Obscure Heroes

On behalf of the leadership here at Sauldam, for everybody that’s bringing others to church, I just want to say thank you so much for standing in that gap. So, we do something every Sunday morning during the worship service where we set aside a few moments just to pray. We don’t want to just be a church that prays. We want to be a praying church. So, we take just a few moments every time we gather for worship and we pray.

This whole month we’ve been praying for something that we call your one. That means that each of us have a relationship with somebody. We are close with somebody who is far from God. That is your one. Your one might be a sibling, it might be a parent, it might be a child, it might be a co-worker, a neighbor, relative, whoever it is. We just want to spend a few moments and pray for our one. Pray for that person by name that God would get a hold of them, that God would save them, that God would ransom them and rescue them out of their sin. So, you grab a neighbor and you pray for a few moments and I’ll put a cap on it here in a second.

And parents, I need to especially say your kids’ noises are cool. I’m just going to assume that your kids are amening everything that’s going on today, okay? Y’all take it away. I’ll put a bow on it here in a second.

Holy Spirit, thank you for today. Thank you for the opportunity that we all have to gather here and just to call on you, to sing to you, to listen to your word and and just feast on what you have for us. God, I pray for every one that was just prayed for and I’m asking God that you would get a hold of them. I’m asking God that you would save them, that you would draw them out of the domain of darkness and you would transfer them to the kingdom of light which you described. Jesus, I’m I’m begging that you would be their rescuer and their master. Whether they are caught in the throes of some sort of addiction and their lives are headed toward destruction in ways that are just like so obvious to us or maybe they’re caught in the throes of legalism and trying to keep all the rules and being a good person. God, I just I pray for our ones and I’m I’m begging that you would save them.

God, I pray for these kids. God, thank you for them. Thank you for being so generous to us. God, truly, please do raise these kids up to fear you, to love you, to enjoy you for the rest of their lives. God, I pray for all the parents that are going to be wrestling, wiggling, and squirming kids. I pray that you would give them just a little extra grace and help right now. And for all of us in the room that this is so new for us, I pray you would give us a little extra grace and help. God, that we would embrace every gift you have for us. Lord, we love you. Thank you for loving us. It’s in your great name that we pray. Amen.

Awesome. Well, if you have your copy of the Bible, I want you to go ahead and open it up to Judges chapter 10. Judges chapter 10. This is not a typical passage that somebody might cherry-pick for a kids’ Sunday, but you know, for us we’ve decided that whenever we preach through a book of the Bible, we’re just going to preach through that book and we’re going to handle every passage that book has. So, that’s where we’re at. Judges chapter 10.

We’re going to continue this series which we’ve called Broken Saviors. The idea is that Israel just continues in this pattern that they can’t get themselves out of where they make mistake after mistake, they fall into trouble time and time again, and they constantly and continually need to be saved out of their own situation. So, God keeps raising up these new saviors for them, these new heroes for the people of Israel. The unfortunate part is they’re all broken. And we see that sometimes in their own lives they make crazy mistakes and they take their lives off the rails. Other times they do a good job, but the the fact of the matter is everybody dies. Nobody can provide the type of peace and salvation that the people of Israel actually need. So, this morning we’re going to look at two more of these broken saviors, But before we do, I want to run a test by everybody. Man, this is where I really need some engagement from the room, especially you kids, okay? I’m thinking the kids might actually be really good at this test. I’ve got three superheroes. I’m going to give you their origin story. You’ve got to guess who the superhero is, okay? All right, so let’s just warm up a little bit. There’s the guy, he’s from the planet Krypton and he can jump over tall buildings. That is Superman. Okay, all right, there you go. All right. Test begins. We ready for it? High school student bitten by an arachnid has an uncle that tells him with great power comes great responsibility. That would be Spider-Man. Good job. Okay, Spider-Man, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. All right, it’s going to get a little harder. There’s a man by the name of Matt Murdock. When he was a child, he’s blinded by radioactive waste, becomes a lawyer by day and a superhero by night. Who is that? Daredevil. Good job. Okay, guys, who got that? It was somewhere over here. There we go. It was Pastor Al. I did not confer with him. All right. Now, I’ve got one more. I have never heard of this superhero before, but when I was—I will admit I used ChatGPT for this one. I have never heard of this one before, but ChatGPT told me this is a classic superhero. So, I’m going to need some help from people that might be old enough to know the classic superheroes. A girl by the name of Doreen Green born with special abilities including the power to communicate with rodents up in your trees. SQUIRREL GIRL. WHO GOT THAT? Let’s go, my man. I definitely did not tell him this. I want to ask you in front of everybody. Did you know that or did you just guess that? I knew that, the man says. I knew that. And he’s looking at his mom saying, “See? I told you.”

