DATE: 4–27-25

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

INTRODUCTION

After a short break for Easter — we’re returning to our series in Romans this weekend — taking a look at the spiritual gifts that Paul mentions so we all understand what these gifts are and how they’re to be used in our faith family. The purpose of the spiritual gifts is something I’ve reminded us of many times before: Spiritual gifts are abilities given to individual believers by the Holy Spirit in order to equip God’s people for ministry, both for the edification of the church and for God’s salvific mission to the world. – Lexham Survey of Theology

Here’s what Paul says about the gifts — in Romans chapter twelve — beginning in verse four. 

Romans 12:4–8 ESV

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

We started off by taking two weeks to explore the gift of prophecy. Then we looked at the gifts of service, teaching, and exhortation. And — just before Holy Week — we looked at the gift of giving. Which means that — today — we’re going to look at the spiritual gift of leadership, which Paul mentions next in his list where he writes…

Romans 12:8 ESV

8 the one who leads, with zeal;

WHAT IS THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP?

So let’s begin by answering the question, “What is the gift of leadership?” The definition of this gift that I shared with you a few weeks ago is…

Leadership

The gift of leadership is the divine strength or ability to influence people at their level while directing and focusing them on the big picture, vision, or idea.

Now — in the original language of Greek — the word that we translate as “leads” — similar to other gifts we’ve looked at — has both a general application in Scripture — meaning — regardless if you have the gift there’s some “leading” that God expects you to do — and — the word also has specific uses that would appear to be for those who have this spiritual gift. Let’s briefly look at the general application — ways that leading applies to all who follow Jesus.

Paul — who wrote Romans — wrote many of the letters in the New Testament. One of his letters was to a man named Titus who was pastoring on the island of Crete. After reminding Titus of the ways sin had control over us — before we had faith in Jesus — Paul writes…

Titus 3:4–8 ESV

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

A few verses later — Paul writes…

Titus 3:14 ESV

14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Now — you probably noticed that you didn’t hear me say the word “lead” anywhere in those verses. That’s because a different English word was used to convey a similar idea: the word “devote”. So here’s the general principle: Because of all that Christ has done for his people — in saving us not by our works — but by his perfect work — those who believe in him are to devote themselves — or lead themselves — to do good works — which Paul repeats a few verses later.

So again — in a very general sense — all Christians are leaders because — at the very least — we’re to be leading ourselves in living a life that’s a proper response to all that Christ has done for us. We’re not to live life on auto-pilot. We’re not to be passive and “let go and let God.” We’re to be actively engaged in putting our faith into practice. For that’s what it means to follow Jesus — we follow the One who intentionally and actively lived his life in love for us and calls us to intentionally and actively live our lives in love for him in return.

Here’s another general application for all of us — even those who don’t have this spiritual gift. To the Christians living in Thessalonica, Paul writes…

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 ESV

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Another case where we don’t explicitly see the word “lead” but the same Greek word is used — but here it’s translated as “over”. So the general application here is to respect those who are over us — those who lead us. We’re to hold them in high regard because — in leading us — they’re displaying care for us — even when they admonish or warn us.

For many years — and it’s still a bit of a struggle for me today — allowing others to hold me in high regard was hard. I don’t like attention. I prefer to disappear in a crowd. But this is an area that God has — and continues to — grow me in. Especially to not dismiss or prevent you from obeying this biblical principle. So — thank you for your patience with me. And I’m still gonna be awkward — when you hold me in high regard — but hopefully less awkward than I once was.

One last general application — still Paul — but this time we’re looking at his letter to Timothy who’s pastoring the church in Ephesus. Paul writes…

1 Timothy 5:17–18 ESV

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

The word “rule” is the same Greek word as “lead” in Romans. Here — similar to what we just read — the application for all of us is to honor those who lead us. For those who rule — or lead — well — and this is specifically referring to leading in the church — should be considered worthy of double honor — a reference to the financial pay they receive — as made evident by Paul quoting something Jesus said in Luke chapter 10.

So to recap: All Christians are to — one — lead themselves in doing good works in response to being saved by Jesus — two — respect and hold in high regard those who lead us and — three — honor those who lead by taking care of them financially.

THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP IN SCRIPTURE: DEBORAH

Now let’s look at a few potential examples of this spiritual gift at work in Scripture. We’re going to look at two passages from the Old Testament. First, we’ll look at a woman named Deborah. This is her story as found in Judges chapter 4.

Judges 4:1–10 NLT

1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. 4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. 6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.” 8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.” 9 “Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.

So Deborah goes with Barak into battle. And things happen just as Deborah said they would. At one point in the battle she has to urge Barak on with the words…

Judges 4:14 NLT

14 “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.

Being in a position of authority doesn’t mean someone’s a leader — that’s one lesson we learn. Barak’s a cowardly man in a leadership position — while Deborah — who definitely had the spiritual gift of prophecy — and likely leadership as well — led Barak — and his army — into a victorious battle.

