Tag Archives: sin

Sermons

Bittersweet Victory

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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. 

Suffering

Purpose in Pain

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When God allows pain, his desire is never to hurt you. Sometimes, it’s to prune you and make you more fruitful. It might be to humble you, or to discipline you, or to equip you to comfort others.

Sometimes, God just wants to get your attention. Maybe the Lord has already offered milder reminders and rebukes, and you have kept ignoring them. Now he’s left with no alternative but to discipline you. God loves you too much to allow to let you stay on your current flight path. He’s been calling out, “Mayday, Mayday. Abort, Abort. Don’t keep going this way!” But you turned of the warning alarm.

Now God is disciplining you. His discipline is not to hurt you, but as the Good Shepherd, he’s using his staff to push you back on the straight and narrow.

Hebrews 12:5–6 says, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

If you ever realize you have some unconfessed sin and are under God’s discipline, what should you do? Seek forgiveness and restoration by following the example of the psalmist. Psalm 130:7 says, “For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.“

Not all pain is due to personal sin. It might simply be to lift our eyes off ourselves and upward, or to give us grace to better sympathize with others. Pain also has a purifying effect in our own lives, challenging us to break bad habits, rid ourselves of idolatry, and offer heartfelt repentance.

I talk more about this in my sermon, “Purpose in Pain,” which I preached several months ago at Calvary Church. In this lesson, we learn…

  • Some of the reasons God allows us to suffer
  • Two judges you’ve probably never heard of
  • God disciplines us to grow us
  • Warning against idols of the heart

Here’s the audio, now available on the podcast:

Thanks for listening! You can visit the Sermon Hub to find over 650 other sermons arranged by topic and book of the Bible. 

Sermons

Fatal Error

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For fifteen years, my family lived in Yucca Valley — north of Palm Springs in the high desert. The desert seems harsh and almost otherworldly at first. But as you get to know it, it takes on a striking beauty and serenity. I’ve shared on this blog over the years some of the desert hikes I enjoyed like Skull Rock, Johnny Lang Canyon, and Devil’s Punchbowl.

One of the things you have to get used to is how sharp everything is! The leaves of Joshua Trees are like spikes. Reptiles such as the horned lizard have a thick, spiny skin. Roadrunners have sharp beaks to penetrate their prey. And one cactus in particular is known for its extremely sharp thorns – the cholla cactus.

Cholla cactus, sometimes called “teddy bear” cholla, looks soft and fuzzy from a distance. But up close, you can’t miss the sharp, inch-long spikes. It’s even been called “jumping cholla” because you need only barely brush against it to have it latch on to your skin or clothes. Ouch!

When hiking near cholla cactus, be prepared to pick up little balls of cholla on your hiking boots. You have to be careful when removing it (preferably with tweezers or a pocket knife) or you could be in for a painful shock.

In Judges 2, God says some of the Canaanites and their idols would be permitted to remain in the land of Israel to poke against them. “You have not obeyed my voice…So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Judges 2:2-3).

The idols of Canaan, like the barbs of a cholla cactus, would cause much pain and heartache. Much of the book of Judges describes the fulfillment of this curse. I preached through the Book of Judges last year at Calvary Church. In chapter two, we learned …

  • How Christians should respond to tragedy, such as the Palisades Fire we had just experienced
  • Who exactly is the “angel of the Lord”?
  • How apostasy can creep in to a local church
  • The Cycle of Sin we will see in the book of Judges
  • How God has shielded us from his own wrath through Christ

Here’s the audio:

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