SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 10/29/23

When things get chaotic, where do we find hope? The Book of Judges is in the Bible for a reason: to point us to and ground us in our hope in life and death, especially in times of chaos. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 1:1-19a
TITLE:   A Hopeful Start
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Supreme Sufficiency of God
2. The Unfailing Hope of Christ
3. The Irreplaceable Value of Unity

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Judges shows us how God forged a people for Himself in a chaotic time, described in the final words of Judges as a time when—Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. That was chaos then, and it’s chaos now. Doesn’t it seem like we live in a world that is more and more chaotic? Increasingly, everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. So then, the question for believers is this—When things get chaotic, where do we find hope? The Book of Judges is in the Bible for a reason: to point us to and ground us in our hope in life and death, especially in times of chaos.”

“Today may be the happiest day of our series as we look at Israel’s response to the death of Joshua. As our sermon title suggests, it was A Hopeful Start. In this Hopeful Start, we find three unchanging truths that we must not lose sight of amid the chaos.”

“As we come to the Book of Judges, Israel was in crisis. Their leader is dead. The mission incomplete. The future very uncertain. What will Israel do? What would you do? Maybe you’re experiencing the uncertainty of life right now: 

• New season of life (marriage, fatherhood/motherhood, retirement, empty nest). 

• Uncertainty of the future (country, finances, health)

• Unimaginable loss (death of your Joshua, a towering presence and force for good in your life—father, mother, mentor)

Where do you turn? Where is your confidence? What is the source of your hope? Notice Israel’s response.”

“As successful and loved as Joshua was, Israel knew the true source of their fruitfulness and well-being. It wasn’t Joshua; it was the Lord. God had been faithful to Israel. He made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He kept them. Joshua is gone, and that’s hard. But God has gone nowhere. He is right there with them. And he hears their prayer.”

“To some, verses 4-18 may seem like nothing more than geography and a list of military successes. More than mere geography, this list is what one commentator called Theological Geography. The cities, regions, people, details, and short sub-stories all matter. They happened in real space and time. They are world history. But it’s history and geography that reveals God's wisdom, assurance, power, and presence with His people.”

“Israel’s help and hope are not in an earthly hero; it’s in the eternal purposes and powerful presence of an Almighty God. But Israel lost sight of God. More and more, they drifted away from God to the world.”

“This point should not be lost on us. Judges is not about pagan nations—it’s about God’s people. This series is not about a chaotic world—it’s about the church. It’s about you and me. It’s about our pride and idolatry. It’s about our insatiable appetite to do what we think is right in our own eyes instead of turning to, trusting in, and following God.”

“GOOD NEWS: Judges doesn’t leave us to ourselves. Whether it’s the macro picture or the micro details, Judges reveals a merciful and gracious God who uses flawed and weak people to fulfill his purposes.” 

“When God’s people inquired who would go against the enemy, God said Judah. And now, the Lion of Judah has gone against our greatest enemy, Satan, and sin, and God has given them into his pierced hands so that we would be saved from the consequences of our sin—That battle has been won!”

“Our legacy isn’t found in a theological hero or a national identity. Our legacy is a gospel legacy. We are the fruit of Christ’s work on meant to impact a chaotic world. 
Q) How do we do that?  A) Together!”

“God put His finger on Judah to lead the way. But the battle against the enemy was going to be difficult. So Judah did not launch out alone; they fought the fight TOGETHER. As we have seen in 4-18, this strengthened the nation. Corporate unity is essential in Judges because it is a primary way we experience God’s sufficiency and faithfulness—TOGETHERNESS. The key to seeing Christ in the chaos is seeing the wonders of his love for His people.”

“Grasping the limitlessness of Christ’s love for us and God’s faithfulness to us is not something we can do in isolation. If left to ourselves, the fight for faith becomes chaotic because we become weak.”

“Judges happened long ago in a faraway land. But it couldn’t be more relevant for us today because, ultimately, it points us forward to Jesus and His coming kingdom where we live together as a shining light for the glory of God, renown of Jesus in the salvation of sinners, with eager anticipation of heaven!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Joshua 23:14
2 Samuel 7
Revelation 5
Ephesians 3:17-19

QUOTES:
Barry Webb - “Joshua made a great impact on his generation and left behind him people who worked together, called on God, moved at his command, and experienced his blessing….As Christians we all share in a far greater legacy. For the whole church of which we are a part is the legacy of Jesus Christ.”

Dale Ralph Davis - “The unity and fellowship of God’s people is not a wimpy idea weaker Christians dote on. It is an essential condition for experiencing the strength of our God.”

APPLICATION:
This is why Sunday matters more than you can imagine. When it comes to the chaos in your life, gathering with your church to pray, sing, serve, and sit under God’s preached Word brings clarity, faith, ammunition, and strength for the spiritual battle.