Compass Bible Church North Texas

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Chapters

00:00 Easter Welcome

04:46 Judges 15

07:29 Judges 16

11:49 Judges 17

13:31 Luke 10:1-24

20:44 Closing Prayer

21:35 Outro and Podcast Information

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

It's Easter.

4

It is Easter Sunday.

5

How about that?

6

Happy Easter everybody.

7

He is risen.

8

He's risen indeed.

9

Pastor Rod is not with us right

now at least not in the room.

10

Podcasting.

11

He is a little bit under the

weather, so you can be praying for

12

him right now, especially if you

are getting ready to go to church.

13

His voice is his.

14

It's not his money maker.

15

We won't go that far.

16

But we love the dulcet soothing

tones of pasturized voices.

17

He leads us in worship and he's got

some voice things going on right now.

18

So we gave him the podcasting

day off today and Pastor Mark

19

graciously volunteered to

step in and fill in for him.

20

So it's good to be here.

21

Yeah, it's good to be here.

22

And it's good that it's Easter.

23

What a great day we have.

24

This is our first Sunday with

two services, nine and 11.

25

That's exciting.

26

That's a big transition for

our church into a new era.

27

Now, you know, we've spent

many Sundays just at one Sunday

28

and this is an exciting day.

29

It is for sure.

30

In fact yesterday we had

another exciting day.

31

We had extravaganza, which is.

32

The whole church is involved in that.

33

Really, so many people were involved in

that, but it's really something that our

34

kids' ministry does and puts on and hosts.

35

So Pastor Mark, give us an update.

36

Talk to us about the event.

37

I know we're fresh off it as we

record this, but what are some of your

38

initial thoughts on how the event went

and how our church showed up to man?

39

God was kind to us.

40

We had rain, as you all know, there was

quite a bit of rain and at least at our

41

house in the early morning, there was

quite a bit of thunder and lightning too.

42

So we are blessed though,

to be at Founders Prosper.

43

And they have the ability for us

to be able to do this indoors.

44

And we might have been able to

pull that off down in Frisco, but I

45

don't think quite, the space wasn't

quite as as big and as adaptable.

46

And so what a blessing it was

from God that we were able to

47

do this event still indoors.

48

And yeah, it was a little wet getting

getting in the door, but what a blessing.

49

And we had a great turnout.

50

We had a great turnout given the rain,

and we had a really lively event.

51

Yeah.

52

And one of the things that we really

want these events to be is an opportunity

53

for people who might not otherwise

come to church, to come to something

54

and get their toes wet or whatever,

whatever illustration you want to use.

55

We want to.

56

Use these sorts of events to invite

people to what we do on Sundays, right?

57

The preaching of God's word, the

worship that happens on Sundays

58

is the pinnacle of our week.

59

And we recognize that.

60

But many in this area feel

uncomfortable in a church atmosphere.

61

Church even walking in the doors

of a church on a Sunday morning.

62

And we hope that this sort of event helps.

63

People feel more comfortable and

feel invited to come back to church

64

and specifically to Easter Sunday.

65

And I heard many accounts

of that happening.

66

I heard many accounts of that happening.

67

So, be praying, be praying that those

even if you're listening to this Sunday

68

afternoon or maybe even Monday or

something, be praying for those people

69

who entered our doors on Saturday.

70

And hopefully come back today, Easter,

or perhaps next week or perhaps in a

71

couple months or at some other phase.

72

And that's what we're hoping for, is

that the gospel will be proclaimed

73

through an event like this.

74

So I think it was a great success and

we will now leave it up to the Lord to

75

see what he does with the rest of it.

76

Yeah, it was awesome.

77

And something just to remind us

of, I think again, we can fall prey

78

to this mindset that we live in.

79

Texas and we've got a lot of megachurches

in the area, and we can fall pretty

80

in the mindset that everybody goes

to a church and I'm sure you've had

81

conversations with neighbors and they

say, well, I go to this church, or

82

I go to that church and that's fine.

83

I talked to four or five people

during yesterday's event and just

84

said, Hey, are you guys going

to church anywhere in the area?

