"gifts You Can't Buy at the Store: hope" Jeremiah 33: 14-16

Reflecting on hope.

1.  The text comes from the 33 chapter of the prophet Isaiah.  As one of the major illustrations, I am considering the scene in Jeremiah 32.  In that passage,  word comes to the prophet Jeremiah that his cousin was selling some land.  Jeremiah buys it.  Imagine the statement Jeremiah makes -- Jerusalem is on the brink of destruction, and Jeremiah buys property.  He buys because he trusts in the future that God has.

2.  Jim Wallis: “Hope is believing in spite of the evidence -- then working to change the evidence.”

3.  Steve Earle's song:  One of my favorite tunes is “Some Dreams,” which was used as the theme song for The Rookie and embodies his tenacity and determination. 

some dreams 
they never come true
they never come true
yeah, but some dreams do  http://donteatalone.com/an-earring-of-hope/   January 18, 2012 

4.  What is the differnce between a dream and hope in God?

5.  Our Christian hope is not of this world.  cynicism grows out of our hope and disappointment in what happens in our world.

6. I want to be clear that giving gifts is not a bad thing.  In fact, one of the great things about giving gifts is to see the surprise and excitement the person shows as he or she receives the gift.  But how do we compare that instant gratification (for both giver and receiver) with the hope to which God calls us.  It was clearly not instant gratification -- just ask Israel.

7. I have searched for hope on Amazon.com to see what I could buy for hope.  The list is rather diverse and fascinating, but I'm pretty sure none of them qualify as the hope to which Jeremiah refers.

8.  Perhaps we receive the gift of hope by faith?  Not just our faith, but the faith of those who have come before us.  The Israelites could believe Jeremiah because they knew the story of the exodus.

what do you think about hope?  is that long-term or short-term?  Do you need short-term results to believe in long-term hopes?

Reflections on "Gifts You Can't Buy at the Store" Luke 1: 39-45, 56; Galatians 4: 4-u

Yesterday began the Advent/Christmas preaching series.  I have done quite a bit of brainstorming and work in preparing for the series, which made writing the sermon easier.  In the Sanctuary service, I am preaching without a pulpit during this series, so it is important that I be very familiar with the sermon, so I can minimize my need to look at the notes.  Often when I preach without the pulpit I am on the floor and walk back and forth across the front.  Yesterday, I stood where the pulpit normally is and did not move too much.  I found it  hard to get used to not moving!

I had good feedback on the visual aids.  Kathy W. wrapped a big box to give us a "gift" to look at during the service.  During the Time with Young Disciples, I had one of the kids pull out of the box a poster with the theme for the day, and the put the poster on an easel.  it really focuses the attention on the theme of the day.  Each week, the posters will be mounted in the sanctuary so we will have a visual reminder of where we have been (not sure how we are going to manage that in the chapel).

The sermon series got off to a great start from my perspective. Hopefully, that will carry over into the subsequent sermons and services.

“Gifts You Can't Buy at the Store: Time” 1st Sunday in Advent; FPC, Troy; Luke 1: 39-45; 56; Galatians 4: 4-5; December 2, 2012

Introduction: The holiday season begins with the frenzied rush of Black Friday, which actually begins on Thanksgiving day.

People, maybe even some of us, racing through stores to find gifts or deals. If you want it or even think you might want it, you can probably buy it at one of those stores.

And if you cannot find it in the store, Cyber Monday soon arrives and you can buy it on-line.

Commercials would have you believe that you can buy anything and everything you might want at the store.

But that's not true. Some things you cannot buy at the story. As we prepare for and celebrate Christmas this year, we will reflect on gifts God gives us that we can't buy at the store.

Move 1: We begin with the gift of time.

a. God gives us the gift of life and the days of our lives. The time we have is God's gift to us.

b. Mitch Albom recently wrote The Time Keeper, in which he follows the life of the first person to measure time, the one who becomes known in folklore as Father Time.

