Judges 6:25-35 Out of the Ashes: Standing out – a faith life

What makes a great leader? interact – give me short phrases that would describe a great leader.

Don Dalrymple – from a leadership company describes leaders:

Great Leaders Stand Out Not everyone can get things done. Not all talent is equal. A leader, though, can drive toward a goal and pull together the resources and people to make it happen.

They are rarities. Here is what differentiates them:

• They make decisions. Decisive people stand out. They have conviction about what they believe and are not afraid to fail. It is in stark contrast to most people who either seek consensus or avoid responsibility. • They are action-oriented. You will see a pattern and systems of execution. Ideas and dialogue turn quickly into action that is captured quickly and enacted upon. • They have clarity. Most people are walking around in a fog. The person that can see clearly has a gift in the new economy. They can cut through the complexity and distill towards what is important. • They inspire. With clarity and action-orientation, they know what they want and motivate the team around them to follow. Communication and a vision for what is required becomes paramount to align the team. • They focus themselves and the team on the goal. Leaders that operate at a high level keep themselves and everyone on the team focused on the goal. There is accountability that is both consistent and focused.

While most people are managing to avoid failure and engaging in politics for their self-preservation, leaders that get things done take risk and get results.

These are qualities that make someone stand out – traits that make someone a leader and influencer of others.

But that’s not me you say.

And so did Gideon. But the Lord is at work transforming and empowering Gideon to accomplish all that He desires of Him.

I think we can argue that traits like these are the supernatural results of seeking to yield to God and follow Him. As we listen and follow Him, He makes us stand out. As we begin to live a life of faith.

Last week we saw how the Lord called Gideon out of the ashes. God is going to do radical things in Gideon’s life - He started with a relationship with the individual.

But it doesn’t stop there.

After He establishes a relationship with Gideon, He now calls him to stand out in the crowd. He is in the process of changing Gideon’s life. The Lord will now begin to call Gideon to a life of faith – a life that stands out. From this position God will enable him to lead his people to freedom.

Let’s see this process in Gideon’s life. And maybe there’s principles that the Lord will apply to our lives as well.

I. A faith life / Standing out: Immediate response

God intervenes and draws to Himself. But this is not the end. Never intended to be just a personal / private relationship --- always has a mission for our lives – always intending to prepare us for this mission of usefulness

In Gideon’s case we see God at work in ways not so much unlike how He works in our lives.

Gideon required to:

A. Act immediately

(ESV) Judges 6 25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it

1. Immediately the Lord calls to action

2. Break with the past --- not status quo thing – the living God active now in our lives / directing / speaking / moving us forward

Gideon required to:

B. Reject the false

(ESV) Judges 6 25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it

1. Reject the old ways

a. Baal altar – the male god

b. Asherah pole – often trees that have been carved into obscene images

2. Do it radically

3. Don’t allow an avenue to go back to the old ways

4. Do it publically

Gideon required to:

C. Embrace the true

(ESV) Judges 6 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offeringwith the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.”

1. Establish new patterns of worship

2. Do it the prescribed way – altar / sacrifice

3. Sacrifice the old ways in total dedication to the Lord

a. A whole sacrifice – total dedication

b. Used the old as a show of the total dedication

4. Don’t coexist old/new

Gideon required to:

D. Begin at home

(ESV) Judges 6 25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bullseven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it

1. Do it in the midst of an opposing culture starting with the one at home

2. Take down fathers idols / Use father’s bull(s) – prime bull(s) at that) / impact father’s name

3. Home – life changes here first – must decide to conform to home ways or God’s ways -- The truth is that as we change our relationships at home, we also create an opportunity for those at home to really be impacted.

Gideon required to:

E. Respond in spite of the fear

(ESV) Judges 6 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lordhad told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

1. It can still be a frightening thing to do what God calls us to do

2. Note: took 10 of his servants to help --- indicates his economic status – a somebody

3. Gideon obeys but fearfully

4. Gideon takes a stand – but does it when no one is watching

5. But the act of faith, is still an act of faith – took steps forward to obey, even though not perfect steps

6. --- besides it won’t be hidden for long

II. A faith life / Standing out: Actions in contrast to the culture

A. Stood against the culture

(ESV) Judges 6 28 When the men of the town roseearly in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.

1. The world disagrees with God – stand for God and the world will get upset

2. Father’s idols must have also served as community idols --- indication of power of Gideon’s family

B. Became identified individually

(ESV) Judges 6 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

1. One’s stand is never secret

2. Had to hunt down who was standing for God (not exactly the best thing)

3. Truth is you can’t hide if you are going to follow God

4. A call to God is a call to stand out individually – not an option / God will ensure it

5. Everyone will know – and they won’t necessarily like it

C. Faced potentially serious consequences

(ESV) Judges 6 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.”

1. Community rejection --- can’t stand being confronted with their own sin – will strike back

2. Seek for family rejection

3. Death -- Jesus would say take up your cross / be willing to die every day

D. Impacted his family

(ESV) Judges 6 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

1. Surprise - Father stand up for him

2. Father forced to take sides

3. Stands with his son

4. Family being drawn to stand for God – sometimes just waiting – see the reality of the stand – the very thing they need

E. Exposed the impotency of false gods

(ESV) Judges 6 31 “… Will you contend for Baal? ... If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

1. Challenged the people – if Baal is a real god, why do you need to stand up for him ---- let him stand up for himself

2. If truth is truth it will validate itself

3. Violated the false god / called it into question --- so if he is real he should do something --- if he doesn’t, he isn’t worthy of being worshiped

F. Identified as an enemy of the false

(ESV) Judges 6 32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

1. Comes down to being labeled as a God guy / a Bible thumper / a holy joe / a contender against Baal

2. Implies a trouble maker / a legalist / a better than thou guy ---- it will happen when you stand for God --- you have clearly drawn a line and now are identified and stand out in the crowd – a good thing

III. A faith life / Standing out: Making an impact at a greater level

Not just about Gideon – impact on others / on a nation

A. The opposition radically increases

(ESV) Judges 6 33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.

1. Stand out in an ever increasing manner - Expect active opposition / great opposition – opportunities for God to do great things

2. The trouble impacting others as well / they had no answer for it / needed a Savior -- opportunities for people to also take a stand with God, breaking from their slavery

B. But the Lord empowers accordingly

(ESV) Judges 6 34 But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.

1. The Lord more than compensates for the trouble that comes – In fact allows the trouble to be great so He can show Himself to be great

2. Literally clothed by the Spirit of the Lord

3. A conscious decision to yield and engage comes first

4. The empowerment of God upon you

5. God Himself at work using you as a vessel

C. Took up the mission

(ESV) Judges 6 34 But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.

1. Took up a leadership stand

2. Made clear God’s message

3. A call to war / a call of God’s desire to set people free

4. Made a public call to join the mission – called personal engagement and then leadership to engage others as well

D. Influenced others to follow the Lord

(ESV) Judges 6 … and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

1. Same Gideon but God is enabling him / calling others to follow – really all about God here

2. People who opposed him now join him (Abiezrites) --- how quickly people can change when they see the truth at work

3. People outside the scope of his clan now respond as well – Manasseh his tribe – Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali other tribes impacted with the same problems