Mercenary Worship Part I: Buying God.
Judges In Our Eyes • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Next two weeks: Mercenary Worship – Worship as we see fit in our own eyes.
Mercenary Worship Part I: Buying God. Judges 17-18. Sowing Mercenary Worship Part II: Paying the Price. Judges 19-21. Reaping
Part I: Buying God. Judges 17-18. Four points this morning
A Story of Mercenary Worship The Nature of Mercenary Worship The Scope of Mercenary Worship The Remedy for Mercenary Worship
Judges 17-18 A Story of Mercenary Worship: A Series of seemingly boring choices
· Mercenary – primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics.
· Mercenary Worship – I worship in order to get something from God.
· V. 1-5 Theft, restitution, and full-blown idolatry.
o What it looks like – Just a tweak in the form of worship.
o What it is – full blown idolatry. Same as Exodus 32:8
· V. 6 How do you get here? Everyone does what is right in their own eyes.
· V. 7-13 Micah gets priest. Giving his illegitimate worship a sense of legitimacy.
· Judges 18 Danites take Micah’s idols and his priest.
The Nature of Mercenary Worship (By way of comparison).
· Worship in God’s eyes (Exodus – Deuteronomy) Deuteronomy 6:5 and 17–18
o View of God – Object of worship: what we desire most.
o View of Religion – How man draws near to the object of our desire.
§ The arrangement of the camp, tabernacle, God is the center
§ Sacrifices – how they were to draw near.
o View of Obedience – Required as an outflow of a covenant relationship.
· Worship in our own eyes (Judges – The Prophets) – 17:6.
o View of God – Vending Machine: gets us what we desire.
§ Images of God (reducing God). Micah’s household gods. Judges 17:5
o View of Religion – How man works the machine to get what we desire.
§ Idea is to control God and get him to do our bidding. Judges 17:13
o View of Obedience – Optional. only pursued if it increases happiness.
Judges 18:30-31 The Scope of the Mercenary Worship – Universal.
· How do you view God, religion, and obedience?
Judges 18:30-31 The Remedy for Mercenary Worship – House of God that is in Shiloh
· Repent. But how? Some are not willing. Some think they are not able
· Hebrews 9:11-12
Next two weeks: Mercenary Worship – Worship as we see fit in our own eyes.
Mercenary Worship Part I: Buying God. Judges 17-18. Sowing Mercenary Worship Part II: Paying the Price. Judges 19-21. Reaping
Mercenary Worship (Idolatry) II: Paying the Price
1. Overview of Fallout – Judges 19-21
a. Immorality – selective morality. 19:1-26
b. Indignation – selective indignation. 19:27-20:11
c. Unjust-Justice – moral indignation and injustice. 20:12-21:25
2. Understanding of Fallout
a. That they are immoral, indignant, and demand “justice” is apparent, but why?
b. Understanding Judges 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25
i. View of God – a powerful being I can ignore, appease, or manipulate to establish my own kingdom
ii. View of Man
1. Himself – king
2. Others – commodities or servants
3. Our tribe – those like us who assist us in acquiring our kingdoms. They are to be protected at all cost including ignoring their sin.
4. Other tribes – those not like us who are a threat to our kind establishing our kingdoms. They are to be exploited
iii. View of Justice – might makes right. 51%
1. Vengeance.
2. Ends justify the means.
3. Our Only Hope – Jesus as Our One true King
a. Is Jesus your king? An invitation to faith
i. Romans 3:23
ii. Romans 6:23
b. Is Jesus really your king? An examination of faith
i. John 14:21 If you love me, you will obey me.
ii. 2 Corinthians 13:5 examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith.
c. Communion -
Biblical references to the word “justice” mean “to make right.” Justice is, first and foremost, a relational term — people living in right relationship with God, one another, and the natural creation. From a scriptural point of view, justice means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves and is rooted in the character and nature of God. As God is just and loving, so we are called to do justice and live in love.