1. I won't spoil the book for you, but by the end of the book two of the main characters discover this truth about time – it is not the length of time that matters, but what you do with it.
2. In very different circumstances with very different outcomes, that truth becomes evident to them.

c. Here are a few reflections on how we can use the gift of time God gives us?

Move 2: We can use God's gift of time to grow personally.

a. When Mary agrees to give birth to God's child and becomes pregnant, she quickly realizes that she needs time away.

1. she goes away to the Judean countryside to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant with the one who will grow up to be John the Baptist.
2. Mary stayed for three months.
3. We do not know they talked about – I have lived with my wife through three pregnancies, but I would even suggest that I knew what a pregnant woman was thinking.
4. But I can imagine that as Mary anticipates this incredible change in her life,m she needs time to grow into it, to figure out who she was in all that was taking place in her life.
5. A time-out for personal reasons!

b. God gives us the gift of time so that we can grow personally.

1. A study of 2K students who text noted that they have very little time for reflecting because they are texting immediate responses .
2. And they discovered that "When people have a mobile device and have even the smallest increment of extra time, they will communicate with someone in their life," says Lee Rainie , director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

2. Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection.
   3. We live in a busy world that continuously makes demands on us.

4 I do not have to tell you that. Your lives testify to that truth.

5. But the time God gives us is not just to be spent in motion, to accomplish one more thing.

God gives us the gift of time for personal growth. How are you using that gift?

Move 2: God also gives us the gift of time to spend on the important relationships in our lives.

a. Same study of student texters found that they liked texted because it allowed them to pass on information in as little time as possible with as little small talk as possible.

1. Think about the implications of that.
2. texting allows us to share information without having to share of ourselves or inviting others to share themselves with us.
3. Not just about people who text, but is symbolic of how our world seems to work these days - Superficial relationships that allow for the sharing of more and more information, but not the development of deep, abiding relationships where love can grow.

b. Over the years I have had numerous conversations with people who were reflecting on their lives.

1. Not the dramatic death bed stories, but stories people tell as they see death looming and look back over their lives.
2. I have heard some some great stories; I have heard some deep regrets. Mostly I have heard people reflect on what they might have done differently as they look back over their lives.
3. I can think of no instance when anyone has told me that they wish they had spent less time with their families; or that they had spent too much time with good friends.
4. usually, they talk about wishing they had spent less time at work; or less time on that hobby; or less time obsessing over this or that.
5. And they wish they had spent more time with their family, particularly when their kids were young;

c. No doubt we have pressures and demands in our lives that make a legitimate claim on us.

1. We have a project at work that has to be completed by the deadline and our son is playing in the championship game or our daughter has a band concert.

2. Our lives are full of conflicting demands that both have important values to us.

3. No easy answers. Lots of times, no exactly right answers.

c. But know this – God gives us the gift of time to develop and deepen relationships.

1. To be present for our kids.
2. To develop meaningful relationship with others.
3. To work on your relationship with Christ.
   How can you use God's gift of time to develop stronger, better relationships.

Move 3: Finally, God gives us the gift of time so we can imagine new possibilities.

a. Remember Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth?

1. Surely it took at least the three months to imagining how she could be mother to the Son of God and the possibilities to which God was calling her.
2. Or remember the Israelites – 40 years in the wilderness. Some scholars suggest that the significance of the forty years was not because 40 was a special number (although it was), but because it took 40 years for Israel to imagine what it would be like as they move from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land; it took 40 years to grow into the possibilities that await them where they will be find themselves in a land of milk and honey.

b. A few years ago Rick Pohlhamus, who lives in Miami County and serves as part of Christian Peacemaking Teams in conflicted areas of the world, met with our local minister group. He told us about a story that had taken place on one of his trip to Israel.

He found himself one morning at a Palestinian elementary school when Israeli soldiers unexpectedly showed up to punish the Palestinian students for throwing rocks at them the day before.

