VICTORY THROUGH AN OUTCAST Part 5 of 8
TEXT- JUDGES 11:1-11
INTRODUCTION
This morning our text is found in Judges 11:1-11 and the title of my message is, "Victory Through An Outcast."
This year the theme of our church is, "The Victorious Church" and we have been studying from the book of judges on the first Sunday of the month in order to see how God gave Israel victory.
After the nation of Israel entered the promised land and Joshua died we are told in our theme verse in judges 21:25, "in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
Out of a need for leadership, God appointed certain individuals called judges who led Israel to victory each time they suffered a defeat.
In judges chapter ten we find once again Israel suffering the consequences of their disobedience to God.
Judges 10:6-9, "then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the lord, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the lord and did not serve him. [7] and the anger of the lord burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the philistines, and into the hands of the sons of ammon. [8] and they afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed."
The main thing we can learn from this is that sin and disobedience to God will always lead to defeat and bondage.
When Israel got so low that they couldn't stand it any longer they once again cried out to the lord.
Judges 10:10-16, "then the sons of Israel cried out to the lord, saying, "we have sinned against thee, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals." [11] and the lord said to the sons of Israel, "did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the philistines? [12] "Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to me, and I delivered you from their hands. [13] "Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. [14] "Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." [15] and the sons of Israel said to the lord, "we have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to thee; only please deliver us this day." [16] so they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served the lord; and he could bear the misery of Israel no longer."
The lesson we can learn here is that while sin is the first step to defeat, repentance is the first step to victory.
Once Israel had repented of their sins they began their search for someone to lead them to victory.
Judges 10:17-18, "Then the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together, and camped in Mizpah. [18] and the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."
The person God used to lead Israel to victory over the sons of Ammon was a man named Jephthah who was the ninth judge over Israel.
As we study our text this morning I would like us to consider five things to keep in mind if you think you can’t be victorious because you are at a disadvantage.