Unlikely Faith | 6.28.26

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. Good morning, welcome to Liberty Live Church. We are so glad you decided to join us. Today's your first day at Liberty, we'd love to meet you. So text CONNECT to 40371, tap the seat back in front of you, or visit us at one of our next step centers after the service today. We can't wait to meet you. Because of your generosity, lives are being changed right here in Hampton Roads and around the world. When you give, you partner with us to help change lives, communities, and the world for Jesus Christ. You can give through our website, tap the seat in front of you, or through an envelope at your campus today. Thank you for investing in all that God is doing through the work here at Liberty. You know, God is moving in so many incredible ways here at Liberty, from kids to students, to young adults, to senior adults. There are so many ways for you to find community, discover your purpose, and grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus. So right now, let's look at some exciting things coming up. Don't miss what's happening all throughout the week. So follow us on social media and connect with your campus Facebook group. Thanks again for being here today, where it's not just church, it's life. So good morning, Liberty! Y'all, welcome to Liberty Live Church on this final Sunday of the month of June. This is Pastor Weston. I am Jenny, and we're so glad you're here. So introduce yourself in the chat. That's right. You can text LIFE to 40371. We want to hear your story, get you plugged in in this big old family we call Liberty Live Online. And Jenny, I see you're repping the shirt. It was Kids Week! Yes, it was incredible. Y'all, put like a raised hand in the chat if you sent a child, a grandchild, yourself, maybe you served to Kids Week this week. We want to know about it. We want to thank you for everything you did because it was incredible. It was awesome. Record attendance, life change. I'm sure Pastor will share the number of decisions later on in his message. But Jenny, what was your favorite part? Oh man, you know, Wednesday was Decision Day, or the Gospel Presentation Day. And it was just neat to see so many kids just raise their hand and say, I want to trust in Jesus. And some of them, it may have been like the third or fourth time they've said it, but it was a way of them to recommit. Like, I still want to follow the Lord. And then, just at a young age, you have to remind us of these foundational truths. Yes, yeah. God

loves me. I can pray to him whenever I want. He hears me. And shout out Elijah and Benjamin, who I was able to counsel this week. Best decision of your lives were made. And just an incredible, across all the campuses, just an incredible week. And speaking of the next generation, we're not done yet. We're not. We've got student camp coming up. Student camp coming up like two weeks from now. We're super close. So y'all be praying for these kids, for students that are going. If you haven't registered your student yet, registration is closed, but it's not too late. We never want to turn someone away. So just email us info at Liberty live church We'll find a spot again record number there of students come with going to camp I don't move in and right now over the next generation in our church We're so excited about it. But hey, we're continuing in our series. Yes, we're continuing to our series I hate it's gonna be an incredible worship and speaking of foundational truths. I wanted to remind us of a foundational scripture we're going at John chapter 10 and Verse 14. I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me if you feel forgotten today if you feel like You haven't been heard this week. God hears you God sees you and he knows your name and he has you here for a reason He has a word for you in church today. He has a word for Jenny He has a word for me and he has a word for you. So let's get ready and dive in to worship Good morning church. Give God a shout of praise in this place. Amen. He's been faithful to us this week. Let's sing about his faithfulness together. Come on put your hands together. Your mercy's on you every morning His steadfast love will never end His hope won't fade in the evening Lord how great is your faithfulness Lord how great is your faithfulness We remember your faithfulness Lord Oh Come on sing every hour Every hour, every minute of my life Has been part of your design Lord the whole world's in your hand Every trial, every battle that I face

God you've met me there with grace Every part has served your plan Come on sing through it all Through it all you've been so so good Kept your word like you said you would Come on sing it out Your mercy's on you every morning His steadfast love will never end His hope won't fade in the evening Lord how great is your faithfulness Lord how great is your faithfulness Oh Sing here and now Here and now Looking back on where I've been Still as good as you were then There's no limit to your love Through it all, through it all You've been so so good Kept your word like you said you would Oh Your mercy's on you every morning His steadfast love will never end His hope won't fade in the evening Lord how great is your faithfulness Lord how great is your faithfulness Oh Oh How great Oh how great

Lord how great is your faithfulness Oh Oh how great Oh how great Oh Lord how great is your faithfulness Your faithfulness Come on let's call to mind Through it all You've been so so good Kept your word like you said you would And it never returned boy Through it all You've been so so good Kept your word like you said you would Come on Your mercy's on you ♪ On every morning, set back to love, we'll never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Lord how great is your faithfulness to us ♪ ♪ On every morning, set back to love, we'll never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Lord how great is your faithfulness to us ♪ ♪ Lord how great is your faithfulness to us ♪ ♪ Lord how great is your faithfulness to us ♪ ♪ Oh give him a shout of praise in his place ♪ ♪ He's faithful, he's faithful, we remember your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ We bless your name, Jesus ♪

♪ Blessed are those who run to him ♪ ♪ Who place their hope and confidence in Jesus ♪ ♪ He won't forsake them ♪ ♪ Blessed are those who seek his face ♪ ♪ Who bend their knee and fix their gaze on Jesus ♪ ♪ They won't be shaken ♪ ♪ Come on and praise the Lord with me ♪ ♪ Sing if you love his name ♪ ♪ So come on and lift your voice with me ♪ ♪ He is worthy of all our praise ♪ ♪ And blessed are those who walk with him ♪ ♪ Whose hearts are set on pilgrimage with Jesus ♪ ♪ They'll see his glory ♪ ♪ And blessed are those who die and live ♪ ♪ Whose joy it is to give it all for Jesus ♪ ♪ And for him only, oh Jesus ♪ ♪ All for your glory ♪ ♪ So come on and praise the Lord with me ♪ ♪ Sing if you love his name ♪ ♪ So come on and lift your voice with me ♪ ♪ He is worthy of all our praise ♪ ♪ So come on and lift your offering ♪ ♪ Sing if you love his praise ♪ ♪ So come on and lift up your holy hands ♪ ♪ He is worthy of all our praise, yes ♪ ♪ Bless God in the sanctuary ♪ ♪ Bless God in the fields of plenty ♪ ♪ Bless God in the darkest valley ♪ ♪ Every chance I get, I bless your name ♪ ♪ Bless God when my hands are empty ♪

