The Danger of Doing What Is Right in Your Own Eyes
The sermon warns against the danger of living without a king, specifically Jesus as our Lord and King, and the consequences of doing what is right in our own eyes.
Zac Poonen delivers a powerful sermon drawing parallels between the degraded state of the Israelites in the book of Judges and the current state of many Christians today. He highlights the idolatry, immorality, and wars among the Israelites, emphasizing their failure to live according to God's will. The story of the paid professional preacher in Judges 17:7-13 serves as a cautionary tale about serving God for personal gain rather than out of genuine devotion. The recurring theme of 'Every man did what was right in his own eyes' reflects the lack of true kingship of Jesus in both ancient Israel and modern Christian lives.
Text
In Judges, Chapters 17 to 21, we read about the idolatry, the immorality and the wars among the Israelites, which reveal the degraded state of a nation that God had chosen to be His representatives on earth. They had sunk as low as Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Judges 17:7-13, we see the first case of a paid professional preacher in the Bible, who was willing to go wherever he got the best salary and the best perquisites. Here was a Levite who agreed to serve as a priest to the highest bidder. A businessman came along and offered him a good salary, a new set of clothes every year, and free housing and boarding. The preacher signed the contract immediately! The businessman who paid him thought that God would now bless him because he had employed a preacher who had graduated from the school of the Levites!! How very like what we see happening today. One would almost think that that was a 21st-century story! The reason for this pathetic state of affairs is given in the verse immediately preceding the description of this incident: "Every man did what was right in his own eyes"(17:6).
And that verse sums up everything that happened in the days of the Judges. And so this statement is, very appropriately, repeated as the last verse of the book (Judges 21:25): "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
That was how the Israelites lived in those days. And that is how many Christians live today. Jesus is not King in their lives and so they do whatever they feel like. They spend their money as they feel like and they live as they feel like. The preachers go wherever they can get the largest salary. They all live without any reference to the will of God or the perfect plan of God for their lives.
God has given us Jesus Christ now as our Example. If we don't follow Him as our Lord and our King, we too can end up like those Israelites described in the book of Judges.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to the book of Judges
- II. The problem of doing what is right in one's own eyes
- III. The consequences of living without a king
- IV. The example of Jesus as our Lord and King
- V. The danger of following our own desires
- VI. Conclusion: The importance of following God's will
Key Quotes
“Every man did what was right in his own eyes” — Zac Poonen
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” — Zac Poonen
“They all live without any reference to the will of God or the perfect plan of God for their lives” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must follow Jesus as our Lord and King, and not live according to our own desires and feelings.
- Living without a king can lead to a degraded state of sin and immorality.
- We must seek to follow God's will and plan for our lives, rather than living according to our own whims.