The fun thing about superheroes is that they all have an origin story. Some superheroes are born in obscurity and once they realize they had this power, they’re thrust into the spotlight. Other superheroes, man, they already have a public life and they become heroes through how they use their abilities and their skills. Every hero has an origin. But this morning we’re going to look at two heroes whose origins are actually pretty obscure. We’re going to look at two heroes that we don’t really know very much about. You already heard Matt read the passage. This is Judges chapter 10, verses 1 through 5. After Abimelech, Tola, the son of Puah, son of Dodo, became judge and began to deliver Israel. He was from Issachar and lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. Tola judged Israel 23 years and when he died was buried in Shamir. After him came Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. They had 30 towns in Gilead which are still called Jair’s villages today. When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. Five verses dedicated to 43 years of leadership by these two guys that may be mentioned one other time in the entire Bible. Man, these are superheroes whose origins we don’t know a whole lot about. However, you look a little bit deeper and you start to get an idea of who they are.

Scholars say that Tola, his name is actually the Hebrew word for worm. Worm. The stuff you—the little bugs that you find up in your dirt. If you got chickens and these chickens are always finding the worms in your yard, worm. Imagine growing up and your name is Worm. Worm, time for breakfast. Worm, you take out the trash yet? Worm. Again? Come on, man. Who names their kid Worm? Man, if you’re—if you’re pregnant, you’re about to get pregnant, Tola might be a good name for you. Worm. Obviously not. You still change the name if you want. Who would name their kid Worm? Imagine being that guy. Imagine growing up and everybody from your worst enemy to your mom all call you Worm. Worm is interesting because it says chapter—chapter—sorry, verse one. He becomes judge and begins to deliver Israel. Your translation might actually capture the better way to describe it. Tola arose. The worm came out of the dirt. Our hero came from obscurity. He came from being laughed at, from being mocked, from constantly every day all day being reminded of his low status and he rose. God looks at the worm and puts him over Israel. God looks at The obscure and raises Him up to be a hero. God looks at the one being mocked and puts him in a seat of prestige. Yet, none of his greatness is written down. We don’t know any of his battles. We don’t know any of his victories. We don’t know who he fought or why. Man, it’s easy for me to look at a guy like Tola and say that dude’s just a nobody. He’s just a worm.

The good news for us this morning is that God loves to use nobodies. God loves to use worms. Anybody feel like a nobody today? Anybody walk in here this morning and you’ve come through another week of falling to the same temptations, another frustrating moment, another fight with your spouse on the way here, or another morning being reminded of all the other spouses saying, “Man, where is mine?” And you just feel like a nobody. From setback to setback, diagnosis to firing again. And we just feel like a nobody. Man, the good news is God sees the nobodies and He can use them. God looks at the worms and says, “I can make them kings.”

Right after him comes someone the polar opposite. A guy named Jair. There’s something in a name because Jair’s name means may God enlighten. May God use Jair to shine a bright light. Imagine your name is Worm and you’re about to hand the baton of your leadership off to a guy that literally is named God will use this person to shine a light for the nations. What a contrast. From a worm to a beacon on a hill. That’s what’s going on here.

Jair though, he’s not just born with the good name. Look at what he Look at who he’s described as being. He’s got 30 sons that ride on 30 donkeys who have 30 towns. Now, the fact that he’s got 30 sons, that’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. I don’t know too many wives that are signing up for 30 plus childbirths. Am I right? All the women in the room, all the moms in the room saying, “Amen, Pastor.” So, Jair at some point is taking multiple wives. In the new and old testaments, that is never described fondly. He’s got multiple wives. He comes from I mean, at least an assumption that he’s going to become somebody.

