Renewing Our Minds

Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.

And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.

A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here.

And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community.

And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good they don't need God's grace.

And no one so bad that they can't have it.

Which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.

We're continuing this morning our series in the book of Judges.

And you'll remember that the book of Judges is about a number of things.

It's about the need for constant renewal and revival among God's people.

It's about the need for a true and faithful king.

A king who can do what no human can do, which is to change the hearts of men.

It's about the power of spirit-filled leadership.

And it's about God's grace to hard-hearted people.

People like you and me.

We're picking up this week in the middle of the story of the book of Jethwa.

I told you last week that this is one of the most challenging stories in all of Scripture to both understand and interpret.

And we began last week with Jethwa arising as this judge who was coming to rescue God's people from the Ammonites.

And everything was going great until the moment that he vowed a human sacrifice to earn somehow God's favor.

And so you'll remember we talked about the fact that 18 years of serving foreign gods can't be undone in one day.

The tragedy unfolds again this week as we see the conclusion.

And once again we are faced with the necessary, the essential reality for God's people to constantly be formed and transformed by his word.

And we're reminded of a tragedy that happens when we're not.

So with that I invite you to turn with me now to Judges chapter 11.

Judges 11 · chapter mention

We're going to start at verse 34.

You can turn in your worship guide.

You can turn on your phone.

You can turn in your Bible.

No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's word.

And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.

And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.

And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 34.

Then Jethwa came to his home at Mizpah.

And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances.

She was his only child.

Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.

And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said,

Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me.

For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.

And she said to him,

My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord.

Do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth,

now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.

So she said to her father,

Let this thing be done for me.

Leave me alone two months,

that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity,

I and my companions.

Verse 38.

So he said, Go.

Then he sent her away for two months,

and she departed, she and her companions,

and wept for her virginity on the mountains.

And at the end of two months,

she returned to her father,

who did with her according to his vow that he had made.

She had never known a man,

and it became a custom in Israel

that the daughters of Israel went year by year

to lament the daughter of Jethpah the Gileadite

four days in the year.

I invite you to pray with me

as we come to this portion of God's word.

Our Father in heaven,

we thank you again that you haven't abandoned us.

You haven't left us as orphans in a merciless universe,

but instead, you come as a good father.

You instruct us and guide us in your word.

And we ask that you would do that very thing this morning,

and that you would pour out your Holy Spirit here in this room on us

in a special way,

and that as we look at your word,

you would open our eyes,

that we would be able to understand it,

to see it, to believe it,

that you would use it to shape us,

to form us, to change us.

And most of all,

we ask that you would show us Jesus,

that we would see his beauty more and more,

and that that would cause us to change,

to look more like him.

And we ask all of these things in his mighty name.

Amen.

Now, last week,

we left off the story of Jephthah

with a little bit of a cliffhanger.

You'll remember in verses 30 and 31,

Jephthah made this shocking vow

that he was going to provide God with a human sacrifice,

a burnt offering,

if God would simply give him victory

against the Ammonites.

The tragedy, of course,

is that God's Spirit was already on Jephthah

when he made this promise,

and so it reminded us of this fundamental misunderstanding

that he had of God and his ways.

Now, as we return to the story,

the question that's looming is this,

who is going to greet Jephthah?

Remember, his vow was that

the person who came to greet him would be the sacrifice.

And so the tensions, in a sense,

could not be higher for us.

We're meant, as readers,

to be on the edge of our seats

as Jephthah returns home from his victory

against the Ammonites.

And we don't have to wait long

to find out what happens.

We're met with this dramatic irony,

this contrast between the stakes of the story

and the joy that we see from his daughter

as she comes out.

She's coming to greet him,

this is verse 34,

with tambourines and with dances.

And so she thinks there's this great moment of celebration,

but what she doesn't know

is what we of the readers are already tracking with.

She is going to be the one to be sacrificed.

As if that was not bad enough,

the narrator ratchets it up again for us.

It is not simply that it's Jephthah's daughter

who comes out to greet him,

but it is his only daughter.

We're told that not once,

but twice to drive it home.

She was his only child.

Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.

We discussed last week the fact,

some commentators point out,

who would we expect to greet Jephthah

but the women of his house

who are coming to applaud him for his victory.

They're grateful he's returned, right?

And so Jephthah,

maybe he's hoping that this is going to be

some sort of servant.