The soldiers put chains on all the exits except the main entrance, where the soldier in charge stood to keep no one from leaving. Then, the Israeli soldiers shot tear gas into the school. Soon students were hanging out the windows begging for help and sucking in fresh air.

Israeli soldier in charge had the principal at gunpoint near a narrow exit blocking them from leaving.

Polhamus describes seeing the danger of what might happen if the principal makes the wrong move or if the gun goes off accidentally. He feared it would set off all the soldiers surrounding the school and many kids would be killed.

Polhamus moves in between the gun barrel and the principal. As he is trying to figure out what to do next, his cell phone rings. He answers (it's a friend calling), and then he says to the soldier, 'it's your mother.” “no, it's not.” 'yes, it is.” “no, it's not.” “if it were your mother, what would you tell her you were doing?” “It's not my mother.” “I know, but if it were, what would you tell her you were doing right now?” Soldier abruptly turns and calls the soldiers off and they leave.

Polhamus describes how he tries to give space in the violence for something else to happen. To give time for the participants to consider the new possibilities that they could have.

Later, he learns that the solider leaves the army and joins a group of former soldiers working for peace.

A time-out that gives space for God's grace to work.

b. One of the ways we can use the gift of time is to step away from the rush of our lives and re-envision what we are doing.

1. To intentionally break away from our routines to and take time to envision new possibilities for what God is doing with our lives.
2. We believe that God has a plan for our lives; that God calls us to particular places at particular times.

3. But what if we are too busy and miss the call?
   How can you use your time to imagine the possibilities to which God is calling you?
   
   
   Conclusion: A watch measures the hours of the day.

A calendar measures the days of the year.

Only you can measure how you use God's gift of time to grow personally, to develop and deepen relationships, to imagine new possibilities for who you are and what you can do.

"Gifts You Can't Buy at the Store: Time" Luke 1: 39-45; 56

From the beginning of Advent until Epiphany Sunday (January 6), I will be preaching on "Gifts You Can't Buy at the Store." The first week focuses on the gift of time.

1.  I've been reflecting on three different wyas we cna utlize time:

   a. For personal helath/growth -- a study fo 2K students who text noted that they have very little time for reflecting because they are texting immediate repsonses

   b.  To develop relationships -- i.e fmaily time or developing friendships; I can think of no person who when they are talking to me as their death approaches wish they had spent more time at work.  usually, they talk about wishing they had spent more time with their family, aprticularly when their kids were young; th same study of student texters mentioned above also found that students texted because they coudl pass on information in as little time as possible -- texting creates the sharing fo information, but maybe not the development of relationships

   c.  to imagine new possibilities -- I heard a great story told by Rick Pohlhamus of Christian Peacemaking Teams. He tells the story of Israeli soldiers tear gassing a Palestinian school as punishment for the kids throwing rocks at the soldiers. Kids are hanging out the windows begging for help and sucking in fresh air. Israeli soldier in charge has the principal at gunpoint near a narrow exit blocking them from leaving. Rick sees the danger of what happens if the gun goes off on purpose or accidentally. He feared it would set off all the soldiers surrounding the school and many kids would be killed. Rick moves in between the gun barrel and the principal. As he is trying to figure out what to do next, his cell phone rings. He answers (it's a friend calling), and then he says to the soldier, 'it's your mother.” “no, it's not.” 'yes, it is.” “no, it's not.” “if it were your mother, what would you tell her you were doing?” “It's not my mother.” “I know, but if it were, what would you tell her you were doing right now?” Solider abruptly turns and calls the soldiers off and they leave. Polhamus describes how he tries to give space in the violence for something else to happen. Later, he learns that the solider leaves the army and joins a group of former soldiers working for peace. Polhamus also learns later that the soldier's mother was an elementary school teacher. Polhamus likes this to Jesus drawing in the sand when the crowd gathers to stone the adulterous woman. A distraction that gives space for grace to work.  It has me thinking about taking the time to break away from our routines to envision new possibilities

2.  “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” Will Rogers

3. Mary is forced to step away from her normal routines when she becomes pregnant.  She takes advantage of that by going to visit her cousin Elizabeth.   Notice Mary stayed with her cousin for three months.  She prepared for the coming of the Christ-child, her child, by taking a time out.