I bring up Deborah as an example to make it clear that — though we’re a church that holds a complementarian view of the office of elder — that’s a fancy theological word that means we believe that the office of elder is reserved for men only — though we’re complementarian — we do believe that women are empowered by the Holy Spirit with the gift of leadership. And we need women — who are empowered by the Spirit in this way — to use their gift of leadership for our good as a congregation.

Now — you may wonder, “Why are you complementarian? If you believe that women can be empowered with the gift of leadership why don’t you allow them to serve as elders — the highest office of leadership in the church?” Here are two reasons why but — for more information — I suggest grabbing a copy of the booklet on leadership that’s available at your campus resource center.

Why don’t we allow women to be elders at Gateway — and I know that our friends in Bucyrus hold a different position — so feel free to put me on mute for the next minute or so. And — by the way — this is one of the characteristics of the EPC — our denomination — that I so appreciate. That churches can hold different views on this topic and not go their separate ways. Because — no matter our view on this topic — we all hold a high regard for Scripture — its authority, sufficiency, inerrancy, and so on — yet come to different interpretive conclusions.

So back to why Gateway doesn’t have female elders — I’ll give two reasons. First, nowhere in the New Testament do we see a woman referred to as an elder in a local church. Though the reason why we have female deacons is because we do see Phoebe — in Romans 16 — referred to as a deacon.

Second — and most compellingly — Jesus chose twelve men to be his apostles who originally held the highest office of leadership in the church. Some argue that Jesus chose only men because he was a man of his time — and rabbis didn’t pick women to be their followers. This argument always baffles me because…Jesus was not a man of his time! Jesus allowed women to financially fund his ministry, allowed a woman who was a prostitute to wash his feet — which was scandalous — had no problem having a private conversation with a Samaritan woman — just as equally scandalous — and so on. Jesus did not conform to the cultural expectations when it came to his relationship with women. Yet he only chose men to be his apostles — something we have to seriously consider when thinking through this topic.

But — here at Gateway — we honor women. We encourage women who have the spiritual gift of leadership to use their gift for God’s glory and our good — as we do our best to apply what we see in the New Testament when it comes to who God calls to the highest office in the church.

And — if you don’t know — on staff — three of our six departments — worship, connect, serve, go, next gen, and business/ops — three of the six departments are led by women — Lindsay, Kristi, and Ashely. And — our executive director — “the boss” as we like to say — is as well — Laura — who’s heart is filled with joy every time I call her the boss. I kid. You see — we believe that God gifts women with the gift of leadership for our good — as we hold a complementarian view of the office of elder.

THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP IN SCRIPTURE: MOSES

Now let’s look at a moment from the life of Moses. As you may be aware, Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of their enslavement in Egypt. But — if you know their story — the people left Egypt only to become a grumbling, complaining, distrusting in God’s ability to provide for them — kind of people. And — a people like this — end up with all kinds of disputes, disagreements, and arguments among themselves. And Moses — because he was the leader — found himself being the judge for all of the disputes, disagreements, and arguments going on among the — wait for it — few million Israelites! Talk about a never-ending, exhausting job for Moses. 

Thus — in one of the few positive in-law stories in known history — I kid — Moses’ father-in-law — a man named Jethro — has an idea. This is what we read in Exodus chapter 18.

Exodus 18:13–27 NLT

13 The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” 15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.” 17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves. 27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.

Moses was wearing himself out by not delegating leadership to others. He apparently mistook God’s calling on him to lead the people to mean that he alone was to do all the leading. And God has never intended leadership to be an individual endeavor — and Jethro understood this. So he gave his son-in-law some good, godly advice. Using language we find throughout the Bible — about the kinds of characteristics we’re to look for in those who lead in the church — Jethro tells Moses to select some capable, honest men who fear God and have integrity and appoint them as leaders over groups of various sizes. Because — again — one man — Moses — can’t do all the leading. And he’s not the only one gifted to lead. For the Spirit of God uses many to lead the people of God.

But notice the structure and hierarchy. Some are gifted to lead ten people. Others fifty. Others a hundred. Others a thousand. The leader of ten isn’t less significant than the leader of a thousand — both are needed! Just ask people who are in the group of ten if the one who leads them is important. But — at the same time — those being led have to understand that structure and hierarchy are needed because one man can’t handle the responsibility and time it takes to lead and care for every single individual when a group — apparently — gets bigger than around ten people. We’ll see how this plays itself out at Gateway in a moment.

THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

But this story in Exodus — is very similar to what we read about those who led the church in the New Testament. For example, to Timothy Paul writes…

1 Timothy 3:1–13 ESV

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

We’ve looked at these verses in previous sermons on the spiritual gifts — but we return to them now looking at the importance of the spiritual gift of leadership among those who are in positions of authority in the local church. Both elders and deacons are to be good managers of their homes. Manager is the same word translated as lead in Romans — so managing in your homes — or leading in your homes — is a prerequisite for leading in the church.

