The Reduction Factor

How many have ever heard the phrase, “Less is more?”

What does this phrase mean in our culture?

That simple… is sometimes better than complex. That simple… gets the job done where complex just makes things… complicated.

For example, the more advanced our technology becomes… the more complex our every day machines becomes.

Refrigerators now have the ability to connect to the internet and order groceries for you when getting low.

Phones are really less a phone and more a computer with phone abilities.

Vehicles are more gadgetry, senors, and convenience for the sake of comfort.

But… as these things become more and more complex, they become more and more susceptible to failure.

Newer appliances last a few years instead of a couple of decades.

Phones are becoming more expensive, more complicated, and more a part of our daily operations… as we become more of a slave to it.

Vehicles need a computer whiz instead of a mechanic to fix many problems these days.

Remember when phones just made calls, refrigerators just kept food cold, and vehicles got you from point a to point b on $.75 gas?

So what does this have to do with our series on The Power of God?

Because church… I think sometimes in our modern day… we over complicate the faith. Faith in God… is simple. God’s grace for your life… is simple. The concept of the Gospel message… is simple.

Now do not hear me wrong… just because it is simple… doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful!!!

Faith in God is a POWERFUL thing!

Jesus said that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we will become mountain movers. His words in Matthew 17:20 are “Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 NIV

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

God’s Grace is a POWERFUL thing!

His grace helps us to overcome things we would otherwise be overwhelmed with. As Jesus said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The Gospel message is a POWERFUL thing!

Jesus made clear what He came here to do. He didn’t come to make things complex and difficult… He came to offer Himself for our sins and bring deliverance.

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

BUT.... just as we tend to do with things in life, the MORE complex we try to make something, the less powerful they become. WE PLACE THE EMPHASIS ON THE COMPLEXITIES INSTEAD OF THE SIMPLE TRUTH.

So today… we aim to un-complicate some things as we talk about the power of God. The message title today is simply called The Reduction Factor.

We are going to look at a known story in the Old Testament of a very complicated and terrible situation.

And we are going to watch the Power of God move in this situation… but not before He reduces the answer from complicated… to simple.

Here’s the deal, there is NOTHING our God cannot do. And we sometimes come to Him with complicated expectations when all we really need… is Him.

IF YOU HAVE JESUS… YOU HAVE ALL THAT YOU NEED. Period.

We complicate this reality through the influence of culture, trends, comfort, image, etc. But church… If you have Jesus… you have all that you need.

Today we unpack the story of Gideon from Judges 6 - specifically how God reduces what is “needed” in Gideon’s eyes to prove His power to the His people.

Imagine living in a place and time… when all you’ve had or needed… was reduced to nothing.

The reason behind this time of oppression was clear: The Israelites did EVIL in the eyes of the Lord. They walked away from His provision and protection. For seven years… they were at the Mercy of the Midianites.

These guys were in a bad spot… and maybe you’ve been there or you are there right now. THEY HAD NO ANSWER to the problem at hand. This was a COMPLEX problem… but God, in His wisdom and power… was about to show them a simple answer: TRUST IN HIM.

BIG Problems Are Often… Complicated.

Have you ever faced what you might label as a big problem?

Big problems are stressful because they often include multiple issues that need our attention. Going back to the story of Gideon, we see this was truly a desperate situation.

First off… the Midianites were ruthless.

Their very name means strife… and they brought it to the Israelites. Judges 6:2 tells us

Judges 6:2 NIV

2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

This enemy literally stripped the people of God of every resource. The provision of God’s people had been reduced to nothing. And someone might ask… why? Why would God allow for such a thing? Well, the answer can be found in Judges 6:7-10

Judges 6:7–10 NIV

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

The people of God… chose not to listen to the instructions of God! This SIMPLE action led to a most complicated situation. They were in this place because of their choice to not listen to God.

So God turned His back on the people and the Israelites were destroyed by the Midianites in this complex and oppressive situation. The end. NOT REALLY!

God had a plan. The Israelites were overwhelmed by the enemy, the lack of resource, and the danger around them. They were reduced to living in caves. God was about to show them just how simple the answer was to this complex situation.

