who have adopted three beautiful black young boys that call them mom and dad.

dad. You probably never walk into a room and have anybody look at you weird, do you? Never.

It is happening in the life of this church. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. It's supposed to be that way.

Not all of us are called to adopt, but we can be a part of the ministry somehow, some way. That's why we partner with Hope Collective.

That's why we partner with these other agencies, because we can step in the gap and fill a need somewhere. I can do transportation. I can do, you know what?

Jill, you look exhausted. Let me take, let me take something off your all's plate on one night and let you and Curtis go do something.

Even if it's just go sit in the car and talk and have, pretend like we're having an adult conversation.

Let me just do that for you guys. That's a blessing.

You know, I really believe that the nature of biblical Christianity is about standing for human flourishing.

Every, every, every, every.

And to be a follower of Jesus Christ does not mean only that I have been justified, but it also means that I stand for justice. Yes, I've been justified, but I stand for justice too. If you are a Christian, you know, right is right. Wrong is wrong. Let's just call it. Okay. And to receive his compassion means that I extend his compassion. I've received his compassion. I extend. And the reason why you, and, and, and, and that's a

and the reason why we have to have to have a hard time extending that compassion is some of you need to get away from some of those angry Christians in the world. I'm telling you, there's some people who are Christians. I believe they're probably believers, but they're just angry. And if you're sitting next to one, just kind of nudge them a little and wink at them. Let them know that. I'm kidding. Don't do that. So listen, we, we need to do all that we can possibly do.

To guarantee human flourishing, meaning giving people the opportunity to be all that God intended them to be, to be all that God intended them to be. And I think that the story of Jephthah is a really powerful portrait of the gospel, but also we need to, the third thing we need to, uh, third or four, I don't know what it is. Anyway, we also need to help others, help others change their legacy.

I know, I know, I know that's ultimately the work of the Lord. I get that, but we help others change their legacy. Isn't that what God did here? He stepped in and in his providence, Jephthah's booted out.

Jephthah, you know, but he says, you know, I, I need to raise you son. I gotta, I gotta raise you because if you stay Jephthah in this toxic environment right here, you're going to do some dumb stuff.

You're going to do some bad stuff. Either you're going to, either you're going to go with these guys and you're going to do some, some bad stuff, or they're going to so beat down your dignity and your God-given esteem that you won't be the man that I called you to be.

And you're going to feel worthless. And how many children, I know we have a lot of educators in this room. How many children do you see walk into those classrooms and you know that they are being beaten down at home?

They are so defeated.

And if the church can't recognize, you don't have to be the mama and daddy, but you can help speak dignity into their life.

And you can help breathe the esteem of God into their life, that they do have value.

We sat in a home group last Thursday.

It was a beautiful teaching on just the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

And if you could just speak that over your children on a daily basis, man, give them a new thing.

You are, no, you are not that.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

And we need to pry people away from that and allow them to change their legacy.

And listen to me, we have to be careful.

Sometimes we empower this stuff in our past.

You know, oh, I came from a broken home, or this happened to me, and I have all this stuff going on inside of me, and I'm never going to be this, and I'm never going to be that, and I'm never going to do that.

That's a bunch of nonsense.

Listen to me.

God can redeem our past.

God can heal our pain, and God can give us a glorious future.

That's the work of God Almighty.

He can redeem our past.

He can heal our pain, and He gives us a glorious future.

Listen to me.

You've changed your legacy.

See, I think about my beautiful wife, Jill.

When I met, before I even met Jill, here's part of our testimony.

Here we go.

Before I ever met Jill, Jill was engaged to be married.

Jill was engaged to be married to a young man.

It's okay if I share this with you.

I was engaged to be married.

I guess I should ask before.

He has a wife and she lives on the West Coast and as a matter of fact the wife is six months pregnant with the child. Jill was devastated. She calls off the wedding. She calls off the wedding. Two weeks after calling off the wedding she finds out she's pregnant. She's pregnant. She goes to the church. She goes to the church. She speaks with the pastor. She's like, my only decision is how am I going to make it. I'm having this baby. This child deserves to have a life.