And selecting capable individuals — who have the character to match — reminds me of how the church chose the first deacons.

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Did you notice the similarities in the situation Moses found himself in and the apostles situation here in Acts? And how a similar solution is agreed upon? I bring this up to remind us of the different leadership roles in our church, what they do, and how we all benefit when each of these groups are leading in the way God has gifted and called them to lead. Again — you can read more about this in the booklet on leadership that’s available at your campus resource center.

But here at Gateway — we’re blessed with a group of faithful men and women who serve in leadership. There are the elders — men who spiritually protect and shepherd the congregation. There’s the staff — whose role is to equip, train, and resource the members of Gateway to do the work of ministry. And there are our deacons — our lead servants. The elders, staff, and deacons all have a leadership role to play in our church.

Let’s begin with elders. Elders spiritually protect and shepherd the congregation. The way we elders describe our role is in a vision statement we have for ourselves. 

Our primary responsibility, as elders, is to represent the mind of Christ as we spiritually lead Gateway Church. We’re to collectively discern his will for Gateway in all our decisions. Additionally, we’re called to be men who…

1) study, learn, and teach the Word of God,

2) shepherd the sick, lonely, elderly, and those in need,

3) disciple the children and adults of the church and seek after those who become inactive,

4) guard against dangers to the faith and life of those under our care,

5) warn, admonish, and reclaim those who stray and, when necessary, enact church discipline,

6) and seek out and raise up new leaders within the church.

We didn’t come up with this on our own — this is what our church constitution — what’s called the Book of Order — tells us is our role as your elders. 

The elders — collectively — represent the mind of Christ for this church. 

Together — we seek Christ’s vision for what we’re to be doing. 

This isn’t a one man at the top of the org chart kind of team — the vision and direction of Gateway isn’t any one person’s responsibility or authority — it’s the responsibility of the elders together. 

As is the teaching of God’s Word, and the shepherding of the people — that’s why we’ve divided our members into shepherding groups — and the discipleship of the next generation, and the guarding against false doctrines, and the disciplining of those who are ensnared by sin, as is the raising up the next generation of church leadership. 

What about the church staff? The church staff are to equip, train, and resource the church members to do the work of ministry. The staff’s primary role is not to do the ministry work, but to serve the church members by resourcing and equipping them — making sure church members have what they need to do the ministry work of the church. 

Now we turn to the deacons. The deacons are our lead servants. They assist the staff and elders to make sure the ministry work — that the staff has equipped the congregation to do — gets done. Deacons are key in both freeing up the elders — so we can focus on our role of shepherding and protecting — while also freeing up the staff so they’re able to equip, train, and resource the church members to do the ministry work of the church. 

But there’s one more important leadership role in our church — our Life Group leaders. Those who lead a small group of people — helping them spiritually grow and follow Jesus more faithfully — so they love God and each other more passionately.

CONCLUSION

And when elders are fulfilling their leadership role, and staff theirs, and deacons theirs, and Life Group leaders theirs — and when we all see the beauty of having leaders responsible for tens, and fifties, and hundreds, and thousands — we’ll all be better served and cared for and led by those the Spirit has empowered with the gift of leadership. We’ll feel the intimacy of being led by our Life Group leaders — of course we’ll need to be in a Life Group to experience this leadership — and — as we serve we’ll be led by the staff — of course we’ll need to be serving to experience this leadership — and we’ll be shepherded by our elder — of course we’ll need to be a member to be part of a shepherding group — some gentle reminders that the care that we often desire comes by means of submitting to those who serve in a leadership role in the church.

That’s how care and discipleship work at Gateway — it can’t really work any other way. Which takes us back to where we began — and those general principles of leadership that we saw earlier. How each of us is responsible to lead ourselves — to devote ourselves to good works — including the good work of being a fully engaged member of the local church that we’re part of. Worshipping, connecting, serving, and going are what you hear us say around here a lot. And how each of us is responsible for growing as a follower of Jesus who’s a Word and Spirit Christian, who’s generous and Kingdom-minded, who makes disciples, and who makes it clear that they’re a member of this faith family.

If you’re in leadership — whatever your role may be — thank you for leading. Thank you for allowing the Spirit of God to empower and use you for our good. And to those of you who — your only leadership responsibility is that of leading yourself well — thank you for doing so. And may we all grow in our thankfulness to God for the leaders he’s appointed over us. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for the way you lead your people. You lead us through your Word — the Bible — where you tell us what to do, how to live, and what to believe. You lead us through those you’ve called to serve in roles within the church. And you lead us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, thank you for empowering many with the gift of leadership. For those you’ve called to lead thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens — all are needed for us to be the church you’ve called us to be. Empower more — we ask — for the glory of our great Savior and for our good.

