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Have you ever noticed how easy it is to drift? Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “Today I’m going to forget about God.” Nobody plans to disobey. Nobody puts it on the calendar: Start worshiping idols. Stop praying. Stop caring. Stop listening. That’s not how it happens. It happens slowly. Quietly. You miss one opportunity to obey. You ignore one conviction. You let one habit hang around. You start making peace with something God told you to kill. And before you know it, you’re still religious, still busy, still showing up—but your heart isn’t clinging to the Lord anymore. That’s exactly where Israel is when the book of Judges opens. God brought them into the land. He gave them victories they never could’ve earned. And Joshua’s last words weren’t a celebration speech. They were a warning. He told them to cling to the Lord, love Him, obey Him, and never mix their hearts with the nations and their gods. But Judges begins by showing us what happens when people stop clinging. They don’t usually sprint away from God. They settle. They stop short. They do enough to feel faithful, but not enough to actually be faithful. And partial obedience is dangerous because it gives you the illusion that everything is fine while your soul is sliding. So tonight, I want to show you three things from Judges 3, through the stories of Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar: What happens when God’s people drift How God sends saviors anyways Why those rescues point us straight to Jesus Because the big truth of Judges is this: If you won’t cling to God, you’ll end up chained to something else—but God still sends a Savior. The Warning God brought Israel into the land. He gave victories they couldn’t have earned. And Joshua’s final words were not a victory speech, they were a warning. He told them: cling to the LORD, love Him, obey Him, and do not mix your heart with the nations and their gods (Joshua 23–24). He said, in essence, “If you treat the covenant lightly, the land will become heavy.” But Judges opens by showing us they stopped short. They fought some battles, won some ground, but they did not finish what God commanded. They settled into partial obedience, and partial obedience is always more dangerous than open rebellion because it lets you feel faithful while you’re drifting. Judges 2 explains what God does next. The angel of the LORD announces: “You have not obeyed my voice… I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you” (Judges 2:1–3). And Israel weeps, not because their hearts are transformed but, because they realize the cost. And it doesn’t take long for the snare to tighten. The nations remain in the land, Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Israel begins to blend. They intermarry. They adopt the worship practices. They stop teaching the next generation who God is. And the book is not subtle about what’s happening: Israel is forgetting the LORD. And God had already told them what that would mean. Deuteronomy was clear: faithfulness brings blessing, rebellion brings discipline, and foreign oppression would be part of that discipline. Judges is Deuteronomy playing out in real time. So what’s surprising in Judges is not that Israel sins. The surprising thing is that God doesn’t erase them. He disciplines them, yes, but He also keeps rescuing them. The Cycle After Joshua’s generation dies, the book shows a repeating cycle: Israel sins → God hands them over → Israel cries out → God raises a deliverer → the land has rest → and then they drift again. The judges are not primarily “heroes.” They are deliverers, saviors in the sense that God raises them up to rescue His people from oppression. And as the book goes on, the deliverers become more complicated, and Israel becomes more corrupt. The point is not, “Look at these great people.” The point is, “Look at this great God, and look at how deep the human problem goes.” So tonight we start with two early deliverers: Othniel and Ehud. The Saviors The Judges are really just saviors. They are men and women whom God raises up to lead the people against an oppressive enemy. As we read through the book of Judges, we notice that these saviors come from many different tribes. They are not “heroes” in the way we might view heroes. There are fifteen judges, if we count Eli and Samuel in 1 Samuel. Some we have a lot of information about, some a small amount. But one thing becomes obvious as we read about them. They are becoming worse and worse over time. It is obvious that they lack an understanding of God’s word, until we get to Samuel. Today, we are going to look closely at all of the lesser known judges, and in future lessons we will look at those we know more about, individually. Othniel and the Arameans Judges 3 tells us plainly what happens: “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” (Judges 3:7) They didn’t just sin. They replaced God. So: “Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim… and the people of Israel served him eight years.” (Judges 3:8) God sold them. This isn’t God being weak. This is God being faithful to His covenant warnings. Israel wants life without Him, and God lets them feel the chains that come with that choice. But then: “When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer… Othniel.” (Judges 3:9) And the center of the story is not Othniel’s skill, it’s God’s power: “The Spirit of the LORD was upon him… and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim… into his hand.” (Judges 3:10) And the result: “So the land had rest forty years.” (Judges 3:11) Othniel’s story is clean, almost simple. It’s the “best-case” version of Judges. And it sets you up to hope: maybe the people learned. But then the next words hit: “And the people of Israel again did what was evil…” (Judges 3:12) Again. That’s the ache. Rest didn’t cure the heart. Ehud This time, the text says something that makes modern people uneasy: “And the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel.” (Judges 3:12) God strengthens the oppressor, not because oppression is righteous but, because discipline is necessary. God refuses to let covenant rebellion drift without consequence. For eighteen years, Moab dominates Israel. Tribute is collected. Israel labors, and a foreign king grows fat on their work. And again Israel cries out. And again God raises a deliverer: Ehud, a left-handed man from Benjamin. Ehud brings tribute with a sword attached to his right thigh, hidden under his cloak. He tells Eglon he has a secret message, then Ehud assassinates him when his servants are out of the room. The story is graphic. It’s humiliating. It’s not the kind of scene you describe in detail in this setting. So what do we do with that? First, we don’t pretend it isn’t there. Judges doesn’t sanitize reality. Second, we don’t turn Ehud into a moral model for how to handle problems. And third, we recognize what Judges is showing us: God is rescuing His people in a dark time, through a deliverer who fits the darkness of the time. The method is not the point. The deliverance is. And after Ehud escapes, Israel rallies, and the LORD

At the start of the year, I told you that prayer is something I’ve struggled with at times. I’ve spent hours praying while driving long commutes, pouring out my heart to God. But I’ve also reduced prayer to habit—motions without expectation. When prayers are answered quickly, prayer feels powerful. When they aren’t, prayer feels pointless. And if we’re honest, that’s where many of us begin to drift. But how should we think about God when He doesn’t answer or when he answers, “No?” We can think about many things. We can think that He is evil and mean. We can think that He just doesn’t care about us or that we don’t matter. We can think that He has something in mind that we don’t know about. But we can also think that there is something wrong with us or what we are asking. Maybe we just don’t have enough faith. We struggle to pray because we don’t like the idea that God will tell us “No” to something we really think needs to happen. Today, we are going to see that when God doesn’t give us any response or when He seems to be saying “No,” He is not absent. He is revealing His wisdom, His purposes, and our hearts in the silence. After we understand that, we will see why we need to keep praying through the doubts, fears, and periods of suffering. Ten different reasons God says “No” When we look throughout History, there are multiple occasions when God says, “No.” Moses - Consequences and Finality (Deut 3:23-27) The first instance is when Moses was in the wilderness with Israel, he had failed to honor God by following His command to speak to the rock. Consequently, God told him he would die in the wilderness. But he prayed for God to let him go in and to let his eyes see the land. God said, “No” and He told Moses to stop asking. We aren’t really told why God wouldn’t change His mind on this, but it seems to make it clear that it was time for Moses to die. Sometimes, it’s about consequences and sometimes it’s just time for someone to die. Sometimes God says no not because He hasn’t considered the request, but because He has. We have to recognize God’s wisdom and knowledge in every situation. God did not change His mind, not because He was unkind but, because the judgment had already been considered fully and finally. David - Discipline and God’s Holiness (2 Sam 12:15-23) The second instance is right after the events we learned about last week. David’s adultery and murder of Uriah. Though God forgave David, He promised that He would bring evil upon David’s house. This started with the child that Bathsheba had born to him. The boy fell deathly ill when he was still young. Can you imagine having a child sick like that and knowing it was a consequence of your sin? David fasted, prayed, and did not move for seven days. He was constantly calling out to God for mercy for the child, and no one could budge him. Again, God said, “No.” The boy died. But what’s most interesting about this story is the part afterward. As soon as David found out that the boy had died, he got up, washed himself, and went to the temple to offer worship to God. David didn’t hate God or wallow in self-pity. He said, “I will go to him, he will not come back to me.” David didn’t stop believing when God said no. He stopped bargaining—and started worshiping. No bitterness. No accusations. No collapse of faith. David understood something we often forget: God’s holiness had not disappeared just because David’s heart was breaking. Habakkuk - Judgment and Trust (Hab 1-3) In Habakkuk, we read about a prophet who is told about the destruction of Judah before it happens. He prays for God to not do this, to fix Israel in some other way. But God tells Habakkuk, “No.” Again, the response is full of faith. Habakkuk says, “Even though everything around me is falling apart, I will praise you and rejoice in your greatness, believing that you will be with me and help me rise above my tribulation.” God said no to Habakkuk’s request, and yet Habakkuk ends his prayer with praise. Even if everything collapses, even if the fields produce nothing, even if life falls apart—he will rejoice in God. Why? Because his faith was anchored in who God is, not in what God allows. Paul - Formation and Humility (2 Cor 12:7-10) As we come into the New Testament, we can see that Christians don’t fare any better. Paul reveals that he had gone to God on multiple occasions asking God to remove a constant pain in him, but God told him, “No, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” It turns out that in this case, the thorn in Paul’s side was keeping him from being conceited. There was an underlying function of the pain Paul wanted removed. Again, Paul doesn’t let this answer make him bitter. He instead continues in his efforts and glorifies God in his weakness, knowing that it is for his good. The very thing Paul wanted removed was shaping him into the man God was using. And Paul learned to rejoice—not in comfort, but in grace. Jesus - Redemption and Submission (Matt 26:36-46) And, of course, we know that God the Son, himself did not get what he wanted. Jesus went to God in Gethsemane and prayed for the cup to pass, but God said, “No.” It is interesting, in this case, that Jesus says, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done” in Matthew 26. This phrase is important. It indicates that Jesus leaves room for the wisdom and foreknowledge of God. That was trust. Jesus trusted the wisdom of the Father more than His own desire to avoid pain. And because of that “No,” salvation was accomplished. Why Does God Say, “No” To Me So, God does say, “No.” But why is He telling me no? When God says “No,” our minds race. Maybe He’s cruel.Maybe He doesn’t care.Maybe I don’t matter.Maybe I don’t have enough faith.Maybe something is wrong with me. And our culture has not helped us here. We live in a world that has turned prayer into a transaction. Push the right buttons. Say the right words. Have enough confidence. And if the miracle doesn’t happen, someone must be at fault. That kind of thinking has hurt people deeply. Because it teaches us to believe that unanswered prayer means failed faith. But Scripture tells a very different story. These examples are supposed to show us that faithful men are told “No” by God. Maybe there is a punishment like in the case with David. Maybe it’s just not a part of God’s overall plan, like in the cases of Moses, Habakkuk, and Jesus. Or maybe what I’m asking for is not truly what is best for me like in the case of Paul. I really don’t know which it is. But there are some things we can know. The Truth About Prayer Sometimes “No” is “Not Yet” (Luke 11:5-10, 18:1-8) The first thing we can know is that “No” might be “Not Yet.” Are there times in your life when you have prayed for something only to find it comes true years later, after you have stopped praying? Luke 11:5–10 (ESV) — 5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. When we read in Luke 11 about the man who doesn’t want to get out of bed and give bread to the neighbor, what are we supposed to notice? The main point seems to be the willingness of the man to grant