85

And they said, honestly, we're not.

86

And I talked to one family and they

were like, we were going to church

87

until 2020 and then we walked away.

88

We didn't really go back and had a, a

good evangelistic conversation with them.

89

Your neighbors don't necessarily.

90

Go to church.

91

They don't necessarily know the gospel.

92

They don't necessarily know the

things that we assume that they know.

93

And this was a good reminder as people

came to us and came to our campus to say,

94

we can get out there and get on mission

with people and something as simple

95

as, Hey, do you go to church anywhere?

96

It's not a threatening question, right.

97

And that's a question that all of us

should have ready in our back pocket.

98

As we're talking with people, as we're

getting to know them, that's an easy

99

on-ramp to some good conversations.

100

'cause if they say no, maybe

the follow up question is,

101

have you ever been to a church?

102

Or maybe it's, if they say no,

I stopped going a long time ago.

103

What led you to stop going?

104

So I saw so many of our people involved

in those types of conversations.

105

So good.

106

Such a good reminder of why

we're here and what we're doing.

107

What we're doing here at our church.

108

And might I suggest that if you

get the chance to thank Ally

109

for all of her, she killed it.

110

Her, yeah.

111

Planning and design and

care for this event.

112

Please do let Ally Trinidad

know that you're grateful for

113

her and for her sacrifice.

114

Of course, there were many people, and

I imagine most of you listening, in fact

115

who come to our church were serving in

some capacity, so thank you as well.

116

But if you have the chance

to thank Ali please do that.

117

Oh yeah, for sure.

118

For sure.

119

Well, let's get into our text for today.

120

We are on judges 15 through 17

and Luke 10, one through 24.

121

What is Easter without the story

of Samson catching 300 foxes

122

and tying their tails together?

123

Man, if you need an exterminator, Samson's

your guy, he catches 300 foxes and

124

ties torches between their, like what?

125

I just wanna know what in the

world was happening there.

126

I guess if you're strong enough that

you can take out a lion, then catching

127

a fox is not that big of a deal.

128

But Samson goes and does that and

he sets 'em loose in their fields.

129

And you might think, well, that's weird.

130

Why did he do that?

131

That would've been crippling to

this group of Philistines because

132

it would've taken out one of their

main sources of income and provision.

133

Because it would've gone

after their harvest.

134

So he torches their fields, which

would've attacked them, and then

135

he goes after them physically.

136

And it says this weird phrase

in verse eight, he struck them

137

hip and thigh with a great blow.

138

This is a somewhat ambiguous phrase

and commentators differ as to what it

139

actually means, but it seems to be.

140

Just a way that they used to talk

in saying, man he knocked 'em out.

141

He just dealt them, them a severe

blow and crippled them in the way

142

that he went about attacking them.

143

And remember, the reason why he's

doing this is because of what had

144

happened where his wife was taken away

from him and given to his best man.

145

This is his revenge that

he's carrying out on them.

146

And yet at the same time, God is behind

this and he is using this event to

147

bring judgment against the Philistines.

148

Well, the tension between Israel

and the Philistines and the rest of

149

Chapter 15 at least continues to grow.

150

And Samson is made aware.

151

Of this and agrees initially here

to be bound and a little bit of

152

foreshadowing of what's coming and

handed over to the Philistines.

153

But he breaks the bond and he again,

goes after them, picks up a jawbone of a

154

donkey and kills a thousand more of them.

155

And then it just summarizes his reign

for 20 years here in chapter 15.

156

So lots going on in chapter 15 at least.

157

And we've talked about this

before, but you, we see the spirit

158

of the Lord rushing upon him.

159

We talked about this I think several

days ago, but remember that this is

160

different than the spirit of the Lord

rushing upon a new covenant believer.

161

And I think what you can see in this

is that the immediate effects of

162

it are very clearly described, the

immediate effects of the spirit of the

163

Lord, and dwelling a New Testament cr.

164

A believer are also described.

165

So there, I think because we see

these descriptions, we should clearly

166

understand this as the spirit of

the Lord rushing upon him in such a

167

way that it gave him this strength,

specifically in a very, in a narrow sense.