God opens a dialog with Gideon. Who is Gideon?

Per his description of himself, Gideon is a nobody. He is hiding, he is trying to fly under the radar of the enemy… He’s not looking for a fight… he’s simply trying to survive. His definition of “victory” is going undetected as he threshes wheat in a winepress. He was trying to keep this resource from falling into the hands of the enemy.

And maybe this is how you feel… the complexities of life have stripped from you your resource, your joy, your vision, your strength, and your victory. You try to fly under the radar… do what must be done to get to the end of the day… and try doing so unscathed. Listen to me: God desires to set you free today.

Listen, walking through strife is never easy. Strife is conflict. Strife is anger. Strife is bitter disagreement. Strife was walking all over the Israelites… and maybe you feel like it is walking all over you.

And as the details pile up… hope becomes less and less… and then we settle. We settle for what is instead of crying out to God for what can be.

So what is the answer? First, we let God reduce the complexity.

The Reduction Factor

Gideon was NOT looking to go head to head with strife! He wasn’t willing to challenge that… which was challenging him! Why? Because he knew he would lose! So instead of fighting, he lived in Strife and became a slave to it.

So when God chose Gideon… to be His chosen warrior for Israel… God had to start the process by reducing some complexities that had built up within Gideon.

What do I mean by complexities? Things that had gotten in the way of the simple answer. Gideon was harboring some things… that complicated the situation even further. We see these things revealed in Gideon’s “pardon me, Lord” statements.

One, Gideon questioned the presence of God.

Judges 6:13 NIV

13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

Gideon could not comprehend how God could be with him in such desolate times! Why wasn’t God using His power to set the people free? Where are the miracles they had been told about? God… you say you are with us… BUT WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Gideon was in doubt regarding the presence of God.

This is a very common question in today’s world. We think that when we hit hard times, the Lord has forgotten or abandoned us. But in this case, God had not abandoned His people, His people had abandoned Him.

Now, while living in the consequence of their action, they (Gideon) shows frustration with God.

So God reassures Gideon that he is not in this fight alone.

Judges 6:14 NIV

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Two, Gideon questioned his place in the fight.

Judges 6:15 NIV

15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Gideon did not see himself as a mighty warrior… he saw himself as the weakest in the region and the least in his family. Gideon was in doubt regarding his place in God’s plan.

Gideon was carrying a “what can I do about it” weight and mentality. The Midianites were great in number… he is only one man… a weak man at that. Even as God is talking to him, he doesn’t believe he can accomplish anything because of his status.

How many understand that it’s not about what you can do… but all about what God can do in you and through you?

Really? Do you understand and believe this? Because this issue is a major complication for many people. “What can I do about this, Lord? I don’t have what it takes… I don’t know what to do… I, I, I… me, me, me…” We become our greatest obstacle.

So once again, God brings some clarity to the issue.

Judges 6:16 NIV

16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

God reassures Gideon of His presence and the soon coming results of the battle.

Three, Gideon questioned the identity of the messenger.

Judges 6:17–18 NIV

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

And here is the classic… give me a sign. Give me some proof. Show me that this… that YOU… are for real. Gideon was in doubt regarding the validity of the word given to him.

Gideon was in need of some confirmation. He wanted to make sure that God was really telling him to do this… because it was an impossible task!

And someone might say, Pastor, wouldn’t you want some kind of confirmation if you felt God leading you to battle?

God leads us to battle every single day. This struggle with Gideon reveals the distance in his relationship with God.

For believers today, we have been called to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him.

It’s a battle against self, a battle against going our way, a battle of choosing the cross over comfort.

Gideon’s personal doubt had to be reduced by the power and assurance of God.

Before Gideon could lead any battle in the field, he first had to deal with the battles going on in his soul.

I would bet… this wasn’t the first time Gideon felt these feelings. He was expressing to God what he had been feeling throughout this season.

And God, one by one, stripped him of this inward strife. By removing the doubt, God was removing complexities that were getting in the way of Gideon accepting the easy answer.

And the reduction factor doesn’t stop there in this story. God had dealt with Gideon… Now it was time to deal with the sin in the camp. And I would offer to you today… THIS WAS THE REAL BATTLE AT HAND.