I don't know how I'm going to make it. But I'm repenting of my... I'm repenting of the choices that I make. I need to give my life. I'm trying to turn things around. And she had that little girl. She's a single mom. Never been married. Had a child out of wedlock.

And she's going through life. She's going through life. And then about a year into that when that little girl was a year old there was a church that hired her to be the children's director of their ministry.

And God sent some godly women and some godly people to pour into her life to change her legacy.

I know you made mistakes. I know you broke something that you shouldn't have broken.

But I'm in the business of restoring your... That's not your legacy. That's not your legacy. You're not an unwed mother.

You are a child of God. And this little girl matters.

And that's what God does still today in our lives. He changes our legacy.

And I came along and when I met Jill, she had a beautiful little girl who was 18 months old.

I fell in love with both of them.

A year and a half later, I married her and I got a beautiful daughter on top of it.

That God changed my legacy.

God changed my legacy.

It's not over until God says it's over, people.

It's not over.

The providence of God sowing into her.

And listen, Ramah, we... I know it's God's work, but we have to be about changing people's legacies.

He's...

He's using us as instruments to do that. Amen?

This story tells us a powerful story of transformation.

Look what Jephthah's done.

Look what God has done through Jephthah.

Finally.

Finally, though, we need to be reminded that we never know who God's hand is on for a special task.

You don't know.

You don't...

The next great...

The next great world leader might be in a home group for kids right now.

The next great...

The next great home...

The next great world leader might be a child that's trying to make it with his mom down in Gateway Resources right now.

The next great pastor that God is going to use to usher in revival in this country may be a two-year-old or a three-year-old in an orphanage somewhere.

You don't know.

You don't know who God's hand is on, who He's going to raise up.

But we have to just make ourselves available to Him to use us.

To help them to get to where God wants them to be.

We can definitely do this, church.

We can definitely do this.

And listen.

Don't knock the federal government.

The federal government ain't all bad, okay?

I get it.

I don't like...

Don't knock the federal government, okay?

Because the Bible teaches us that the federal government exists as ministers.

What?

Yep.

Scripture says that.

Are they some pretty sorry ministers to them?

Yep.

I give you that.

But they're ministers to us.

That's what this...

But see, the problem is you have to know the limitations of the government.

That's the thing.

The government can offer help, okay?

But it can't offer hope and it can't offer transformation.

That's our job.

That's the church.

They can offer help, but they're not going to offer real hope, real transformation.

The church...

God designed it to be. Sometimes that can't happen, though. Sometimes that doesn't happen, though. And because of that, we step up as a church. And we listen for the leading of the Spirit. And we ask God, how is it, Lord, that you can use me, use us, to be a vessel?

A vessel of your grace and your mercy in this situation, in this family. Now, I told you. I was going to explain to you at the end, too. The other reason why we're celebrating this the way we are today.

And we're taking this break from Genesis. Yes, it's Stand Sunday. And we're going to stand today.

I want to remind you that Sarah and Tina will be at the back back there answering... Maybe your question is, how can I help?

They'll tell you. They'll tell you.

But let me show you. Let me tell you what it looks like when the church gets it right.

When the church gets it right.

You all know, most of you know the journey that Jill and I have been on and the things that we've had to battle for Caroline.

Caroline. Some things that the state was trying to do that just wasn't right for Caroline.

And so we had to battle for her.

And so we fostered her when she was eight weeks old, eight and a half weeks old.

And last December, we adopted her.

Now, this Friday, she'll be three.

She'll be three.

Going on 14.

She's a girl that might have her own, man.

Wow.

And she's too smart. We're in trouble.

Pray for us.

But this is what it looks like when it's done right.

Because Caroline...

Caroline has a...

Caroline will not go her life and not know who her biological grandmother is.

Because she's sitting right here in the front row.

Caroline will not go through her life and not know who her biological sisters are.

Because they're sitting right here in the front row.