♪ Bless God with the praise that calls me ♪ ♪ Bless God when nobody's watching ♪ ♪ And every chance I get, I bless your name ♪ ♪ Bless God when the weapons fall ♪ ♪ Bless God when the walls are falling ♪ ♪ Bless God as he grows before me ♪ ♪ Every chance I get, I bless your name ♪ ♪ Bless God for he holds the victory ♪ ♪ Bless God for he's always in me ♪ ♪ Bless God for he's always worthy ♪ ♪ Every chance I get, I bless your name ♪ ♪ And every chance I get, I'm gonna bless your name, Jesus ♪ ♪ Every chance I get, so come on and praise the Lord with me ♪ ♪ Sing it to the world, his name ♪ ♪ So come on and bless your voice with me ♪ ♪ He's with me, He's holding me above ♪ ♪ Offering is coming, so come on and bring your offering ♪ ♪ Sing if you know His grace ♪ ♪ Come on and lift up your holy hands ♪ ♪ He's worthy of all our praise ♪ ♪ Yes, He's worthy of all our praise ♪ Thank you. Thank you so much. Church, I'd like to introduce you to Elijah. Elijah made a decision to follow Jesus at our Kids' Week this past week at VBS. And you know, he is a little bit nervous about being in the water, but he's shown so much bravery today and he's the first one from our VBS to step out

and say, I wanna get baptized. Elijah, it's such a privilege to get to baptize you. It's my privilege to baptize you, my brother, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We're buried with Christ at His death, and we're raised to walk in newness of life. Great job, buddy. Church, this is Melody. Melody grew up in a home that preached Jesus, but it was a home that really taught God as someone who is really harsh. And she learned that not that God loves her, but that God's against her. And that led her through a series of decisions in life that drew her further and further away from God. She experienced tremendous abuse in her life, homelessness at times, and she pushed far away from God, so far away that she pursued Satanism even. But God never stopped seeking her. She said that, I know that Jesus had redeemed me, but now He's restored me and healed me completely. And she steps out today to say that she knows God for who He is, the loving, unconditional God. And she has an unbreakable union with Him because of Jesus Christ. Now God's calling her out into ministry. She feels called to prison ministry and to serve those who have experienced the same hurt that she has.

Sister, it's my privilege to get to baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we're buried with Christ in His death, and we're raised to walk in newness of life. Let's continue giving glory to God. ♪ Come on and praise the Lord with me ♪ ♪ Sing if you love His name ♪ ♪ Come on and lift your voice with me ♪ ♪ He is worthy of all our praise ♪ ♪ So come on and bring your offering ♪ ♪ Sing if you love His grace ♪ ♪ So come on and lift up your holy hands ♪ ♪ He is worthy of all our praise ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all ♪ Thank you. ♪ You're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For from you are all things and to you are all things ♪ ♪ You deserve the glory ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For from you are all things ♪ ♪ And to you are all things ♪ ♪ Oh you deserve the glory ♪ ♪ You're worthy, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For from you are all things, and to you are all things ♪ ♪ Oh you deserve the glory, you're worthy, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all, Jesus ♪ ♪ For from you are all things, and to you are all things ♪ ♪ For you deserve the glory, we sing day and night ♪

♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense arise ♪ ♪ And day and night, night and day, let incense rise ♪ ♪ Join your life ♪ ♪ Oh dear Jesus, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For you are all praise, and still you are all praise ♪ ♪ For you deserve, oh you deserve, yes you deserve the glory ♪ ♪ Cause you're worthy of it all, oh dear Jesus, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all, oh dear Jesus, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For you are all praise, and still you are all praise ♪ ♪ For you deserve the glory, you're worthy, worthy, worthy ♪ ♪ Cause you're worthy of it all, oh dear Jesus, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You're worthy of it all, oh dear Jesus, you're worthy of it all ♪ ♪ For from you are all praise, and still you are all praise ♪ ♪ For you deserve the glory, you deserve the glory ♪ Come on and give Jesus the highest praise in this place. Oh we love you Lord, we love you Jesus. I wish you knew what God has been doing in this place all morning, and really all week. I mean, we've had over a thousand kids in this room at VBS all week, and God's been moving and working in their life. But when I came this morning to church, even in my time with the Lord this morning, I just sensed such a specific work that God wanted to do.

And the stories that I've already heard from the first hour, the people that I've already been able to pray with, the things that they're walking through, the way that God's revealing himself, it is absolutely a work that only God can do. And I'm telling you, because you're here this hour, I don't want you to miss what God wants to do in your life. If you wanna come and receive the things that only God can bring, he's here for you this hour. He wants to meet you in the midst of the things you don't understand in life. He wants to reach you at the greatest point of your disappointments, the greatest point of your frustrations, the impossibilities, the circumstances you never thought you would walk through. Walk through the things that you never thought you would have to face God's right here in the midst of it and he wants to meet you this morning right where you're at I want to encourage you. I know we have new people in the room this morning I know we have people that are here every single second You just don't miss if we're open and I want to tell all of you Don't come and leave this hour without experiencing what God has for you. He loves you He's for you and he's not against you He has plans to prosper you not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future And he's here this hour to meet you right where you're at. Is anybody excited to be a church today? I'm so excited that you're here and I believe that you're here for a reason You know I want to encourage you because we did have so many kids here this week and God's been moving and working in all of their Lives and I want to say thank you to some amazing people in the house of God If you served and volunteered at Kids Week this week, would you raise up your hands so we can celebrate you?

