The Power of Perception
Notes
Transcript
1 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.
6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;
9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ”
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
Living in the Gap
Living in the Gap
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Created in Perfection
Created in Perfection
Created For The Good Life
Created For The Good Life
How do we navigate life in the gap?
How do we go from guilt to grace?
Encounters with God
Encounters with God
These Encounters Reveal
++Something about God
++Something about us
Three Encounters
++Power Encounter
++Truth Encounter
++Allegiance Encounter
Power Encounters _“God Can”_
Power Encounters _“God Can”_
A Truth Encounter says _“God is”_
A Truth Encounter says _“God is”_
An Allegiance Encounter says _“I will”_
An Allegiance Encounter says _“I will”_
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Knowing who you are
Knowing who you are
I am more than what you see
I am more than what you see
My ancestry includes
++14% Nigeria
++11% Cameroon
++9% Ghana
++5% Southern Bantu
++4% England
++3% Senegal
++1% Sweden, Mali, Scotland
Gideon was facing an Identity Crisis
Gideon was facing an Identity Crisis
His Perception shaped his reality
His Perception
++Of God
++His Circumstances
++Himself
How often do our circumstances cause us to question God?
How often do our circumstances cause us to question God?
His Perception brought
++Fear
++Inadequacy
15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
The basis of identity
The basis of identity
We base Identity
++Accomplishments
++Competence
++Emotion
We make comparisons
We make comparisons
We can always find
++Someone doing better
++Someone doing worst
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
God provides a new Identity
God provides a new Identity
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Know where we have been
Know where we have been
Gideon knew his history
Gideon knew his history
13 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 forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
God sent a prophet
God sent a prophet
8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;
10 Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ”
Israel’s Disobedience was being judged.
Israel’s Disobedience was being judged.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Know were we are
Know were we are
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
All we need is what we have
All we need is what we have
You have something to offer
Use what you have
The enemy is talking
The enemy is talking
10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant,
11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp.
God uses the enemy
++To bring encouragement
++To strengthen his hand
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
I’ve Been Redeemed
++I am not the same
++I’ve been changed
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Until Now
Until Now
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Know where we are going
Know where we are going
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
7 Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