The God of Israel has shown Himself faithful to His promises. He delivered Jericho—the first major city in the promised land—into the hands of Joshua and His people. All they had to do was obey Him and trust His power. They watched as the walls of a fortified city collapsed without a single battering ram. Jericho was not won by Israel’s strength or strategy. Jericho was handed over by the LORD. But before they entered the city, God gave them one clear instruction. Joshua 6:17–21 (ESV) — And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction… all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord. Jericho wasn’t just a victory—it was devoted. Everything living in the city was placed under God’s judgment, and the metals were declared holy to the LORD. They were not Israel’s to keep. They belonged to God. Jericho was the firstfruits of the land, the first proof that God was fighting for His people, and God claimed it for Himself. If God gives the victory, God sets the terms. This makes sense when you consider what lies ahead. God is about to give Israel the whole land the same way He gave them Jericho. The victories east of the Jordan were only a preview. Rahab already told them the people of the land were melting in fear. No one could stand against them when God went before them. So the first major victory inside the land was devoted entirely to Him—because He is worthy of it. Unfortunate Events After Jericho, Israel’s confidence rises quickly. They feel unstoppable. Just up the hill sits a smaller city—Ai. Joshua sends spies, and they return full of confidence. “We don’t need many men for this.” So Joshua sends about three thousand soldiers. Instead of an easy victory, Israel is routed. Thirty-six men are killed. Thirty-six may not sound like many, but remember this: when God fights for Israel, no one falls. That’s what makes this loss so alarming. This isn’t just a military setback—it feels like God has withdrawn. Joshua and the elders tear their clothes and fall on their faces before the LORD. Joshua cries out, “Why bring us over the Jordan just to be defeated? Now the people of the land will hear of it and destroy us.” And the text tells us the hearts of the people melted and became like water. The fear that once gripped Canaan is now creeping into Israel. God responds, not with comfort, but with clarity. Joshua 7:10–12 (ESV) — “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned… therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies… I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.” God doesn’t tell Joshua to adjust his strategy. He tells him something is wrong in the camp. Someone has taken what was devoted to the LORD. God piles up the language: they took, they stole, they lied, they hid it among their belongings. This wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate. God’s presence is not optional. What makes this unsettling is that God speaks as if the whole nation is accountable. These are more than a million people—how could they possibly keep God in their midst if sin exists among them? But God is not demanding sinless perfection. He is exposing a specific kind of sin: covenant treachery—stealing what was holy and hiding it as if God cannot see. Can you imagine how foolish you must be to steal from the God who just tore down walls in front of you? That isn’t weakness. That is defiance. The Searchlight Falls Joshua rises early and brings Israel forward tribe by tribe. Judah is taken. Then the Zerahites. Then Zabdi. Household by household, man by man, the circle tightens until the lot finally falls on Achan. Joshua 7:19–21 (ESV) — “My son, give glory to the Lord… tell me what you have done.” And Achan answered, “Truly I have sinned… when I saw… then I coveted… and took… and hid them.” Achan’s confession gives us the anatomy of temptation: I saw. I coveted. I took. I hid. That is how sin grows when it is left alone. It moves from the eyes, to the desires, to the hands, and finally into the dark. Now imagine standing there as the lot narrows—tribe, clan, household, man—knowing you’re the only one who did this. And here’s what makes it even heavier: thirty-six men are dead because of what Achan buried under his tent floor. Achan is not remembered for courage. He is remembered for a secret he thought God wouldn’t see. He valued the treasure of a condemned city over the greatest treasure Israel had been given—the presence of the living God. Judgment That Offends Us The judgment is severe. Achan is stoned and burned, and his household is included. That is difficult for us to read, especially when children are mentioned. But the narrative is teaching something essential about life with a holy God in the midst of His people. Jericho was not ordinary spoil. It was devoted. The devoted things were holy to the LORD. Achan didn’t just break a rule—he violated something sacred and hid it in the center of his home, right in the middle of the camp. God is making something unmistakably clear: when I dwell among you, I will not be treated as small. You cannot host holiness and hide rebellion under the same roof. Israel raises a pile of stones over Achan, and the place is called the Valley of Achor—Trouble. And then we read the line that explains everything: “Then the LORD turned from his burning anger.” Restoration Immediately, Joshua 8 shows the restoration. God tells Joshua not to fear. He gives them a plan. Israel ambushes Ai and destroys the city. This time, God allows them to take the plunder for themselves. Jericho was unique. Jericho was firstfruits. Jericho belonged to God. After the victory, Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal. Burnt offerings and peace offerings are made. The law is written and read aloud so that everyone hears it—men, women, children, and sojourners alike. The covenant is renewed. The message could not be clearer: if Israel wants God in their midst, they must take His word seriously. When Sin Is in the Camp Sin in the camp is never just personal. Sometimes it is hidden carefully. Someone refuses to bring it into the light. They don’t want repentance; they want privacy. Over time, the whole congregation weakens. Trust erodes. Courage fades. Fear replaces faith. There are moments when a church must remove someone who has chosen stubborn rebellion—not because the church is harsh, but because God is holy and His name matters. The New Testament speaks with this same seriousness. Hebrews 10:26–31 warns about deliberate sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth—treating Christ’s sacrifice as something to step over rather than submit to. The writer calls it trampling the Son of God underfoot, profaning the blood of the covenant, and outraging the Spirit of grace. God is not going to be mocked. And notice this: the consequences of sin never stop with the sinner. Israel could not move forward until the devoted thing was removed. And churches cannot move forward while hidden rebellion is quietly protected. The elephant in the room must be addressed before God’s people can walk in strength again. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul tells the Christians to address the sinning brother who persists in sin. When we go through the process of rebuking and exhorting someone who is fully engaged in sin, we must be willing to withdraw and remove the bad leaven from the lump. Overcoming Achan’s Sin Achan is a picture of what we deserve. Every one of us knows what it is to see something we wanted, to crave it, to justify it, and to hide it. And once we get it, we realize it didn’t heal us—it only made us guilty. So what do we do? Jesus did what we could not do. He resisted temptation. He gave glory to God. And then He endured the judgment we deserved. We are the criminals. We are the rebels. A

Most people don’t plan to ruin their lives. They don’t wake up one morning intending to cross a line they can’t uncross. It usually starts smaller than that. A desire goes unmet. A wound goes unhealed. A restlessness sets in. And we tell ourselves we’re just trying to feel whole again. We’re desperate people. We’re trying to quiet the ache. We’re trying to feel alive. We’re trying to fix what feels broken inside of us. And for a moment, it feels like it works. Until it doesn’t. That’s when guilt shows up. Guilt has a way of pressing in on us. It tells us we’ve gone too far. It tells us we can’t undo what we’ve done. It tells us we’ve damaged something—maybe our integrity, maybe our family, maybe our relationship with God. And once that weight settles in, every person faces the same question: What do you do when you’ve blown it? Some people bury the guilt and keep going. Others try to outrun it with distraction or religion. But a few people do something different. They stop hiding. They come clean. They go to God. Psalm 51 is the prayer of a man who has done serious damage and knows it. Luke 11 reminds us why a sinner like that can still pray at all. Together, they show us that God is not repelled by honest repentance—He is waiting for it. Today, we’re going to walk with a man who crossed a line he never thought he would cross, felt the crushing weight of guilt, and discovered that God’s mercy is deeper than his failure. The Greatest Sin (2 Samuel 11–12) David is one of the most prominent people in Scripture. He is not a nobody. He is not ignorant. He is not unacquainted with God. God has been with him for a decade while he has struggled against Saul. Now, he’s the king of Israel and no foe can stand against him. And that’s part of what makes his collapse so sobering. While his army is away at war, David is at home. He sees a woman bathing and decides to take her—knowing she is Uriah’s wife. Then comes the panic. She becomes pregnant. David tries to cover his sin with more sin, and before long he’s arranging the death of a loyal man and pretending it’s just the fog of war. His one choice becomes a chain. Lust becomes deception. Deception becomes manipulation. Manipulation becomes bloodguilt. And for a moment it looks like he got away with it. Life keeps moving. The palace keeps functioning. The rumors quiet down. The marriage happens. The future seems manageable. Then God sends a prophet. Nathan approaches David, not with an accusation first, but with a story. A rich man has a visitor. Instead of taking from his own flock, he steals the one treasured lamb of a poor man—the little lamb that ate from his hand and lay in his arms and was like a daughter to him. The rich man snatches it, kills it, and serves it. David is enraged. Something in him still knows right from wrong. He thunders with judgment. “That man deserves to die.” And then Nathan turns the blade with five words that can stop a heart: “You are the man.” 2 Samuel 12:7–12 (ESV) — Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul… Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? … For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” Notice what the Lord says through Nathan. God doesn’t start with what David did. God starts with what He gave. “I anointed you. I delivered you. I gave you. I would have given you more.” David’s sin is not merely that he broke a rule. He despised the word of the Lord. He treated God’s generosity as if it were nothing. He reached for what was forbidden as if God had starved him. And God makes something else clear. David did it secretly, but God saw it openly. God watched the whole chain unfold—the look, the desire, the decision, the coverup, the letter, the death. David may have hidden it from the nation, but he never hid it from the Lord. That is a terrifying thought when you’re living in sin. And it is a merciful thought when you’re ready to come clean. Because it means you can stop pretending. You can stop performing. You can stop acting like God needs to be informed. He already knows. The question is whether you will agree with Him about what you’ve done. When you have blown it, what did you think was happening? Did you think God wouldn’t see? Did you think you could manage the consequences? Did you think your private life wouldn’t touch your public life? David teaches us something we don’t like to learn: sin never stays contained, and God never loses track. God’s judgment on David is severe, and it is warranted. David’s sin shattered trust, abused power, and spilled innocent blood. The consequences will reach into his home for years. And then David finally speaks with the only sentence a