And I'm so thankful for you and all that God did through you this week and Y'all we're worn out Come on somebody we're tired But it's been so amazing to see the way God's been at work and I can't believe we're just one week away from Student camp and we don't want your your students to miss what God has for them next week And so if you haven't signed your students up for student camp yet, you go online Liberty live church slash events You make sure that your students are at camp this year He has so much for them and I wish I could tell you every individual story of what God's doing through Through Kids Week through VBS and we know we can't But we want to give you just a little taste of what God did show you the faces Give you a little bit of the experience and so you can be seated and turn your attention to the screens Church Family I want you to know we just wrapped up an incredible kids week We had a hundred and fifty-eight kids make some kind of decision in their faith journey to follow Jesus whether it was salvation Baptism or rededication we had a hundred and fifty-eight decisions to take a next step with Jesus So I just want to say thank you for all these of you that served you took off a week of work to be there With the kids and pour into them man. What an incredible life-changing week for so many of them Thank you so much for everything you did it made for an incredible kids week Well, good morning Liberty anybody glad to be in church today I Want to welcome all of the Liberty family and all our locations and those of you who are joining online I always like to give a shout out to missionary families military families and the men and women in the correctional facilities It's a joy to worship and study God's Word together. Come on every campus put your hands together and welcome all the family We're in a series called by faith and I invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11 The book of Hebrews in the New Testament chapter 11 while you're finding that let me give you the updated numbers of kids week We had three thousand three hundred nineteen enrolled at all of our campuses combined 187 decisions 82 have already signed up for baptism. Can we give Jesus the praise? Amen Glory to God and I want you to know that that would not happen and neither would our student camp happen without some incredible volunteers And so I want to show them some love every campus Thank the ones who have worked and kids week and are going to student camp

Giving of their selves and their time God's going to use it in a great way I know many of you have been watching on the news about the earthquake in Venezuela and Many Organizations will help but I want you to know when you give through your local church to send relief There's a drop-down box on the giving page 100% of that goes and you're not only sending food and water and medicine But you're sending the gospel of Jesus Christ And so anybody who would like to give I just always remind you when there's a crisis or a natural disaster Around the world that we like to minister through sin relief and I thank you already for Gifts and we'll make sure all of that gets to that Location and the work that needs to be done the ministry that needs to be done there Well, Israel is just in October, it's gonna be October the 5th through the 14th. Since the attack on October 7th a couple of years ago, we have had to cancel two trips and I have talked to our guide on the ground twice this week I have talked to our tour company and they say flights are going in, groups are going even before we go in October and everything is on go. If for some reason war breaks out, I promise you we've canceled two trips and if we have to, we will cancel. You get a full refund if we have to cancel but I think we have about maybe seven to 10 spots left. We've got a great group signed up, it's gonna be an incredible time. If you would like to sign up,

I encourage you to talk about it, to do it today and we're looking forward to our next time in Israel. Well, I want you to look at Hebrews chapter 11 and today we're gonna pick up here in verse 32. Now last week we looked at Joshua and we looked at Rahab, two individuals that could not be more different or opposite when you think about it, one's a male, one's a female, one's a Jew, one's a Gentile. One had a good reputation, was a general, one had a bad reputation, she's a prostitute but it just reminds us that it doesn't matter if you're a patriot like Joshua or a prostitute like Rahab, no one gets to God, no one gets to heaven based on how good or how bad you are. There's only one way and it's through Jesus by putting your faith in the one true and living God and so I want you to hear me that Rahab, listen, she found her way into the lineage of Christ. When you read in Matthew's gospel, she becomes the great, great grandmother of King David and so God can rewrite your story, God can change your story. She didn't keep that label of prostitute, no, she became a forerunner of Christ and helped to bring Christ into the world and so I don't care what label the world has put on you, the world will say you're tall or short, you're young, you're old, you're conservative or liberal, you're gay or straight, the world will say you're stupid or smart,

the world will say that you're pretty or you're ugly but the world doesn't have the last word. No, only the one who made you can put his label on you and let me tell you the label he wants to put on you, loved, chosen, accepted, redeemed. God is still changing and writing stories today. We're gonna pick up and look, there are 16 names in Hebrews chapter 11, we call it the Faith Hall of Fame and there are only six names left and I want you to see four of them today are judges and what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, that's the four judges, David, Samuel and the prophets and so as I was reading that and praying over it this week, I really felt led to talk about just these four judges today and to give you a little summary or overview of their life. Now I could preach an entire message on any one of them but I wanted to give you a summary of those four so that you can kind of be familiar with them and know how God worked in their life and see how God wants to work in your life. Are you ready? You buckled up? We're gonna cover a lot of ground, all right? Hey, the book of Judges chapter 21 verse 25 gives you the setting of that day. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Does that sound familiar? It's like the day in which we live. Now I almost gave this message the title unwanted faith because none of them wanted the job, none of them wanted to go. All four of them were reluctant and hesitant but I called it unlikely faith, unlikely faith and you may feel that way today that God has given you an assignment that you don't want, a job you don't want and if so, I hope you can see yourself in this story. Let's look at the first one. Gideon and when I look at Gideon, I think about doubtful faith, doubtful faith. So we read, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, the angel of the Lord, we believe this is a theophany, an appearance of God. It's a Christophany in the Old Testament, appearance of Christ in the Old Testament. You remember when the fourth man showed up in the fire in the book of Daniel? You know, it's Jesus and so we see Jesus in the Old Testament. He says, the Lord's with you, you mighty warrior, you mighty man of valor, some of your versions will say. Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied, but if the Lord's with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us

