Big Idea: We must put our trust in God alone.

Introduction: that God alone is worthy of our ultimate trust.

1. The Cycle of Sin and God’s Faithfulness

Judges 6:1-10

2 Timothy 2:13 NIV - “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Trust in the Lord’s faithfulness

2. Gideon’s Fear and God’s Call

Judges 6:11-24

Trust His presence more than your perception of your weakness.

3. Tearing Down Idols

You can’t trust God fully while clinging to idols.

So, ask yourself: what altars need to be torn down in my life for you to trust God completely?

4. Victory Through God’s Power

Trust that God’s power is greater than your weakness. He can do more with your “300” than you could with 32,000.

5. Gideon’s Failure and Israel’s Fall

Judges 8:22-35

Conclusion: Trust in the Unfailing God

Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 37:4-6 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

God is always at work, even in the darkest stories

Judges- The God Who Acts

Judges- one of the R-rated books of the BibleAccounts a long, dark history Israel participated in. Because of compromise and habitual rejection of God. Don’t look away, church, because ancient Israel is a blessing to us.

1 Corinthians 10:1-6

Judges 3- What is expected

• Othniel, Judges and God delivers the King of Mesopotamia to him
• Israel turns away again, so God raises Eglon the King of Moab
• God raises Ehud up, who happens to be left handed. This small detail is what catches the King of Moab off guard, allowing Ehud to seize the opportunity and kill him and deliver Israel
• The Shamgar gets the smallest of mentions

• Othniel, Judges and God delivers the King of Mesopotamia to him
• Israel turns away again, so God raises Eglon the King of Moab
• God raises Ehud up, who happens to be left handed. This small detail is what catches the King of Moab off guard, allowing Ehud to seize the opportunity and kill him and deliver Israel
• The Shamgar gets the smallest of mentions

Job 40:6-14

Being the same yesterday, today, and forever, God breaks any misconception of formulaic pursuit of Him

Judges 4:1-5

• Deborah- the unexpected agent

• Miriam is the last prophetess we know of, but even she served under Moses as a judge
• Deborah is recognized by all of Israel, as she is judging over Israel as Moses did
• In the ancient middle east, this was close to unheard of, certainly not amongst pagan nations
• She isn’t waging war against her oppressor
• She is leading Israel through wisdom

Judges 4:6-8

Judges:9-16

• Now there’s the Judges we know! At least, if the account ended here, but we have more to read

Judges 4:17-24

• Jael- the agent of provision
• Jael and her husband had moved away from their people
• It was a death sentence, yet here they are
• They were considered allies to the Canaanites
• But for reasons unknown, Jael and her husband were not friendly to them

“God subdued on that day Jabin the King of Canaan before the sons of Israel”

In the accounting of the events, the writer of Judges had no question in their mind God did it, because God Acts. This is the main point I believe God is speaking to us through Judges 4: God is always working, in every and any circumstance.

Consider the reading today!

• “the LORD raised up a deliverer”
• “the LORD gave... [the] King of Mesopotamia into his hand.”
• “the LORD strengthened Eglon... against Israel.”
• “the LORD sold them into the hand...”
• “the God of Israel has commanded...”
• “I will give him into your hand”
• “the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
• “the LORD routed Sisera...”
• “God subdued...”

Difficulty in this truth, I know, but let's let the Spirit speak to us

God is for you! Not against you! He is not eliminating us, but perfecting us! Through things you wouldn’t expect . Tragedy, pain, suffering. Through things that “resist” God. Through things that seem circumstantialDaily life, encounters, and “chance”. We serve an amazing and loving God who is constantly pursuing His people. Can we recognize it? Can we worship Him for it?

Examen: Practice reflection & listening

Surrender: Practice Humility & PeacePraise: Practice Joy & Testimony

Key Takeaway

To avoid getting stuck in a cycle of sin, keep your eyes fixed on the cross.

Judges 2:10-19 - Today's Big Idea - Israel's cycle of sin is a bad habit that Jesus died to end.Key Takeaway - To avoid getting stuck in a cycle of sin, keep your eyes fixed on the cross.

1. The Shape of the Cycle

Picture Israel's pattern like this:

• Israel starts by serving God faithfully
• Like a slow leak in a tire, they begin to drift into sin and idolatry
• They become enslaved to the very people they were supposed to drive out
• After suffering under oppression, they finally cry out to God for help
• God responds with mercy and raises up a judge to deliver them
• The judge leads them to freedom and spiritual renewal... until they don't

2. When Compromise Creates a Crisis

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel."

(Judges 2:10 NIV)

Key Truth: Half-hearted devotion produces children who don't know God.

3. Sin Is Never Private

"Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors..." (Judges 2:11-13 NIV)

4. The Anger of Love

"In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them..." (Judges 2:14-15 NIV)

5. The Mystery of the Judge

"Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders."

(Judges 2:16 NIV)

Quote from Dale Ralph Davis: "The One who 'gave them into the hand of the

plunderers' also 'saved them from the hand of the plunderers'; the hand that is against them is nevertheless mysteriously for them. Here is the fundamental miracle of the Bible: that the God who rightly casts us down should—without reason—stoop to lift us up."

6. Breaking Free from Our Cycles

Jesus Christ is the Judge who never dies. He's the Deliverer who doesn't just rescue us from the consequences of our sin—He destroys the power of sin itself.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)

7. Fixing Our Eyes on the Cross

Will we keep running in circles, or will we fix our eyes on the One who broke thecycle forever?

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. What does the cycle of sin in Judges teach us about human nature and our tendency to forget God's faithfulness?

2. The text says "another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor

what he had done for Israel." How can we ensure that the next generation knows God? What practical steps can we take?

3. How does compromise in our spiritual lives lead to crisis? Can you share an example from your own life or observation?

4. The sermon mentions that "sin is never private." How do our personal choices affect those around us, especially our families?

5. How do we reconcile God's anger with His love? What does this passage teach us about God's character?

6. Dale Ralph Davis describes God as the One who "rightly casts us down" yet "stoops to lift us up." How have you experienced this paradox in your own faith journey?

7. How is Jesus different from the judges in the Old Testament? Why is it significant that He is "the Judge who never dies"?