Maybe he's hoping that the stakes are going to be low.

Instead, they're as bad as they could be.

And so I want us to pause for a moment

and not miss the tragedy that this is.

We were set up in verses 30 and 31

that something, someone was coming.

Someone from Jephthah's household

would be the sacrifice.

And in the gamble that he's made,

Jephthah could not lose more.

Now, as modern people,

we might immediately turn to sentimental reasons

that Jephthah's filled maybe with love for his daughter

and this sort of fatherly affection for her

and that's the great loss that's confronting him.

But we cannot overlook the greater issue

that's at play here for him,

which is this.

It's the issue of bloodline.

Why is it so tragic that it's not just his daughter,

but his only daughter?

Jephthah's future has just been erased.

Why is Jephthah so upset?

Well, we're told multiple times

that his daughter is going to grieve her virginity.

In other words, Jephthah will have no grandchildren.

Jephthah's line is going to stop with him.

Seeing that tragedy helps us understand

the way that he behaves in verse 35.

Of course, Jephthah tears his clothes.

What could be worse?

Why is it that Jephthah seems more upset for himself

than for his daughter?

He seems kind of selfish here.

Verse 35, he almost is blaming her, right?

You have brought me very low.

You have become the cause of great trouble to me.

Jephthah's more upset for himself than for his daughter

because his future is no more.

Remember the promise he was made last time.

Look, if you're victorious,

if you're able to conquer the Ammonites,

you're going to be the ruler of all of Gilead.

And all of that is for nothing.

What is it worth to be the ruler of Gilead

if there's not a next generation?

What is it worth to have power and influence and control

when there's no one to share it with?

What is it worth for him to have a great reversal

from the one who was cast out

because his mother was a prostitute

if there's no one to pass it down to?

And so there's this tragic irony in Jephthah's story.

We're reminded of the Old Testament principle

that the punishment does indeed fit the crime.

Jephthah is looking by this vow

to somehow convince God to help him

so that he can secure his future,

his reputation, and his power.

And that very future reputation and power

is what he has just lost.

None of it is worth anything

if his daughter is dead.

Amen.

The story continues in verses 36 and 37.

His daughter simply tells him,

look, you've vowed it,

so I guess you have to do it.

I just have one request.

Can I have two months?

Can you stay the execution for that long

so I can grieve with my friends?

Now Jephthah says yes,

and so she goes,

and we're told specifically

she is mourning her virginity,

which is a way of saying

that her dream that she might have had

of having a family

is never going to materialize.

Jephthah's grieving the end of his bloodline.

We could say that his daughter

is doing the same.

And then verse 39, it happens.

Jephthah told us,

he told God he was going

to have a burnt sacrifice.

We're told in these very simple words,

verse 39,

Jephthah did with her

according to his vow that he had made.

And so we're left as the reader

to sit in how bad things have become in Israel.

And in case we've missed the point,

we're told one more time,

verse 39,

she had never known a man.

In case we missed it,

Jephthah's line is over.

Everything that he fought for

and sacrificed for is for nothing.

And so as the readers,

Israel coming to this,

we're just left sitting here.

The narrator doesn't provide

any further explanation.

There's a real lack of detail

and suddenly we just move on

to the next part of the story.

There's this tragedy here

that meant to speak for itself.

The question we're left sitting with is this.

Why?

Why did it have to end this way?

Why is this the path

that the story took?

It seems senseless,

irrational,

unnecessary.

I mean, just basic things

from the Old Testament

should have stopped this.

We talked last week

about Deuteronomy chapter 12,

Deuteronomy 12 · chapter mention

which says human sacrifice

is an abomination.

God hates it.

That's what the pagan nations do.

That's not what his people do.

Now you might come back and say,

well, God also hates

someone not keeping a vow.

But then we see Leviticus chapter five

provides a way out.

It says, hey, if you break a vow,

here's how you can make sacrifices

to atone for it.

In other words,

there's a clear path

out of this for Jethro.

He doesn't have to proceed

with the sacrifice.

There is a way for him to escape.

Breaking a vow is bad.

It's nowhere as bad

as sacrificing your daughter.

Jethro could easily have turned

a different way.

Why did he not?

The fundamental problem

is this.

Jethro did not know God's word.

Jethro was shaped

more by the nations

around him

and their gods

than by the true God.

And as big as a problem

as that might seem,

there's an even bigger problem.