guilty person can say without lying. “I have sinned against the Lord.” That sentence is the hinge of this entire sermon. God’s Desire: A Broken, Contrite Spirit (Psalm 51) When you read Psalm 51, you are listening in on what happens after “You are the man.” This is what repentance sounds like when it’s real. David isn’t bargaining. He isn’t spinning. He is collapsing before God. He begins exactly where Jesus teaches us to begin: with who God is. “Have mercy on me… according to your steadfast love… according to your abundant mercy.” David is not asking God to be something God is not. He is appealing to what God has revealed Himself to be. Mercy. Steadfast love. Abundant compassion. And then the verbs pour out of him like a man scrubbing blood from his hands: Wash me.Cleanse me.Purge me.Blot out my transgressions.Let me hear joy again.Cast me not away from your presence.Take not your Holy Spirit from me.Uphold me with a willing spirit.Create in me a clean heart. That list matters because it shows what David understands. He doesn’t just need a second chance. He needs cleansing. He doesn’t just need consequences reduced. He needs his heart remade. He doesn’t just need God to overlook him. He needs God to hold him up. And David says the sentence that explains why his sacrifice won’t fix this: “You will not delight in sacrifice… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” That is not David rejecting God’s instructions about worship. That is David rejecting the idea that worship can be used to cover sin. He knows you can sing while lying. You can give while hiding. You can offer a sacrifice and still be proud. You can keep your schedule full of “religion” and still refuse to repent. David says, “God, I don’t have an offering big enough to buy my way back. But I can give You what You actually want—truth in the inward being. A crushed heart. No deceit.” And that is where Luke 11 becomes so precious. Because the moment you become broken and contrite, you start to wonder: will God reject me anyway? Jesus answers that fear. He says when you pray, you say, “Father.” And then He teaches persistence—ask, seek, knock—because God is not irritated by repentant people who keep coming. He is not sitting in heaven saying, “If you were really sorry, you’d stop bothering me.” Jesus says the opposite. If a reluctant neighbor can be moved by persistence, how much more will your Father respond? And then Jesus lands the plane with a promise that sounds like it was written to sit beside Psalm 51: “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” David prays, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me… uphold me.” Jesus says, “Ask your Father. He gives the Spirit.” In other words: when you’ve blown it, you don’t come to a clenched fist. You come to a Father who gives what is good—especially what is necessary for a changed life. Here is the mindset Psalm 51 teaches, stated plainly. David knows what he has done.David knows the seriousness of sin before God.David admits the problem is deeper than one mistake.David knows he cannot pay God back with religious effort.David asks God to do what only God can do: cleanse him and

Forty years have passed since Egypt was decimated by God’s mighty hand. News came in and spread that Israel has a God who fights for them. The plagues and defeat of Pharaoh’s army is known. For the last forty years the people in the land of Canaan have known that Israel lives in the wilderness to their south. But they have giants and fortresses no one can defeat. But recently, word has come that Israel was able to defeat the great nations just east of the river Jordan, Midianites, Moabites, Amalekites, and Amorites have all fallen in a crushing defeat. It wasn’t even close. Their God still fights for them. Fear and terror starts to grip the citizens of Canaan land. How will they defeat an enemy with such a powerful God fighting for them? The citizens of a fortress town of Jericho don’t have to worry just yet. The Jordan river keeps them away. Among the Israelites, a change of leadership has just taken place. Joshua has stood tall and courageous to lead the people. He sends out two spies to go throughout the land and get a sense of it. When they make it into Jericho, they stay with a prostitute named Rahab. There were lots of evil and immoral people in the land. Women were treated as a commodity and sold for financial gain. No doubt Rahab was one of those and she suffered through it. For some reason unknown to us, she shows hospitality to the Israelite spies. Then, at some point the news gets out that they are spies. Rahab learns of it about the same time as the king of Jericho. He sends soldiers to capture them. But Rahab does something odd. Imagine having soldiers coming to your house to arrest the guests who you are showing hospitality to. Imagine finding out these men are Israelite spies. Wouldn’t that be terrifying? Fear of them and their God has spread everywhere and you were housing them. Now there is a fear of your own people’s soldiers coming to capture them. But Rahab doesn’t cower in fear. She quickly takes the men onto the roof and hides them in stalks of flax that she arranged in an orderly way. Then she tells the soldiers that the spies left just before dark through the gate. This is such a fascinating decision. In that moment she chose to change her loyalty from her own wicked people to these spies, but it wasn’t really to them. Joshua 2:8–14 (ESV) — 8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” After this interaction, Rahab tied together a scarlet cloth to let them down the side of the wall, through a window in her home. Rahab then instructed the men on how to escape, asking only for salvation when Israel destroys her home city. She completely swaps sides. She is a traitor in every sense of the word, but she betrays the dark in order to step into the light. She knows judgment is deserved for her people, and she confesses her belief that the God of the Israelites is the one true God of heaven and earth. The men agree to her terms and promise her safety. Her scarlett cloth would let the people of Israel know that they should “passover” her house. She will be saved. But can they do that? Mercy & Judgment What I find interesting in this whole interchange is the fact that the spies make a deal with someone, a prostitute, in the promised land. They aren’t supposed to do that according to the law. Deuteronomy 7:1–5 (ESV) — 1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. Deuteronomy 20:16–18 (ESV) — 16 But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17 but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, 18 that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God. Moses made it clear that they are to exterminate the people of the land. There are no second chances. Everyone is to be killed for their sins. If they let them live, they will corrupt the Israelites and God would turn on them to destroy them. This just happened with the Midianites and Moabites. They started mixing with wicked people and idolatry led to their destruction. There is something inherently evil about these people and they must be destroyed. If that is true, why do these spies let Rahab live? Throughout the conquest of the promised land, Joshua and the people of Israel are not cruel and hateful in their task. They aren’t cold and calloused towards the Canaanites. They understand one very important issue that separates them from everyone else. They trust in the one true God and seek to do His will.Everyone who does likewise is to be saved from judgment. Elsewhere throughout the Old Testament, we read some important information. Exodus 12:48–49 (ESV) — 48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” Leviticus 19:33–34 (ESV) — 33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. God did not have a hatred of the people. His hatred was of their sin. Rahab had turned from that sin and decided to put her trust in the Lord. She chose to exalt God instead of fighting against Him. This is what makes her different from everyone else and able to receive mercy. As remarkable as it sounds, not many in Canaan would submit themselves to that same fate. Some would cower in fear, some would rise up in rebellion, but almost none would submit to the will of God. They loved their sin too much, and this is why they received judgment instead of mercy. Rahab is calling for God to extend His hesed, His faithful love, to her and her family as she extends hers to Him. God accepts the offer and shows tremendous love and compassion to an immoral woman who wants to change. Not only does he accept her, he makes her a part of his special family. Rahab would marry an Israelite. From her would come Boaz, David, and the many kings of Israel. Eventually, the king of kings. Why? Because God wants His message to ring throu

Why don’t we pray? Why do we so often fail to pray at all? We believe in prayer. We talk about prayer. We tell others they should pray. Yet when pressure mounts, when disappointment lingers, when life feels heavy or confusing, prayer is often what we neglect rather than the first place we turn. That raises an uncomfortable question: what is going on in our hearts and minds that keeps us from speaking to God? When Jesus walked the earth, prayer was not an occasional discipline for Him; it was the rhythm of His life. The Gospels repeatedly show Him withdrawing from crowds, stepping away from demands, and separating Himself even from His closest companions so that He could pray. Sometimes He prayed early in the morning. Sometimes He prayed late into the night. Sometimes He prayed all night long. Prayer was not something Jesus fit into His schedule—it was the source of His strength and direction. Eventually, the disciples noticed. They saw how prayer shaped Him, steadied Him, and sustained Him. And in Luke 11, one of them finally speaks up. “Teach Us To Pray” (Luke 11:1–13) “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” That request is more revealing than it first appears. They do not ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, as if they simply needed better words or a better structure. They ask Him to teach them to pray. They want what Jesus has. They recognize that prayer is not merely a technique—it is a posture, a relationship, a way of living before God. Something about Jesus’ prayer life stood out to them. Perhaps it was the consistency of it. Perhaps it was the confidence with which He prayed. Perhaps it was the way prayer seemed to shape every decision He made. Whatever it was, they knew this was not empty religious speech. This was communion with God. Jesus responds by giving what we often call “The Lord’s Prayer.” But He does not give it as a formula to be recited mindlessly. He gives it as a framework for thinking rightly about God and ourselves. God is holy. God’s kingdom comes first. We are dependent creatures who need daily provision, daily forgiveness, and daily guidance. Prayer begins with humility and trust, not performance. That mindset would have been foreign to many who heard it, especially in a religious culture where prayer was often public, performative, and aimed at impressing others rather than communing with God. Jesus then presses the lesson further. He tells a parable about a neighbor who keeps knocking in the middle of the night. He follows that with the picture of a father who gives good gifts to his children. And He draws a clear conclusion: prayer requires persistence because it is rooted in confidence, not desperation. Ask, seek, knock—not because God is reluctant, but because God is good. This is the mindset Jesus wants His disciples to have toward prayer. God is not annoyed by our requests. He is not distant from our needs. He is a Father who delights to give what is good, ultimately giving His own Spirit to those who ask. Praying Through Tears (1 Samuel 1:1–2:10) To see what this kind of prayer looks like in real life, we turn to the story of Hannah. Hannah’s life is marked by quiet suffering. She is one of two wives of Elkanah, and like Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel before her, she is barren. She is deeply loved by her husband, but her pain is made worse by Peninnah, who mocks her relentlessly. Hannah lives every day with a grief she cannot fix and a humiliation she cannot escape. Each year, the family travels to Shiloh to worship. What should have been a joyful celebration becomes an annual reminder of Hannah’s sorrow. Surrounded by children she does not have, pitied by a husband who cannot heal her pain, and provoked by a rival who delights in her suffering, Hannah reaches a breaking point. One year, she cannot eat. She cannot pretend. She excuses herself and goes to the entrance of the tabernacle, and there she does something important. She brings God into her suffering. She weeps bitterly. She prays silently. She pours out her soul before the Lord and asks Him to see her, to remember her, and to act. She even makes a vow, promising that if God gives her a son, she will give him back to the Lord for all his days. Even then, misunderstanding follows. Eli the priest assumes she is drunk. But Hannah does not lash out or withdraw. She humbly explains that she is not intoxicated—she is devastated. She is pouring out her heart to God. Eli blesses her, and something