Hill Country Bible Church Leander

As we approach the end of the book of Judges we find a two part conclusion to this exploration of a society where, without a king, everyone does what is right in their own eyes. The first, in Chapters 17-18, reveals what lies underneath the choices we make that take us gradually down the wrong path.  When we substitute our preferences for the revealed character and will of God, we slip into a form of “worship” that is transactional (seeking to get what we want from God) and convenient (an offering that costs nothing).  True worship is focused on who God is and what he wants, not ourselves and what we want from Him; it is an overflow of a life dedicated to following Him when it's costly.

The story of Samson is disturbing, not inspiring.  If we focus on his exploits we might think he's a man to look up to. But this is not the account of a great hero of the faith.  Rather, Samson teaches and warns us by his bad example of misused potential.  The Spirit of the Lord stirred him, but he was driven by his own cravings, lust, pride, and anger.  He was the leader Israel deserved, personifying the national failure, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  God used Samson in spite of his flaws and failings.  But his own life was not one of thriving in the center of God's will. In fact, God sovereignly, almost inexplicably gives Samson the greatest victory of his life at the moment of his death.

When facing the consequences of our own bad choices, it can become easy to simply seek an escape from the pain we've caused ourselves instead of slowing down to ask ourselves what was underneath those actions. God isn't after our behavior, He's after our hearts and our behavior is usually just a sign of what we really love. Repentance means to turn one's heart back to God, relationally. As we discuss the life of Jephthah, we will get a clear picture of what false repentance looks like, and ask ourselves how we can practice true repentance. 

Most things we need to learn, we need to learn repeatedly and in deeper ways. Such is the lesson of not relying on our own strength to solve life's problems. This is exactly what the life of Gideon teaches us. It so strongly echoes the story of Moses and Exodus that the we are reminded how we are prone to look for strength in other things and other people instead of truly trusting God. And just like Gideon, God puts us in situations where our weakness is exposed and we must learn to rely on Him more deeply.

Last week we saw that God chooses who He uses, and sometimes He chooses to use some pretty unlikely people. In the account of Deborah and Barak we see that although Israel had a military general to lead their army, God provided wisdom, direction, victory, and rescue for His people through a pair of women–a highly unlikely scenario in the ancient Near East.

Can God use some people, but not others? Does He want to use me? We struggle with these kinds of questions, but Judges helps us with the answers. God chooses who He uses. No matter what your story has been, He can utilize you for a great purpose as He offers rescue and transformation in the midst of the struggles you face.

Forgetting God leads to forsaking Him for idols and lasting consequences. We may experience God's discipline, but if we do, it is evidence of his mercy. Each generation must choose for themselves whether they will follow God. Our responsibility is to pass on “lived knowledge” of God.

In this introductory message to our Judges series we ask one big question. Between the end of Joshua, a time in history when Israel experienced God fulfilling His promises, and the end of Judges, how could Israel have drifted so far off course that “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes”? And how do we, who also have access to God's faithful promises, avoid a similar outcome in our own lives?

Following Jesus was never meant to be casual. As large crowds gathered around Him, Jesus challenged them to consider what it truly means to be His disciple. He wasn't interested in attracting admirers; He was calling people to wholehearted surrender. The question isn't whether discipleship will cost us something—we all sacrifice for what we value most. The question is whether Jesus is worth more than whatever we might have to leave behind. In this passage, Jesus invites us to count the cost and discover that He is worth it.

The question isn't whether or not you'll be a model for the next generation. We are all modeling something. The question is, what are we modeling? God gave the children of Israel, a way to think about bringing up the next generation in a way that causes them to love God. In this famous passage often referred to as the “Shema” we not only see that parents are the primary disciple makers for their children, but also that parents cannot do the this alone. It takes a community.

Not only does Jesus call his followers disciples, but he commands them to make disciples. This command has carried the church forward to 2,000 years. But this call isn't about reproducing our own cultures and personalities in others. It's about all peoples, cultures and individuals hearing the good news of Jesus, being identified with the triune God, and joining Jesus in His mission to rescue all who will believe. 

Disciple is a word we no longer use in our daily vernacular. However, in the first century it held a powerful meaning, of a person patterning their life after their teacher or master. But don't make the mistake of thinking that being a disciple only applies to one's behavior. To understand WHAT it means to be a disciple we must first understand WHY Jesus came in the first place. Being a disciple starts with the heart.

Over the past 2 weeks we have been looking at a couple of different ways that we can wreck our own ability to function as loving friends. As we continue in Luke 7 we see that underneath our struggle with self-righteousness is a much deeper issue in our relationship with God. When we fail to recognize our own sin and need for God's forgiveness, not only do we begin to short circuit our own love for God, but we short circuit our love for others. 