and given us into the hand of Midian. Now Israel was surrounded by a lot of different enemies, much like they are today. But Midian is the one who's attacking them at this time. And they would come in and they would just not only take over all the land, they would burn all the crops. I mean, they would just burn everything down. So Gideon is in hiding. When it says he is threshing wheat in a wine press, that means a hole, he's down in the basement. He's just trying to get a little food to survive before they burn all the wheat. And so we see that he is in hiding when the Lord shows up to him. And he asked God questions, did you see it? Why has all this happened to us? Then he asked the question, where are all his wonders? Where are all the miracles that we have heard about and read about? You see, he doubted, he had questions. Maybe you're filled with doubts, maybe you're filled with questions today. And I would say that God can still use you and God will meet you where you are. Isn't it good today that God can meet you right where you are? He calls him a mighty man of valor, a mighty warrior. He didn't feel like it, he felt like a failure. He's in hiding.

Isn't it great that God sees you, not for what you are, but what you can be? You see, Gideon, he's struggling. Why is this happening to us? Maybe you feel that way today. Have you allowed this to happen to me or to our family? He's asking the question, where are the miracles? Maybe you're asking that question today. God, where is our miracle? We pick up in verse 14. It says, the Lord turned to him and said, go in the strength that you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? He says, pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh. I'm the least in my family. The Lord said, I'll be with you, that's the key. He said, I'll be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites and leave none alive. We see here that he's struggling. The world would say he's struggling with low self-esteem. Well, let me just say, if you go around saying, I'm a nobody, I'm a nobody, I'm a nobody, that's not humility. In fact, if you go around saying, I'm nobody, I'm nobody, I'm nobody, it's really no different than saying, I'm the greatest, I'm the greatest, I'm the greatest,

the focus is still on you, either way. And you don't have to go around telling people, I am nothing, I'm the weakest, I'm the least. We'll find out soon enough, hello. No, seriously, God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called. And so, I want you to understand that God sees you not as you are now, but he sees you in Christ. Your sins under the blood of Jesus. The same God that saved Gideon saves us, and the same God that sent Gideon sends us today. Now, here are the odds. 135,000 of the enemy against 32,000 Israelites. Gideon said, we have too few. God said, you have too many. And he called his army down from 32,000 to 22,000, and from that down to 300. John Wesley said this, give me 100 men, just 100, who will fear nothing but sin, love nothing but God, and I'll shake the gates of hell. Well, that's what God does here with these 300. Now, the way that he called it was very interesting. He told them, he said, send them all down to get a drink. He first of all said, anybody scared, go home, boom. 10,000, they're out, out like shout. And then he said, tell the others to go down and drink, but what they didn't know is they're being watched. What they don't know is they're determining whether or not they're gonna get promoted or not. See, you don't understand, but people are watching you,

and God's watching you, and that promotion, he's seeing, will you be faithful, will you be vigilant? You say, what's the big deal in the way you drink? Well, 9,700 of them that were left, they went down and did what? They're drinking either with their hand or they're just putting their face in the water. Majority of them put their face in the water and did not look, they weren't vigilant. Only 300 cupped their hand and brought the water up, looking out for the enemy at all times. And the Bible says be vigilant. Why? Because your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion, he walks about seeking whom he may devour. There's never a time that you can let down your guard. Never a time that you can't be watchful, no. So God said, I want the 300 who are vigilant. And he called this thing down from 32,000 to 300. Maybe you feel like, man, God's been culling me. He's been reducing me. It may be in your health. A reduction in your health. It may be a reduction in your finances. It may be that you're struggling, that hey, God is just taking things away from me. Watch this. If you have God, you have all you need. If you have God, you have all you need. Because when we're weak, he's strong.

In fact, strength, our strength is dangerous because when you're strong, you trust in yourself. And so rather, it's when we're weak that he's strong. You don't need a big army. We've got a big God, amen. And so we pick up here, chapter seven now, verse 16, when he divided the 300 men into three companies, he put a trumpet in every man's hand, an empty pitcher, and then torches to put inside of those pitchers. And so I want you to see here, the trumpet represents the word of God. All throughout the Old Testament, they would tell the prophet, sound the trumpet. God would say, sound the trumpet. What does that mean? You tell them my word. You tell them what I've said. The trumpet represents the word of God. The torch, the light, represents the Holy Spirit, and the vessel, that pitcher, represents you. And you remember what they did? They put that light in that vessel, they blew the trumpet, and they broke it. And I'm telling you, that's the way that God uses us. When he says, get your torch, he's telling you, get your Bible. Every day, you need to get in the word of God. Every day, you need to get the word of God in you. He says, get your trumpet. That means get your word, get the word of God.