No one around Jethro

knew God's word either.

His daughter's out mourning

for two months, right?

That's plenty of time

for counselors

and advisors

and priests

to come to Jethro

and say,

look,

you don't have to do this.

It doesn't have to end this way.

God hates this.

He's provided a way out.

And so the silence

is deafening.

This is how bad

things have gotten

in Israel.

This is how far away

God's people

have moved

from God's word.

It is possible

to return to God,

to truly want

to worship him

as Israel did.

Remember,

the end of chapter 10,

and yet

be so

fundamentally

ignorant

of his ways.

it's possible

to have a sincere

desire

to serve God

and yet

not know

the way

he calls us

to walk.

A friend of mine

who's a pastor

told me a story

of his

from a few years ago.

He was visiting

his brother

and his sister-in-law,

and his sister-in-law

had just become

a Christian,

and she was

so excited

about what she

was learning

about Jesus

and about her faith

that she was just

eager to share it

with her whole

community and her friends.

And since her

brother-in-law

was coming to visit

and he was a pastor,

she thought,

I'm going to ask him

for some advice.

How can I do better

at sharing the gospel?

Because it just,

it seems to be

so challenging.

And so my friend

asked her,

he said,

okay,

tell me about

some of the challenges

that you're facing.

And she said,

well,

it was just hard

to share the gospel

because it was so loud.

Because we had all

gone out together

to the strip club.

And so just the volume

was so high,

you know,

it was hard for me

to share.

And it was also hard

because it was late at night,

it was 2 a.m.,

and like I was trying

to formulate thoughts

to share with them,

but I was also

a little drunk,

you know?

And so it was hard

for me to kind of

speak clearly

and get the thoughts

out that I wanted.

So my friend's

sitting there,

right,

like,

what do I say?

Yeah,

I can see how

being at the strip club

and being drunk

would make it hard

to share about Jesus.

On the one hand,

right,

he wants to come in.

Wow,

there's this great zeal

for God

and his ways,

right?

You're learning

about Jesus

and what he means

for you,

and you want

to share it

with others.

Like,

I want to champion

that and praise that.

And on the other hand,

you have so much

to learn about sin,

about what God

calls us to,

the way of life

we're supposed

to walk in.

That there are parts

of the old life

that still have a hold.

Now,

you'll see this

on the back

of your worship guide

talking about Satan's

devices in taking

out the believers.

It tells us this,

Satan knows

that a saint

without a knowledge

of the gospel

is as vulnerable

as an army

without ammunition.

Christian,

do you have

the ammunition

you need?

Are you shaped

by God's word?

Are you shaped

by the world

outside?

Knowing God's word

is an element

of what we've been

talking about

as the theme

of Judges,

this constant need

for spiritual renewal

and revival

among God's people.

Why is it

that we return

every week

to hear what God

has to say to us

in his word?

Why is it

that we gather

as small groups

in Bible studies

throughout the week?

It is this,

because it shows us

the path

to life.

why do we

pay careful

attention

to what God

has to say

to us?

Because it protects

us from great

danger.

Why do we

listen?

Because the

philosophies

and the values

of this world

are not

harmless.

Learning from God

and his word

is not

some sort

of theoretical

exercise

that we

do

so we can

be pleased

with how much

more we know.

No,

it is the way

that we walk

in life.

It is the way

that God

protects us

from horrific

things

that the world

says are normal.

It is the way

we prevent

ourselves

from drinking

poison

and pouring

it out

on others.

The pagan

culture around

him has

told Jethpah

that death

and destruction

are normal

and necessary.

Brothers

and sisters,

our culture

tells us

the same

thing.

Our culture

also tells us

that death

and destruction

are normal

and healthy

and necessary.

we have

not

moved

beyond

human

sacrifice.

Of course,

it takes

different forms

in our world.

It could be

the human

sacrifice

of abortion

or euthanasia

or assisted

suicide.

It is the

mutilation

and chemical

castration

of children

that reminds

us our

culture

is not

that different.

All

those things

to appease

the gods

of this

world,

the gods

of convenience

and ease

and independence

and autonomy.

In fact,

if you look

at paganism,

it always

requires

human

sacrifice.

The more

pagan

the culture,

the less

sacred

life

is.

God's

word

protects

us

from

many

other

lies

as well.