remarkable happens next. She leaves. She eats. She is no longer sad. Nothing has changed yet, but her faith has. She believes God has heard her. In time, God answers. Hannah gives birth to a son and names him Samuel—“God has heard.” And when the time comes, she keeps her vow. She gives her son back to the Lord, trusting that the God who gave him is worthy to receive him. Her prayer turns into praise, and her sorrow gives way to joy. Lessons Learned Now, let’s connect these two texts together to see what we can learn about prayer. There’s something here to help us pray more. See the Power of Prayer Hannah’s story shows us exactly what Jesus was teaching in Luke 11. Hannah did not assume God was distant. She did not believe her pain was too small. She did not conclude that her suffering was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. She believed that the God who rules the world also sees His servants personally. Too often, we believe God can do anything—but quietly doubt that He will do anything for us. We trust His power in theory, but we question His personal concern in practice. We imagine God focused on the “big picture” while our daily griefs remain unnoticed. Hannah refused to live independently from God. She brought Him into the place that hurt the most. Her faith is visible at every stage of the story—when she prays, when she waits, when she believes, when she gives, and when she praises. Prayer was not a transaction for Hannah; it was a relationship grounded in trust. Believe in the “Yes” God has absolute power. He raises up and brings low. He gives life and takes it away. There is nothing beyond His ability. But with all that power, He is not distant from His people. He sees you. He hears you. He knows your trials and your tears. Jesus teaches us to pray believing that God wants to answer. That does not mean God always says “Yes.” Scripture is honest about that. Paul hears “No” about his thorn. Moses hears “No” about entering the Promised Land. But Jesus tells us to keep asking until God says no. So ask. Ask for healing. Ask for relief. Ask for wisdom. Ask for restoration. Ask believing that God is good and that He knows how to give good gifts to His children. We ask rightly when our prayers are shaped by God’s kingdom and God’s glory. That was Hannah’s heart. She trusted God not only with the gift, but with what she would do if He gave it. Do Not Leave God Out Do not leave God on the margins of your life. Do not suffer silently when God invites you to speak. If God loved you enough to send His Son to die for your sins, He cares about your pain now. Prayer is not a burden God tolerates—it is an invitation He extends. The reason we do not pray is often not because we doubt God’s power, but because we doubt His goodness toward us. Jesus calls us to reject that doubt and to come to God with confidence, persistence, and trust. So pray more. Pray honestly. Pray persistently. Pray believing that your Father hears you. And watch what God does when His children finally knock on the door. Conclusion So why don’t we pray? It is rarely because we doubt that God can answer. More often, it is because we quietly doubt that He will—at least for us, at least in this situation, at least this time. Somewhere along the way, we begin to live as though our burdens are either too small to matter or too complicated to bring before Him. And when that happens, prayer slowly fades from a relationship into a last resort. But Jesus tells us to ask, to seek, and to knock—not as a test of persistence, but as an expression of trust. He wants His people to believe that God is not irritated by their prayers, not distant from their pain, and not indifferent to their needs. He wants us to pray like children who know their Father listens. Hannah teaches us the same lesson. She did not clean up her grief before praying. She did not wait until she had the right words. She brought her broken heart into

I have a friend who moved to a city in California after learning to preach and teach the Bible. He hoped he could reach lost people there—and he was right. Many in that town were open to the gospel. Gang members, addicts, sexually immoral men and women heard the good news and committed their lives to Christ. But that blessing created pressure. The number of outsiders grew beyond the number of well-trained church members. They grew too big too quickly. And suddenly the church had to face questions that made them uncomfortable—questions that forced change. Not because the gospel failed… but because it succeeded. That story isn’t just a modern story. It’s a Bible story. The Scriptures are full of people who were pushed to the edges. Joseph was rejected by his brothers. Rahab was an outsider who aided Israel. Ruth was a Moabite. Hannah was barren and mocked. David was the overlooked shepherd. God’s people became exiles in Babylon—far from home, far from comfort, and easy to dismiss. Yet God chose to love them deeply. And when you open the New Testament, Jesus mirrors that same heart. He launches His ministry in Galilee, a region scorned by elites. He calls fishermen and tax collectors. He eats with sinners and outcasts. Jesus doesn’t avoid outsiders—He moves toward them. So here’s the challenge I want to lay on us today: embrace that mindset intentionally. Who are the outcasts around you—maybe the lonely neighbor, the struggling coworker, or the immigrant family? What would it look like for you to show them the care of God? That’s exactly where Romans takes us. We’re studying the closing chapters of Romans, and Paul is showing us God’s unchanging desire: to include the excluded through the gospel. From the beginning of the letter—where Paul announces the power of the gospel—to the end—where he calls for harmony—Paul’s whole vision is a church that is strong enough and united enough to welcome outsiders. Because let’s be honest: when visitors walk into a church where people are fussing and fighting, they feel it. They don’t feel drawn in. They feel like they walked into a family argument. But harmony creates an environment where outsiders can breathe, listen, and stay. So today we’re going to look at three key ideas from Romans 15–16: God’s Plan Paul’s Role Our Role God’s Plan (15:8–13) Romans 15:8–13 (ESV) — 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Jesus came first to Israel—not to reject them, but to fulfill every promise God had ever made. Their rejection of Him was not a failure of God’s plan. It was a refusal to believe what God had plainly revealed. And even in that rejection, God’s mercy overflowed beyond Israel. Paul proves that this was always the plan by quoting Scripture—Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah. These are not obscure lines. God repeatedly said the nations would rejoice, praise, hope, and be welcomed. This wasn’t Plan B. God has always intended to gather people from every background into one family. The real issue was expectation. Many were looking for a Messiah who would restore political power and reinforce cultural superiority. But God was doing something bigger. In Christ, outsiders weren’t just tolerated—they were given hope. That’s why Paul ends this section with a prayer: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing…” (Romans 15:13) Hope belongs to people who once had none. Outsiders are not second-class citizens in God’s kingdom. They are forgiven, transformed, and united in Christ. Superiority has no place here. In Christ, there is one people, one family, one hope. Paul’s Role (15:14–29) Paul is living proof that God can change anyone. He was once a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” fiercely loyal to tradition and deeply hostile toward Gentiles. But Jesus met him on the Damascus road and redirected his life toward the very people he once despised. So when Paul looks at the Roman Christians—mostly Gentiles—he doesn’t see a problem. He sees a family. Romans 15:14–16 (ESV) — 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s mission is not just conversion; it is transformation. He wants outsiders to grow into mature, Christlike believers. It is not enough for people to say they follow Jesus. They must be shaped by Him. And Paul is careful to take no credit for this work. He credits Christ for his success: Romans 15:17–19 (ESV) — 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; That humility is striking. Paul works hard, travels endlessly, suffers deeply—and yet he sees himself as a tool in God’s hands. Not a hero. Not a celebrity. A servant. And that’s where this hits us, isn’t it? How often do we do good things and then quietly admire ourselves for them? How often are we more concerned with how we look than whether Christ is seen? We aren’t here to be admired. We are here to serve and be used for God’s glory. I am a tool for God to use—and I’m happy to be one. That posture is what fuels Paul’s ambition: Romans 15:20–21 (ESV) — 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul pioneers like the tip of a spear, bringing the gospel to places where people have never heard. His ambition matches God’s heart: bring outsiders in. Listen to those words again: “Those who have never been told… those who have never heard…” Paul understands that reaching outsiders is not a side project in God’s plan. It is central to who God is and what God does. And because it is central to God, Paul makes it central to himself. Our Role (15:30–16:27) Most of us are not Paul. We will not travel across empires or write Scripture. But Paul makes it clear that the mission depends on ordinary believers. First, we pray. Romans 15:30–33 (ESV) — 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Paul begs the Romans to strive with him in prayer. He believes their prayers matter. They strengthen workers. They shape outcomes. Prayer is not passive support—it is participation. If we care about outsiders coming to Christ, we have to pray like it matters. Second, we watch out. Romans 16:17–20 (ESV) — 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For yo

Standing at the Edge of Promise The people of Israel are finally standing on the edge of the promised land. For forty years they have wandered—living in tents, burying loved ones, and learning the hard way what unbelief costs. This generation knows what went wrong. They know what God desires from them now. But one question still hangs heavy in the air: who will lead them? Moses is gone. But before he died, Moses laid his hands on Joshua, and Scripture tells us that Joshua became full of the spirit of wisdom. Joshua is not new to leadership. He has been near Moses since the early days. He fought battles in the wilderness. He watched what leadership costs when pressure mounts—because even Moses cracked under the weight of it. Taking Moses’ place is not just stepping into a role; it is stepping into a burden. God’s Call to Courage (1:1-9) That is why the opening of the book of Joshua is so kind. God does not hand Joshua a strategy or a pep talk. God gives Joshua Himself. The Lord makes Joshua the same core promises He once made to Moses. He promises the land. He promises His presence. And He anchors everything in obedience to His word. Then three times God says it: “Be strong and courageous.” That repetition tells us something important. Joshua needs courage—not because God is uncertain, but because the calling is heavy. Courage in Joshua is not self-confidence. It is an obedient faith rooted in the presence of God and the word of God. Joshua is told that if he meditates on the Law day and night, if he does what God has said, then he will succeed. Strength and courage are not emotional traits here; they are covenant faithfulness under pressure. Crossing into God’s Work (3-6) The conquest begins in a way that makes the point immediately clear. God is not asking Joshua to invent power; He is asking him to trust God’s presence. The priests carry the ark into the Jordan River, and the moment their feet touch the water, the river stops. Israel crosses on dry ground again. God tells them this is not merely a crossing; it is a confirmation. The people are meant to know that God is with Joshua just as He was with Moses. From there they move to Jericho, a fortress city. Israel is not told to build siege weapons or develop tactics. They are told to march. Quietly. Day after day. On the seventh day they circle the city seven times, blow the trumpets, and shout—and God brings the walls down. The victory is unmistakable. It is not Israel’s brilliance. It is God’s power. When Courage Is Tested (7-9) But immediately after this triumph, Israel learns a hard lesson. God’s power cannot be celebrated while sin is hidden in the camp. A man named Achan takes what was devoted to the Lord, and the next battle—against the small city of Ai—ends in humiliating defeat. One hidden sin drains the courage of thousands. Israel learns what all of God’s people must learn: without God’s help, they stand no chance, and with God’s help, they cannot continue in rebellion. Judgment follows, the camp is cleansed, and Joshua gathers the people to read the Law aloud—men, women, children, and even the foreigner among them—so that the nation is rebuilt around obedience to God’s word. Then comes another test, one that feels painfully familiar. The Gibeonites arrive with a convincing story. They look worn. They