Category Archives: Sermons

Sermons

Turning Tragedy into Triumph

Leave a comment

God is infinitely wise. Do you trust him? Just look at these verses…

Psalm 147:5 – Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Colossians 2:3 – In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Romans 16:27 – to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!

Since God is wise, we can rest assured he has a plan and is working all things out for good, even when we don’t understand. Even in times of tragedy.

John Piper said it this way –

“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them….Not only may you see a tiny fraction of what God is doing in your life; the part you do see may make no sense to you….You may find yourself with a painful thorn, and God may be making the power of Christ more beautiful in weakness… You may wonder why a loved one is left in unbelief so long, and find that God is preparing a picture of his patience and a powerful missionary… You may walk through famine, be driven from your homeland, lose husband and sons, and be left desolate with one foreign daughter-in-law, and God may be making you an ancestor of a King… God’s infinite wisdom always sees a way to bring the greatest good out of the most painful and complex situations. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

One Bible story that really stretches our faith is Samson. Why would God use such a scoundrel? And how does this man end up in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:32? We may not understand all the “whys,” but this much is sure – despite Samson’s cocky attitude and terrible decision-making, “it was from the LORD” (Judges 14:4). God was faithful to deliver his people, even using “crooked sticks” in the process.

Several months ago in our sermon series through Judges, I preached on this interesting character. In this study of Judges 14, we learned about…

  • A family who lost five sons in one battle
  • Samson’s dangerous character flaws
  • God is able to turn something evil into something good
  • Is it ever OK to be angry?
  • God is wise and deserving of your trust

Here’s the audio…

Thanks for listening! Click here to find more sermons organized by book of the Bible.

Sermons

Bittersweet Victory

Leave a comment

Have you ever heard the story of Jephthah’s vow? It has to be one of the most tragic tales in the Bible.

In Judges 11, Jephthah is fighting a war against the Ammonites when he decides to make a vow. If God will give him the victory, Jephthah will offer the first thing that comes out of his door as a burnt offering. Surprisingly, it was not a goat, or a lamb, or some other pet that came to meet Jephthah on the pathway. it was his one and only child — a daughter.

Some people try to airbrush this passage by saying Jephthah didn’t kill his daughter. Maybe he just dedicated her to a life of celibacy and she was never permitted to marry. Perhaps that’s why it says she and her friends “wept for her virginity” (v. 37).

As much as I wish that was true, more than likely, the plain reading of the text is the correct one. Jephthah probably did offer his daughter as a human sacrifice. Not because it was right. Not because God approved it. Simply because Jephthah made the vow and chose to keep it, no matter the cost.

I think this story in the book of Judges is meant to shake the reader. It certainly shook me. The takeaway is that sin always leads down a dangerous pathway. It will cause you to do the unthinkable. Those little compromises will gradually shift your thinking, sear your conscience, and lead — even in a short time — to irreversible damage.

I preached this passage several months ago at Calvary Church. In this study of Judges 11-12, we learned…

  • What happens when we’re indecisive?
  • How did Jephthah end up leader of Israel?
  • Who has rights to the land of Palestine?
  • Did Jephthah really offer his daughter as a human sacrifice?
  • Should we be making vows at all?

Here’s the audio…

Thanks for listening! Click here to view other sermons in this series plus a catalog of other sermons I’ve preached. 

Sermons

Which Way, Lord?

Leave a comment

“Lord, if you want me to marry this woman, give me a sign.”

“God, if it’s your will for me to attend this college, guide this coin flip.”

“Father, if this is the car you want me to buy, make it clear right now.”

When we’re not sure of God’s will, it might be tempting to ask for a sign. Signs can be helpful. They can also be misread. How do we know for sure whether a sign is from God, or what it’s even showing? Given how subjective most signs today are, can we have total confidence it was from the Lord? Is there a risk we might read it through the lens of what we want it to say and already decided to do?

When my counseling professor in seminary Dr. John Street came to the topic of decision-making, he observed that almost every single counseling case involves decision making. Furthermore, he said “It’s amazing how mystical people are!”

Some people are quick to make decisions. They are impulsive and emotional, doing whatever feels right without stopping to consult God. Others have the opposite problem. They look at a decision from every possible angle, endlessly mulling it over with the “paralysis of analysis.”

Inevitably, when the topic of knowing God’s will comes up, Judges chapter 6 is mentioned — where Gideon lays out his fleece. It’s a fascinating story, but I would be careful about using this as normative for how we are supposed to discern God’s will today. It’s important to remember that some passages in the Bible are prescriptive (timeless principles to obey) while other passages are descriptive (an accurate reporting of the facts). In my opinion, this part of the Gideon story belongs in the latter. It is descriptive, simply describing what Gideon did, but not making a value statement on whether this was wise or unwise.

Here’s a more reliable way to make decisions. First, pray to the Lord. Then, study the scriptures to see what they say. Next, seek wise counsel from trusted mentors. It can also be helpful to watch and learn from the example of others, following in their footsteps when you see them making wise decisions. If you do all of this and God seems to be giving you a green light, then I believe he works quite often through your desires and abilities, and wants you to act with confidence and a clear conscience.