It protects

us from

the lie

that the

good life

is one

of consumption

and pleasure

and peak

experiences.

It protects

us from the lie

that we are

autonomous

and independent

and we can

redefine ourselves

in whatever way

we want.

it protects

us from the

lie that

whatever we

want is

always more

important than

the community.

It protects

us from the

lie that our

identity

and our

peace

comes from

how we use

our sexual

organs.

we have

to

constantly

push

back

on the

world around

us with

the truth

of God's

word.

It's why we

read already

from Romans

Romans 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12.

John read it

for us.

This is on

page 2

of your

worship guide.

Do not

be conformed

to this

world but

be transformed

by the

renewal

of

your

mind.

we are

constantly

being told

by the

culture and

the world

around us

what is

good and

bad,

what is

true and

right,

what is

healthy and

unhealthy.

And so we

have to

stand

constantly

with the

truth of

God's

word.

You'll see

this on

page 7

of your

worship guide

from C.S.

Lewis.

Good

philosophy

must exist

if for

no other

reason because

bad philosophy

needs to be

answered.

And if you

live in this

world, you

know bad

philosophy

constantly

needs to

be answered.

That's why we

talk about here

at Shine

Mountain the

importance of

robust

discipleship.

We want

that to be a

key focus for

us as a

church.

how else

are we

going to be

transformed

by the

renewing of

our minds?

How else

are we going

to walk in

the path of

life?

How else

are we going

to know

what is

good and

true and

right?

In John

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

Jesus tells us

two things.

He tells us

he's the

good shepherd

and he also

tells us he's

the door.

In other

words, he's

the one who

protects and

guides his

sheep.

He's the one

who keeps

them far away

from danger

and tells them

where good

things are.

In fact, he

says this in

verse 10,

the thief comes

only to steal

and kill and

destroy.

I came that

they may have

life and have

it abundantly.

What do we

see in the

story of

Jethpah if

not the enemy

coming to

steal and

kill and

destroy?

How is it

that we have

life and

have it

abundantly?

We find it

in God's

word.

And of course,

ultimately, we

find it in our

Lord Jesus.

He's the one

who says,

I am the

shepherd.

I am the

good door.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

tells us that

Jesus is the

wisdom of

God.

God in

his word

teaches us

everything we

need to

know to

have life.

He protects

us from

great danger.

Christian, he

protects you

from great

danger.

Will you be

transformed by

the renewing of

your mind?

God in

his book,

All the

Light We

Cannot See.

Anthony

Doerr, the

author, won

the Pulitzer

Prize in

2015.

And in this

book, he

tells the

story of

two children

living during

the same

years leading

up to and

during World

War II.

One of the

children is

this young

girl.

His name is

Mari Lohr.

Marilor and

her father.

She lives in

Paris and her

father is a

single parent.

He has many

challenges as

many parents do.

He has a

particular challenge

though which is

that Mari Lohr is

blind because of

cataracts.

Now her father

wants her to

know how to get

around the city of

Paris and how to

navigate the world

but of course that's

challenging right

because his daughter

cannot see.

He loves his

daughter though and

so he wants to

figure out a

solution.

How can I give

her the tools

that she needs

to survive despite

this challenge that

she has?

And so he comes up

with the solution.

He builds this

small detailed

model of the

streets of Paris

around their

homes.

And he tells his

daughter you need

to run your

hands along the

models of the

street so that

you can learn how

to find your way

around in our

neighborhood.

And so for

months Mari Lohr

is running her

hands along the

model that her

father's built

trying to learn

every curve and

corner of the

streets around

them.

Her father takes

her out to

practice.

He'll move her

around and then

try to help her

get back to their

house so she knows

how to return.

At first she has

little success but

as they practice

more and more she

is able to

navigate her way

around the city

of Paris.

Brothers and

sisters,

our heavenly

father has given

us a model for

how the world

works.

He means for us

to run our

hands over and

over again so

that we can find

our way home.

Let's pray.

Our father in

heaven we do

thank you and

praise you that

you give us

life in your

word.

We ask that

you would

grow our

love and

our knowledge

of it not

for the sake

of intellectual

exercises or

pride but that

we could be

protected from

great evil and

that we could

follow you in

great life.

We thank you

that this life

doesn't come

through anything

we've done,

anything we've

earned or

deserved, but

instead it comes

through our

Lord Jesus.

So we ask

these things in

his name.

Amen.