When Delay Costs You Everything
An abstract of TBC Lead Pastor Connor Kraus’ sermon on January 25, 2026, in the Book of Judges series. Watch the sermon video here.
In seventh grade, I tried out for the football team. I wasn't a contact sports guy yet, so I rightfully landed on the B team. During one game, while the A team was playing and I was on the sidelines drinking Gatorade, the coach suddenly called out: "Kraus, get in the game!"
Stunned. Hesitating. Not knowing what to do, I stammered: "But coach, I'm on the B team."
He stared at me. I'll never forget that face. "Fine," he said. "Then stay on B team."
And I did. That season and the next season. I stayed on the B team because I missed my opportunity. My delay, my hesitation, had consequences.
In Judges chapter 4, we meet a man named Barak who should be the star of the story. But because of his hesitation—because of his weak faith in God's plan—a lot of other characters both begin and finish the story that should have been his alone.
When God calls, our response matters. And delay will always cost us something.
The Setup: Israel Oppressed Again
The pattern continues: "The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. So the Lord sold them to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the nations" (Judges 4:1-2).
For 20 years, Sisera harshly oppressed Israel with 900 iron chariots—cutting-edge military technology. That might not sound impressive to us, but for them, it was like facing an enemy with tanks when you only have swords.
Here's what's troubling: During Joshua's time, Israel fought nations with chariots and had no problem. Even in Judges chapter 1, chariots proved difficult, but didn't oppress Israel. Now they're terrified. We're tracking this decline in faith—from "God is on our side, we can do anything" to "We can't do anything against this technology."
After 20 years, Israel finally cries out to the Lord. God is their fourth, maybe fifth choice. Nobody else worked, so now they're asking Him for help.
Enter Deborah (and the voice of God)
At this point, you'd expect: "And God raised up a deliverer named ___." But instead:
"Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes" (Judges 4:4-5).
During this time of national calamity and idolatry, the voice of God is found under a palm tree through this woman. She's first and foremost a prophetess—unusual for this time, but Deborah has risen to national acclaim because of her wisdom. If you get a tree named after you, you must be there quite a bit.
She's functioning like the Supreme Court, like Moses used to—handling disputes for all Israel. She's referred to in chapter 5 as "the Mother of Israel." Deborah has a lot going on.
But Deborah is not the judge—not the capital-J Judge who will be the military deliverer. That person is coming next. She knows where he lives, and she sends for him.
Barak: The Hesitant Hero
Deborah summons Barak from way up north and delivers God's message: "Hasn't the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you? Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor and take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites. Then I will lure Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, his chariots and his infantry at the Wadi Kishon to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you" (Judges 4:6-7).
This is our first introduction to the actual judge—the one who will lead Israel's army like Othniel and Ehud before him, but Barak has a rough start. Apparently, God had already given him this message, and either he delayed carrying it out or rejected God's call entirely. Deborah's message is basically: "Hey, God called. He left you a voicemail. You haven't called Him back yet. What are we doing?"
God has completely revealed His plan to Barak—spoiler alert included. Not only "you're going to win," but "this is how it's going to happen and what you must do." God lays out the entire strategy, leaving nothing to chance.
Barak needs to step in faith into action, and a few generations ago, this would have been a no-brainer for Israel: "They're bigger, stronger, better at fighting? No problem. God is on our side."
So what's Barak's response?
"Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go'" (Judges 4:8).
Barak places conditions on God, negotiating with a simple demand: "I'll do it only if Deborah comes with me."
We understand his desire—he wants the woman who represents God to come into battle with him—but clearly, that's not what God intended.
Deborah agrees to go but delivers a consequence: "I will gladly go with you, but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman" (Judges 4:9).
The glory for this battle will go to someone else, and for a 21st-century audience, that might not sound like much. But culturally, this was huge. A couple chapters later, a character named Abimelech is injured by a woman in battle and commits suicide rather than die from those wounds—that's how shameful it was considered.
But if we strip away the culture and see what God is really doing, something unexpected will happen. From Barak's perspective, the biggest deal isn't about glory or recognition—it's that he's staying on the B team. He won't step fully into the plans God had for him, so God will call on somebody else instead.
Barak should have both the beginning and the end of this story, but instead, he'll have a critical part in the middle.
The Battle: God's Perfect Plan
Sisera assembles his 900 chariots in the perfect place—the Wadi Kishon, a flat valley ideal for chariots to destroy Israel's infantry. Barak and his troops watch from the highlands as Sisera's army assembles below.
Deborah says to Barak: "Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn't the Lord gone before you?" (Judges 4:14).
Reading between the lines, there might be hesitation in Barak's face. Deborah reminds him: God has already gone before you. This is a done deal.
Hebrews 11 later recognizes Barak for his faith in delivering Israel. This is where his faith kicks into high gear. He rushes down Mount Tabor with his troops toward the forces that oppressed Israel for 20 years.
How does God hand over this mighty force? "The Lord threw Sisera, all his charioteers and all his army into a panic before Barak's assault... The whole army of Sisera fell by the sword. Not a single man was left" (Judges 4:15-16).