We get into this subject more in my sermon called “Which Way, Lord?” on Judges 6, which I preached several months ago at Calvary Church. In this passage, we learn…

  • How to avoid both paralysis and mysticism in our decision-making
  • How the Midianites bullied an entire nation
  • The jealousy of God
  • Gideon’s fleece
  • Five principles of godly decision-making

Here’s the link:

Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons, please visit the sermon hub page on my blog.

Here are some other sermons I’ve preached on the topic of decision-making…

Sermons

Song of Deliverance

Leave a comment

Last year marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge — the last major German offensive in World War II and a costly one to Allied forces. Many veterans were quiet about the atrocities of war when they returned home. But years later, PFC “Sparky” Kisse was interviewed by his son and asked what it was like to fight against the Germans.

Kisse said, “We had no idea where we were…. You’re so scared you don’t know whether to run, sit down and cry, or what. But once the fighting starts and you hear the bullets, the fear leaves you and it’s nothing…”

That’s a very humble way to say it, but he’s right that when the battle begins, you have to move forward and push through the fear — out of loyalty to your country and love for your family.

Judges 5 is the song of an important battle in Israelite history. it includes an interesting story how some tribes ran away from the battle, while other tribes ran toward it. By way of application, Christians are in a war too. We’re not called to pick up literal weapons in the name of Christ. Peter tried that once, pulling out his sword and slicing off the ear of the high priest’s servant. But Jesus said, “No more of this! Put your sword into its sheath.” And he touched his ear and healed him (Lk. 22:51).

Christianity is not a jihad-like religion of brute force. Quite the opposite. Our Lord said “love your enemies, bless those who curse you.” But we are in a battle — a spiritual battle — against an invisible enemy. And no one is allowed to sit this one out. We, too, must accept the call to war and offer ourselves willingly for the sake of Christ.

Stay alert, brothers and sisters! Go about your day with a combat readiness. Put on the full armor of God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Accept God’s call on your life and serve him today. Remember you are never alone. “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:6).

Several months ago, I preached on Judges 5, and we looked at these themes more closely. In this study, we learned…

  • The Bible contains many types of literature
  • What to do when you feel trapped and afraid
  • Christians are engaged in a kind of “holy war”
  • The benefit of great songs to commemorate great events

Here’s the sermon audio recording:

Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons organized by book of the Bible and by topic, please visit my sermon hub.

Sermons

A Call to Courage

Leave a comment

Where are the men? Is there no one who will step up and lead God’s people? This seems to be the question Deborah asks in Judges chapter 4.

Some people read the book of Judges and see Deborah’s leadership as proof there is no distinction between male and female spiritual leadership. From their point of view, women are just as qualified as men to serve as pastors, elders, and spiritual leaders in the church. I’d suggest the very opposite is the case.

When Deborah is mentioned in Judges 4, the author seems to be going out of his way to say something is amiss. The Hebrew text literally speaks of “Deborah — a woman — a prophetess — the wife of Lapidoth” (!) sitting under her palm tree, judging God’s people. While Deborah is a wise and godly woman, the text seems to be saying there’s a problem with this whole picture.

Eventually, Deborah summons Barak, who agrees to lead the army reluctantly. He is willing to go on one condition — that Deborah goes with him. Like the cowardly lion, his behavior is so embarrassing that Deborah says his legacy will be marked with a footnote that a woman brought victory that day. “The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (4:9).

I was talking with a friend several months ago who helps provide coaching services to churches in transition. Sometimes these are called “replant” or “revitalization” opportunities. This friend said most of our California churches are either plateaued or declining. There is a need for more pastors and more leaders. And then he said this – “the cupboards are bare.”

You would hope with all the Christian colleges, seminaries, megachurches, and smaller size churches that there would be a long line of men waiting to be trained and deployed. The opposite is true. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Incidentally, this is why our support of ministries like Gateway Seminary, The Masters Seminary, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is so important. These schools are coming alongside churches to help raise and train the future generation of leaders.

This is not to say women do not have an essential role to play in the local church. There are so many valuable ways they use their gifts to glorify God and edify the body. That’s a conversation for another day. I firmly believe the apostles taught a complementary role for men and women in the church and in the home.

When I began preaching through Judges at Calvary, I entitled our series, “Arise” for this very reason. Judges 4:6 says, “Has not the LORD commanded you, Go?” Then in v. 14, Deborah says to Barak, “Up! For this is the day the LORD has given Sisera.” Over in 5, this desperate cry for leadership is even memorialized in song. “Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives.” The church can grow complacent over time and forget the urgent call to action. Let us arise, preach the gospel, and shepherd God’s people!

Is there something God is calling you to do? Have you been delaying out of fear? Maybe it’s getting baptized, or making some parenting changes, or returning to in-person worship services, or even answering a call to ministry? Stepping out can be scary. But do not fear. God will be with you!

Here’s the audio from the sermon I preached on Judges 4 at Calvary Church. Thanks for reading…and listening!