And — Jesus — we thank you for not abandoning us when you ascended to Heaven — but you called men and women to be the leaders of your church. And you — with your Father — sent the Holy Spirit to empower these leaders. Jesus — as we follow you as a church — may we follow you faithfully in whatever role we’ve been called to. For then we’ll grow in our spiritual maturity — and will care well for one another — and be a church that sees even more lives changed by the good news of the gospel. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available // Leadership booklet)

May you go grateful to God for those he’s called and gifted to lead his church. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

Date: 11/1/2022

Questions

Do you believe loved ones in Heaven can see what’s going on down here on earth? And do they only see the good?

1. The closest description we have to this is in the book of Revelation where we read, “Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.” (Revelation 6:9-11 NET)
   1. This doesn’t tell us that these saints see what’s happening on earth, but they have some awareness that they’re still waiting for things to be finished down here.
2. But — other than one parable of Jesus about a rich man and Lazarus, which isn’t meant to describe how things are, but teaches a lesson about salvation.
3. All that to say, we don’t know what people in Heaven know about things going on here on Earth.

Did people who trusted God, before Christ came to earth, have access to the Holy Spirit.

1. We see evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in people in the Old Testament, but not in the same way that we see in the New Testament. A few examples from the OT would be…
2. Numbers 27:18 NLT – The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.
3. Judges 3:9-11 NLT – But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. 11 So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
4. 1 Samuel 10:10 NLT – When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.
5. 2 Samuel 23:1-2 NLT — These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks — David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. 2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue.”
6. Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT — And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
   1. This is the promise seen as fulfilled in the New Covenant.
7. So we do find examples of Old Testament folks being empowered by, influenced by, led by the Holy Spirit. Usually the example in the OT is a leader of some sort — though the Ezekiel passage shows a future time when the Spirit will be upon all of God’s people — which is what we see in the NT. 

Inscriptions from Egyptian sites prove that Joseph did what the Bible claims. What’s more, there are texts that mention his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Why don’t we spread this info?

1. When it comes to apologetics — defending the Christian faith — one kind of apologetics is evidentialism. Where evidence is presented to defend the truthfulness of our faith. Archaeological findings fall into this category. 
2. The difficulty with all apologetics is that you can’t argue someone into believing in Jesus. Some will have their presuppositions challenged and their unbelief will be chipped away at. But no amount of evidence or arguing opens the eyes of a person’s heart or gives life to their dead spirit. God alone does this. 
3. The questioner asks, “Why isn’t the info spread?” I’d suggest that the info has spread because you’re asking about it and we’re talking about it. But some folks get really excited about archaeological evidence, while others get excited about language stuff, and others could care less about either but still love Jesus just as much. So it may not seem to be getting the headlines that you’d like it to, but there’s no conspiracy or anything — in the Christian faith — to hide such evidence.
4. As a side note, some of my favorite series on Rightnow Media are the history stuff — which very much falls into the evidential apologetics category.

Sanctification vs salvation: Our group often discusses faith vs works. Is it possible to be saved and do nothing but believe? Isn’t that the core mercy and glory and awesomeness of salvation? (Obviously not ideal, but parable of the vineyard workers – Matthew 20:1-16)

1. Let’s address the parable first. All of the workers in the parable — even the last one’s hired — did some work. The parable doesn’t teach that there are some folks who did nothing and were paid at the end of the day — all of them worked. So I think we have to take it out of the conversation as the parable isn’t answering what the original question is asking about faith vs works.
2. Can we be saved and have no evidence or change? My answer is no. Well — it’s not my answer — it’s directly from the Bible. Salvation always comes with change. Faith is always accompanied by works.
   1. James 2:14-26 NLT – What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
   2. Luke 3:7-9 NLT – When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
      1. Only two kinds of trees.
         1. One without fruit (works) = not saved. 
         2. One with fruit (works) = saved. 
         3. What we want to believe is that there’s a tree without fruit (works) that still = saved. And that’s not biblical.
   3. Martin Luther is attributed as saying, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
   4. Part of the question is about the core mercy, glory, and awesomeness of salvation. So what is the core mercy and glory and awesomeness of salvation?
      1. It’s not that God saves us and then expects nothing of us (no change). 
      2. The core of salvation is that God saves sinners. He rescues those imprisoned. He raises the spiritually dead to life. He seeks and saves the lost. 
      3. These biblical ideas tell us that there’s a change that takes place in the person. For you can’t be loved by God in Christ and not be changed. Otherwise, you’re saying that your old, spiritually dead, rebellious against God life and behaviors and morals and views had no need of being changed. And that’s not true! That’s exactly why Christ came to earth, lived, and died. Not just to love us, but to change us because of his love. 

How responsible are we/individuals at interpretation of the scripture? Historical interpretation of the bible (ie, justification for slavery, etc) is not a science and what happens when we are wrong (which we are bound to be wrong) even with the best intent?