We're yearning for details, but all we get is "the Lord threw them into a panic." Chapter 5 fills in the gap: As Barak rushed down the hillside, a massive storm came. Pouring rain. The valley floor turned to mud. Chariots stuck. Then a flash flood swept through the Kishon River, drowning soldiers and dragging charioteers downstream.
Neat detail: Barak's name means "lightning." Thunder, lightning, flash flood—it all fits.
The army is destroyed, but Sisera escapes on foot.
Jael: The Unexpected Hero
Sisera flees to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Heber should be an Israelite ally, but he switched sides and moved into Canaanite territory, so Sisera knows them and thinks he's safe.
Jael greets him warmly: "Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don't be afraid" (Judges 4:18). She gives him milk instead of water, covers him with blankets, and lets him rest—the desert equivalent of a luxurious homecoming. He tells her to lie if anyone comes looking for him, and she agrees.
"While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber's wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died" (Judges 4:21).
In one decisive action, Jael becomes the deliverer of Israel and the fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy. We expected Deborah to finish the story, but instead, it's a shepherd's wife who gets all the glory and recognition. In chapter 5, Jael is recognized as "most blessed of tent-dwelling women"—put that on her LinkedIn profile.
Meanwhile, Barak arrives in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael goes out to greet him: "Come and I will show you the man you are looking for." He sees Sisera lying dead with a tent peg through his temple.
The honor that could have been his isn't, and Deborah's prophecy has come to pass. But notice: the story doesn't linger on Barak's disappointment. It immediately says, "That day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites" (Judges 4:23).
From beginning to end, this is God's plan. Who carries it out depends on faith—some stepped up when others fell back. Deborah and Jael were pushed to the front because Barak pulled back, but God is the one doing all of it anyway.
The land had peace for 40 years. Then the cycle repeats.
Two Costs of Delayed Faith
1. The Eternal Cost
God has extended a call for all our lives: respond to Him in faith. If you haven't trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you're in rebellion against God—like Israel at the beginning of this story.
You have an enemy attacking you that you can't defeat on your own. Not 900 chariots, but sin, which leads to death. Absent God's power, you're hopeless to overcome it. Yet we try on our own and realize how difficult it is.
The delay—the reasons you push off that decision—whatever they may be ("I've got questions," "Not now," "My life isn't that bad," "I'll get my life together first," "I've got time")—that delay has eternal consequences.
When Sisera was lulled to sleep with milk and blankets, do you think he thought that was the last time his eyes would open? We can never be too confident about the time we have left.
The Bible says if we walk through death's doorway without trusting Christ, we face eternal separation from God in hell. But if we trust in Jesus before that moment—accept His sacrifice on the cross—we walk through that doorway heading into new life with God in heaven.
You can make that choice today. Right where you're sitting. Say: "Jesus, I've been in rebellion. I can't do it on my own. I need You. I trust You. Save me."
It's not a spell. It's a heart crying out to God saying, "I need You." You never know when today might be your last today.
2. The Personal Cost
For those who call themselves Christ followers: What do you do when God places a call on your life and gives you something to do for His kingdom?
The personal cost of delayed action isn't that you receive less glory or recognition. That's not the point. The point is that you're not allowed as deep and important a role in God's plan as was initially designed because of lacking faith.
If Barak had stepped forward and said, "Yes, God," we wouldn't have heard about Deborah or Jael. It would have been Barak's story from beginning to end.
God says, "If you want to stay on the B team, you can stay on the B team. But if you want to move to the A team, you need to respond in faith."
We don't want to miss out on deeper involvement in God's plan. We don't want to forfeit the joy and privilege of being used by God in a specific way.
Where has God used someone else for His kingdom plan because of your delay?
We should seek to be like Deborah and Jael—ready, decisive, and faithful. Deborah called the judge to action: "God told you to do something. Go and do it." At the top of Mount Tabor, she said, "Go. God has gone before you. Take action."
Your Next Step
Today, after this message, what is the thing God has been calling you to do that you've been delaying?
Witnessing to a co-worker
Forgiving a deep hurt
Giving sacrificially
Serving in a ministry
Having a hard conversation
Being more diligent about studying Scripture
What is that Holy Spirit elbow digging into your ribs saying, "You know this. You should be doing this"?
Take this opportunity. God wants you to be a deep part of His plans for His kingdom. If you step to the sidelines, He'll ask somebody else to do this great work.
Obedience may be costly. It may be uncomfortable. You may face rejection or difficulty. But when God calls, our response matters.
He is faithful to those who trust in Him. He worked through Barak despite his weakness. He celebrated Deborah and Jael for their decisive faith. He will work through you despite your hesitation, fear, or uncertainty—if you step into His plan with faith.
Deborah's words to Barak echo for us: "The road that you are going to walk will be different."
What is the road God has set before you? And what does it look like to walk it faithfully?
Join us this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. and discover what it means to respond to God's call with decisive faith instead of costly delay.