And then he says what? He says, then you get that torch. That torch is the light of the Holy Spirit, and the vessel is you. And God only uses broken vessels. And that's when the light shines out. We're all a bunch of crackpots. But then, people understand, it's not you, it's Jesus in you. And we let his light shine through us. Now, you would think that everybody would be thrilled to death about this wonderful victory, supernaturally, that God gave to just 300 against that huge army, but no, everybody wasn't happy. I don't have time to read it, but you just take my word for it, and go read it for yourself. Several of the tribes came and said, hey, Gideon, we want a word with you. Why didn't you invite us? We should have been the ones to go. And they were all upset and complaining at Gideon, and chewing him out. And they're probably saying things like this. Listen, you sent them off to blow that trumpet. My son has been taking trumpet lessons for years. You know, they're probably saying, hey, my child, you sent them off with those torches, he can juggle fire. He's like the majorette, you know,

that takes that baton and twirls it and it's on fire. And they're complaining and saying, we should have been the ones to go. Bottom line is this, stay away from the critics. Mark and avoid the complainers and the critics. Well, number two, let's talk about Barak here. And if Gideon represents doubtful faith, Barak represents dependent faith. We read it in Judges chapter four. Barak said to her, if you go with me, I will go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go. Certainly, I will go with you, said Deborah. But because of the course that you are taken, it says the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Now, the story is this. He refused to go unless the woman named Deborah, who was a prophet, we call her the prophetess, unless she went with him. He wouldn't go unless somebody else was with him. Hey, there are times in life you gotta take a stand by yourself. You have to learn to say, hey, I'm gonna stand if nobody else does. And Barak was like, I'll go, but I'm not going unless somebody else goes with me. I'm not going unless the prophetess goes with me. Now, no prophet, male or female, so it has nothing to do with gender, no prophet, male or female, led Israel.

Now, their job was to give the Word of God. I'll give you some examples. If you do a careful study of the Bible, Old and New Testament, there are no women priests in the Old Testament. There are no women apostles in the New Testament. No women bishops or elders in the New Testament. But here's what you will find. You will find prophetess like Miriam in Exodus 15, and Huldah in 2 Kings 22, and Noahdi in Nehemiah 6, and Anna in Luke 2, and the four daughters of Philip were prophetess, the Bible says, in Acts 21. So hear me. Deborah's not trying to take the lead. She's trying to get a man to lead. And Barak doesn't wanna do it. He's hesitant, he's reluctant, he's not leading, he's following. So what should godly women do? You answer the call. You use your spiritual gift. You serve in the body of Christ. When you read about Jesus and his treatment of women in the New Testament, it was revolutionary to the world in which he lived. First of all, God sent the Messiah through the Virgin Mary. We see that Anna in Luke 2 is the one who, as a prophetess, recognizes him as the Messiah.

He revealed himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman, the woman you remember at the well, and then he was close to Mary, close to Martha. In Luke 8, it was a group of women who financially supported the Lord's ministry. Women were last at the cross, first at the empty tomb, and certainly they were there in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. What's my point? My point is this. Everybody's got a role to play. And we're not saying women sit down. We're saying, men, we need you to step up. We all need to be proclaiming the gospel. We all need to be serving the Lord, and we all have a place in the body of Christ. In fact, did you know that when you look at missionaries, that women outnumber men missionaries four to one? Four to one. And so I don't have to spend time talking about the significance of how God used women in the body of Christ. I mean, whether it's Lottie Moon or Annie Armstrong or Bertha Smith and on and on I could go. I'm just saying that Deborah here was doing what she was supposed to do. She's trying to get a man to do what he's supposed to do. You've heard it said, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Well, sometimes a woman's gotta do what a man won't do.

Hello? I think there are a couple of females in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament that we should contrast. One we just read about Deborah, a godly example. Oh, but there's a bad example named Jezebel. Deborah was bold, Jezebel was brazen. Do you see the difference? Deborah, we'll just call her Deb. Deb was humble, Jez was proud. Deb was mighty, Jez was manipulating. Deb was submitting, Jez was controlling. Deb was pure, Jez was seductive. What's the bottom line? The bottom line is this, God can use a Deborah. God can never use a Jezebel. Now hear me, the Canaanites, and of course you get, again, you get them all confused. There's the enemy at Midian, the Midianites, and then you got the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the termites, and the parasites. I mean, there's a lot of them in the Bible, okay? Well, they had 900 iron chariots, and they're out on a dry battlefield, and God said the torrential rains, and they got stuck in the mud. Well, Sisera, the enemy, the leader of the enemy, he took off running, and he ends up at the tent of some Bedouins, and Bedouin women know how to set up the tent, and stake down the tent peg. And so somebody who'd had a lot of practice

is who he runs into, and we pick up the story here, in Judges 4 and 19. You still awake? Say amen. Amen. He said, I'm thirsty, please give me some water. He wants water. She said, you want some cookies and milk? Talks to him like Santa. She gave him a drink, and then she covered him up. She's telling him, take a nap. Everybody say, take a nap. He said, you stand in the doorway of the tent. If someone comes by and ask you, is anyone in here, you say, no. But Jael, sometimes you'll hear it pronounced Yah-el. I like Jael, because hooked on phonics worked for me. Amen. Hey, but Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg, and a house. hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he, everybody say it, he died. Oh, that gives a new meaning to he got hammered. She nailed it. Hey, you know what her name means? Seriously, wild goat. You don't wanna be taking a nap around wild goats. All right, here we go.