claim to be from far away. They ask for a treaty. It seems reasonable. It seems merciful. Joshua agrees. And Scripture tells us the problem in one simple line: they did not ask counsel from the Lord. The Gibeonites were neighbors, not travelers. They lied, and Joshua was deceived. Here Israel learns that not every failure comes through open rebellion. Some come through prayerless decisions that seem sensible at the time. Joshua refuses to break the covenant, and the Gibeonites become servants under Israel’s protection. The Lord Fights for His People (10-11) Soon after, five kings rise up against Gibeon, and Israel goes to defend them. God makes His power unmistakably clear once again. Scripture says the Lord kills more enemies with hailstones than Israel kills with the sword. God even extends the day so the victory is complete. Later, kings from the north unite, believing numbers will succeed where obedience failed. God hardens them in their rebellion, and after years of conflict, Scripture says the land finally has rest from war. The message is consistent throughout: the Lord fights for His people exactly as He promised. Remembering Who Gave the Victory (13-21; 23:1-11) Some cities remain unconquered, but the people now possess land, rest, and inheritance—everything God promised Abraham long ago. Joshua knows what comes next if they are not careful. When the fighting stops, forgetting begins. So Joshua gathers the people and reminds them of the truth they must never lose. It was the Lord who drove out great and strong nations. It was the Lord who fought for them. Therefore, Joshua says, “Be very careful to love the Lord your God.” He does not merely call them to rule-keeping. He calls them to love—and to be careful to love—because love does not die in a moment. It leaks. It cools. It is crowded out by comfort. A Final Warning and a Clear Choice (23:12-16, 24:1-28) Then Joshua speaks some of the most sobering words in the Old Testament. Every good promise God made has been fulfilled. Not one has failed. And the same faithful God who kept His promises will also bring covenant judgment if Israel serves other gods. Joshua sees the future clearly because he understands the human heart. The exile is centuries away, but the drift begins immediately. So he presses them to a decision. Remove the idols. Stop pretending you can serve the Lord while clinging to powerless gods. Choose. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Commander Who Goes Before Us (5:13-15) The book of Joshua is meant to encourage God’s people—but not with shallow optimism. Joshua is not a superhero. He is a servant shaped by obedience, sustained by God’s presence, and carried by God’s faithfulness. And if there is one scene that interprets the entire book, it happens before Jericho ever falls. Joshua is near the city when he sees a man standing with a drawn sword. Joshua asks the question we all ask: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The answer comes back: “No.” Not because the man standing with the sword is neutral, but because Joshua is asking the wrong question. “I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” Joshua falls on his face and worships, and the commander tells him to remove his sandals because the ground is holy. That moment tells us everything. God does not join our side. We are called to submit to His. God is not a mascot or a power source for our plans. He is the King we bow before. Be Strong and Courageous When we read that scene as Christians, we cannot miss the shape of Christ. Jesus is the true commander who goes before His people. He is the one we worship. He is the one who leads the real conquest—not of cities and nations, but of sin, death, and darkness. His army is not just made up of men, but also angels. Hebrews 1:14 (ESV) — 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? So what battle are you facing? Maybe it is sin that has entrenched itself like a fortress. Maybe it is fear that keeps you silent about Christ. Maybe it is the slow drift where your love for God is cooling and you can feel it. Joshua tells us what we need—not swagger, not confidence in ourselves, but strength and courage rooted in God’s presence and God’s word. Jesus tells us what God has promised His people: a kingdom, comfort, mercy, inheritance, and an identity that holds when the world pushes back. We are called to be salt when it would be easier to blend in and light when it would be easier to hide. Because the same God who kept every promise to Joshua has not changed, and the same Lord who calls us to obey is the One who goes before us. So the decision lands exactly where Joshua landed it—not tomorrow, not when it is convenient.

What breaks harmony in a local church? Wouldn’t it be something if we could identify the root cause of division and stop it before it spreads? If churches could stop tearing themselves apart, they could actually begin to look like the body of Christ Paul describes. Is the problem that we are too different? Too sinful? Too foolish? Paul’s answer, if we’re honest, is yes to all three. We are different. We have been sinful and foolish. And yet, Paul still believes that harmony is not only possible—but expected—among the people of God. So, in today’s text, Paul wants to get specific in order to address this obstacle head on. As Christians living in the twenty-first century, we must consider this text as a first century example of what harmony looks like in real life, and learn from it. What Does Harmony Look Like In Real Life? In Romans 14, Paul mentions one who is weak in faith and one who is strong in faith. Romans 14:1–9 (ESV) — 1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. When we hear the words weak in faith and strong in faith, they may not compute. To put it simply, the person who is weak in faith believes that God wants us to abstain from unclean food or work on the Sabbath day. The weak are not emotionally fragile. They sincerely believe God requires this because it has been ingrained in them since childhood. They seek to honor God in their obedience, and their conscience would be compromised if they did anything else. The person who has a “weak faith” believes that God would be displeased with them if they ate meat that could be unclean or dedicated to idols. They are afraid that the food they eat might defile them and make them sinful before God. Their minds are focused on obedience in what is perhaps an unhealthy way and their consciences are sensitive to these actions. The strong in faith honors God by thanking Him for every food or drink and by living for Him every day of the week. These beliefs have developed over time and led them to understand what God really wants. He calls them strong because they have faith that it’s okay to stop keeping the Old Testament laws. Isn’t that fascinating? The person who has a “strong faith” knows that what we eat has no impact on our relationship with God. What matters is the intentions of the heart. They are called strong in faith because they trust God to save them even though they eat foods others view as sinful. Both are spiritually minded. The weakness is not devotion—it is misunderstanding. And the strength is not arrogance—it is trust in the sufficiency of Christ. Harmony Means We Welcome Others Paul doesn’t tell us to create different denominations or sects based on every opinion that men might create and which side we fall on. Paul says that the strong brother should welcome the weak, and not to quarrel with them. They are both brothers and they don’t have to have the same opinion about everything. It’s clear that there is nothing wrong in eating the food or ignoring the day because he calls the strong brother a brother. In the same way, there is nothing wrong with holding on to that conviction that unclean foods should be avoided and the Sabbath must be honored. Both are in a saved position because God has chosen to accept them both. Christ has died for each of them. In order for us to apply this to ourselves,we must consider what is an opinion and what is a core doctrine. Some teachings are core doctrine, that means that they cannot be subject to one’s own opinion. Others are dependent or subject to one’s beliefs or opinions. Don’t read this section and believe that all truths are matters of opinion. Paul is warning us against two errors that are extremes: 1. making opinions into doctrines and 2. ignoring opinions altogether. (There is a third error discussed elsewhere by Paul and the other apostles: making doctrines into opinions) But here he says that those with different opinions should be welcomed and not harshly treated. Harmony Means We Maintain A Clear Conscience Paul continues in these examples by telling us not to be judging or despising our brethren. Romans 14:13–23 (ESV) — 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. In this section, Paul tells us to be careful when dealing with someone who has a different opinion. If we are right about the issue, we can still be wrong in how we handle it. He wants us to see that our goal is not uniformity. We aren’t trying to make everyone have all the same opinions about everything. If we try to do that, we will be creating obedience by coercion and compromising their consciences. This is not loving, but selfish. Paul even says that the one who forces a brother to do something they believe to be wrong is destroying the one for whom Christ died. This is a serious evil. He tells us that we are valuing food and drink more than the work of God and the kingdom. These things aren’t as important to God as we make them out to be. Our opinions aren’t either. The person who interprets a text differently about how to please God is not an enemy of God. They are striving to please Him. The real danger is not misunderstanding—it is acting against what you believe God requires. When a person does what they believe is sinful, they are no longer acting in faith. They are choosing self over submission. That is why Paul says the one who doubts and eats is condemned. Not because the food is sinful, but because the heart is rebelling against God as it understands Him. So, the person who eats the food offered to idols or neglects the Sabbath while believing they should observe it is doing something that will sear their conscience and lead to them falling away from the Lord if they continue in it. It is so important for us to do whatever we do with a firm conviction and confidence that God desires us to do it. But it is also important for

I entitled this series of sermons, “Echoes of Faith.” As we have studied these different Bible characters, many have demonstrated great faith. But many have shown their imperfection. They have failed to have a heart that is wholly devoted to the Lord. Today, we will hear of a man who has no blemish. I’m sure there were sins and failures, but none are listed. He is truly a hero of faith, a man men like David would look up to. His name is Caleb. Caleb’s faith wasn’t temporary, based on the momentary high of seeing God’s power. Caleb’s faith remembered what God had done and he clung to God in an amazing way. He is the prototypical example of what God is looking for in us. Standing Out (Numbers 13-14) Caleb was a man who experienced the rescue from Egypt. He was a slave who became free through ten plagues and the miraculous walk across the Red Sea. But he appears to look at those events differently than everyone else. They are a clear sign to Him that the God they are worshipping and following can do anything. Caleb is chosen from the largest tribe, Judah, to go with the spies into the promised land. The Israelites have been in the wilderness for a year and are now at the edge of the land of Canaan. They sent twelve spies to go throughout the land and see what it is like. Did it have trees, food, water, armies? Israel was curious about how good and how bad the land would be. Imagine moving through the region and seeing the wickedness in every city. They murdered children to worship their gods. They committed all kinds of sexual immorality. They were cruel and harsh, unjust and vile. These men and women in the land were selfish and would gladly betray one another. They were not good people. God was planning to use Israel to wipe them off the face of the earth. Caleb saw all this. He also saw how lush the ground was. He saw how fruit would grow wild, and might have helped to carry some of the pomegranates or the huge cluster of grapes back to his people. They spent forty days in the promised land surveying all that it had to offer and all the obstacles they would face. When they returned the people were excited to hear about God’s promised land. Unfortunately, ten of the spies brought back a bad report, “Sure the land is lush and beautiful. There is plenty of food for us all and it’s a beautiful landscape. But there are fortresses and giants we could never defeat. These ten men speak loud and feed the fear of the people. Their conclusion was, “We are not able to go in so let’s go back to Egypt.” Caleb steps out into this crowd with Joshua, the other spy who believes in God and contradicts the popular opinion. He says what no one wants to hear, “Let us go up. This land is exceedingly good and God has said he will give it to us. Don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t fear the people of the land. They are bread for us. They have no protection and the Lord is with us!” His words were full of faith and wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. The people heard them, but refused to listen. They decided to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, but God filled the tent of meeting with his glory, letting everyone know that God has a say about this. He wants to disinherit them and destroy them, but Moses intercedes. Still God will not allow anyone over the age of 20 to enter the promised land with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. Every other person over the age of 20 will die in the wilderness over the next forty years. Enduring Wilderness Life Imagine that. If you were Caleb, every other Israelite you know over 20 is going to die. Imagine living through that. You see every rebellion. You witness all of these people dying as a consequence of their faithlessness. Everyone is living to help the next generation make it. They have no other purpose than that, and they do help. In their failures, they teach them what not to do. Listen to what God says about Caleb. Numbers 14:21–24 (ESV) — 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. He has a different spirit. Moses reiterates this to the next generation forty years later. Caleb becomes the ultimate example of faithfulness. Deuteronomy 1:35–36 (ESV) — 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the Lord!’ He stands out because his heart is completely devoted to the Lord. He doesn’t seek his own will or his own way. He seeks God’s will and God’s way. He doesn’t partially follow God and partially follow his own way. He wants God to be glorified through him. Not only that. Caleb remained faithful throughout the forty years of waiting. He was willing to endure suffering as a consequence of sinful people who did not trust God like he did. This was a man who submitted his life to God and loved Him more than anything. He didn’t grumble or complain, that we know of. He didn’t question God’s leadership or God’s plans. He trusted in the promises while suffering. What an example for us. Taking God’s Gift Caleb was there with the Israelites through everything. He saw all of the miracles and helped Israel finally cross the Jordan river on dry ground and enter into the promised land. He was there as they conquered every city with Joshua as their leader. In Joshua 14, we read that the people had conquered most of the land and were dividing up the inheritance. Caleb was 85 years old, but he wasn’t satisfied with the land they had already conquered. He had waited 45 years for the land that he knew God would give him and his family. He wasn’t just going to take anything. He wanted the hill country. He wanted to defeat and take over a fortress. We read that he was just as youthful and able to fight at 85 as he was at 40. He went out against the giants and the great fortified city of Hebron. God was with him and his men and they defeated them, taking what God had promised. He took it because he believed God could give it and he “wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. We have to be amazed at Caleb’s boldness and trust in the Lord. He didn’t shy away from the battle. He fully believed that God could give what he promised. So he went out in battle with faith. Isn’t it amazing that God provided him with everything He promised to give him? God saw Caleb’s faith, trust, and patience. God saw how Caleb believed God could give him more than he could earn on his own. He went after more, not out of selfishness, but out of faith. He wanted to show everyone what was possible if only they would believe. Nothing can stop their God. Not giants, fortresses, or old age. What do we believe? God had made us similar promises as He made to Caleb and the Israelites. We have to decide what type of person we are going to be. The beauty of Caleb’s story is that his childlike faith was rewarded. I imagine people made fun of him and didn’t believe like he did. He stood out. People didn’t last in the wilderness when things got tough. He endured. People settled for what was easy. He boldly took what God offered with faith. Hebrews 3:12–4:3 (ESV) — 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And w

Have you ever noticed how easy harmony feels in this room? Here we are different, having different upbringings, different talents, different opportunities, different opinions. But we are the same. We are striving to be good for Jesus’ sake. We believe the same and love the same person. We are striving for righteousness based on the same text. But then Monday comes. And suddenly we’re not in a choir anymore. We’re in traffic. We’re at work. We’re dealing with bosses, officials, leaders, neighbors, and strangers who don’t care about our song. Harmony in here feels like singing. Harmony out there feels a lot more like walking into a corral with wild mustangs. You don’t tame a mustang by yelling at it. You don’t win it with threats or force. You earn its trust with patience, steadiness, and a calm hand. You stay gentle when it kicks. You stay present when it bolts. And little by little, that wild heart starts to match your rhythm. That’s the picture I want you to have in mind as we open Romans 13. Last week we looked at harmony inside the body of Christ in Romans 12. We saw how we’re called to live in peace with one another, to outdo one another in showing honor, to overcome evil with good. That’s the music we make in here. Today, Paul shows us that harmony inside the church is just the beginning. The beauty of the harmony we create here is that it strengthens us to go outside these walls and spread Christ to the world around us. The church learns harmony here so we can sing Christ’s song out there—through submission, love, and holiness. We don’t go out to dominate, to crush, or to force people to bow to our way of life. We go out to sing a different song. A song of humble submission, costly love, and holy living in a dark world. And Paul starts with the place most of us least want to sing: our relationship with the governing authorities. Harmony That Resonates (13:1-7) After telling us not to retaliate against those who wrong us in Chapter 12, Paul tells us to submit to the governing authorities in Chapter 13. Romans 13:1–7 (ESV) — 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Consider what this means. These Christians, living in Rome, are supposed to submit themselves to the wicked, corrupt, powers that be. Their lives are supposed to be lived in harmony with the authorities. They aren’t there to overthrow them by rebelling against them. God wants them to give respect and honor, even when leaders show themselves unworthy of it. They are not to retaliate against a brother or sister in Christ, nor should they retaliate against someone who is outside of the body of Christ. Paul wants them to let the worldly powers rule over them because God rules over those powers. Doesn’t that sound weak and pathetic? We live in a culture that rebels against unjust rulers. We said, “No taxation without representation.” That notion is engrained in our society. But in these seven verses, we read that those who are in authority over us are being controlled by God. He is the one who puts them in their position. His purpose is for them to keep order and justice. So, our choice to rebel against them is tantamount to rebelling against God. When a president comes to power who is against our Christian viewpoint, we honor him. When congressmen, governors, mayors, or employers come to power and take away our freedoms or promote ungodly behaviors (crude words, spite, malice, rage, self-exaltation, etc), we do not blindly follow in obedience. We do not stay silent in injustice. But we calmly, respectfully refuse to imitate worldly rage. We submit to their commands as much as is possible while obeying God’s will. This is the more difficult harmony. We have to play by the rules even when no one else does. Being in harmony with the authorities sets the example of righteousness for everyone to see. The government is meant to be a terror to those who do evil. If they are a terror to those who do good, they break the system. But Paul tells us that God will give them what they are owed. This harmonious way of life might seem weak to those who are truly weak. But it takes more strength to sacrifice yourself for a greater cause than to selfishly resist the government’s laws. Think of Jesus. Think of how this one act of submitting to the governing authorities can sink into the minds and hearts of those in power. It makes a statement. When the innocent have faith in God’s working while they suffer, everyone considers. That harmony with Christ resonates. Love Is The Key (8-10) Verses 1-7 start something important. They tell us to give to those who are in authority what is due. Give them money, respect, and honor where it is due. This is not always easy. Imagine having Nero as your emperor. Imagine vile, hateful, corrupt politicians who are power hungry throwing you in prison and holding you there to make people happy. You miss out on years of your life because of their wickedness. Are you supposed to just go down without a fight? No. But your fight is spiritual. The weapons of our warfare are not physical. We win that fight by remaining faithful. That’s what Paul is saying. How are we going to do this? What words can Paul give us to help us pursue harmony in a society that is wicked and selfish? The next words from Paul hit deeper. He wants us to think about every relationship we have with people outside these walls and inside them. Our goal is not to take from them what we can take from them, but to give them something only we can give: our hearts. Romans 13:8–10 (ESV) — 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Those who follow Christ, those who have received the bountiful grace they do not deserve, are supposed to be men and women who give love to those who do not deserve it. We fulfill the purpose of the Old Testament Law even though we have been set free from it. We do not lust, seeking sexual gratification. We do not murder, seeking vengeance and self-exaltation. We do not steal or even covet because God has given us everything we could ever desire in the spiritual realm. Instead of taking, we choose to turn and serve others with love, and, in doing so, we fulfill the purpose of the law from the beginning. It will be difficult, but we are called upon to give love and never wrong our neighbor. We go above and beyond to serve them with love. This is in harmony with Christ. We do not become like those who are around us. We stand out. Everything they seek is meaningless and temporary. We have a higher calling. Wake Up (11-14) When we learn the gospel, we don’t yet understand who or what we are supposed to become. We know that Jesus is greater than we could imagine. He has done something amazing on our behalf. We have received it, but what are we supposed to become? We submit our lives to Him, and we wish to pay Him back. We will never be able to, but this is how we show our

“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” (Ecc 8:11) Have you ever seen this happen? I have. I was at a church with weak and practically non-existent leadership that refuses to address an issue when it comes up. Someone was in an adulterous situation. It was one of the leading man’s brothers. That sin is bad enough. But it’s made worse when no one does a thing to address it. Everyone knows, but they act like it doesn’t exist. When this happens, it does something to everyone. Slowly, it eats away at their zeal. It’s like we start thinking, “What’s the point? This is all a ruse. We aren’t serious.” We die inside. Today, we will be learning about an event like this which happens in Israel. But I want us to see that it relates closely with us. We are told in the New Testament that the events which happened to Israel were written down for us to learn their lessons and make the right choices (1 Cor 10) Israel’s Unfaithfulness (Num 25:1-3) At the time of these events, God has already saved his people from Egypt. He has brought them to the mountain and spoken His ten commandments. He has also brought them to the promised land, but they refused to go in. So, he has let them wander for 40 years in the wilderness, allowing everyone over the age of 20 to die off. All the while, he has provided for them with manna, quail, and water from a rock. Their shoes haven’t worn out. They have had everything they needed the whole time. Recently, God has given Israel great victories in battles outside of the promised land. He has helped them defeat the Amorites and the Amalakites, and everyone is terrified of this huge hoard of people in the wilderness. Moab’s king was so scared he tried to hire a prophet to curse the people. Instead all he could do was bless the people and we get a sense of how much God loves them and how much He will provide for them. They are beautiful in God’s eyes, “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel.” Each prophecy is like a love song God wrote for them to hear. God has great plans for them to rise above all the nations and be to the praise of His glory. The faithfulness of God stands out in stark contrast to what we read about Israel in Numbers 25. Numbers 25:1–3 (ESV) — 