4.  One of our members reminded me of the verse James 1: 17 -- "Every good and perfect gift is from God."  

5. The Israelites were in the wilderness forty years.  What did they do with their time?

6.  How do we utilize our time on earth?

Reflections on "Here Comes the Judge" Judges 21: 1-5; 15-25; John 18: 33-37

This sermon tied together the end of the sermon series on Judges and Christ the King Sunday.  I had this sermon planned for a long time (at least the general idea), but it never quite gelled.  Ironically, both the Judges text and the John text had terrific places to jump off for a sermon:  another oath that gets the Israelites in trouble; saving Benjamin by violating other people; Judges ending with everyone doing their own thing; Jesus saying "for this I was born and for this I came into the world;" Pilate asking, "What is truth?"  If I had chosen one of those to focus on, it probably would have been a better sermon.  Instead, I attempted to incorporate them into the general idea with which I started.

I also had a fun sermon illustration that I had chosen early in the brainstorming process.  It turns out that it didn't really fit, which took the fun out of the illustration and created an awkward moment in the sermon.  Should have cut it, instead of clinging to it.   I actually tried a different segue into it at the Sanctuary service, but it still did not work.  

For me, it was a disappointing finish to a preaching series I have really enjoyed. 

“Here Comes the Judge” November , 2012; FPC, Troy, Judges 21: 1-5; 15-25; John 18: 33-37; conclusion to the Judges series

Introduction: Which Judge did you like the most

Othniel – the one you never heard of before and maybe won't again! He was actually

Samson

Deborah

Ehud

Jephthah

Gideon

Great stories; not so great judges.

Move 1: the run of judges ends in failure.

a. the judges cannot get out of their own way.

1. their egos undermine them.
2. Or their unfaithfulness undoes their successes.
3. Their sinfulness overwhelms them.

4. Unfaithfulness would rear its ugly head.
5. The individual judges may have been helpful in the short-term, but they always fall back into their sinful ways.

6. Every story seems to lead to the fateful words: “then the Israelites did was was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

b. Even as we point fingers at the Israelites and their judges, we recognize our shared humanity.

1. WE know that cycle – crying out to God for help.
2. Having God rescue us in the moment, or send us in a new direction.
3. A period of getting it right and drawing closer to God.
4. Then we forget, or we begin to think we can handle it on our own, or we get tired of working to be faithful, and we turn away from God.
   c. The last chapter of Judges provides one more example of how the Israelites just do not get it.
   1. It is kind of complicated story.
   2. Bottom line – the other eleven tribes of Israel get mad at the tribe of Benjamin, so they make a vow (they apparently did not learn from Jephthah's story the dangers of making a vow) that they will not provide any wives for the tribe of Benjamin.
   3. But, then they begin to worry about how Benjamin can continue to stay alive if there are no wives.
   4. they cannot break the vow, so they come up with a plan. At one of the festivals when the women of Shiloh come down to their area, Benjamin can kidnap women to be their wives.
   5. The tribe of Benjamin can be saved, but to make that happen, other people have to be violated.
   6. one more example of how salvation coming from the hands of sinful humans does not look much like salvation.

d. After this story, the book of Judges fittingly concludes: "In those days Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit."
1. A picture of chaos – everyone doing whatever they want.
2. And the argument for a king.
3. The futility of the Judges leads to the stage being set for Israel to have a king.
4. Earthly kings arrive, and they do not solve the sinfulness of the Israelites.
5. Much like the judges, some kings are better than other; no king gets it absolutely right.

Earthly Judges are not the right answer; earthly kings are not the right answer.

Who can save Israel?

Move 2: No one, but Christ, the Son of God.

a. Christ comes and redefines what it means to be a judge.

