“Raising The Next Generation - Refrain: Israel Had No King”

SERMON Title: Raising The Next Generation - Refrain: Israel Had No King
SCRIPTURE: Judges 21:25 ESV

Introduction

Today's verse is a repeated theme that sums up the entire book of Judges. It’s mentioned several times throughout the book. If you’ve been following Pastor John’s sermons over the past few weeks, then you know that the Israelites weren’t doing too well. P. John spoke about the trouble that found the Israelites when they compromised God’s word—when they disobeyed His commandments. Everything God warned them about came true.'

The problem with the Israelites during the time of the judges wasn’t just that they encountered the Canaanites; it was that they became like the Canaanites. Though they were supposed to be a nation set apart by God, they became no different from the surrounding nations. And while ancient Canaan is no longer physically present, it is very much spiritually alive today. In fact, it has expanded far beyond the Middle East. We are living in a spiritual Canaan. We are surrounded by a Canaanite culture. For those of us who call Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this is a warning. Just as the Israelites were in danger in the book of Judges, we—the spiritual next generation—and our children—the physical next generation—are also in danger today.

Where Did Things Go Wrong?

How did the Israelites fall into such a mess? And how did we end up in the same situation? The author of Judges tells us plainly:

"There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

But the truth is, Israel did have a King. God was their King. They were supposed to be a holy nation with God as their ruler. Yet, they rejected Him. We see this again in 1 Samuel 8:7 when the people demand an earthly king and reject the leadership of the prophet Samuel:

"And the LORD said to Samuel, 'Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’”

There was no need for an earthly king because God Himself dwelt among His people in a way no other nation had ever experienced. Their false gods were nothing, but Israel had the one true God in their midst—yet they still turned away from Him. As I was preparing for today’s sermon, I flipped through Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges, reading my highlights and notes in the margins. I saw how God had given His people so many careful instructions and warnings. At first some of them may sound harsh to the ear, for example in Deuteronomy 8:19:

"If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed."

Yet, when I look over all of what God had warned and instructed, I saw that God’s warnings were filled with love, like a father sending his child off to school for the first time saying: "Don’t go through dark alleys. Don’t take dangerous shortcuts. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t lose your wallet. Don’t follow someone just because they tell you to. Don’t do drugs or alcohol. Don’t hang out with bad kids. Listen to your teachers. Be on good behavior. Watch out for cars—look both ways before you cross the street. If anything happens, call me. If you need help, call me." This is exactly what God did for Israel. He gave them clear warnings, full of love, pleading with them to obey Him for their own good. Yet, despite all of this, Israel forgot the Lord and His word.

What happens when we reject God’s rule and follow our own ways?

1. Without a King, We Lose Our Identity

When we have no king, we compromise the truth, and when truth is compromised, it is eventually lost. Our society promotes the idea that truth is subjective—your truth, my truth, everyone’s truth is equally valid. At first, this seems like a peaceful way to coexist, but if we think critically, we realize how dangerous and foolish this ideology is. If truth is relative, what stops someone from justifying evil? Hitler had his “truth.” ISIS has its “truth.” Without a standard of truth, morality and ethics become meaningless.

Even science is no longer respected as an objective reality. People allow their feelings to override facts. Confusion about identity, gender, and sexuality runs rampant. I once saw a woman who identified as a trans man but was also gay as a trans man, which essentially meant she was just a straight woman. The mental gymnastics required to justify these contradictions are staggering. People demand that others affirm their delusions, leading to endless conflicts and division. But God warns us about the human heart in Jeremiah 17:9:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

Christians, fearing rejection, often cave to the world’s demands instead of letting God’s Word speak for itself. This isn’t about politics—it’s about whether we know and understand our identity in Christ.

2. Without a King, Moral Corruption Prevails

Some argue that humans have an inherent sense of morality and don’t need God to define right and wrong. But where does this morality come from? If humans naturally know good from evil, why do we need to teach our children right from wrong? Consider history—what we now condemn as evil was once accepted. During the Roman Empire, men like Jeffrey Epstein would not have been criminals; they would have been normal members of elite society. What changed? Christianity. The objective moral laws given by God transformed the world. Yet today, society hijacks God’s laws, stripping them of their divine origin.

Now, we live in a world unashamed of sexual immorality, promiscuity, adultery, and indulgence in sinful desires. Marriage, ordained by God, is being torn apart, and open relationships are glorified. Theft, assault, murder, substance abuse, and every form of wickedness continue to thrive. Even children are no longer protected. Many Christian parents struggle because their children come home from school questioning biblical truth. Teachers promote ideologies that contradict God’s Word, and children believe their teachers over their parents. Some parents even allow young children to undergo irreversible procedures in the name of identity. I remember watching a news segment on a pride parade where adults chanted, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.” Hearing those words sent chills down my spine—it sounded like something Satan worshipers would say. But God commands us in Romans 12:2:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

3. Without a King, We Twist God's Word and Worship Idols

In today’s world, pluralism is our new religion. Oprah Winfrey, who claims to be Christian, once declared that all paths lead to God. But Christianity does not teach this—Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Yet many who claim to be Christian—Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Progressive Christians—reject the authority of God’s Word, twisting Scripture to fit their agendas. Social media is filled with people who have never read the Bible, yet they claim to know what it teaches.

