THE RESTORATION OF HIS POWER
Study Text: Judges 3: 7 - 12
Introduction:
- Whenever the power of God is lost, the people of God cannot prevail over the enemy as expected of them because the presence of God has been withdrawn, and the glory of God will be missing.
- When the Israelites could not prevail over the Philistines in the days of Eli, it was due to the loss of the power of God, and Phineas’ wife lamented that the glory has departed.
- Restoring the Lost Power to our Lives and Ministry is very important if we are to enjoy His presence and see the manifestation of His glory.
- A look at the early Church shows that something is missing in most Christian lives today. It is the supernatural power of God.
- They received the power of the Holy Spirit, and did many exploits with it. Souls were won and the Church increased daily, and many signs and wonders were wrought by their hands which drew many to Christ and glorified Him.
- The Holy Spirit is ready to do His work in our lives and ministry today just like He did with the early Christian, if we will give Him space.
- All during the 400 years covered in the book of Judges, the nation of Israel followed a predictable pattern.
- They would serve God faithfully while they followed the strong leadership of their judges. When a judge died, they had no leader, and they would desert God, and began to live in disobedience to His Law, giving themselves to the worship of the pagan gods of the Canaanites.
- When they rebelled against the Lord, He would sent His judgment upon them, by allowing Israel to be oppressed by their enemies.
- After a time, Israel would repent of their sins and God would raise up a deliverer. God would use this person to defeat Israel’s enemies and set them free.
- This story has much to teach us, if we will allow it to. Like Israel, we often follow the same pattern of disobedience, chastisement and restoration.
- Our problem is not the Moabites, the Ammonites or the Amalekites. Our problem is the flesh. Every one of us has problems with our flesh.
- Sometimes we win our battles with the flesh; sometimes we lose our battles with the flesh; sometimes we don’t fight against the desires of the flesh at all.
- We are literally in a fight for our very spiritual lives every day. It is a fight we must win, every time we enter the arena.
- This passage gives us the help we need to fight and win the battle with the flesh. They won their battle with those who oppressed them and you can too.
- You do not have to be a slave to your fleshly passions. You can be free from the grip of sin. You can walk in victory if you will fight the battle and fight it God’s way
- We shall discuss the topic under three subheadings:
1. The Dilemma of the Disobedient
2. The Deliverer of the Defeated
3. The Deliverance of the Dominated
1. The Dilemma of the Disobedient
- These verses describe the horrible oppression Israel suffered because of her rebellion against the Lord.
- Their problems stand as a warning to all those who would walk away from the God Who redeemed them. Let’s look at these verses and learn from them.
- Israel faced three nations because of their rebellion against God. They faced the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Amalekites. All three of these nations were continual problems for Israel, and all three were connected to Israel by blood.
- The Amalekites were descended from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. The Moabites and the Ammonite were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. After Lot and his daughters were delivered from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s daughter got him drunk, had sexual intercourse with their father and conceived Moab and Ammon, from whom descended these two nations.
- All three of these nations were a continual thorn in the side of Israel. They were constantly attacking, hindering and seeking to enslave the people of Israel.
- Just like Israel was repeatedly attacked by these nations, the believer is continually attacked by the flesh.
- Our flesh has its own desires. It does not like the way of holiness and the way of righteousness. The flesh likes the way of evil and the way of Satan, Eph. 2:1-3; John 8:44.
- The flesh will do everything in its power to enslave us and prevent us from reaching our fullest potential in Jesus Christ.
- Don’t be deceived, your flesh hates God and everything God stands for. Your flesh will never submit to the Word of God. It must be forced into submission by a strong show of force. – Rom. 7:14-25.
- We are in a war! The Christian life is not a playground, it is a battle ground! We need to suit up for war every day by putting on the whole armour of God, Eph. 6:10-18; by praying and reading the Word, and by taking a stand that refuses to yield to sin in any form.