Sometimes my friendships suffer for reasons I can not control. However, sometimes they suffer or even end because of something happening inside of me. It's not easy to see and it's not easy to admit, but when I struggle to see my own sin I often begin to lack care and compassion for other sinners. When I don't see my sin and begin to feel entitled to God's acceptance, I am experiencing self righteousness, not only impacting my relationship with God, but also impacting the way I relate with others, including my friends.

Friendship has a powerful influence on who we become—but not all friendships shape us in the same way. This message explores how true, biblical friendship isn't about comfort or constant affirmation, but about people who care enough to speak truth, even when it's hard. Drawing from Proverbs, we see that the right friends help strengthen our character and point us toward God, while the wrong influences can slowly lead us astray. Ultimately, we're challenged to be intentional about who we allow closest to us—and to pursue friendships that value holiness over happiness, just as Jesus has done for us.

Many of us wonder why we aren't finding the kind of friends we are looking for. The reality is that meaningful friendship isn't found, but built by seeking to BE the kind of friend you're looking for. As it turns out God's Word has a lot to say to us about how to be a friend and build purposeful friendships; the kind that God will use to bring you joy, shape your character, and help us live for Him.

We tend to give a lot of attention to whether or not the resurrection historically took place and this is a very important question with a lot of evidence. However, in Philippians 3 Paul was not only concerned with the reality of the resurrection, he was concerned with experiencing the power of the resurrection in his own life as a way of knowing Jesus more. You might believe the resurrection happened, but are you experiencing it's power in your life? The resurrection is real, and it's power is really good.

Every day, we make decisions that expose what's most important to us. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself living for something far less important that you realize. For Paul, what was most important was something he called “being found in Christ”, and he was dead set on making sure his life aligned with it. Why did this matter so much to him and why should it matter to you?

In Philippians 3:7-8 we are challenged to radically change our perspective as Paul did. Paul, sitting in a Roman prison, was able to look back at all of his pedigree and accomplishments and consider them in the loss column compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. Paul came to an understanding that whatever difficulty he might be going through at the moment is actually a chance to know more of Jesus. He releases anything that competes with Christ and embraces the suffering as an opportunity for fellowship and a pursuit of the power of the resurrection.

It's easy to think of the salvation God offers as either a forgiveness we received in the past or something that is only effective once we die. The book of Esther paints a picture of a God's rescue that offers redemption in the midst of our current circumstances and invites us to participate in a new beginning.

Most of the time we live very calculated lives. When we do take risks, we often take them to further our own interests. But there's a different kind of risk worth taking. Taking a kingdom risk means putting our benefits on the line to further God‘s purposes. The outcomes are never guaranteed in this life, but risking our own benefits, makes us a part of a far bigger story than our own. 

Esther is a signpost, pointing to God's salvation for the world. Ester makes the choice to rick her life in the hopes of saving the people, while Jesus knowingly gave His life to secure salvation and reconcile us to God. Our response is participation through obedience and dependence, not because God needs us, but because He invites us into His mission.

How we should engage under earthly authority and under God's ultimate authority isn't always easy to navigate. When Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman he is risking his own interests and influence which ends up putting the lives of other people on the line, as well. What do we do when submission to earthly authority conflicts with God's ultimate authority, especially when it goes against our own interests to honor God?

The book of Esther is set 100 years after the Babylonian exile. While some of the Jewish people returned from exile (Ezra/Nehemiah), others stayed. This takes place in Susa, the capital city of the Persian empire. The primary characters of this account are Mordecai and Esther. The most obvious and poignant observation about this book os that God is not mentioned in it, at all. This becomes an invitation for us to look for God's activity throughout the entire book. It's also an invitation for us to look for God's activity in our own world and our own life because God is actively working even when His presence is not apparent.

We tend to not recognize the forces that shape our values, falling into the trap of thinking that just because something is important to us, it must be equally important to Jesus. However, Paul was not satisfied with allowing the Roman church to gather around its predetermined value systems. Instead, he called them to step into the tension of pursuing relationship with those who hold differing values because they come from different backgrounds. they In doing so, they would begin to better reflect picture of the gospel and be formed into a people more centered on Jesus. One of the key ways we are shaped is by rubbing shoulders with other people in the family of Jesus who come from different backgrounds. By seeking to understand and honor one another, we become more like the Lord in whose family we are a part. 

When we talk about habits, it can sound like self-help, but in Romans 12:9-14 Paul gives instructions for us that are meant to be continual and ongoing; actions that are habitual in our life. Things like continual prayer, being diligent in zeal, and clinging to what is good aren't about coldly going through the motions of obedience. Instead, they are about offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to God and done out of a desire to experience God and be changed by Him.