Can you go too far?
Judges 10:13-14
I. What got them to this point?
a. Returning to the same sins over and over again 10:6
b. Serving false gods
i. Baalim (plural of Baal) is thought to have been the male god representing the sun or Jupiter
ii. Ashtoreth is the female god representing the moon or Venus
iii. Baal is common in the Bible and just for your information his name is used in conjunction with other words and adds meaning
1. Baal-Berith the covenant Baal
2. Baal-Zebub, the lord of the fly
3. Baal Peor or God of openings so others could join
iv. These gods were idols made with men’s hands because man so desperately needs to worship where it is all under his control and he can understand
c. Forsaking the Lord
i. You can’t serve God and other gods or even things James 4:4, Matthew 6:33
ii. He requires complete and total surrender and love—everything to Him Luke 14:26
1. Hate your father and mother
2. Wife and children
3. Brethren and sisters
4. Your own life
5. All that you have Luke 14:33
iii. He fully expected to be the cause of division—Him or whatever Matthew 10:34
iv. Forsaking is the idea of deserting Him or leaving Him for another
d. Serving Him not
i. They went and worshipped other gods
ii. They gave their time, talents, and treasures to other gods
iii. They talked of and praised other gods
e. Forgetting His goodness to them
i. Did not I deliver you before 10:11
1. From the Egyptians and a host of others
2. Didn’t I deliver you when you cried out to me 10:12
3. Did you not still forget me and go serve those gods 13
f. How far down this road have you gone personally in your family, your business, your heart?
i. Do you keep going back to the same sins
ii. Do you have other gods in your life
iii. Have you forsaken the Lord for other things
iv. Have you quit serving Him
v. Have you forgotten His goodness to you
II. What makes them desire to serve God again?
a. Sin is attractive for the moment Hebrews 11:25
i. Their gods were pretty
ii. The worship was new and exciting and interesting
iii. It didn’t require much of them
iv. It was very welcoming
b. Sin is a horrible master
i. Promises liberty but makes you a slave II Peter 2:19
ii. Your own sin takes you and holds you Proverbs 5:22
iii. Sin takes you and destroys you Proverbs 6:23-35
c. Better to be the Lord’s slave than Satan’s free man
i. As you commit sin you make yourself its servant John 8:34
ii. As a Christian you choose who you will serve but you are serving one or the other Romans 6:6
d. The pleasures have run their course now the suffering has started
i. Sold as slaved 10:7
ii. Vexed and oppressed 10:8
iii. Sore distressed 10:9
e. What does it take to make us decide that no matter what we are going to serve God and not go back to the world
III. How angry does God get?
a. I have delivered you for the last time 10:13
b. Go cry out to your new gods
c. See if your new masters can help you
d. God will cast off forever I Chronicles 28:9
e. Don’t get so comfortable that you lightly esteem him Deuteronomy 32:15
f. Has God shown His anger in your life, how much does He have to do to get you to come back
IV. Their repentance
a. They know that they have gone too far this time and just decide to do right even if God doesn’t answer but they are still asking 10:15
b. They put away their strange gods 10:16
c. They began to serve God
i. Attendance at the sanctuary
ii. Finding out what He wants them doing and doing it
iii. Praying, praising, avoiding sin
iv. There were obviously things that were noticeable that one did who was serving God so that it could be stated He is serving God
d. Have their been definite signs of repentance
V. God’s soul was grieved. He is going to deliver them once again