God tells Gideon to get rid of the garbage… get rid of the false worship. It’s time to clean out the camp.

Judges 6:25–26 NIV

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.”

Gideon is instructed to go to his dad’s house, tear down the sin… and build a proper altar for the Lord.

Gideon obeys the Lord.... but not without earthly consequence. The closest he comes to losing his life in this story.... comes from the action of clearing out the sin.

Judges 6:30 tells us the people wanted blood… “he must die”

Gideon knew the risk of tearing down the false altar… that’s why he did this at night instead of day. But I find it interesting that this is the closest he comes to dying in this story.

The people were still holding onto the very thing that landed them in this complex problem in the first place - their rebellion and refusal to listen to the Lord.

Too often… we want God to deliver us from the consequences while still holding on to the sin. Too often we want God to restore without letting go of what caused the destruction.

The camp was ready to kill Gideon… the guy God would use to bring deliverance from the Midianites. And maybe God has sent someone to your life to… un-complicate the problem.

Maybe they have spoke correction or redirection. Maybe they have encouraged you to let go of something or to draw closer to God. Maybe they tried to speak life to you… but the doubt, the worry, the bitterness, the anger… the strife… won the day.

Church… God sees where you are. He sees you trying to make it on your own. He hears your questions… and even knows the doubt.

You want the victory… but God’s Holy Spirit is saying, “First, clean out the camp.” You want triumph over strife… but you have made things difficult with complexities like doubt, selfishness, etc.

It’s time to allow the Spirit of God to reduce this problem… it’s time to get back to the simple answer. JESUS IS ALL THAT YOU NEED.

It is time for you to decrease.... that He might increase. It’s time to place our self in check, and to follow His Spirit to freedom.

From Worrier… To Warrior.

God moved Gideon… from being a worrier… to being His warrior. And I believe God is wanting to do that for you today as well.

Wait a minute… pastor? Gideon stopped the false worship but what about the Midianites that continually attacked them?

God dealt with them too… but not before doing yet again… another reduction act.

God tells Gideon in Judges 7:2

Judges 7:2 NIV

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’

So God reduces the number of men from 22,000 to 10,000. But that was still too many men.

So God reduces the number of men from 10,000… to 300.

I can imagine Gideon was begin to sweat a bit… because the number of the enemy was like that of the sand on the sea shore.

But this was never about big numbers. This was never about what Gideon could do or what the Israelites could do. This was about resetting some wrongs in the camp… this was about the power of God delivering the people of God.

So with 300 men, trumpets, jars, and torches, the enemy is defeated. Gideon pursues them and his tone has changed… A LOT.

He went from hiding… to hunter. He went from worrier… to warrior. He went from doubter of God to destroyer of God’s enemies.

So it’s time, church… time to come out of the caves. Time to come out of the hiding places. Time to stop thinking we need more stuff, more strategy, more earthly wisdom, more physical strength, more financial resource, more personal ability… we need to remember that less IS more. Less of us… MORE OF GOD!!!

I believe God is calling some of us out today… not to embarrass or to condemn or to humiliate or to judge… BUT TO DELIVER.

Some of you… are fighting the WRONG battle. You are so consumed with the front line yet you haven;t dealt with what is happening in your own camp. You question God’s presence, God’s plan, and God’s leading. You do all of this… while dancing around the real problem: You chose not to listen to the Lord.

We face problems of many kinds in life. Some are things we have no control over. Others are direct results of the decisions we make. Hear me today… I get it… attacks may come no matter what we do.

But we limit what God’s power can do in and through our lives… when we harbor complexities like doubt, worry, anger, bitterness, and… sin.

The simple solution is… get back to Jesus. Trust in Him again. Before going to the front line, first, clean out the camp.

God wants to bring you victory today - a victory ONLY HE CAN DELIVER. We are believing for something that only God can do!

If you need that kind of of victory today… stand to your feet and begin to call out to God. If God is revealing something that needs to be dealt with… then get it dealt with. Get that thing back under the blood of the Lamb.

We need less of ourselves… and more of God. Less of what we can do… and more of what HE CAN DO!