1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Israel began to whore. This is a crude term that we don’t use, but it shows us how vile and evil Israel’s actions are. This indicates that Israel prostituted itself out and became adulterous. They left God for Moab’s gods, something God commanded them not to do. It’s interesting that when we teach our children about the commands of God, we tend to overemphasize the need to not murder, steal, or lie. However, in God’s commandments to the people, He emphasizes staying away from idolatry. He doesn’t want them to marry people of the land because they will turn their hearts away from God. The people of the land don’t recognize how much greater the God of Israel is than their made up idols. So God wants Israel to stay away from them, lest they be deceived. That’s what has happened here. “Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.” We learn elsewhere that this is how Balaam, the wicked prophet, got his money from Balak. He told him that God would not curse Israel unless they rebelled against Him. They were totally protected from outside. The only problem they had to worry about was within. And he was right. God’s Judgment (Num 25:4-5) Now, God speaks to Moses about how to address this issue, and He says something that seems really harsh. Numbers 25:4 (ESV) — 4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” He commands Moses to take the chiefs, and hang them in the sun. That most likely means they should break their hands and feet, then impale them on a stick for all Israel to see. This is a cruel and harsh judgment from God. Why would he say that? Notice that Moses thinks it is cruel. He disobeys and does what he thinks is just. Numbers 25:5 (ESV) — 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.” He tells the men who have been assigned as judges to give the death penalty to all of those who are engaging in this idolatry. That is, after all, exactly what God had commanded earlier. Finding someone engaged in idolatry was supposed to carry the death penalty. So, I imagine they started going throughout the camp and looking for people engaged in idolatry to kill them. But the camp got wise. They hid what they were doing. Then, after a while the judges slacked off. They didn’t want to kill people for idolatry. It seemed like such a small thing to them. Consequences (Num 25:6-9) But it wasn’t a small thing to God. He sent a plague upon the Israelites. A sickness that started taking the lives of thousands of people. Everyone was dying. All Israel gathered at the tent of meeting to weep and pray for God to have mercy and heal them of the sickness. While they are there weeping, one of the chiefs of the people walks by. His tent is close to the center because he is a head of the people of Simeon. Following behind him was a woman of Midian (the group that joined with Moab to overthrow Israel). This chief was bringing a foreign, idolatrous woman, a princess of the Midianite people, in to meet his family while all of Israel was suffering the consequences of this unfaithfulness. Imagine yourself in the crowd that witnesses this happen. Everyone looks around to see if anyone will respond. They look to Moses and Aaron. They look to the other chiefs. No one does anything. They have made the chiefs of the people untouchable even though God said to hang them for all to see. Numbers 25:6–9 (ESV) — 6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. The grandson of Aaron doesn’t stand around feeling paralyzed. He gets up, walks over to the tent, and steps inside. He walks into the tent with his spear, walks right up to this chief and his bride and impales them both with one thrust. “Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.” I imagine that they went through all the chief camps and did the same. They finally decided to obey God’s commands in God’s way. The blood of the leaders was required. They were at the heart of the problem, and they were the ones God held accountable. What Happened Next After Phinehas did what God had commanded him to do, God spoke to Moses and revealed that Phinehas turned back God’s wrath by being jealous with God’s jealousy. Numbers 25:10–13 (ESV) — 10 And the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall

You’re sitting across the table from someone, and they choose to open up. They’re vulnerable. They trust you with something deep. A pregnancy announcement—while you’re begging God for a child. A cancer diagnosis—while you don’t even know what to say. A job promotion—while you’re wondering how to pay next month’s bills. How do you respond in those moments? We would all like to think we know. But real life exposes us. Our emotions don’t always cooperate. Sometimes joy feels out of reach when someone else is celebrating. Sometimes grief feels too heavy to enter. Sometimes our pride whispers, “Why them? Why not me?” Paul knows this tension well. For eleven chapters in Romans he laid out the power of the gospel—how God rescues broken people, unites Jews and Gentiles, breaks down centuries of hostility, and creates one family out of strangers. And then he says in Romans 12:16: “Live in harmony with one another.” Right before it, a phrase you could stitch on a pillow—but much harder to practice: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” So today we’re answering two questions: What does it mean to live in harmony? How do we actually do it? What Does Harmony Mean? A definition I’ve come to appreciate: Harmony is choosing to enter someone else’s emotional world— even when it costs you something. It’s choosing to be in sync with the lives around you. It’s choosing to care when caring is inconvenient. It’s choosing connection over comfort. A Picture From Worship If you grew up in congregational singing, you already know harmony is more than hitting the right notes. I remember the first time I ever visited a church of Christ as a teenager. The whole room lifted their voices—no instruments, no production—just people. And behind me stood a sister who had the voice of an opera singer. I’d never heard anything like it. It took me a while to learn that what I was hearing wasn’t just singing—it was parts blending together. Sopranos soaring. Basses anchoring. Altos weaving inside. Tenors carrying the melody. No one person made that sound beautiful. It was the togetherness that made it powerful. Singing the Same Song Harmony happens when everyone is working from the same sheet of music—same lyrics, tempo, key, and direction. If even one part drifts into a different song, everything sounds off. That’s the picture Paul is painting for the church. A congregation lives in harmony when its people are walking the same road—same convictions, same mission, same desire to please Christ. When someone gets off-tempo, we adjust. When someone stumbles, we slow down. When someone lifts their voice in praise, we lift with them. Paul isn’t calling us to uniformity. The beauty of four-part harmony is that we’re singing different notes. Different strengths. Different perspectives. Different experiences. But all serving the same song. Harmony means: I don’t need to be you. You don’t need to be me. But we both need to aim our lives at Christ. When we do, heaven sees a community singing the gospel—not with music—but with their lives. This is how God’s glory is exploding with praise before the spiritual beings who are all around us. Not just when we live a God-focused life in the good times and the bad times, but when we do that together. This harmony is like singing a song in harmony with our actions. How Do We Live In Harmony? Paul gives three practical steps in Romans 12 that make harmony possible. Without them, the church sounds like everyone warming up at once—noise instead of praise. A. Lay Down Self-Exaltation (12:3, 16) Nothing breaks harmony like someone singing louder than everyone else. Romans 12:3 reminds us to stop thinking too highly of ourselves. We all come to the cross the same way—empty-handed. There is no “first soprano” in the kingdom. No divas. No soloists demanding the spotlight. Then Paul says in verse 16: “Do not be haughty… Never be wise in your own sight.” Self-exaltation destroys relationships because it kills our ability to blend with others. It makes us stiff, impossible to correct, quick to judge, and slow to understand. And when one person elevates themselves, others instinctively rise to defend their place: “Who does she think she is?” “I’m just as important as he is.” Suddenly the song has become a competition, not a chorus. But harmony returns the moment we decide: I will exalt Christ, not myself. I will seek your good, not my glory. When everyone is working to honor someone else, the beauty of the body comes alive. B. Use Your Gifts (12:4-8) Harmony is only possible when we use our gifts. 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. Consider the parallel to people singing out. If you refuse to sing, you aren’t in harmony with anyone. If you refuse to sing, you will create a silence that is heard, a silence that spreads. No one wants to sing when no one is singing around them. The louder we sing, the louder we sing. If we don’t do what we can to build up the body, the body won’t be built up and we are the reason why. When I first got here, I tried to do everything. I’m not sure if it was COVID or just my own immaturity, but I saw things that needed to happen and that no one was doing it. So I did it. I was trying to do everything, but I did nothing well. I finally realized this and stepped back so some of you can step forward and use your gifts. You have. You are stepping up and doing what is needed for this body to grow stronger. But we need more of you to use your gifts and honor God with your bodies as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1-2) C. Listen Before Speaking (12:9–13, 15) “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” We cannot do that from a distance. We cannot do that while distracted. We cannot do that without caring. Harmony begins long before you speak—it begins when you listen. Paul’s commands leading to verse 16 all push us deeper into each other’s lives: Genuine love Brotherly affection Showing honor Contributing to needs Hospitality We cannot do those things if we’re skimming the surface of someone’s story. You know what I struggle with? When someone is hurting, my first instinct is to fix it. Offer advice. Provide solutions. Patch the wound. But Paul doesn’t say, “Fix with those who are broken.” He says, weep with them. That means I slow down long enough to feel it. To enter their world. To let their grief touch me. And rejoicing? That’s hard too—especially when someone receives the blessing you’ve been praying for. Someone else’s engagement. Someone else’s promotion. Someone else’s answered prayer. Harmony means I celebrate even when my season is different. Because in Christ, their win is our win. The body moves together. D. Refuse Retaliation (12:14, 17–21) Nothing destroys harmony faster than payback. Paul says: “Bless those who persecute you.” “Repay no one evil for evil.” “Never avenge yourselves.” “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” You can’t sing harmony with someone you secretly want to see fail. You can’t rejoice with someone you resent. You can’t weep with someone you’ve written off. Retaliation fractures the church into adversaries instead of family. Paul’s remedy? Let God be the Judge. Lay down the weapons. Stop rehearsing the hurt. Treat your enemy like someo