1. The Israelites judges get in trouble because of their egos; Jesus pours himself out for others.
2. The Israelites judges could get it right for the moment, but would return to their sinful ways; Christ lives a sinless life.
3. The Israelite judges evoke power and might and conquer the enemy through battle and killing; Christ does not lift the sword as he submits to earthly powers and dies on the cross.
4. The Israelite judges save Israel for the moment, but do not have lasting power; Jesus saves the world for eternity.

b. Christ comes to define God's saving grace.

1. After a long two-week criminal trial in a high profile bank robbery case, the jury finally ended its 14 hours of deliberations and entered the courtroom to deliver its verdict to the judge. The judge turns to the jury foreman and asks, "Has the jury reached a verdict in this case?"

"Yes, your honor," the foreman responded.

"Would you please pass it to me,"

The judge declared, as he motioned for the bailiff to retrieve the verdict slip from the foreman and deliver it to him. After the judge reads the verdict himself, he delivers the verdict
slip back to his bailiff to be returned to the foreman and instructs the foreman, "Please read your verdict to the court."

"We find the defendant NOT GUILTY of all four counts of bank robbery," stated the foreman.

The family and friends of the defendant jump for joy at the sound of the "not guilty" verdict and hug each other as they shout expressions of divine gratitude. The defendant's attorney turns to his client and asks, "So, what do you think about that?"

The defendant looks around the courtroom slowly with a bewildered look on his face and then turns to his defense attorney and says, "I'm real confused here. Does this mean that I have to return the money?"

2. God's saving grace is hard to imagine because we know that we are guilty, that we are sinners.
3. But Christ comes to save us anyway.
   Move 3: God sent Christ on purpose.

a. “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world,”

1.  Christ utters these words as he stands before Pilate knowing he was about to be condemned on false charges.

2.  And Christ wants Pilate and the world to know that God has done this on purpose.

b. When we read the stories of the judges, we get the sense that the judges stumble into their role of saving Israel for the moment.

    1. The judges reluctantly go out and save Israel.

   2. Christ’s coming was not an accident.

3. It was the intentional act of the God whose love for us knows no bounds.

4. Christ came to save us at any cost.

Conclusion: Pilate asks Jesus, “What is the truth?”

We know and proclaim this truth:  the run of the judges will end; the reign of the kings will end.

But Christ the king, the judge who comes to save us and redeem the world, will reign in power forever.

"Here Comes the Judge" John 18: 33-37; Judges 21: 1-5; 15-25

We finish the Judges series on  Christ the King Sunday, which allows me to segue from the human, fallible judges of the Israelite people to Christ, who lives out his humanity perfectly, but judges us with grace.

Judges finishes with one more debacle as the Israelites make a dreadful pledge (shades of Jephthah's story). which leads to the slaughter and a silly story of getting wives for the tribe of Benjamin.  Judges concludes wiht "In those days Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit." Thus, the futility of the Judges leads to the stage being set for Israel to have a king.

Earthly kings arrive, and they do not solve the sinfulness of the Israelites.  Much like the judges, some kings are better than other; no king gets it absolutely right.  But then Christ comes.  The king who does not look like a king.  The perfect one who dies for our imperfection.  the judge who has the authority (both given by God and earned by his life  to judge harshly, and instead he offers mercy.

Is that a redefining of what it means to be a judge?  Or is it the defining of God's mercy?  Maybe both?

Not sure if it will make the sermon, but I am reminded of a poem comparing Christ and Alexander the Great, both of whom died at age 33:

Jesus and Alexander died at 33; 
One lived and died for self; the other for you and me. 

The Greek died upon a throne, the Jew died upon a cross, 

One’s life triumph seemed, the other's but a loss. 

One walked with mighty men and the other walked alone. 

One shed the whole world's blood, the other gave his own. 

Jesus and Alexander died at 33. 

The Greek died at Babylon, the Jew at Calvary. 

