Compromise can be good. It can also be bad—really bad. Bad compromise happens when one chooses to live below the standards they know are true for an intended effect. Spiritual compromise is the worst kind of compromise. It’s the Christian’s kryptonite. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 1:19b-2:5
TITLE:   Compromise Kills
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Spiritual compromise jeopardizes the full realization of God’s promises and blessings to us.

POINTS:
1. Israel’s Compromise
2. Our Warning

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The Bible repeatedly warns us about spiritual compromise, and for good reason: When we compromise our faith, we forfeit experiencing the Lord’s promise and blessing as we should.” 

“Israel’s compromise is front and center in Judges. Today, it is a warning for us as we follow Jesus in a messed-up world.”  

“The author's message is impossible to avoid—they did not drive the enemy out of the Promised Land.”

“Here’s the deal—It’s not up to Israel or us to determine what happened. A question we must learn to ask is—What is God’s view? And that’s precisely what we get next.”

“What God says here, He has repeatedly said in Exodus and Deuteronomy. First, He reminds them how He delivered them from Egypt, expressing His covenant faithfulness. Second, given redemption, He commands and warns them not to covenant with the Canaanites but to drive them out of the land and destroy their pagan liturgy, break down their altars of worship, lest they turn from God to the idols of Canaanites. Israel failed to obey God. We have an explicit example of this at the beginning of our passage—read 1:22-26.” 

“The root of Israel’s problem was not military strategy, physical might, or pragmatic policy. It wasn’t that iron chariots were insurmountable or that God’s power was less effective in the plains than in the hill country. It was spiritual—Spiritual compromise. As we will see in next week’s text, Israel’s spiritual compromise led not only to the accommodation of the Canaanites but an assimilation of the Israelites to the Canaanite's paganism.”

“Israel’s compromise is a warning for us. Like Israel, our compromise is often gradual, subtle, and not always black and white. Joseph acted “kindly” to the man and his family fleeing Bethel. But their kindness was a spiritual compromise in that situation because it disobeyed God.”

“Whether it is inconsistent with His Word or a conscience calibrated by His Word, compromising our faith is simply doing something inconsistent with being faithful to God.”

“As Christians, we want to love others. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. But here’s what we must never do: No matter how right, kind, innocent, or socially acceptable something may seem, we must never place our desires, convenience, comfort, or reputation over God’s Word.”

“Christ gave his life for us. By the grace of God, you are what you are in Jesus. Forgiven, righteous, kept, and EMPOWERED to live for Jesus. What God calls you to, He will provide grace to walk in.” 

“Christian or not, never presume on God’s grace. He will not be mocked. The Bible is clear: When we compromise our faith, He will discipline us (Hebrews 12). When we yoke ourselves to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6), He will oppose us in our pride (James 4). To compromise our faith is to NOT abide in Christ, and when we don’t abide in Christ we miss out on the promised joy that is ours in Christ (John 15).” 

“How is the Spirit convicting you of compromise? No fear or condemnation. Just grateful and sincere repentance followed by joyful gratitude that Jesus cleanses you of all your sins and He never leaves or forsakes you despite your sin.” 

“That’s our prayer through this series. That God, in His kindness, would grant us fresh affections for Christ and a renewed desire to live for Him and him alone, so that we will experience all He has for us to the praise of His glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 12:1-2

QUOTES:
Unknown - “The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down.”

Daniel Block - “This reaction on God’s part is neither impulsive nor arbitrary nor capricious; it reflects his own fidelity to past pronouncements.”

Barry Webb - “Doing something that is inconsistent with being faithful to God.”

Randy Smith - “Compromise with the culture is often the result when we lose a reverence and respect for the Lord. It’s the “Jesus won’t mind” attitude. To overcome compromise we need to remove our fear of offending the world and recapture a healthy fear of the Lord that our God expects and demands.”

APPLICATION:
Three things about compromise:

1. Compromise can be subtle; often, you don’t even notice it

2. Compromise happens when we lose focus on our true calling. We don’t drift into holiness; we drift into compromise.

3. Compromise is a hard habit to break

In light of this, here is our application—Prioritize Community Group. 

If you don’t have one—find one. If you have one, but no one in it knows you—start going. We all need help identifying, avoiding, and defeating compromise. You shouldn’t go the Christian life alone because you can’t go it alone because God didn’t intend you go it alone. The answer to compromise is refocusing on Jesus, getting back to the Bible, and renewing our affection for Jesus. That’s what happens in CG.