What does it mean for God to foreknow or predestine? How does God predestine or preselect a destination for those people whom He foreknows? Calvinism is the most popular way to understand these ideas. It says that God foreknows and predestines or chooses every individual who is saved and who is lost. Their claim is that God is sovereign over all and must be in total control of this because we are totally depraved and cannot make the decision to be saved on our own. So, we are “elected” unconditionally, meaning there is nothing we can say or do that will make us a part of God’s elect. It is 100% Him and 0% us. I don’t believe this is correct. It is close to correct, but not completely correct. Perhaps you don’t really care about this. Maybe you just want to move on to something else. This is important. Believing that God foreknows and elects individuals is, perhaps, the most popular view historically, and adopting that view will have consequences. So today we will understand “those whom he foreknew he also predestined” by asking three questions: 1. What was God’s plan? 2. Who is predestined? 3. How do we have faith? Each question takes us down to a deeper level of understanding. What Was God’s Plan? Romans 8:28–30 (ESV) — 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. This text in Romans is supposed to provide assurance that the Romans are a part of God’s special people, His family, when they chose to love God. Those who love God have God on their side, working all things together for their good. But there’s more to this text. We also see that they have become a part of God’s purpose because they were called according to it. God had a plan to save mankind through the gospel call. The words “foreknew” and “predestined” mean that something was planned out and determined before it took place. In this case, God knew and determined that He was going to take those who love God and have them conform to the image of Jesus. God's plan for you is that you would be like Him. Now, verse 30. What is that verse saying? This verse describes a sequence of events. It starts with God’s predestination and ends with our glorification. It is saying that everyone who loves God, loves Him because God predestined, called, justified, and glorified them. That’s what it says. Notice the emphasis of this text is on God, God planned to call us, justify us, and glorify us. Notice the conclusion is stated in verse 31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” We should not deny the fact that God is the reason we are saved. Do you know that your love for God was a part of God’s plan? Do you know that He has worked in your life to call or draw you to Himself? God wanted you to love Him so He called you. You might say, “Wait a minute, Casey, I’m the one who heard the call and decided to follow Christ.” This is true. We’ll talk about that decision soon. But for now, understand that God is the focus of this text. God has always worked to save a group of people who would love Him and whom He would love. He knew that He was going to bring Christ and create the gospel call. Listen to His words 600 years earlier. Jeremiah 31:31–34 (ESV) — 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” So God fore-knew that He would have a covenant people in Christ and predestined that whole group to adoption and glory. God has predestined that group to bring Him glory and praise by keeping God’s law. He puts it in them, writing it on their hearts. They belong to Him and He belongs to them. This covenant people won’t be born into the covenant and taught the laws they ought to obey. They will “know the Lord” because He will have forgiven their sins. Foreknew doesn’t mean God simply saw the future and picked favorites. It means He set His love on a people before time began — a people who would come to Him through faith. You see, God had always planned to send Jesus, reveal Himself as the definition of love, forgive the sins of the poor in spirit, and change the hearts of a people who would belong to Him. God did this. Who is Predestined? We know that God foreknew and predestined a people to be like Christ, to be called, to be justified, and to be glorified. This much we can all agree on. But does that mean He selects these people unconditionally? In other words, does that mean we are elected whether we want to or not, or that we are rejected regardless of what we do? Unconditional means there is not one condition one must meet to be saved or rejected. What about the person who says, “I decided to follow Jesus?” Is it true that salvation is a choice which depends on our acceptance? What we see as we study Romans is that In Romans 9, we read that God did not predestine everyone born an Israelite to be saved. In other words, God did not create the condition, “If you are an Israelite, you will be saved.” We also read that salvation is not a matter of human will or exertion. God did not create the condition, “If you do everything right according to the Law or if you try really hard to be righteous, you will be saved.” We see in this chapter all the way through chapter 11 that God rejects people who pursue God by Old Covenant status and works of law. He rejects those who are proud and boastful. In the first century, he hardened Israelites who rejected the gospel and saved the Gentiles who accepted it, choosing to pursue God by faith. Paul is clear that the predestined, foreknown, later he will call them “elect” people of God are those who believe. He is emphatic that “Everyone who believes,” “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is a condition. To say there is no condition is to ignore the conditions described. So, this answers the question, “Does God choose who to draw to Him and who to harden without considering anything they have done or what they have failed to do?” No. If they choose to have faith in Christ, they have accepted God’s call and will be saved. Salvation is not unconditional. It is conditioned on faith. The context doesn’t allow for any other interpretation. So, when we look at passages that mention God’s predestination, it’s important for us to see that God has not predetermined who will be saved individually. He has predetermined to have a group of saved people who have chosen to love Him in response to the gospel call. Those who would receive His love by faith, being justified and glorified because they are in Christ. How Do We Get Faith? But, wait one minute. We need to take this one more level deeper. As counterintuitive as it is, there are some who claim that faith is not something we choose to have. Faith, they say, is a gift from God. Let’s evaluate this. Election is based on faith, but how does one get faith? Is faith something we can develop on our own, or is it something given to us by God? One might look at Romans 5-7 and say, “Casey, you are claiming that man must do what man is unable to do. Don’t you know that Paul says we were dead in the trespasses and si

Have you ever done all the right things for the wrong reasons? Today, we are going to look at a story of two men and a nation which will help us understand how our desires and our requests from God can be totally wrong. Balak’s Fear Israel is on a role in Numbers 21. They are near the end of their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and all the surrounding nations are starting to get uncomfortable as they consider Israel. Canaanites and Amorites think that they can come out in battle against Israel and defeat them, but they find out that God is fighting for them. Israel took all their cities and defeated their kings. One nation that became really nervous about Israel was Moab with their king, Balak. Balak had been defeated by the Amorites and now Israel had defeated the Amorites. They knew Israel was a huge nation capable of wiping Moab off the map. So, Balak got together with the elders of Midian and convinced them to seek out help from a man named Balaam. Balaam was called many things: a “soothsayer,” a “diviner,” and a “seer.” He was a man well known for his ability to communicate with the gods and pronounce curses on people. It seems that whoever Balaam cursed was cursed and whoever Balaam blessed was blessed. This terminology is interesting because that appears to be God’s promise to Abraham, “whoever curses you, I will curse” and “whoever blesses you I will bless.” Anyway, the plan was accepted by the Midianites and they sent word to Balaam with the typical fees of divination.Balaam hears their request and tells them to rest while he goes and tries to communicate with Yahweh. It is interesting that he goes to Yahweh and God speaks to him. They talk about who has come to Balaam, and he lays out their request. But God refuses, telling Balaam that the people they want to curse are blessed by God. Balak, the king, is upset about this response from Balaam. He needs these people cursed so he will stand a chance at defeating them. So he sends more princes and more money to entice Balaam to come. Now, this is where the story takes an interesting turn. Balak says, “Don’t let anything hinder you from coming to me, for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come curse this people for me.” (22:17) Balak is going to pull out all the stops. He wants Balaam really badly. Balaam’s answer is honorable. He says the right thing, “If Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more.” Then, he speaks to God again that night and God says, “Go with them, but only do what I tell you.” Balaam’s Odd Situation Now, this is very odd. Balaam appears to be fully devoted to God’s message. God has blessed these people and Balaam cannot curse them, but he’s going to see Balak anyway. Why? Is God going to change His mind and curse Israel? It gets even more interesting. As Balaam was on his way, God became angry with Balaam for going. He sent the angel of the Lord with a sword because Balaam was “an adversary.” This is a startling turn of events. God has told Balaam to go, but now He will kill him for going. Is God two faced? No. God didn’t change, Balaam did. The prospect of having a lot of money changed him internally. God knew that Balaam wanted to go see Balak and receive the reward. God knew about the plan that Balaam was cooking up in his mind, and He was ready to kill Balaam for those evil thoughts. Of course we know that Balaam is not killed by the angel. God decides instead to give Balaam a lesson on humility. He allowed Balaam’s donkey to see the angel with its sword drawn, but only the donkey could see it. Imagine being Balaam, riding along and conspiring how you can give Balak what he wants and receive what you want. Then, all of a sudden, your old trusty donkey starts veering off the road and he heads out into a vineyard. You have a stick so you start beating the donkey, bringing him back into the road where the angel is. The donkey sees the angel again and immediately veers to the side, but this time there is no where he can go. In his fear he squishes Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beats the donkey again. When the donkey saw that there was no way to avoid the angel, he laid down. At this point, Balaam is irate! He’s beating the donkey, but the donkey looks up at him and starts speaking. God gives the donkey the ability to see the angel and the ability to speak. He uses this ability to ask a question. He says, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day?” The donkey is so confused by all this. He is trying to save the man, but Balaam says, “I wish I had a sword so I could kill you because you have made a fool of me.” After this interchange God opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel. The angel has a sword and tells Balaam, “I would have killed you if it had not been for your donkey.” Balaam was saved by his donkey who he rejected and hated for making him look like a fool when he actually was being a fool. God tells Balaam once again, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” In other words, stop conspiring and coming up with ways to get money and honor for yourself. Be my mouthpiece and nothing else. Israel’s Irrevocable Blessing When Balaam arrives at Balak’s city, the king comes out to meet him and starts laying it on thick. “Balaam, Balaam, Balaam, what kept you? You know I’m going to take care of you and treat you with honor.” Balak is laying it on thick. But Balaam seems ready to speak only what God has said. In chapters 23-24, we read about Balak taking Balaam up to a high place, Kiriath-huzoth, where they would worship God or their pagan gods. Balak offers up an ox and a sheep. The next day, they go to a high place that only shows part of the people called “Bamoth-baal.” Balak offered up seven bulls and seven rams, hoping to make God happy with him, so happy that he would grant him his wish of cursing Israel and blessing him. Balaam went and talked to God, but when he came back he said, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?” He goes on to talk about how innumerable Israel is and how he wishes his end could be like Israel’s end. Balak was not too happy about this. “What have you done! I told you to curse them and you blessed them!” Balaam responded, “I can only say what God tells me to say.” So, they moved to the next mountain and offered up seven more bulls and rams as they looked at another section of Israel. This time Balaam says, “God is not man that He would lie, or the son of man that He should change His mind. He will do what He has said and fulfill His promise. The Lord, their God is with them.” God makes it totally clear to Balak that this aint working. Israel was brought out of Egypt by their God and their king, and He is for them. He will make them devour their prey. This is not going at all as Balak had planned. So, he takes Balaam to one more high place. Once again, Balaam tells Balak to offer seven bulls and seven rams. But Balaam did not go look for omens. He looked upon all of Israel and the Spirit of God came upon him so that he prophesied a third time in favor of Israel. Balak becomes angry and strikes his hands together. “I called for you to curse my enemies and you have blessed them three times! Get out of here! God has kept you from receiving silver or gold today.” To this, Balaam responds with another prophesy. This time his words are greater than before. He tells Balak that “a star shall come from Jacob and a scepter from Israel that will crush the forehead of Moab.” Then, he foretells the destruction of all the nations through this star of Jacob who rules over all. What Do We Learn? The story is hilarious, but also very informative. It’s hilarious because the men in the story are so oblivious to who Israel is and what God has done for Israel. They are failing to see what is going on at every part of the story, and they keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. God tells them no, but they just keep trying. It’s informative because it shows us that God has determined to bless Israel, and He will not betray that promise he made to Abraham. He will raise one up to “crush the forehead of Moab.” It also shows us how dumb we can be. We resemble king Balak, wanting something that is to