One made himself go, but the one who was God made himself loss. 

One lived but to blast, the other but to bless. 

When died the Greek, forever fell his throne of swords, 

But Jesus died and was raised by God, to live forever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Guest preacher

I will not be preaching this week as we welcome Rev. Jeff Cheadle to our pulpit.  Rev. Cheadle was ordained in this congregation in 1977, and return this Sunday to help us celebrate our Bicentennial.

Reflections on "Not Quite Christ" Judges 16: 18-31

Admittedly, preaching on the judges has been difficult at times, but it has also been a lot of fun for me.  Such great narrative stories.  It has also made me appreciate those who taught me Sunday school because most of the stories I remember from being taught in my childhood.  As I spoke with the young disciples during their time in the service, it became apparent that they did not know the story of Samson.  They were perhaps too young to have been in a setting where it had been taught, but it reminded me of the importance of our kids being in Church School and of parents reading the Bible to their children.  

In fact, one of the reasons I spent time in sermons going over the biblical story is because I assume that most of us who gather for the sermon do not know the stories well.  That seems to be a growing reality among those of us who are in church, but it also is a challenge for all of us to find more ways to be engaged by the biblical text.  We profess to be guided by God's Word, which suggests that we need to know God's Word!

As the sermon indicates, I have also been thinking about how differently we read these stories when we grow up.  Samson, the childhood hero, becomes Samson, the greatly flawed judge.

I think the point about what it means that the line of judges has ended has powerful implications.  The consequences may have been a bit exaggerated to make the point in the sermon, but it was a huge shift in how the Israelites understood themselves and how God was at work.  I think that speaks to us in our context as we contemplate how God is at work.

I was also reminded how hard it is to do justice to the biblical stories in one sermon.  With three chapters in Judges dedicated to the Samson's story, and at least one different event (and perhaps woman) for each chapter, one sermon was not nearly enough.

“Not Quite Christ” November 11, 2012; FPC, Troy, Judges 16; Judges series

Introduction: Almost done, but before finishing Judges, we have to visit the story of arguably the most famous judge – Samson.

How many remember.

Move 1: What do you remember about Samson?

a. think about when you first heard this story as a child.

1. Mighty man – he is on the road and gets attacked by a lion and kills the lion with his bare hands.
2. Powerful man – he can swing the jaw bone of a donkey and slaughter the enemy.
3. Told riddles. You probably did not understand them, but it was pretty cool that he had riddles.
4. Fascination with long hair.
5. Image of Samson, blinded, pulling down the pillars and bringing down the enemy with him.
6. As a boy, I doubt you thought much about the women in the story. Girls had cuddies and were kind of yucky anyway, so maybe I thought about staying away from them, but that would have been expected.
7. Young girl – maybe you thought boys were big and strong and got angry and be bullies, so Samson might fit. But, he still came across as a larger than life hero.
8. Maybe your Sunday School teacher made an allusion to Christ, as in Samson gave his life to save God's people and Christ did that too.
9. Bottom line – Samson was something of a super hero.
10. Not quite Christ, but maybe in the ballpark.

b. Read about Samson as you get a bit older – maybe high school or college.

1. you're at a point in life where you've dated a few different people. You read about Samson's first wife nagging him until he tells you the answer to the riddle or Delilah cajoling Samson until he tells her the secret of his power, and you think, yeah, sometimes being a relationship makes you do some things you might not ordinarily do.
2. You might read the story of Samson's birth and see connections between his birth narrative and others like Samuel, or John the baptist, or Jesus.
3. But you might also notice that Samson seems almost egotistical or dumb, and he like to fight.

Not quite Christ – but he did take down the Philistines, the spirit of the Lord was on him.