1. James 3:1 NLT – Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
2. You are just as responsible as I am (Josh) for your interpretation of Scripture. Especially if you’re passing on your interpretation of Scripture to others. And not just in a formal way, but even when we say, “Well that’s not what I think the Bible teaches…I think…” or use a similar phrase. 
3. Let our faith history humble us so we strive to know Scripture so well that we don’t fall into temptation where we interpret Scripture unfaithfully — on purpose or not — to justify behaviors or beliefs that are in opposition to Scripture. I mention our faith history, because much of what we believe — that is false or opposed to Scripture — has been dealt with by previous generations of Christians. Knowing our history. Knowing the doctrines of our faith. Knowing the Westminster Confession of Faith, and so on…all help us to interpret the Bible faithfully as we stand on the shoulders of faithful brothers and sisters who’ve come before us.
4. Having said that, it’s important to know that biblical interpretation is both an art and a science. We believe in objective truth — God means something specific in his Word to us. The goal of interpretation is to get to that: What does God mean here in this text? Yes, whoever the human author is also matters, but ultimately the entirety of Scripture is God’s Word — he is the singular Author of it all — and we’re to seek his meaning of the text.
   1. The science of interpretation would be rules like: 1) God won’t contradict himself in his Word. 2) His Word is truth and truthful. 3) His Word is perfect and without error. 4) His Word is clear (the issue isn’t with the Bible; any interpretation issue is due to our falleness and limited understanding). 5) God’s Word is sufficient. 6) God’s Word is authoritative.
   2. The art comes in interpretative questions like: 1) The apostles often interpreted the OT through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But they didn’t give us a commentary on every verse in the OT. So how far can we take their interpretative method of the OT?
      1. Can we only interpret Christ in the OT when it’s explicit in the NT?
      2. Or can we take the principles of the interpretation of the OT in the NT and apply it to verses that don’t have NT commentary? 

What is the biggest threat to our church?

1. Biblical illiteracy
2. Individualism/anti-authority
3. Greed
4. Sexual immorality
5. Apathy
6. Fear
7. Political passion/zeal
8. Unholiness

SCRIPTURE: Judges 4:1–24 (ESV)

DATE: 9-17-23

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or are joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our Finding Jesus series today. This is a series where I introduce you to a book of the Bible that you may or may not be familiar with. I’ll give you an overview of the book — followed by a closer look at a particular section of it. And then — and this is what I hope will be most helpful — each week I’ll show you how to find Jesus. I’ll show you how to find the one story the whole Bible is telling — the story of Jesus. Because the whole Bible is ultimately pointing us to him.

Now — you may be wondering why I think it’s possible to find Jesus in all of the Bible. There’s an interesting story near the end of the gospel of Luke where — after Jesus was killed on the cross — he appears to two men who thought he was still dead. Somehow Jesus hid who he was from them — so they have no idea who they’re talking to — and Jesus gives them — and us — a hint as to how we’re to read and understand the whole Bible.

Luke 24:17–27 (ESV)

¹⁷ And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹ And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 

²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²² Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” ²⁵ And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

You should circle the phrase “all the Scriptures” — in verse twenty-seven — because that’s why we do this series where I help you find Jesus in the Old Testament. In verse twenty-seven Jesus tells us that the whole Bible is about him.

And — in this iteration of our Finding Jesus series — we’re looking at the books referred to as the history section. What these books have in common is that they cover historical events in the life of God’s people. 

Some of the books cover hundreds of years while others cover a brief period of time — but — together — they are the historical account of God’s people. And — today — we’ll be looking at the book of Judges. So if you have your Bible, please turn with me to Judges chapter four.

Last week we looked at the book of Joshua and in the coming weeks we’ll look at Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles. Then we’ll take a break for our Christmas series before we finish up the Old Testament early next year. 

So — Lord willing — we will have completed our journey through the entire Old Testament in early 2024. 

And — on our website — you can search for our Finding Jesus series where you’ll find one sermon on every book in the Old Testament. A resource so you can discover what each of the Old Testament books are about and how to find Jesus in them. And I hope that you’ll grow to know and love these books and spend time in them — finding Jesus — and the joy that’s found only in him.

BACKGROUND OF JUDGES

Now — let’s take some time to get our bearings in the book of Judges — and I hope you’ll see that Judges is a book you’ll want to go read for yourself.

First, what do we know about the author of Judges? We know nothing. There’s a tradition that says Samuel is the author. This is based on the time when the book was written and some clues you pick up in the book that seem to indicate that the author lived shortly after the time of the judges. But there’s no indication — from the book itself — as to who is the author. 