- The flesh is relentless. Unfortunately, the spiritual desire within us in not. We let our guard down, and when we do, we lose the battle.
- We fail to pray. We fail to read the Word. We fail to avoid exposure to the things that tempt us. We fail to take a stand against the flesh. 1 Cor. 9:27.
- Your prayer life, your devotional life, your church life, your life of service and devotion to God have all fallen into a state of disrepair. You have seen the places where you used to enjoy victory become the habitation of the flesh.
- You see yourself living a life you never imagined when the Lord saved your soul. Well, you should know that you do not have to stay in that condition. The Lord can and will set you free.
- We must remember that the things we do either glorify God or they dishonour Him. When David sinned with Bathsheba and was confronted by Nathan the prophet, Nathan said, “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…” 2 Sam. 12:14.
- Nothing has changed. We must ever remember that, if we are saved, we belong to the Lord and we must never do anything in our lives that brings dishonour to His name or that allows the enemies of truth to mock Him.
2. The Deliverer of the Defeated
- That is where Israel found herself. When she finally got tired of the servitude, Israel called on the Lord and He began the process of bringing her back to Himself.
- The judge in this passage is Othniel; he was not so famous, but he was considered an ideal Lord’s judge.
- When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help God raised up Othniel as their deliverer. God empowered Othniel by his Spirit.
- Being led by the Spirit of the Lord, he went to war against Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram. Whoever he was, his name suggests he was a very powerful and intimidating king since the name meant “Cushan of double evil.”
- When the Lord raised Othniel up as a judge and empowered him by his Spirit, it didn’t matter how fierce, powerful, intimidating “Cushan of double evil” was. Othniel simply overpowered this evil king. Under Othniel’s leadership, there was forty years of peace.
- What made Othniel an ideal judge was his attitude towards God and his promises. He was a man who aggressively went after God’s promises trusting in God’s unfailing steadfast love, faithfulness, and power. He was a man of godly pursuit.
- Is God still looking for spiritual heroes and heroines today – people of God who will act with courageous faith to save lives for God and to prevent spiritual tragedies from happening in the body of Christ?
- If so, what can we learn from Othniel about the kind of spiritual heroes God is looking for? God is looking for people of faith:
1. Who Want to Help the Disobedient Repent (3:7)
- All sin is evil in God’s eyes. The biblical word for “evil” means all that is wrong according to God’s standards. All sin is evil because it opposes God.
- Every time we disobey God, we do “evil in the eyes of the Lord”. We have to see our sin as God sees it, confess it and repent.
- In Othniel, God found someone who agreed with Him that Israel’s sin was wicked and needed confronting.
- God wanted someone to be moved by His children’s disobedience who would do something about it and act courageously believing these people can repent and turn back to God.
- God is still looking for men and women today who are burdened for believers who sin and fall away from God and desire to see them repent and come back to the Lord. [Gal. 6:1]
2. Who Believe God is more Powerful than the Wicked 3:8
- God sold disobedient Israel back into slavery. Since they enslaved themselves to other gods, God removed the freedom they had and sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim.
- One who believed God is more powerful than any army, any king or any power in this world! One who believed that what God did to Egypt in the past He could do to anyone in the future.
- For Othniel to accept God’s call to lead Israel he must have had great faith that God is more powerful than anyone – even doubly-wicked kings.
- We have a God who is more powerful than the enemy and His presence lives in us. We must live by faith believing God is more powerful than the wicked around us.
3. Who Live by the Word of God (1:11-15)
- How do we know? Because by taking the city of Kiriath Sephir Othniel showed he was: Believing in God’s promises and Living by God’s precepts.
- Othniel was living by the Word of God. That’s how we prepare ourselves to be used for God. The more faith we exercise the more responsible tasks and challenges God gives us.
4. Who Obeyed God When Asked to Serve (3:9-10)
- God “raised up” Othniel and used the circumstances of his life and his faith to bring him to this point. God prepared Othniel for this ministry in this time and place when he needed him.
