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Picture Your Life Heb. 11:32
Judges 11:1-32

"There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them." —Clare Boothe LuceI heard about an interesting scientific experiment that was conducted a while back. A group of behavioral scientists put some wharf rats in a tank of water, and observed them to see how long they would survive before drowning.

The average time was 17 minutes. Then, they repeated the experiment, but this time they rescued the rats just before the point of drowning, dried them off and returned them to their cages. They fed them, and let them play for a few days, and repeated the drowning experiment.

This time, the average survival time for these rats increased from 17 minutes to 36 hours! The scientists explained that phenomenon by pointing out that the second time around, the rats had HOPE. They believed that they could survive this, because they had done so before.

One scientist said "They were able to survive because they had been SAVED". —Heard on Chuck Smith's radio broadcast, "The Word for Today". (www.preachingplus.com)This morning we go back to the series on faith. As you may remember, for the last few weeks we have been looking together at the stories of several people whose names appear in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. They are listed there because of something they did that took great faith.

Joshua
Rahab
Gideon
Barak
Samson

Today we come to a very interesting man by the name of Jephthah. Again I would encourage you to study this story on your own. It is found in the eleventh chapter of Judges.

1. Jephthah’s birth presented overwhelming opposition and obstacles.

Jephthah could be the poster child for the modern movement that suggests we can blame everything on our past and childhood conditioning. Talk about your average dysfunctional family. Jephthah would be a real challenge for those who serve others in the counseling profession.


“Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. ‘You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,’ they said, ‘because you are the son of another woman.’” Judges 11:1-2

There’s nothing like being upfront about it. He was a misfit. He was a misfit in society. He was a misfit in his own family. He was a misfit in his neighborhood.

We all know that there are certain circumstance that you can find yourself in that will keep you from doing a lot of things you would like to do.

I wonder this morning what your story is.
I wonder what you are doing with your life.
What are the things that you would like to do but every time you think about it you remember what you are and what you struggle with and you give up even before you get started?

Are you allowing something in your past to bind you from doing or being something today? Joni Eareckson Tada who has been in a wheelchair for over twenty years tells the following story.

“Once upon a time there was a kitchen drawer full of knives, forks and spoons.” The group of disabled boys and girls, sitting n wheelchairs and leaning on crutches, was fascinated. They could tell this would be no ordinary story.

“Amongst the flatware, there was one spoon all twisted and bent. He didn’t look like the others. That’s why the spoons in the drawer made fun of him, taunting, ‘You’re no good. Who’s going to use you?’ The little bent spoon couldn’t help but feel sad.”

As I told the story and looked deep into the eyes of the children with cerebral palsy, sitting bent and twisted in their wheelchairs. I thought I saw a glimmer of empathy. Could they know how the spoon felt?

“The little spoon looked a lot like this one,” I said as my friend held up my “spork,” a utensil with serrated prongs that someone inserts into my hand splint so I can feed myself. (It’s misshapen, but the angle is perfect for lifting food from my plate to my mouth.)

“But one day the drawer opened and a big hand reached inside. Instead of choosing a shiny, straight spoon, the master of the household picked ... the ugly bent spoon! The rest of the flatware were amazed. And as the bent spoon was lifted out of the drawer, he beamed with pleasure. He was about to be used by the master.”

The boys and girls giggled. They watched my friend place the spork in my hand splint and smiled to see me lift my arm to feed myself. “And children, I wouldn’t be able to eat were it not for this special spoon. True it doesn’t look normal and it doesn’t fit in the utensil tray with all the other knives and forks. But there’s no way I’ll ever want to straighten it out.”The kids were fascinated. “The important thing to remember is this: The Master loves choosing people who are different to do His work. Jesus knows He can use us when He bends us to suit His will... He can best use us when we’re shaped for His special design.”

Childhood disadvantages or present day circumstances don’t have to control your life.

It doesn’t matter what you have brought with you into this service this morning.

2. Jephthah pursued a new life and opportunity.

“So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land to Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.” Judges 11:3

You make the choice on how you respond to your circumstances.

For Jephthah the choice was to go to the land of Tob.
Tob represented for him a place to turn around.
It was a place to start over.

Jephthah was facing incredible obstacles but it is the obstacles that we face that enable us to discover our abilities. I know that there are some of you hear today that feel like you’ve had your share of obstacles. You would give anything to start over. You wish that you could do your life over.

Recently I heard a friend of mine preaching a message on this story and he illustrated that point by talking about the eagle. The eagle’s only obstacle to overcome flying with greater speed and ease is air; yet if the air were withdrawn, it would fall to the ground.

A life freed from all difficulties would reduce all possibilities and powers to zero. You and I must face the resistance that comes to our lives with the understanding that we can rise above it. It is the exertion of strength that gives us new power, so out of our difficulties new strength is born.

Where are you running to?

A woman in Billings, Montana relates a story of some friends who received a telephone call from their recently married daughter. After several tense minutes on the phone talking with his daughter, the father told the group of the newlywed’s first fight. The father tersely said, "She said she wanted to come home."

The mother asked, "What did you tell her?"

The father said, "I told her she was home."

There's a tremendous temptation for parents to protect their children against hurt when they face adversity. Instead of helping the situation you may be making escape from commitment too easy.