“Well, OK — so what’s up with the title of the book — Judges — is this book about experts in law or something?” Not quite. Though the judges do — from time to time — make decisions related to the law — their primary role is that of a savior or deliverer of the people of God from their enemies. We see this early on in the book — in chapter two — where we read…

Judges 2:16 (ESV)

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

So the judges are the leaders of the people of Israel before the kingship was established. In fact — the book of Judges highlights Israel’s need for a king — which the overview will make clear in a moment — but know that the book is structured as a compilation of different independent historical stories — thus it’s in the history section of the Old Testament. 

Finally, the book of Judges covers roughly three hundred years of Israel’s history. For comparison, last week’s book — Joshua — covered somewhere between twenty to forty years. So know that — when you read the book of Judges — you’re covering a lot of time.

OVERVIEW OF JUDGES

So that’s the bird’s eye view — now — let’s turn to the book itself. To understand Judges you have to remember how the book of Joshua ends — which should be somewhat easy given that we looked at the end of Joshua last week.

The book of Joshua ends with a word from the Lord — spoken by Joshua — to the Israelites about choosing this day whom they will serve. Joshua says to them those famous words — words many of us have in our homes — “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Later Joshua says to the people…

Joshua 24:20–24 (ESV)

²⁰ If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” ²¹ And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” ²² Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord — to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” ²³ He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”

Then the book of Joshua ends — and the first two chapters of Judges begin by repeating content found in Joshua. And one would hope — right — that after such a bold, and compelling and — I mean — worthy of being hung on the walls of our homes — statement — that surely after such a display of commitment the people will fulfill their vow to God and serve only him.

Well…if you’re not familiar with the book of Judges — I hate to burst your bubble — but our book records the history of God’s people breaking their vow to God. The book of Judges shows — in vivid details — their unfaithfulness, idolatry, and sinfulness. 

One Old Testament scholar suggests that Judges naturally divides into three major sections — and here are the titles he gives to the three sections. The Roots of Apostasy — chapters one and two. The Downward Spiral of Apostasy — chapters three through sixteen. And the Results of Apostasy — chapter seventeen to the end. You don’t even have to know what apostasy means to know that it’s not a nice sounding word. But — in case you’re wondering — apostasy means to “turn away from the faith.” 

So the book of Judges is the historical recording of the people of God turning away from their faith in God. And this happens within a generation of those who made that great declaration, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 

And a recurring theme in the book is a cyclical pattern — where the people turn away from God, which results in them experiencing the consequences and punishment for their apostasy. In response to these consequences the people eventually cry out to God for help. God responds by sending them a judge — a deliverer — to rescue the people and turn them back to God. Then — after usually a brief period of time — the people turn away from God — experience the consequences of their apostasy — cry out to God for help — a judge is raised up by God — the people are rescued — only to turn away from God — starting the cycle all over again. 

That’s the recurring pattern of the book — but there’s also a recurring phrase — a phrase found four times in the book of Judges — a phrase that brings the book to a close.

Judges 21:25a (ESV)

²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel.

As I said earlier — the book of Judges is setting up the need for a kingship to be established. But — twice in the book — this phrase is accompanied with even more sobering words. Words that — though we live in a nation without a king — these words describe our country a little too eerily accurately.

Judges 21:25 ESV

²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

This is a time in history when everyone thought they knew what was best — they wouldn’t listen to anyone else — I wonder if they said things like “Well, this is my truth” or some such nonsense. And — I can call it nonsense — because we know this doesn’t end well for these people who are known for doing what is right in their own eyes. There’s a lesson here for us to learn — a timely lesson for the “everyone doing what’s right in their own eyes” time we live in.

Now — in Judges — we encounter some stories you may remember if you grew up in the church. There’s Ehud — the left-handed judge — who rescues the Israelites by driving his dagger into the large belly of a wicked man. The story contains a bit of potty humor when — after Ehud had stabbed the evil king — and…

Judges 3:24–25 (ESV)

²⁴ When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” ²⁵ And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

The king was dead — and Ehud escaped — because the king’s servants thought he was just having a “situation” in the bathroom. 

Judges contains the story of Gideon and his fleece — sorry — no potty humor in his story — and the story of Samson — the strongman whose weakness for women led to his end — and stories of other judges.

MAIN PASSAGE

But we’re going to look at a judge whose story — I’m guessing — many of us will be familiar with. We’ll look at her story briefly before focusing on another individual. But neither of them are meant to have our attention — the point of their story — like ours — is on Someone else — the One who gives us grace. So hopefully you’ve had time to find Judges chapter 4 — we’ll begin in verse one. And notice the cyclical pattern of apostasy, consequence, crying out to God, and the raising up of a judge that I mentioned earlier.

Judges 4:1–24 (ESV)

¹ And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. ² And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. ³ Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. ⁴ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. ⁶ She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. ⁷ And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” ⁸ Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹ And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, 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.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. ¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh. ¹² When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³ Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. ¹⁴ And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. ¹⁵ And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. ¹⁶ And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. ¹⁷ But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸ And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹ And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. ²⁰ And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’” ²¹ But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. ²² And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. ²³ So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. ²⁴ And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

THE LEAST GRAIN OF GRACE

Let’s talk about the two heroic women in this story — Deborah and Jael. Deborah — who’s not only a judge — but also a prophetess — without Deborah stepping up with confidence and trust in her God — the people of Israel wouldn’t have experienced deliverance from the king of Canaan. 