- Othniel was walking with God so that when God led Othniel to take on the responsibility of leading Israel he obeyed when God called.
- God does not leave us on our own to accomplish his tasks, He equips us and empowers us by the same Holy Spirit. God wants us to believe He will work through us and give us the strength we need to do His will.
- When God wants us to serve Him He equips us, empowers us and encourages us with people to help us do His work. We must believe that and respond to Him when He asks us to serve.
5. Who are Committed to him for Life (3:11)
- Othniel served God all his life because the land had peace during his lifetime. Othniel served God faithfully and Israel walked with God during that time which resulted in no oppression from enemies – at least for 40 years.
- God wants us to obey him and follow His Word. He wants us to be ready to serve Him when asked.
3. The Deliverance of the Dominated
- The first step in restoration is repentance.
- The successful Christian is not the person who never fails, but it is the person who when they fail, gets back up and goes on for the Lord.
- The successful Christian is the person who accepts God’s remedy for sin and reaches up to God for cleansing and forgiveness when he does fail.
- This passage challenges us to avoid sin in our lives at all costs. Whatever steps are necessary to avoid committing sin must be utilized.
- God will help us to be the people He saved us to be. He will help us in the hour of temptation, 1 Cor. 10:13. He will help us protect our testimonies and our reputations so that He is glorified and we remain useful to Him.
- This passage also reminds us that there is restoration for the fallen, 1 John 1:9; Pro. 28:13. There is forgiveness with the Lord, Jer. 33: 8
- The following steps can be taken to recover your lost spiritual power
1. You First Have To Admit You Have Lost It!
- Self-examination is a step in the right direction! (Personal spiritual self-analysis)
- We are willing to try anything rather than admit a spiritual lack!!!
- We are apt to lose anything we become careless about!!!
2. Must Acknowledge That the Power of God In Your Life Is not Your Own
- We don’t possess power, His power possesses us!
3. You Must Be Willing To Return To Where You Lost It
- The best place to look for anything is where you lost it!
- We may be willing to admit failure, but we don’t want to be specific!!!
4. You Must Be Willing To Trust God for Its Restoration
- Some of us want to try human force, but what we need is Divine help.
5. You Must Act On Your Knowledge - FAITH REQUIRES WORKS!!!
- You must put forth your faith and take necessary action based on your knowledge of the word of God.
- Israel’s victory has a lesson or two to teach us about our own battles with sin and the flesh.
i. God has given us everything we need to enable us to walk in spiritual victory.
- He has given us His Word, His Spirit, prayer and His presence in our lives. If we fail to yield to Him and walk in His will, we can never have victory.
- But, if we will follow Him, humbly and faithfully, He can and will keep us from the bondage of the flesh!
ii. We need not fear the size or the power of our enemies.
- We are to fight them with everything God has given us. We are to cut off every avenue of escape and every place where the enemy might send reinforcements.
- We are to fight until every last ounce of the enemy’s strength is gone. We are to fight until the day He calls us home to glory!
- We are not to tolerate even the tiniest bit of the flesh life within us. Every vestige of the flesh must be put to death. We are to live every day, “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh,” Jude 1:23.
Conclusion:
- We all have problems with the flesh. It is overindulged, self-assured, and out of control. This message is a call for us to take the battle to the flesh.
- It does not have to carry the day. It does not have to win the victory over us. It does not have to claim the victory in our lives. You can be free!
- You don’t have to be a victim. You can be a victor! You can be a victor over the flesh! If the Lord has touch an area in your life that needs work, this is the place to bring that need!
- Where are you in your walk with Him? Are you saved? Are you as close as you should be? Are you as close as you used to be?
- Are you facing a time of testing through temptation? Has God spoken to your heart today? If there are needs, please come to Him now for the help, forgiveness, and restoration you need!