In Judges 5, it says on that day, Deborah and Barak, son of Abinam, sang this song. Most blessed of women be J.L., the wife of Heber the Kenite. The only other place that has said this about another woman, it's Mary, the mother of Jesus. Most blessed of women. And they both surrendered to God and they served God. So we're talking about unlikely, unlikely faith. God used some judges that didn't wanna be judges. They didn't want the job. They didn't want the assignment. You see it in Gideon. You see it in Barak. And I would say to you that God can use even the most reluctant person, even a reluctant man, if he has to put some mountain women around him, amen. All right. Number three, we're gonna look at Samson. And Samson, I believe, is distracted faith. He didn't deny his calling, but he's distracted by the things of this world. Instead of being focused on purpose, he is focused on pleasure. He's distracted. Pick it up in Judges 13 too. Now there was a certain man from Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah,

and his wife was barren and she had no children. You know, I think it's hard to understand this. You see barrenness all throughout scripture. Why is it that couples who love God, who wanna have children, end up, many of them, not being able to have children? And why is it a lot of couples who don't even want children just keep having them? It's hard to understand, isn't it? But just like Gideon took his questions to God, you could take your questions to God. Just tell God if you don't understand, hey, if you're mad at God, you might as well tell him he already knows it. And so cast all your care on him because he cares for you. And just know that his ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts, his timing is not our timing. And yet you see over and over again in the Bible, those who are barren, those like Abraham and Sarah, when their body was good as dead, God still gave them a child. And it happened right here, watch. So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson, and the child grew and the Lord blessed him, and the spirit of the Lord began to move upon him. He is the only child and he is spoiled rotten. I want you to know that he is out there and even though he had godly parents,

he rebelled against God. That's another hard thing to understand. Parents who love God, who have children, who end up not living for God and they rebel against God. And I just felt like God wanted to say to somebody today, some parents, stop beating yourself up. Hear me, God was a faithful father to Adam and Eve, but they rebelled. God was a faithful father to Israel, but Israel rebelled. I would say to you today, you are not responsible for the decisions or choices of your adult children. You're responsible for your choices and your decisions, and you stay faithful to God, and you keep praying for prodigals to come home and everybody said. Well, Samson took a Nazarite vow. He was a Nazarite from birth. We read about John the Baptist, that he too was a Nazarite. What does that mean? It means they could not drink anything of the grape, grape juice or wine. It meant that they could touch nothing dead and that they would never cut their hair. So you know what that means? In your mind, picture John the Baptist or Samson looking like one of the guys on Duck Dynasty, all right? We read here, Samson answered, let me back up. I'm getting ahead of myself, all right?

I want you to just stay with me right here. Let's stay at this point for a moment. Samson is struggling. I told you he rebelled against God, and he's playing games. And I want you to know, you may be playing games, but the devil's not. And so he just continues in this cycle and this. This pattern of sin, he keeps making the same mistake over and over again. With his first wife, the riddle, the jokes, it didn't end well. And so I would say to you, maybe you've had a bad experience, he had a bad experience. Maybe you've been hurt, he was hurt. You know, a lot of times people just can't get past that bad experience. He never got over his first marriage, he never got over that hurt, and he continues as an angry person. Don't ever marry, don't date or marry an angry person because a person at war with themselves will be at war with everyone around them. And so you gotta let it go. Look at the person next to you and say, let it go. Look at your second choice now and say, let it go. I don't care what the bad experience, what the pain, what the hurt is, let it go. Now, for every David, there's a Bathsheba, and for every Samson, there's a Delilah. Miss Tammy and I met Delilah.

It was on the island of Grand Cayman. The church on our 15th anniversary, I believe it was, sent us and the family to Grand Cayman. The first time that we'd ever been there, we all certified to dive. We were having the time of our life, and they had gotten for me and Miss Tammy a couples massage. So we went down there to get the massage, and these two beautiful young ladies came out, and they're saying, hey, this one lady said, hey, I'm gonna be doing your massage to Tammy, and this other one looked at me and said, I'll be doing your massage. So I don't know why, but I just did. I said, what's your name? She said, Delilah. True story. And so they went back and began to prepare the rooms, and Tammy looked at me, and she didn't have to say anything. Her eyes said it all. She said, that girl is not touching your body. And I said, well, it's already paid for. What are we gonna do? She said, you go get Lindsay Beth. Lindsay Beth was 12 years old. Oh, so yeah, I met Delilah one time, all right? But I ask you, what is your Delilah? It may not be another person. It may be addiction.

It may be alcohol, drugs, unforgiveness, a bad attitude. God is committed to your success. Watch this, but Satan's committed to your destruction. Now, the Philistines paid her to find out the secret to his strength, which proves to us he's probably not Mr. Universe and Rip. He's just average looking. He's a nice guy, good-looking guy, just normal. Just normal, kinda like your pastor. No, seriously, if you're trying to find out the secret to his strength, he's just a normal guy, but he has supernatural strength. And so, the Philistines paid Delilah to find out. Now, here it is. Samson answered and said, if anyone ties me with seven fresh bow strings that have never been dried, I'll be as weak as any other man. She said, good, now, it's time for you to take a nap. And so, he went to sleep, and she said, the Philistines are upon you, and he broke those off just as before. So then, he tells her another story. He's playing games. If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man. She said, finally, thank you for telling me. Now, it's time to take a nap. And then, she does it, and she said, the Philistines are upon you, and boom,

you know, he frees himself again, third time. He said, if you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, she said, great, thank you for telling me. Now, take a nap. Then, she calls in the Philistines again. You would think this guy, after the third time, you would think he would wise up. Guys, naps are for kids. You go take a nap, and something bad can happen. I'm just telling, all right? Then, she said to him, how can you say I love you when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength. And with such nagging, she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. And I will make no commentary remarks on that verse. So, he told her everything. Hey, don't tell everybody your secrets. Don't cast your pearls before the swine. They're just some things God's given to you, you shouldn't tell anybody else. Paul said, there's a lot of things that I'd like to tell you, but you're not able to receive it. It says right here, he told her everything. And so he says, I'm a Nazirite from birth, you cut my hair off, I'll be as weak as any man, and after putting him to sleep on her lap, one more nap, one more nap time. And then she called for somebody to come in and shave off the seven braids of his hair, so he began to subdue him, and his strength left him. Then she called, Samson, the Philistines are upon you, and he awoke from his sleep, and