Have you heard of the Queen James Bible, a version with a rainbow cover that changes Scripture to fit modern ideologies. Zondervan, a publisher known for Christian books, just released the Upside Down Kingdom Bible, filled with notes emphasizing diversity and woke ideology rather than God’s truth.

It doesn’t take much to twist God’s words —Satan used it in Genesis 3:1 when he asked, “Did God really say…?” That small seed of doubt is all it takes to turn people away from the truth especially when they are right in their own eyes. People become skeptical of the Bible, picking and choosing what to believe. Some Christians argue over worship styles and theological differences, separating from one another because they are “right in their own eyes.” Others dabble in New Age practices—crystals, horoscopes, Ouija boards—without realizing they are opening doors to demonic forces.

Idolatry isn’t just about golden calves anymore. Anything that captures our hearts more than God—money, status, technology, entertainment—becomes an idol. I’ve seen churchgoers claim they have no money to give, yet they spend lavishly on the latest gadgets and luxury items. We also idolize celebrities, looking to Hollywood as our moral compass despite its obvious corruption. But Jeremiah 13:10 warns:
"These evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing."

Many people trust in their education, believing that a degree makes them wise. But Proverbs 12:15 says:
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." And Proverbs 28:26 warns:
"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."

We no longer fear the Lord, taking His patience for granted. We test His grace, indulging in sin, thinking that because we haven’t been punished yet, we never will be. But judgment is coming.

A person without a king, who does what is right in their own eyes, is someone seeking autonomy from the Lord.

All the issues we see in our culture, society, and even the church are merely the fruits of rejecting God as King. When people refuse to submit to His authority and instead follow their own desires, chaos ensues.

Israel had a King—the Lord God Himself. He was a good King, desiring to bless His people. But when we reject God, when we stop listening to and obeying His Word, when His commands become a burden rather than a joy, we begin to seek fulfillment elsewhere. We turn to worldly philosophies, religions, and practices, hoping to find what we are missing. Ultimately, we seek to become our own king, desiring autonomy from God while expecting Him to leave us alone and not judge our sins. Jesus said in Matthew 15:18, "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." This means that the real issue in our society is not external influences but the internal rebellion in our hearts. We desire to be the master of our own lives, to replace God, and to overthrow His lordship over us. It may seem appealing to live without consequences, but seeking autonomy from God only leads to slavery—not freedom. By rejecting God, we willingly place ourselves in bondage to sin, handing control of our lives over to Satan.

Romans 1:29-31 describes the results of rejecting God: "They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

Conclusion

"In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." These final words from the book of Judges paint a bleak picture. Yet, there is hope. The book of Judges was not the end of God’s revelation, nor was it the end of His plan. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God upheld His covenant.

Brothers and sisters, we do have a King—Jesus Christ. He has always been our King, whether we acknowledge Him or not. He was never made King; He has always been and will always be King. However, He will never force us to submit to Him. He patiently waits for us to willingly yield and recognize His authority over every aspect of our lives. Jesus is the foundation of all things. Without Him as King, we will never find peace or the truth we seek. Instead, we will be swept away by the confusion and chaos of the world. But salvation comes to those who yield to God’s Word.

How do we begin to see rightly through the Lord’s eyes? We must set our minds and hearts before Him and allow Him to examine us. Most importantly, we must stop reading ourselves into the Bible. The Bible is for us, but it is not about us—it is about God. A sister once read through the entire Bible alongside her pastor. Though she believed every word, she felt miserable and angry at God. Her pastor, who had journeyed with her, encouraged her to stop making the Bible about herself. Instead, he urged her to see it as the revelation of who God is and what He has done. When we approach Scripture with a preconceived idea of what we will or will not accept, we miss the true message. Accepting Jesus requires going all in—it is all or nothing. This demands a humble heart willing to place the Lord and His Word as the highest authority.

It’s not about being right or doing right. It’s about listening and following the One who is right. As the next generation of God’s people, we have a responsibility to understand and uphold God’s Word so that it is remembered for generations to come. Jesus is our King, and His way is the only way. There is hope for the next generation and for the church. The Lord is seeking those with a heart like David, who pursued God’s own heart. He is looking for those with the faith of Abraham, who walked in obedience without question. He desires people who will hear His words and not be shaken. May you receive God’s Word with joy and faith. May His truth be a lamp to your feet and a delight to your heart. May you see yourself and the world through God’s eyes.

Reflection

Perhaps you, too, have been caught in the chaos of our modern "spiritual Canaan." Maybe worldly distractions have drawn you away from the Lord. Perhaps there was a time when you passionately committed to never leaving God, but now you find yourself enslaved to sin. Maybe the Word of God once filled you with joy, but now you struggle to know what to believe.

If you are searching for the right answers, let Jesus show you the way. He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

If you believe in Him, trust in His words. There is power in them to set you free!