They've come up from St. Augustine to...

They just happened to plan on being here today.

But God's providence had it be Stan Sunday.

How good is that?

And so...

Marie, Riley, and Reagan...

Thank you for being here today.

And thank you for helping us and loving us through what I know was a hard thing for you as well, too.

A hard thing for you as well, too.

And I'm not going to tell the whole story of that right now.

But God has given us a great relationship.

And we just pray it stays that way.

And we wanted her...

I wanted her...

Jill wanted her...

To see the heart of Ramah.

To let her know that we are a caring congregation.

And that her granddaughter...

Is in good hands.

And we'll know her all the days of her life.

Amen.

So...

Let's stand.

As we stand this Sunday.

Sorry, Rob.

I should have told you to come on up.

And as we stand and watch Rob grab his guitar...

You know, maybe there's somebody here this morning that...

Needs to embrace the flat...

The fact that...

God is...

Rewriting your legacy.

And maybe some things...

Some harmful and hurtful things have been spoken to you...

In your life.

And you're owning some things that you shouldn't be owning.

I pray that today you would let that go.

And you would understand that...

You are deeply loved.

You are deeply cherished.

And I hope that you would find...

喘

And I believe it's near and dear to the heart of the Lord as well, too.

So, maybe your time today should be spitting prayer and asking God that, but also just to be an available vessel and talk with one of the ladies that will be in the back of the church here in a few moments.

So, Father, we give you thanks and praise in the name of Jesus today. We give you thanks and praise for your great love for us, Lord God, and your never-ending mercy.

We thank you, Lord, for rewriting legacies. And we thank you, Lord, that the things that the world speak over us are not true.

You have hope and future for each and every one of us.

God, give and put us in the path of those that we can help to flourish and be all that you intended them to be.

Use us as vessels of encouragement. Use us as vessels of hope.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

There is power, be the name of Jesus.

To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

To break every chain, break every chain.

Share His power, be the name of Jesus.

To break every chain

Break every chain

To break every chain

Break every chain

All sufficient sacrifice

To freely give in such a price

But our redemption

Heaven's grace

So why?

All sufficient sacrifice

To freely give in such a price

But our redemption

Heaven's grace

Sweet wine

There's power in the name of Jesus

To break every chain

Break every chain

There's power in the name of Jesus

To break every chain

Break every chain

To break every chain

God wants the cross

We've murdered真的

The power here

Thank you.

This is an army rising up, this is an army rising up, this is an army rising up.

To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

To break every chain, break every chain.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

To break every chain, break every chain.

To break every chain.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Because you are with us day in and day out.

Whether we sin, whether we have shortcomings, it doesn't matter.

You chose to love us God and we better praise your name for that.

But I better hear you guys be an army for God right now.

Be the army for him and go out day in, day out for him.

Not just Sunday, not just at Wednesday night for worship.

Not just at your home groups, but at your job when you feel like you are falling apart.

Because I guarantee you there is somebody standing next to you that is falling apart too.

We thank you God that you bring us together.

And we thank you that we can be your army.

That you even have the opportunity to praise your name God.

I promise you God I am going out today and I am worshiping you every second.

Because of what you have done for me.

Because of what I have seen you do from my family.

Because of what I have seen you do in this church, outside of this church, across this world God.

And I thank you for that.

Hallelujah God.

I pray that you are with everybody that is struggling.

And I say that and I ask for that and I know you have already covered me.

I know you have already covered every single person in this room.

Hallelujah God for that.

Give us the strength and the bravery to go forward and be your army God.

Pray for those and stand in the gap for those that need it.

Let us worship your name every single day.

Amen.

Father we call on your power right now.

Because Joe's mother is in the hospital and she has pneumonia with fluid in her lungs.

And we know that there is healing and restoring in your name.

Your mighty name is powerful.

All we have to do is whisper it.

Amen.

You're going to be there to restore.

Amen.

You

Thank you for everything that you're doing continually, Father, and we just love everything that you are. Amen.

Judges 11:1-40

Scripture

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