There was No King in Israel

In today's sermon, Pastor James brings us the message titled "There was No King in Israel" from the Book of Judges, as we continue our journey through The Unfolding Gospel series.

Pastor James begins with a challenging quote from Rebecca Pippert: "Whatever controls us is our God." He invites us to wrestle honestly with this truth as we examine the 300-year period covered in Judges—a time spanning from Joshua's death to Samuel's birth. The message reveals two main movements: human depravity and divine deliverance.

We discover that Israel's problem began with incomplete obedience. Though God fulfilled every promise and gave them rest in the land, they failed to drive out the Canaanites as commanded. Instead, they became comfortable with syncretism—blending true and false religion together. Pastor James warns us that "lordship is not a halfway endeavor," comparing our relationship with God to marriage where there can be no rivals. The book's haunting refrain echoes four times: "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." This wasn't just ancient history—Pastor James shows how our culture mirrors theirs with phrases like "your truth," "you do you," and "my body, my choice." We are, he suggests, a largely "Americanized church" just as they became a "Canaanized" people.

But there's hope! Using Romans 3, Pastor James reminds us that while "none is righteous, no not one," a righteousness has now been revealed through faith in Jesus Christ. We receive an "alien righteousness"—Christ's perfect obedience becomes ours when we're united to Him by faith. The good news is clear: there IS a King—Jesus is Lord, and every knee will bow before Him (Philippians 2:10-11).

Pastor James concludes with a sobering reality check: we will all stand before Jesus as Judge, unable to ignore or reject Him. For believers, he calls us to continual spiritual renewal, warning that "spiritual drift is always the wrong direction." We must daily come to Jesus, finding rest for our souls under His lordship. The idols of self-rule, comfort, and materialism persist in us, but Jesus is far more attractive and powerful than any of them. Through God's relentless grace, our fight is to put all of our lives under the Lordship of Jesus—where we find true rest, today and for all eternity.