She calls out Barak — she reminds him of God’s command to him — she reminds him of God’s promise — and she even goes with Barak into battle. In a few words the author of Judges tells us a lot about Deborah and her faithfulness to God and to the people of Israel. A remarkable woman indeed.

Then there’s Jael — a woman who seizes the opportunity presented to her. An opportunity — unbeknownst to her — that had been prophesied by Deborah. Though violent to our ears — and maybe off putting to our modern civilized times — she knew the wickedness of the man who stopped by her tent. And Jael was used by God to bring about the deliverance of his people. Again — another extraordinary act of bravery — of courage — of being used by God for divine judgment against his enemy and helping to rescue the people of Israel. Again, a remarkable woman.

But I want to turn our focus to someone else in this story. Not to draw our attention away from these brave women — but to help us discover the comfort of God’s grace that’s offered to each of us. Because — I don’t know about you — but it can be hard to relate to the heroics of women like Deborah and Jael — just like it’s hard to relate to Stephen in the New Testament — who faithfully stood for Jesus as he was being stoned by others. There are these moments in the Bible — right — where people are so heroic that sometimes the best I can think is, “I sure hope I’d be that heroic if I was in a situation like that.” But we just don’t know what we’d do.

But — then — as if he knows we’d need it — God graciously records the fumbles, flounderings, and unfaithfulness of his people — revealing to us how his grace, mercy, and faithfulness towards us covers our fumbles, flounderings, and unfaithfulness. 

The faith of Abraham is praised in the New Testament, but the times when he doubted God are also recorded so we can find comfort in our seasons of doubts. The same is true with Moses, King David, Jonah, Peter, Paul, and so on. Their stories aren’t just full of success stories and unwavering faithfulness — their highlight reels include their shortcomings so we learn something about God’s grace and faithfulness to his imperfect people — including us.

And this is true for Barak. Barak — a man who displays nothing but cowardice — a man whose story is seemingly one of only folly and failure — who — in our day and age — would probably be canceled or — at the very least — fired from his job. I mean — sure his side wins the war — but not because of him, right? So if we were choosing who deserves the grace of God — the favor and blessing of God — surely it’s Deborah and Jael — but Barak? He hasn’t done anything deserving of God’s grace. But — as some of you are already anticipating — grace isn’t earned. That’s the lavishness of God when it comes to his kindness towards us — his mercy — his patience — his love — and his grace — none of it is deserved. 

And I imagine that many of us can relate to Barak. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m just not good enough” or “I don’t deserve God’s grace” — both of those statements are true, by the way — true for all of us — yet — are you ready for this — God gives his grace to us anyway. How unexpected is that? It should be to all of us who — like Barak — don’t deserve God’s grace.

The Life Group I’m in is reading a book titled The Bruised Reed — it’s by Richard Sibbes who was born in 1577. There are some challenges in reading really old books — but there are also blessings. And in this book there are many soul encouraging sentences. One of the sentences is where I got the title for this sermon: The Least Grain of Grace. 

Here’s the quote: Nothing in the world is of so good use as the least grain of grace. – Richard Sibbes 

Sometimes we can view ourselves — or others — through the lens of their faults, failures, and screw ups — ignoring how the least bit of God’s grace in their life is changing them, transforming us, doing a powerful supernatural work. It’s easy to view Barak this way, isn’t it? What a coward — what a loser. Yet — in the book of Hebrews — in chapter eleven — a chapter known as the Hall of Faith — the author goes through story after story of Old Testament heroes. Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Joseph. Moses. Rahab. And then the author says this.

Hebrews 11:32 (ESV)

³² And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets…

Did you see it? Right there — in the Hall of Faith — Barak is mentioned. Though we don’t see it in his story recorded in Judges — God’s grace did change Barak. God’s grace had to be at work in Barak’s life — otherwise how would his name end up on a list of those who are remembered as those who were faithful? 

Who knows the actual amount but — from our point of view — just the tiniest amount of God’s grace was all that was needed in Barak’s life in order to rescue the people of God from the king of Canaan. He looks like a coward — he was a coward — and yet God’s amazing grace was at work in his life. And if this is what God could do in Barak’s life — what might God do in your life with the least grain of his grace? 

Please don’t disregard the power found in the tiniest amount of God’s grace in your life or in the life of someone else. Can you see his grace in your life — no matter how small it may seem? Can you see his grace in the lives of others — even those who don’t have their life all that well put together?

