Sermon Archive

Sometimes we understand words and concepts even without being able to define them. They are simply things that we engage in or see every day, but don’t give much thought to. The idea of redemption is one of those things that we all instinctively know but probably can’t put words to. The idea of redemption has roots in our faith too, but much like our regular understanding of redemption- it can be hard to put words to that one too. When Ruth asked Boaz to be her “redeemer,” it can leave us a little confused, but Boaz knew exactly what it meant- and what it would cost. Jesus, too, knew what redemption would cost, and he not only covered our debt, he purchased for his own.

Certain questions never go away. Throughout every generation, these questions constantly resurface with a variety of answers and schools of thought. When thinking through theology, the question of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is a classic debate that has entertained theologians for centuries. The answer to that question comes in many forms and the Book of Ruth shows us that these two things aren’t set in opposition to one another. In fact, they are beautifully connected. Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi all show how God intends for our work to be a part of his plan.

The brokenness of this world can feel overwhelming. When surrounded by sickness, death, suffering, and violence, it can be easy to think there is no light left in this world. This is the book of Judges and it’s exactly how Naomi felt in the opening chapter of the Book of Ruth. Three women widowed and alone is enough to make anyone bitter and angry- like Naomi was. But when the darkness seems to overwhelm and threatend to undo us, is when even the faintest flicker of light shines the brightest. As we move from Judges to Ruth, we see that flame start to light up the night and we can know that the darkness has not overcome.

They say never meet your heroes, they’ll always let you down. Samson might be the epitome of that phrase. A man born with a purpose and gifted with nearly superhuman strength, Samson never quite lived up to what he should’ve been. He had it all, but was so far from God he never really came close to being the savior he was born to be. His life was a wasted one- at least it almost was. In his final moments, Samson was still able to see (even without his eyes) what God wanted of him. Once again, God shows how he is not limited by our sin and failure, but works in and through them.

Sometimes a story is too good to be true. Reality has a way of showing us the darkness of the world and preventing us from believing the best. No one would confuse the story of Jephthah of being too good, but it almost was. It could’ve been. It should’ve been. Which is really the whole point. A broken, tragic story that was so close to being the story God intends to write. The one that is there for all of us. The question is, will it be your story?

Sometimes in our rush to get what we want, we don’t really pay attention to what it is we’re getting. We rush to fill our need with something we think will solve the problem. Unfortunately, when we rush to fill that void, our solution is worse than the problem. So it is with the wanna be king- Abimelech. His story teaches us to be careful what we wish for and more importantly, how God has provided what we really need.

As Americans, we’re taught from childhood that independence is a good and powerful thing. We celebrate it every Fourth of July. We read about it in our history books. It’s part of who we are. While that may be a great thing for a country, we shouldn’t be so quick to assume that is the best thing for us as people. In fact, our path to wholeness is found when we embrace our weakness and dependence upon God.

Sometimes it seems impossible to know what God wants of us. Other times it seems so easy we don’t trust our discernment. When God called Gideon, he almost couldn’t believe what was happening. He needed to know for sure. He needed certainty. Is that how God works? Is that how faith works? Gideon’s story gives us a peek at our own hearts and how God uses flawed people.

Strong female leadership or weak, cowardly male? Maybe both? Maybe neither? The story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael is one that has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. From a female judge to the bloody victory of a housewife, this story shows us that God often uses the unexpected to accomplish the necessary. What are we to learn from a story like this? What does it teach us about leadership and the way God works?

Violent, dark, depressing, graphic, crass. Welcome to the book of Judges. We begin our look at the judges of Israel with one of the strangest and most graphic stories in all of scripture- the story of the judge and assassin Ehud. What does a left-handed assassin have to teach a people so far removed from this violent and graphic period in Israel’s history? More than you might think.

It has been reported that Mark Twain said “History doesn’t repeat itself. But it does rhyme.” Whether he said it or not, that sentiment is undoubtedly true. We have no further to look than the book of Judges to see how that plays out- over and over again. While the book of Judges reads like a manual for how to do things wrong, we’d be short-sighted if we didn’t see how that song keeps rhyming in our nation and our own lives even today.