The Power of One

The Army of One

Judges 6:11-19 (NASB95)
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 “Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.” 19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

Background: Because of the evil that Israel had done, the Lord allowed the Midianites to rack havoc on Israel for seven years. The Midianites where Arabs who rode camels to attack their victims.  The Midianites would take the harvest and the cattle of the Israelites. The Israelites had to hide in the mountains for their safety. Midian means strife.

1)     Who’s Perspective to you believe?

12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

a)     Man’s Perspective–

·         Why am I hiding out in a wine press? Is my enemy is greater than me or God?

·         Why has all this happened to me? – Self examine and submit to God

James 4:7 (NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Corinthians 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

·         Where are the miracles that I heard about?

Man’s perspective always focuses on available resources

Man’s perspective always has an eye on the Midianites and what they can do to him.

Man’s perspective always has sense of self-pity.

b)     God’s Perspective-

·         The Lord is with you despite the circumstances

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Impossible is not a Kingdom word- HE STRENGHTENS ME.

·         The Lord calls you a valiant warrior

The Lord calls you a valiant warrior- Gabor- A mighty man

Kittel’s- The individual designated seems to be the elite warrior

·         The Lord reminds us of what He has done in the past

Romans 10:16-17 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

2)     Are We Self-Reliant Or God-Reliant In Times Of Trouble?

15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

a)     Self-Reliant

·         Looks to self –     I am not from the right family

I am too young

·         Looks to available resources

·         Looks at the natural

b)     God-Reliant

·         Look to God-        I will be with you

You shall be victorious as one man

Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.

·   Look for a miracle

3)     Are You Ready To Pay The Price For Victory?

14 The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

a)     You need to act – “Go” Don’t procrastinate! Today is the day!!!

·         It requires six times as much power to start a flywheel from a dead stop, as it does to keep it going once it is in motion. A locomotive must exert a pull of as much as thirty pounds for every ton of weight in a railroad car to start it from a standstill, and even more in very cold weather. Once the car is in motion, only about three pounds per ton may be needed to keep it moving on a straight and level track.

·         Alexander the Great, being asked how he had conquered the world, replied, “By not delaying.”

·          The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

b)    You need to give all your strength to the situation- Go in this your strength

·         As you act, God intervenes despite your limitations.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB95)9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

c)     You need to have a sense of abandonment to gain victory

19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

·         Gideon gave a large sacrifice to the Lord

6:19 The large amount of food (an ephah is over a bushel) presented in Gideon’s offering reflects either his wealth or a special sacrifice in this destitute time.

Philippians 3:8 (The Message)
8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NCV) Remember this: The person who plants a little will have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big harvest.

I have decided to trust in Jesus …no turning back (hymn)

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2     Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3     My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus,
my cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.

4     The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.