In the book, Leading with Love...And Getting More Results, Neil Eskelin tells the story of Clyde the carpenter. Clyde had spent most of his career working for one contractor. He felt it was time to retire. Although Clyde hadn't saved a great deal or money, he thought he and his wife would scrape by.

A few days later, Clyde went to his boss and announced that he was too tired to build any more houses. Therefore, he had decided to retire and call it quits.

A few days later, the contractor came to Clyde and asked him to reconsider and build one final house. The contractor pleaded, saying, “I really need your supervision. Please."

Clyde finally agreed and began working on his final project. His heart wasn't in the work anymore, so his workmanship was shoddy and fell far below Clyde's usual high standard. The house barely passed the final inspection. On the final day of construction, the contractor called all of his employees together. He also asked Clyde and his wife to be present that day. The boss announced, "This is Clyde's last day with us. He has been a faithful employee of this company for years, and we want to do something special to honor him. Clyde, this house you have built is not going to be sold. We are giving it to you and your wife as a gift for many years of faithful service. This is your retirement home, one I know you will enjoy for the rest of your days!"

Neil Eskelin says, "Clyde had just learned the greatest lesson of his life."

What kind of life are you building?

You and I must ask ourselves the question, what are we doing with our lives?
Where have you gone to pursue a new life and a new opportunity?
What road are you walking down?
What choices are you making?
What kind of a life are you building?

All of us will look back on our lives and have a picture that will emerge.

What is your ultimate picture going to be?

3. Jephthah partnered with God to overcome his past.

The rest of this story is found in Judges 11:4-11. It is really getting to be an old story. The Israelites have once again been attacked and they are in trouble. By this time the fame of Jephthah the mighty warrior was well known. Someone had the audacity to bring up his name. With no apparent shame they go begging for Jephthah to come and help them defeat the Ammonites. In fact they asked him to be their commander.

I love this story. It is a great story of underdogs or anyone who has ever been made to feel like a loser. Jephthah can’t resist a little history lesson. “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

When he finally establishes the fact that they are serious he begins to think about the task that is at hand. It is very clear to Jephthah that he cannot do this on his own.

Jephthah partners with God to overcome his past and gain a great victory.

Listen to what we read in verse 29:

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” 11:29

I went back in my mind over all the people we have been looking at in this series and every one of them made it into Hebrews 11 because of one thing. They partnered with God.

“At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword.” Judges 4:15

“ ‘But Lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you ...’” Judges 6:15-16

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power.” Judges 14:19 (Samson)

“‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.’” Joshua 1:9

God offers to provide us with the grace to navigate the challenges of life.

“Statistically, 100 percent of the shots you don’t take don’t go in.” —Wayne Gretzky

Do you remember playing tether ball in school? The principles of the game were simple enough. A ball was attached by a rope to the top of a pole. The object was to hit the ball in such a way as to wrap the rope around the pole in your direction before your opponent did the opposite.There was a lot of pain associated with the game for a boy named Billy. At the crucial “tether” moment, he would lash out with a powerful fist to strike the final blow that would send the ball spinning into orbit beyond the reach of his opponent only to have his fist connect, not with the ball, but with the steel buckle attached to the ball.

As he bent over in pain, his opponent, who always seemed to be some grade-school girl, would slam the ball into the stratosphere, completely wrapping the rope within the top six inches of the pole. Occasionally, he would make a great first serve, and while he was congratulating himself, the ball would come around and smack him in the back of the head.

There was no doubt Billy had a problem with the game. He didn’t understand the basic principle—keep your eyes on the ball!The ball for you and I is Jesus.

He is the one that we follow. He invites us to bring our problems and our weaknesses and our disappointments and place them in His hands as we place our life and our future in His hands.

John Ortberg tells of a friend of his who was a medic for the Red Cross during World War II. The Red Cross at that time would provide the name of the donor so that soldiers, if they wanted, could write to them their thanks. Since it was the Red Cross, the donated blood was available to all who needed it—enemy or ally.

It was a custom developed among many medics that if a Nazi officer needed blood, they would find a Jewish donor. The medic would tell the officer, “The bad news is—if left to your own strength and resources, you’ll die. The good news is—we have blood that will save your life—from a Jewish donor! All you need to do is receive it.”

John Ortberg explained that most wanted to live and gladly accepted the Jewish blood. Yet there were some who, in their hardness of heart, said they would rather die. Isn’t that so like the human condition? The bad news is—if left to our own strength and resources we will die and enter into eternal death. The good news is—blood was shed by a Jew on a cross long ago to save us. All we need to do is receive it. But some of us, in our hardness of heart, refuse the gift of life.

Some of you are bent just like this spoon. You wish that you could be perfectly straight so that you could be used by God. God is not looking for perfect people but He is looking for people who will allow Him to use them and change them and mold them.

He is looking for you.
He is looking not at what you are but what you can become.

What kind of a picture does your life make?

2003/08/03

Most of us attend church on the weekend. "MidWeek Encounter" will offer scriptural insight to guide us as we navigate the uncertainty of the world we live in. Join us every Wednesday to find hope in a world where hope is hard to find. Also check out "Encounter Talks" for a Friday follow up discussion about each week’s message. 

 

 

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