08-21-16 In the Days of the Judges: Tit for Tat as a Life Rule

My family and I had a wonderful vacation -- thank you all for letting us just get away for a couple of weeks and rest a bit before school started back up for Wendy and the kids.  There were several things that I’d hoped to accomplish over this Summer in general (and this vacation in particular), but instead, I had a lot of quality family time... and I wouldn’t trade that for all of the “To Do” lists in the world.

Just a couple of reminder about some scheduling things --

1)    This week was the draft for our First Covenant Fantasy Football League.  Congratulations to everyone who actually got people whom they’d hoped to get.  I understand that the last couple of rounds, Richard was trying to draft some baseball players to find at least someone who could handle a ball...

2)    This coming week is our Annual Small Group Ministry Fair.  Most of the really important discipleship in our church goes on within community, and the deepest and richest community happens in our intentional and interactive small groups.  If you’re not part of a small group, please poke your head into the Fair this Sunday and check out what we have to offer...

3)    In two weeks (on September 11th), we will be starting up our Sunday Schools for all ages again.  Though our children’s Sunday Schools are excellent, please don’t forget that we have special classes designed specifically for high schoolers and adults as well.  Please plan to join us as we kick back into the swing of things.

In our message this week, we got back to looking at the book of Judges, finally opening up a story that everyone is familiar with -- the story of Samson.  Y’know, the big guy with the muscles, whose strength came from his hair (until Delilah cut it all off)...?

Except none of those details are actually in the Bible.  The real story of Samson is a bit more complex -- which is why we’re spreading it out over two weeks.  This past Sunday, we looked at Samson’s birth, and how he grew up into a selfish, oafish, really obnoxious jerk of a human being.  He liked to use and abuse others, and when he didn’t get his way, he felt totally justified in lashing out at those around him, blaming them for his pain.  And when they retaliated, he retaliated... which led him to retaliate... which led them to retaliate... etc.

And yet, he was someone whom God used to make a difference for His people, Israel.  God empowered Samson not because Samson was a great man, but because he was God’s blunt instrument to use against the Philistines who were enslaving God’s people.  God used Samson to do His will, even though Samson used his power for his own personal gain.  

So here’s the thing:  God is sovereign, so the question isn’t really if God can use you, because if He can use a guy like Samson, then He can certainly use a schmoe like you or me.  God is going to be glorified through you no matter what, just as He was glorified through Pharaoh.  No, the real question is if God is going to be glorfied by you -- is God going to use your messed-up-ness (like He did with Samson or Pharaoh), or is He going to use your faithfulness (like He did with Jesus or Paul)?  

Are you going to choose to let Him work in you today?