Centennial Park Baptist Church – Sunday July 26th, 2009 – 10:30 am

 

EXPERIENCING GOD’S PRESENCE

THE INCREDIBLE MERCY OF GOD

 

Life Lessons From the Book of Judges

 

I           Life Lesson # 1

 

            We Must Drive the ENEMY out of our Lives

 

Judges 1:28 - It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

 

Throughout the rest of the history of Israel, you will find them continually plagued by the fact that they didn’t drive the enemy out.  Why did they settle for less? 

 

A.        Total Victory was MORE WORK

 

B.         Didn’t take God SERIOUSLY

 

C.        They had ENOUGH to be satisfied

 

“When we accept Christ, we must not part with sin as a friend, with the purpose to see it again and have the same familiarity with it as we had before.  We are to burn every bridge behind us, not turning back.  Just as the ancient Jews searched their house with a candle to be sure that there was no leaven left among then, we must  diligently search our lives lest there be a bit of sin left to deaden it.  I don’t mean just sexual sin. Any sin that we tolerate can be the cause of failure in future temptations. Paul taught that immorality, impurity, sensuality, adultery, sorcery, lying, gossip, drunkenness, unresolved anger and dishonesty have a common root and that root is the flesh.  And because all sin has the common root of rebellion, one sin, however distantly related, can be the cause of another”  Benjamin Needler

 

The Mathematics of Sin

 

* It ADDS to your troubles

 

* It SUBTRACTS from your Focus on God

 

* It MULTIPLIES your Emptiness

 

* It DIVIDES your Heart

 

II          Life Lesson # 2

 

There is a Need for GODLY Leaders

 

Judges 2:7 - The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel.

 

There is a tendency to slide when godly influence is withdrawn.

 

III        Life Lesson # 3

 

God Continually, MERCIFULLY Reaches Out

 

* God was in control even when His people were out of control

 

God is INFINITE

 

* God’s love and mercy never end

 

God is IMTIMATE

 

* God desperately wants to restore a close relationship with us

 

            God is INTRICATE

 

Often, as in the book of Judges, God allows us to experience difficult times to bring us to the place where we are reminded of our great need for Him. 

 

IV        Life Lesson # 4

 

We can choose to be “right” in our own eyes – Judges 17:6, or “ Acceptable in God’s sight”  Psalm 20: 14

 

To Be GODLY and a GODLY INFLUENCE.........

 

a.         RECEIVE God’s forgiveness and peace

 

b.         REMOVE even the little pet sins

 

“The part of ourselves that we rescue from the cross may be a very little part of us, but it is likely to be the root of our future spiritual defeats.”  A.W. Tozer

 

c.         REJOICE in the blessings of Prayer

 

“ Is prayer your Steering Wheel or your Spare Tire?”  Corrie Ten Boom

 

d.         REMEMBER God Uses Ordinary People to do Extraordinary things

 

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