Do you want to know something that’s refreshing when you start to look for God’s grace in your life and in the lives of others? You experience the blessing of seeing yourself and others as God does. And he sees us as who he’s shaping us to be — as who we’re becoming — as who we’ll be for all eternity because of his grace in our lives. 

“God give us eyes to see both ourselves and each other as you see us — give us eyes to see your grace at work in our lives.” Can’t you see how this would sweeten our relationships, and shape the words we speak to ourselves and each other — words of encouragement and hope and joy because of God’s grace at work in our lives?

Who’s someone God wants you to encourage because of his grace at work in their life? Who is someone who — because of God’s grace at work in their life — you’ve been blessed by? How about we do something different right now and pause to encourage them? I’m serious — let’s encourage them right now. 

Get out your phone — “get out my phone — well this is weird” — and I know we’re all about silencing our phones in church — but if your phone is on silent right now — turn the sound on and turn your volume up all the way. I’m serious — phones out — sound on — volume up.

Now — that person’s name who came to mind — the person God wants you to encourage because of his grace in their life has resulted in you being blessed — I want you to text them right now with a word of encouragement. 

• Something like, “I am so thankful for God’s grace in your life. I’m a recipient of his grace through you when you open the door to the worship center for me.” 
• Or “Because of God’s grace working through you, my daughter learns about Jesus’ love for her each week.” 
• Or “That time you brought me a meal — I wasn’t only physically fed — but I tasted God’s grace because of you.” 
• Or whatever way you’ve been blessed because of God’s grace working through someone else in this congregation — I want you to text them right now and let them know — encourage them. 
• I asked you to turn on your sound and volume so we can hear our thankfulness to God for his least grain of grace in our lives. 

Now — some of you are thinking, “But I don’t have their number!” If you don’t have their number — look around the room and text someone else who’s been a blessing to you. Text two people — I don’t care. If you don’t have Shaun Meloy’s number — and you want to text him — we’re going to put his number up on the screen. Totally kidding!

But while you’re texting — know that we also have postcards in the lobby at your campus — not at the Resource Center — but there’s a cart in the lobby with a bunch of postcards that look like this. Grab one — or ten — and write a note to the person who you’re not able to text and hand it to them before you leave. Or mail it to them this week. Call the church office if you need help finding an address. 

FINDING JESUS

Alright, how are we to find Jesus in a story like Barak’s? Here’s one way. 

We find him by remembering that he is always faithful — even when we are faithless. We looked at the Hall of Faith chapter in the Bible — but know that all of those folks — like Barak and us — they all needed God’s grace in their life in order for them to be faithful. For — without God’s grace — we’re unfaithful people. 

But not Jesus — he is always faithful. And his faithfulness is the reason why we experience God’s grace in our lives. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy we read these words…

2 Timothy 2:11–13 ESV

¹¹ The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; ¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Jesus remains faithful — for he can’t deny himself — he can’t deny who he is. He is God. He is kind. He is gracious. He is truth. He is just. He is many things — but — never forget that Jesus is faithful to his people. He gives us the least grain of his grace — not based on our merit or our works — but because he’s good and kind and gave his life — in love — for his people. In fact — before his crucifixion — Jesus said this about his death. 

John 12:24 ESV

²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Just as a seed must give its life — in order for a harvest to be produced — Christ gave his life as a seed — dying on the cross — in order to produce a harvest of life in his people. A people who he sees —not as we are right now — but as who he’s shaping us to be for all eternity — who he gave his life for us to become. 

To quote Richard Sibbes again…Christ values us by what we shall be, and by what we are elected unto. — Richard Sibbes

CONCLUSION

If we were to evaluate Barak’s story based on what we read in the book of Judges, we’d have sold him short of the grain of grace that God had bestowed upon him. And God used that least grain of grace in Barak’s life resulting in him being listed in the Hall of Faith. 

And the same is true for all of God’s people. His grace is working in our lives in ways we’re aware of and in ways we’re oblivious to. His grace is working in the lives of the people you’re surrounded by — a family of faith — in ways you’re aware of and in ways none of us may have a clue about. “God, give us eyes to see your grace in our lives — give us eyes to see your faithfulness to us. For gracious and faithful is who you are, Jesus. Thank you for the least grain of your grace in our lives.” Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, give us eyes to see your grace in our lives and your faithfulness to us — for gracious and faithful is who you are. Spirit, give us eyes to see your grace in the lives of our brothers and sisters among us and your faithfulness to them — for gracious and faithful is who you are to them. Jesus, what wonderful news it is to know that you are always faithful — even when we’re unfaithful — especially when we’re unfaithful. May your work in Deborah and Jael’s lives inspire us — but may your faithfulness in Barak’s life give us great hope and sweet comfort. For you do not change — and your grace — which we see in his life — is the grace you give to us today. May we rest in, trust in, believe in, and hope in your grace. In your name we pray. Amen.

BENEDICTION

May you go with eyes that see God’s grace and faithfulness in your life and in the lives of each other. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.