168

Mm-hmm.

169

So as you read these things, be careful

that you're reading it in the context.

170

Of the Old Testament.

171

Right.

172

You have read the New Testament and

so you know what it means for the

173

spirit to indwell, but don't read that

New Testament understanding back into

174

the understanding that we see here.

175

Yeah.

176

So good.

177

Yeah.

178

Yeah.

179

We have to be careful about that

'cause it's tempting because we're

180

so familiar with that language.

181

But it's good for us to

see the distinction there.

182

Well, chapter 16, man, every

time I read this, I just.

183

I just think of myself,

Samson, what are you doing man?

184

What are you doing?

185

Number one, he goes after

another Philistine woman.

186

EE even though it doesn't say

specifically, but the Valley of Soak

187

would've been Philistine territory.

188

And even the relationship that she has

with the Philistines here seems to imply

189

that Delilah was clearly a Philistine.

190

And so again, you've got Samson

stepping outside the bounds of

191

what God had designed, and he's

going after this foreign woman.

192

And I think that is, is largely

a part of the reason why he

193

has so much trouble with her.

194

And so all of these times he refuses

to tell her the Philistines want

195

to trap him through his wife which

they tried to do the first time too.

196

You plowed with my heifer

as he put it so gently.

197

And I just sit here and I go,

Simpson, what are you thinking?

198

Like he.

199

Every time he tells her

something, she does it to him.

200

And then the Philistines show

up to try to take him out.

201

Just put two and two together, dude.

202

Stop, stop.

203

Don't do this.

204

And the proverb says it's better

to live in the corner of a

205

rooftop than with a nagging wife.

206

It seems like this is a

great illustration of that.

207

'cause he finally gives in and

says, fine, I'll just tell you

208

no razor has touched my head.

209

And that leads to his ultimate downfall.

210

But this is one of those chapters

in the Bible that I'm like, w what?

211

Can I, can we just go

back and say, dude, stop.

212

Don't do what you're doing.

213

Yeah.

214

It really is immaturity.

215

I think this really is, immaturity and

I was not pursuing foreign women when

216

I was, it's good, it's good, but I

could see, a young man or a teenager.

217

Tempted to do these things now.

218

I think Samson's probably in his

late twenties would be my guess.

219

Or maybe, well, he's been judging for,

well, no, I guess total range was, he's

220

20 years years, so he's probably 20 or 30.

221

So I don't think he's an excuse to be

immature in this way, but I really do

222

see almost like a boyhood immaturity in

some of these decisions that he's making.

223

And I think it is, I think what

we're seeing in judges is this like.

224

Downgrade of the whole country,

of the whole people, of the

225

political system, even as it were.

226

You just have this guy who is

indeed the judge of Israel who is

227

making these foolish decisions.

228

Imagine how much worse, everybody

else is in this society.

229

Oh, for sure.

230

For sure.

231

And the cutting of the

hair and all of that.

232

This is not something where there

was something physiologically

233

significant about his hair.

234

It was more about his relationship

and devotion to the Lord.

235

And that's why it even tells us

in the text there that he did not

236

know that the Lord had left him.

237

And so after he tells Delilah what his

secret is and she cuts his hair the

238

Lord does leave him in the sense of.

239

The spirit rushes upon the spirit

can come off of a person as well.

240

We're gonna read in, in a little

while here where the spirit

241

leaves Saul in a similar fashion.

242

So the spirit is leaving s

Samson here, he doesn't know it.

243

And he's taken captive.

244

And then the tragedy of the end of

the story where he, his hair begins to

245

grow again and his strength returns.

246

And I think what we should

read there as well is I.

247

I have to believe that Sampson learned

his lesson was re repentant towards the

248

end here because again, I don't think

it was the magical strength of his hair

249

that led to his supernatural ability to

break cords and beat all these people.

250

I think this is an indication.

251

The hair growing, I think is

an indication of his contrite.

252

Heart before the Lord realizing

that he had aired and even his final

253

prayer, Lord, let me take out as

many in my death as I did in my life.