Move 2: What do you think of Samson now as we read his story in the context of the series on Judges

a. If we go back to the beginning of the Samson story, we discover that Israel has done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

1. No surprise.
2. This has been happening throughout judges.
3. In fact, we might be willing to admit that it continues to happen in our lives and our world today.
   b. When I was in seminary, one of my favorite professors taught OT.
   1. One week he told us he was going to be preaching in the Presbyterian church he attended.
   2. I decided to go hear him preach.
   3. His sermon title was “The Biggest Fool.”
   4. He began the sermon by announcing that since it was April Fool's Day, he was going to peach on the biggest fool in the Bible.
   5. I figured he would probably pick on OT figure since that was his area of expertise, but I was a little surprised to discover that he picked Samson.
   6. The hero from my childhood disappeared a bit that day.

b. When we analyze Samson from the perspective that he is as flawed as the other judges, or perhaps even more flawed since I have argued that each judge gets successively worse, he does not seem like much of a hero.

100. He comes across as rather dumb.
     1. Not once, but twice he cannot keep his mouth shut when women in his life pester him to reveal his secrets.
     2. His dealings with his father-in-law and with his enemies lacks cunning and guile.
     3. He seems to be all brawn and no brain.

500. Samson clearly had some anger management issues.
     1. anger fuels his actions.
     2. He wants to get back at others, repay them for what they have done for him.
     3. He is a magnet for violence.
     4. he may defeat the enemy, but you know that there is always one more enemy waiting.
     5. There is no sense that lasting peace can ever be achieved by this violent judge.

500. Driven by ego.
     1. He may be filled by the Spirit of the Lord, but he responds out of his own desires, rather than seeking to be an instrument of God.
     2. even as Samson prepares for his last act of taking down the Philistines and sacrificing himself, he does not make it about saving God's people people, but avenging himself.

Move 3: We also put Samson's story in the context of all the judges.

a. Samson is the end of the line.

1. When Samson dies with the Philistines, it also symbolizes the end of
   2. There will be no more judges after him.

b. End of an understanding of how God worked in the world.

1. The rising up of judges within tribes or regions spoke to how Israelites understood how God was at work.
   2. In fact, part what distinguished the Israelites from the other nations was that Israel did not have kings.

3. Israel did not have one person in whom all the power was vested; nor only one person through whom God would work.
4. The Israelites did not need a king, because God could and would find judges, particular people at particular times to lead God's people.
c. But that is about to end.
1. Judges were going by the wayside, in part because they ended up like Samson, ego driven people who seemed to care more about their interests than serving God.
2. And with them went the understanding that God worked through a variety of people.
3. Soon the king would be seen as God's person.
   d. Leave us the question – how do we understand God at work in our world.
   1. Do we look for that other person, that king so to speak, to connect us to God.
   2. Or do we look around and see people whom God chooses to call into leadership with their particular gifts at particular times.
   3. I often ask you to think about those persons who have impacted your lives of faith. Generally, we think about those people who have nurtured us. But think about those people who have challenged you.
   4. Or remember that time when there was a critical issue in the life of the church and the exact person with the needed skills stepped forward into leadership.
   5. Or when someone felt called to a new initiative and made it happen.
   3. Look around the pews. Maybe it is someone sitting next to you.
   4. Or look in the mirror. Maybe it was you.
   5. The stories of the judges reminds us that God works through particular people at particular times.
   6. Maybe even through you or me?

c. God will not be thwarted.

1. Amazing that God works through someone like Samson.

1. A love-struck guy who falls for a girl and will tell her anything, not just once, but twice, who has anger management issues and lets his ego guide him.
   
   2. that not only can God can work through Jephthah, or Gideon, or Deborah, or Jael, or Othniel, or lots of other flawed people , but God will do so.
   3. And God will not stop until all the world has been redeemed.
   4. notice that even Samson gets one more change. His hair grows back. Regardless of what we think of how he handled his chance, God gave him another opportunity.
   5. Ultimately, Samson serves as a powerful reminder of how God will be at work despite our many flaws.
   Conclusion: Samson – not quite Christ; not even close.
   But the God who sent Christ worked through Samson and desires to work through each of us.