he thought, I'll go out as before and shake myself free. See, he's playing games because of pride. He's got pride that I'll be powerful enough to do this over and over again, saddest verse in the Bible, one of them at least. But he did not know the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, took him down to Gaza, same Gaza you read about today, binding him with bronze shackles. They sent him grinding grain in the prison. But the hair on his head began to, everybody say it, to grow again after it had been shaved. I want to encourage somebody today, the very thing that the enemy used to gouge you, to grind you, to gut you, to get to you, God's going to use it to grow you. Come on, put your hands together and praise God. Verse 26, Samson said to the young man who was leading him by the hand, why is the young man leading him? He's blind. Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple so I can lean against them. I love this. It's a picture that he touched the next generation before his death. And I think that's so important because they needed each other and there's so much in the Bible about the young men and the older men and older women and younger women. We need one another. And then it says right here, he called out to the Lord. Lord, God, please remember me, strengthen me, God, just one more. Just one more time. And he pushed with all of his might and the temple fell on the leaders and the people in the end. And those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life. This is so good. He prayed for another chance and God gave him another chance. You know, a few simple choices do not define your life.

If you'll repent, if you'll ask God for forgiveness and ask him to give you another chance, hallelujah, he'll give you another chance. You know, we see here, yeah, go ahead and praise God. How many of you needed another chance? I never say God's the God of a second chance because I needed more than two. Yeah. No, God will give you another chance. You know, when we look at the judges, we see Jesus. When you look at Samson and Jesus, watch this, both had miraculous birth. Both had supernatural power. Listen, both were betrayed for money. Both were chained. Both were mocked publicly. Both died with outstretched arms and both had their greatest victory in death. Always look for Jesus. The last one, and I'm just going to mention him, and that's Jephthah. And Jephthah's dejected faith, and you'll see why right here. Now Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead begot Jephthah, Gilead's wife, more sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and they said, you shall have no inheritance in our father's house for you're the son of another woman. And they said to him, come, be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon. So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, did you not hate me and expel me from my father's house? See, dejected faith. You feel dejected today? He said, why have you come to me now when you are in distress? And before you judge them, I remind you, we treat God that way all the time. We say, God, I don't need you in my life. God, I kick you out of my life, out of my finances, out of my relationships.

And listen, and then the first time there's a crisis, you pray and say, oh God, get me out of this. And God, if you'll get me out of this, I promise I'll do anything. I'll do anything. I'll do anything. You know, I'll do anything. I was reading some people in history who said that Martin Luther was in a lightning storm and this boat came down and he said, God, if you'll save me, if you'll spare my life, I'll be a monk. John Newton was at a storm at sea and he said, God, if you'll save me from this storm, he said, I'll change my life and he did and he went on to write Amazing Grace. I'm just saying, don't treat God that way. God, if you'll get me out of this, I'll do anything and then you not keep your word. The thing I'll say and I won't get into the details of it, Jephthah kept his word. He paid a high price and I want you to know Jesus, listen, he paid a high price for your salvation and for mine. It cost him everything to provide, it'll cost you everything to receive it. You have to give him your life. Remember in the Judges, you see Jesus, Jephthah was born to deliver Israel, Jesus came to deliver the world from sin. Jephthah was rejected by his brothers, remember? And Jesus said, he came unto his own and his own received him not. The spirit of the Lord was on Jephthah, hear me, the spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus to preach the good news. Not only preach the good news but to heal the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives and set them free. You know, Jephthah, to be a deliverer, it cost him his daughter, you just have to go read the story for yourself. Listen, for our deliverance, it cost the heavenly father his son. In all of this, you see Jesus, Jephthah tried to get out of it, but in the end, he kept

his word, Jesus said in the garden, what, father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not my will, but your will be done. You just see Jesus all through it, you see Jesus all through it. And even though I don't have a lot of time to preach this last one, I do want to say that it is personal to me, because my great-great-grandfather was named Jephthah. And I know why he was named Jephthah, because his mom got pregnant as a single young girl, he was raised by a single mom, he never knew his dad, and as a teenager, he went, watch this, he went to live with a pastor and his wife, and they told him about Jesus and they poured into his life, and I believe we're still seeing fruit of it in a generation that now I'm a part of, and my children, thank God for that pastor and his wife, listen, you may start out the son of a harlot, oh, but you can end up a mighty man of valor, hallelujah. Isn't that good? Listen, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. And God didn't call the ready, no, He's not calling you because you're ready, He'll call you when you're reluctant, when you're doubtful, when you're dependent, when you're distracted, even when you're dejected. Bow with me for prayer. What are you doubtful about today? Take your questions and your doubts to God. What is it that you're struggling with, saying, hey, I, I, I just, I need others around me? Well, sure, there's strength in numbers, but God'll give you faith to take a stand if it's nobody but you, at work, at school, in your family, you may be the only believer. What are you distracted with? What's distracting you from carrying out the call and assignment that God's given to you in your life? Maybe you feel dejected today, that people have pushed you away, they're not including you, you feel like you're all by yourself, listen, God'll give you faith, and He'll use you just like He used these four, and today I would ask you, do you have faith in God? God didn't use them because they were perfect, God didn't use them because of how good or