254

That's not his prayer exactly,

but that's what ends up happening

255

as he takes out the temple.

256

But it seems that.

257

There's a contrition there.

258

That is why the strength

is returned to him.

259

Yeah.

260

And I do think we have to

read the Bible favorably.

261

And what I mean by that is it can

be tempting to just look super

262

negatively at all these stories and

just, to kind of think the worst.

263

And I think you're looking at what

you just referenced is looking at

264

a couple indicators of a turn here.

265

And I think we, we need to see

those indicators in the narrative.

266

And I think you're right to say,

okay, something has shifted here.

267

There's a narrative shift in how

the author is talking about Samson.

268

And I do, I would agree with you.

269

I do think we see regeneration in some

sense in this last section of chapter 16.

270

Yeah.

271

This is a big party.

272

'cause it says the dead that he killed

in his death were greater than those

273

that he killed when he was alive.

274

That's impressive.

275

'cause he killed a thousand people alone,

which is the jawbone of the donkey.

276

So this was a pretty big

party going on there.

277

Yes, it was.

278

Yeah, well, chapter 17 shifts

and so in our reading here, the

279

breaks aren't always super clean.

280

It probably would've been a great

break to leave off on chapter 16.

281

'cause chapter 17 were introduced

to this new character named Micah.

282

And Micah's gonna be a, another low point

in the nation of Israel because Micah is

283

going to find for himself this Levite.

284

And we even see an indication

that things are not gonna go well.

285

'cause in verse six it says, in those

days, there was no King of Israel.

286

Everyone did what was

right in his own eyes.

287

And so Micah is going to take a

thousand pieces of silver, and his

288

mother said I dedicate the silver

to the Lord for my hand, for my son.

289

Now make a carved image and a metal image.

290

Now immediately, Micah should have

said no, because again, you go back

291

to the 10 commandments, do not make

any graven images, and this is a

292

clear transgression of the law of God.

293

This is going to be a stumbling

block, not only for Micah, but for

294

an entire tribe of the Israelites,

as we're gonna get to later on.

295

I believe in tomorrow's reading,

but Micah and this Levi, this false

296

priest and a false God are set up

here for us in chapter 17 of Judges.

297

And again, this is the kind of

collapse of the people of Israel.

298

There were stories that we've read,

and I say stories not in the sense that

299

they're false or made up, but, narrative

stories about some things that were I

300

guess you could call gray areas or

maybe things that were a little less

301

clear about what was right or wrong,

but as this book progresses, we're

302

starting to see some of these things

that's like, duh, this is not Right.

303

Right.

304

And anybody could tell

that this is not right.

305

And the characters here seem to

think that it's perfectly fine,

306

and in fact are thrilled about it.

307

Yeah.

308

But us as the readers are supposed to

see the people of Israel just blatantly.

309

Failing to keep any part of the

law appropriately or correctly.

310

Yeah.

311

Yeah.

312

Well, let's flip over to Luke

chapter 10 and we are gonna

313

be in verses one through 24.

314

Luke chapter 10 verses one through 24.

315

It opens here with the

sending out of the 72.

316

This is going to be in addition to the

12, and we say, well, how do we know that?

317

Because look at chapter 10, verse one.

318

After this, the Lord appointed 72

others and sent them on ahead of him

319

two by two into every town of the

place where he himself was about to go.

320

There's some things that we learned in

this, number one, I think even just the

321

way that God sends them out in pairs.

322

I think that's a good.

323

Principle for us when people go out to

share the gospel or when people go out and

324

do either street evangelism or wherever

it may be, it's good to pair people up.

325

I even saw people on Saturday at

our extravaganza event talking with

326

other people in pairs together.

327

They were approaching them and

engaging because it's, it almost

328

goes back to the principle.

329

Solomon talks about an Ecclesiastes,

a threefold cord is not easily broken.

330

And so when you have another brother

or sister in Christ with you in these

331

pursuits, it can be encouraging.

332

It can strengthen your confidence

in your ability to share the gospel.