These 30 sons ride on 30 donkeys. Now, for you and for me, that might not sound like a whole lot. But, here’s the deal. In the Old Testament, for someone to ride on a donkey meant that they were either a wealthy merchant or they were a low-ranking royal. A person of means. These are not pack animals. It’s a different word altogether. These are like royal animals that you would walk on or that you would ride on. This is This is like having 30 sons and each of those sons drives a F-250 that’s lifted up the chrome package. That’s what this is. This man is so wealthy, his 30 sons are each driving or riding these nice souped-up donkeys and each of these 30 sons also is king over one of 30 towns.

It’s a completely different picture from Tola. Over here, you got Tola born as a worm. And over here, you’ve got Jair born to some wealth and he uses that wealth and multiplies it. But, both men end the exact same way. He judged, then he died. He judged, then he died. May I just want to say to somebody in the room, whether you’re a nobody or a real somebody, at the end of the day, we all die. And that means that God is not limited by how much of a nobody you are. And God doesn’t actually care if you’re somebody. At the end of the day, we all die.

Tola is a worm born with a poor beginning, a good man, but a relative nobody. Jair is successful, becomes a real somebody. But, I want to offer you this morning, neither your past hurts or your future performance defines you.

Kids, I want to tell you. Can I get eyes from all the kids? It doesn’t matter how good of a ballet dancer you are, how good of a baseball player you are, it doesn’t matter how well you can keep all the rules, it doesn’t matter if you use all the manners at dinner tonight for God to love you. God loves you as you are. But, your parents might still want you to use those manners tonight. So, you should sit You should still do that, okay? You’re not off the hook on that one.

Here’s the main thing I want everybody here in The morning here this morning. Anybody could be God’s hero. God can use the worms. God can use the successes. God can use the Tolans. God can use the Jairs. Anybody can become God’s hero. It doesn’t matter what your origin story is. It doesn’t matter the pain that’s been dealt to you. It doesn’t matter the successes you have in life. Anybody can become God’s hero. So, I want to give you three ways to become a hero for God. If you’re taking notes, write this down.

The first way you become a hero for God is to spend time with God every day. Man, if you want to become a hero for God, if you want your life to count, if you want your final breath on Earth and your first one in heaven to be filled with as much satisfaction and joy as possible, spend time with God every stinking day. I’m talking about reading your Bible. I’m talking about praying to Him. I’m talking about listening to worship music. I’m talking about talking with other Christians and explaining to them what you are learning. Spend time with God. In the Bible, every time God calls a new hero to a new mission, it’s Man, that hero has to actually be able to hear God. You will never hear the job God wants to give you. You’ll never hear Him if you’re not with Him. Man, I think that sometimes God is trying to call us and man, like we’re just not picking the phone up. You’ve got to spend time with God every day.

Number two, if you want to be a hero for God, do this. Embrace the responsibility God gives you. I don’t know what God’s going to call you to. For some of us, God’s going to call us to become pastors and missionaries. Others of us, God’s going to call us to be really good teachers. Others of us, God just wants us to have government jobs and do them well. Whatever it is, whatever assignment or responsibility God has for you, all you are supposed to do is embrace it. And those begin today. So, once again, kids, I’m talking to y’all. Students, I’m talking to you. Becoming a follower of Jesus is not something that happens whenever you get married and have kids. Becoming a follower of Jesus is something that happens right now. Whatever responsibility God gives you, embrace it. I’m speaking to the adults also. Man, anytime God tells you to do something, anytime you’re reading the Bible and there’s a command in it, embrace that. That is God’s responsibility for you. Embrace it.