bad they were, no, it's because they put their faith in the living God, and I want to give you an opportunity to do that right now. Just pray something like this, say, God, I know I'm a sinner, and I know I cannot save myself, forgive me for going my own way and doing my own thing, for pushing you out of my life, I ask you to forgive me, to save me, to adopt me into your family, to fill me with the Holy Spirit, and help me fulfill the purpose of my life. The assignment for which you've put me here on this earth, I wanna follow you and hear you say, well done. In Jesus' name, and everyone say it. Amen, I want you to stand all over this place. We're entering the most important moment in the service, and it's where you respond to the word that God's spoken. Maybe you're watching right there online. We'd love to know if you made a decision this morning to follow Jesus all throughout this room. There's a sticker on the seat back in front of you. We'd love for you to tap that sticker, and it'll bring up a page where you can let us know the decision that you made, but better than that, I wanna call down some of our staff and prayer team to be here across the front. We'd love the opportunity, even right now, to be able to pray over you, to talk to you about what God's calling you to. And I really wanna encourage you, the word is only as good as you apply it in your life. It brings no fruit in our lives unless we apply it, unless we take a step, we surrender to the Lord, we walk in obedience to what he's called us to, and I believe right now God is speaking to many of you.

There are people all around this room, I believe many men this morning in both services that God is just calling to a greater level of leadership in your home, in your family, in your walk with Jesus. And right now you can take a step towards surrendering to him. Many people who are struggling with the circumstances of their life, and for all of us following Jesus costs everything. This morning you can find so much peace and freedom in surrendering what you're withholding from the Lord, in telling God you're willing to give everything to him. That's why in every service we open this altar for prayer. Maybe your step of surrender is just simply coming and spending time in prayer in the altar. Maybe you wanna pray with one of our pastors. Maybe there's an impossible scenario in your life that you need to see God move, and only he can do it. We'd love the opportunity to pray over you. I'm gonna pray, and then we'll spend time worshiping together. And you respond however the Lord leads you to this hour. God, we surrender to you. Holy Spirit, however you best see fit right now, would you lead us to take the step of obedience that you're calling us to? Would you lead us to surrender our fears, our uncertainties, the errors of our life that we hold back from you? God, we lay it before you.

We're asking that this hour you would meet us right where we're at. God, I pray that your Holy Spirit would open our eyes to see the work that you're doing. I pray that you would give us confidence that you're leading us in the pathway of life. God, even right now, would you lead people to come surrender their disappointments, their struggles, their frustrations, their hardships to you? And as we respond to you, would you be pleased with our response? It's in your holy, precious name, the name of Jesus that we pray, amen. Let's respond and worship the Lord together. Let us holding your hand. You opened it to us. You opened our eyes to see. At the word of your command. We have no doubt in your power. You have no doubt if your Word is true. We believe, and follow a single faith and a tickering walk. No matter what thing, we've got a future. We may be struggling in our hours, At the word of your command. The lame go running free. What could be hard for you? At the sound of your voice.

Depression fades away. All addiction comes undone. When we call upon your name. What could be hard for you? This is my confidence. You're in the impossible. I know it's nothing too hard. Nothing too hard for you. And no one can stand against the power of your spirit breaking through. It's nothing too hard. Nothing too hard for you. It's nothing too hard. ♪ Nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ From the ashes of the cross you made your greatest place ♪ ♪ Satan thought he sealed you down ♪ ♪ When they laid you in the grave ♪ ♪ What could be hard for you ♪ ♪ And the soldiers shook it off as the stones rolled down ♪ ♪ All the way, not the lapel and your cloth ♪ ♪ For your rose and victory ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ This is my confidence to reign in the impossible, I know ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ There's nothing, there's nothing ♪ ♪ No one can stand against the power of your spirit breaking through ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ There's nothing, there's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ Miracles then, miracles now, miracles still to come ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done ♪ ♪ Miracles then, miracles now, miracles still to come ♪

♪ You're working here, you're moving now, your work is never done, oh ♪ ♪ Miracles then, miracles now, miracles still to come ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done, oh ♪ ♪ Miracles then, miracles now, miracles still to come ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done, oh ♪ ♪ This is my confidence, you're ready to be impossible, oh, no ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you, God ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard for you ♪ ♪ And no one can stand against the power of your spirit breaking through ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you, we sing miracles ♪ ♪ Miracles then, miracles now, miracles still to come ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done, oh ♪ ♪ This is my confidence, you're ready to be impossible, oh, no... ♪ ♪ There's nothing too hard, nothing too hard for you, God ♪ ♪ Miracles said, miracles now, miracles still to come, still to come ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done, oh, it's not... ♪ ♪ Miracles said, miracles now, miracles still to come, yes... ♪ ♪ You're moving here, you're moving now, your work is never done... ♪ ♪ It's never done, it's never done, oh, it's not done till it's good, it's never done, it's never done... ♪ Liberty Online family, thank you so much for joining us today. Such an incredible word from Pastor Grant as we continue in our series, By Faith. And if you made a decision today to believe and follow Jesus for the very first time, maybe you're rededicating your life back to Him. Congratulations, we're so proud of you. That's the best decision that you will ever make. And I cannot wait to come alongside you. And we can't wait to come alongside you as a church. And we want to actually send you a free Bible. You just got to text LIFE to 40371. Let us know you made that decision today so we can send you a free Bible

because this is your new playbook for life and how God's going to speak to you each and every day. But hey, we're so thankful for you. We love you. God's moving here. God has a purpose for your life this week. And we'll see you right back here next Sunday. Amen. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

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