333

And even if they, somebody asks you a

question to you, and maybe you don't

334

know the answer, but maybe they do.

335

So he sends them out in pairs, and then

he entrusts them with this mission.

336

He says, pray earnestly to the

Lord of the harvest to send

337

out laborers into his harvest.

338

Sometimes we can read that.

339

And think to ourselves, okay,

well then my job is simply just to

340

pray that the laborers will come.

341

I don't have to go harvest.

342

I can just pray that

the laborers will come.

343

But notice he's telling those that he's

sending out to be the harvesters, to also

344

pray that more will come out as well.

345

So I think this is something that we

should do where it's a both and situation.

346

We see that the harvest is white.

347

We do this event yesterday.

348

We have all these people on our campus.

349

We see all of our community and

everything else, and the harvest is white.

350

Should we pray for laborers

to go out in the harvest?

351

Yes.

352

But should we also be prepared

to go out into the harvest?

353

Ourselves, I would say yes.

354

What do you make of the fact that it's in

verse one, it says The Lord appointed 72.

355

I think it's interesting.

356

It doesn't say Jesus appointed 72.

357

It says the Lord and that I is an

uncommon way of referring to Jesus.

358

If that's what the author is doing here in

chapter 10, at least the way Luke does it.

359

Yeah I, but I do think it's indicative

of, and a good reminder to us that these

360

are biographies written after the fact.

361

So sometimes we see these comments

that are comments included by the

362

author that, Jesus was doing this.

363

It's not like they're hearing their lives

being narrated from the outside at the

364

same time as the 72 are being appointed.

365

And they're saying, wait

a minute, the Lord what?

366

But Luke knew because

Luke was writing this.

367

So some have wondered.

368

Was Luke writing this himself still

as a skeptic, trying to figure things

369

out, do his own investigation And I

think it's, and you make a great point

370

there, it's things like that, that we

can point to and say, no, this is, I

371

think, evidence that Luke had Faith Luke

trusted that Jesus was who he said he was.

372

And when he calls him Lord like this,

I think that's evidence of that.

373

Absolutely.

374

And I also think to, just to add to

that, that is exactly what I would say,

375

but to add to that too, I think this

is recognition that, that it is God.

376

Not just Jesus in his humanity, but

God who is making these appointments.

377

And I think in a similar way, and

what we see in the calls, even in

378

the Great Commission, is that he

has appointed all Christians, right?

379

God has appointed all Christians.

380

You don't need to hear the literal

voice of Jesus tell you to do

381

evangelism for you to be appointed.

382

But it is God who has appointed

all of us to be evangelists.

383

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

384

Well, the 72 are gonna come back

and even before they come back,

385

Jesus is going to talk about some

of those that are gonna reject them.

386

He's gonna talk about COEs and

he's gonna talk about Bethsaida.

387

And he's gonna say, here, it's gonna

be more bearable for tyrant side and

388

on the day of judgment than for them.

389

And same thing with Capernaum.

390

So those are our.

391

Indicators that, and we just talked

about hell a couple weeks ago in the

392

sermon, that hell is not gonna be

the same experience for everybody.

393

It's an awful experience for

anybody, but it's not the

394

same experience for everybody.

395

And we see an example of that here where

you're saying those, these cities, the

396

inhabitants that witness Jesus and that

heard from his directly commissioned

397

messengers are gonna be held to a greater

level of accountability than those

398

entire inside or Sodom and immoral.

399

Why?

400

Because to the one who's given

much, much will be required.

401

And the fact that they're hearing the

gospel, the fact that they're seeing

402

Jesus is an indicator, I think that they

are going to have much required of them.

403

This is part of our response

to the age old question.

404

Well, what about that jungle

tribe that never hears the gospel?

405

There's only one way of salvation, and

so I, I don't believe that they will be

406

saved, but I do believe that there is a

different measure of accountability that

407

they will be held to than the person

that grows up in Texas and here's the

408

gospel every single week at the church,

and yet never bows the need of Christ.

409

A hundred percent.