And finally, number three, if you want to be a hero for God, tell God sorry when you fail. Man, my kids can tell you and they would vouch for this. They would give a amen to this one if they understood what’s going on. I fail every day in the primary responsibility God’s given me, which is to be Becca’s husband and their dad. I fail every day. Whether it’s through me mouthing off at them, my poor attitude towards something, my anger, my frustration, my irritability, my greediness, my selfishness. I fail every day. So, what do I do when I fail? I don’t wallow in it and I don’t ignore it. I acknowledge it to God. I say, “God, I’m sorry. Help me, God. I I need You to help me.” Man, God has a perfect and holy standard for us, which we can’t satisfy. So, what God is looking for in your life is not for you to be perfect, cuz Jesus already been perfect. What God is looking for in your life is for you to be repentant. For you to tell God sorry when you mess up and when you fail.

Starting to wrap up now. I just want to point you to the best two words in this passage, though. Cuz we flew right past them. Look at verse one. After Abimelech. Anybody remember the past two Sundays that we’ve been looking at this book of Judges? And the crazy guy named Abimelech? This crazy leader who was so selfish and and power-hungry that he convinced an entire city to help him murder his 70 brothers. Do you all remember that? Do you all remember the guy that gets angry at that city that helps him murder his brothers? So, he then and goes and murders the entire city. Do you all remember that? Abimelech was crazy. Like, you might have a crazy uncle that you’re going to see over lunch next week. Abimelech’s actually crazy. The best part about this passage, though, is that the it starts with after Abimelech. Here’s the deal. So far in The book of Judges, a new judge is only introduced when the author says that the people are caught in sin again. But this time in chapter 10, the new judges are intentionally compared to Abimelech, which means you as a reader of the Bible are supposed to be reminded about Abimelech. You’re supposed to be reminded of how bad things were. You’re supposed to be reminded of the fact that after another failure, God would step in with mercy.

God should have had enough with Israel at this point. He should have been like me at the end of the day when I’m overstimulated and I can’t handle anymore and I just look, “I’M LIKE, ‘STOP, GUYS!’” But God doesn’t do that. God looks at the people of Israel and says, “I’m going to embrace them with mercy one more time.” That scare you, bud? That’s how God works.

God redeems, we fall away, and then God moves toward us with grace yet again. God redeems us, we fall away, God moves toward us yet again. We watch the thing online you’re not supposed to watch, you fall away, God says, “I still love him and I’m going to move toward him instead.” We make the selfish decision that is against somebody else’s wishes, we fall away, and God says, “I still love her and she and God moves toward us one more time.”

Tola and Jair are obscure heroes with weird origin stories, but they were signs of God’s mercy. Signs of another hero that God would give. Another hero that people would also call a worm. Another hero that made peace who came in riding on a donkey. Another hero who secured a kingdom of peace that wouldn’t be over in 22 or 23 years. No, a kingdom of peace that the Bible says cannot be shaken.

And who is that hero? Man, the kids know it. The adults don’t, apparently. Kids, who is the hero God gave to us? Jesus! Let’s go, Nolan. Yes, sir. Jesus Christ is the hero that God gives us.

See, here’s the thing. God made you and me to live in a perfect world governed by peace and flourishing forever. God’s original intention for you was perfect relationships of harmony with everybody, not just your kids, but also your enemies. God’s intention and plan for you was that you would live in health and flourishing for eternity. And that you would have a relationship with Him where you could walk with Him, talk with Him physically all day, every day. That was God’s plan for you.

But we don’t live in that world, do we? Nope. We live in a world of cancer. We live in a world of broken friendships. We live in a world where cars and bodies break down and where friends fall away from each other. So God would send this hero to make everything right. He would send Jesus Christ to come and live the perfect life in our place we’re supposed to live, but can’t. And Jesus, after living the perfect life as we watched and sang about earlier, He would not just live the perfect life, but He would die as a sacrifice on the cross for us, rescuing us from sin and from darkness and bondage. And after Jesus died on the cross, He rose from the grave, so that anybody who would trust in Him would not perish, but have eternal forever.

That’s the hero you need. It’s not Gideon. It’s not Tola. It’s not Jair. It’s Jesus.

God, thank You. Thank You for these little ones. Thank You for all of these ones. Thank You for the ones we prayed for. I pray that You would use us to bring one more into Your family. Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for all of us. It’s in Your great name that we pray. Amen.