410

Here's another interesting way that

I would apply this kinda thing we're

411

talking about, which is that Christians

should care about the laws in our

412

land because we want people to live.

413

Not that, believer's not gonna be

able to live righteously, right.

414

But we want unbelievers to live in

accordance as much as possible with what

415

God has created the laws of nature to be.

416

Right.

417

And even the laws of the Bible.

418

So you could take this too far.

419

There's a limit to what I'm

suggesting, but I do think it is.

420

Loving for us to pursue great government

and great policy and great laws because

421

if those laws are godly and reflect

biblical values, the judgment that

422

will be faced by people who are kept

from doing things more heinous and

423

more evil than they otherwise would've

is gonna result in them suffering.

424

To a lesser degree.

425

Mm-hmm.

426

In eternity.

427

True.

428

I know it's a kind of a quirky

way of looking at it, but it is

429

something I've thought about.

430

No, for sure.

431

For sure.

432

It is.

433

The chapter ends, and I think this

is helpful and it captures some

434

of what we're talking about here.

435

When he says in verse 21, in the same

hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and

436

said, I thank you, father Lord of heaven

and earth, that you've hidden these things

437

from the wise and understanding and reveal

them to little children that might seem.

438

Weird for Jesus to say, I'm grateful

God, that you have hidden these things

439

from the wise and the understanding.

440

I think this is the seminal thought

that Paul built upon in one Corinthians

441

chapter one, when he's talking about the

gospel being foolishness to the lost.

442

Mm-hmm.

443

Because here Jesus is

saying it's not the PhDs.

444

It's not the scholars that

are understanding things.

445

And I think the reason why he says

I rejoice in that is because that's

446

where God gets the most glory when

a person comes to trust in Jesus

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and to understand the gospel and

the good news of the gospel, it's

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almost contrary to what logic would

naturally conclude a crucified savior.

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That's why Paul says it's a stumbling

block to the Jews and foolishness to

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the Gentiles who would believe in that.

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So I think Jesus is saying

here, God gets the glory when.

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He opens the eyes that are going to see

as he sees, as he says here, blessed

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are your eyes for what they see.

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Many prophets and kings desire to

see what you see and did not see

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it because God gets the glory.

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And I think he's also saying I'm

rejoicing in that because it also

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shows that anyone can come to faith.

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That you don't have to be the wise, you

don't have to be the learner, you don't

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have to be the kings and the prophets.

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You can be the poor fishermen from

the Sea of Galilee that are going

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to understand this and get it.

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So just a really cool, conclusion

here to this section where Jesus is

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meeting with the 72 and debriefing

with them after they get back.

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And they probably have

questions, why did some get it?

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Why did some not get it?

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And I think he's just pointing to the

fact that this is God's plan and this

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is where he gets the most glory here.

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Yeah, I think that's great.

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Yeah.

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Well, let's pray and then we'll be

done with this episode and we will get

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about the rest of our Easter Sunday.

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God, we are so grateful for

the resurrection of Christ.

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Even as we're gonna talk about

this morning or did talk about,

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depending on when somebody's listening

to this that our, the cross is

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meaningless to us without the empty

tomb, without the resurrection.

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That the resurrection is that which

take took the payment made at the

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cross and applies it to our lives.

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And so we are so grateful to

worship a resurrected savior.

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Not just today, but every single

Sunday we gather, we read in the Bible.

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Early church began gathering on Sundays

as a testimony to the resurrected savior.

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'cause that's the day

that Jesus rose again.

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So we're grateful to gather as

the church today, specifically to

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set that aside and celebrate that.

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But we are so thankful that every single

day of our lives, we have a living savior.

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We pray this in Jesus' name.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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We'll keep in your Bibles and

tune in again tomorrow for another

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edition of the Daily Bible podcast.

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Happy Easter.

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He has risen indeed.

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He has.

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Bye.

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Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

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We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

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This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

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You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

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If this podcast has been helpful,

we’d appreciate it if you’d consider

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leaving a review, rating the show,

or sharing it with someone else.

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We hope you’ll join us again

tomorrow for another episode

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of the Daily Bible Podcast.