Hall of Faith - Gideon, God Is The Focus

INTRO: When you think of a “hero” what do qualities do you think of? Gideon didn’t show any of those. When you look at Gideon you see a fearful and cowardly man.

Hebrews 11:32ff, seemingly hopeless situations and seemingly hopeless people to be used - But God prevailed, used, and transformed them anyway! That means God is the real focus.

1. God's Perspective: "Valor That Can Be”

Judges 6:11-27

V.11-12

Doesn’t look like it – “mighty man of valor”…he’s hiding in a winepress. Terrible place for grain because there’s no breeze to take away the chaff.

God see’s the potential of what you CAN be, not where you think you’re stuck at! “You have the capacity to be mighty for God, you have the capacity to be a faithful leader of God’s people!”

V.14-16

Not the ideal person with character traits we want to imitate. BUT the focus is already on what God will do with him and despite him!

A feeling of insignificance…“I don’t feel qualified” - Gideon, Moses, and many other men now…but so what? Overcome your feelings with faith! Have a spirit of “WILLINGNESS” and submission to God.

God tells him that your success won’t be by your abilities but by mine. Something we would do well to remember as well.

V.17-24

Gideon will never become the mighty warrior until he becomes convinced that its God speaking to Him.

You will never become what God wants you to become unless you are convinced that God is the one speaking in His word.

God wants you to become 2 things: saved and Christlike.

The first step for you to be transformed: being convinced that God is the one speaking.

That falls right in line with Hebrews 11:1 from where our study in this series began! Assurance and Conviction of what you can’t see, IN WHO you can’t see!

V.24, now that Gideon is convinced he takes action! After being convinced do you see what his next step was? Commitment. The commitment is the moment Gideon says I know the truth and I’m going to respond with worship!

But he’s not the “mighty warrior” yet…But he’s on the right path! Just because he’s committed doesn't mean he’s the final product yet but that he’s willing to go on the transformation journey that overtime results in more action and deeper commitment.

V.25-27

“Gideon, I want you to get rid of the evil and in it’s place I want you to replace it with ME. But you can’t do what’s godly until you get rid of whats not.”

Do we hear that for our own lives as well? You aren’t going to be able to live a good “Christ-Like life” without discarding the sin that put Jesus on the cross to begin with.

Gideon does the right thing - but as of right now fear still is what drives him forward to do it the way He does. He’s wrestled with doubt and fear, but currently is overcoming it by giving God his loyalty anyway. Even though he felt a great amount of fear and self doubt that did not go away, he had faith despite it and acted despite it. The doubt didn’t go away but Gideon decided to move forward.

(PPT)John Wayne, - “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway”. Or my version - “do it scared!” It’s OK to be afraid, but it’s not OK for fear to stop you from faith.

Related note on “fear & obedience”: Many become Christians purely out of fear and not out of obedience or real commitment - and that’s wrong. Many stay faithful out of pure fear and trying only to escape Hell - and that’s wrong too. At least, it’s wrong for us to remain in that place. There is transformation that needs to take place not only in our actions, but in the motive of our actions.

But here, Gideon has obeyed and has done what is right - so the transformation has started to take place.

2. God's Patience: Faith Through Fleece

(PPT) Judges 6:36-40

The patience of God is seen here, and for our benefit.

Looking for Signs Instead of Trusting God?

We might not put out a literal fleece, but we often act just like Gideon:

“God, if You want me to do this, give me a clear sign.”

“If I get this promotion, I’ll know You’re pleased with me.”

“If this situation works out in my favor, I’ll trust You more.”

“If you do this God I’ll do that OR know that”

If you’re looking for a sign to be faithful - here it is. God did this for you too, knowing that we would be the same way. Stop looking for a sign in the world when God has given you many in His word. Just because it happened in the past doesn’t mean its any less powerful or true. God was patient with Gideon for his and our benefit. Don’t spend your life looking for some dramatic confirmation, don’t forget that God has already spoken in dramatic and captivating ways!

It reminds me of Thomas who needed to touch the holes in Jesus side and hands and feet. And any of us who look down on Thomas for that are lying to ourselves! WE ALL needed to do that, WE ALL needed that to believe - I’m so glad Thomas did that, because it gave us doubters even more concrete evidence.

Thomas doubted and sought proof. Jesus didn’t rebuke him harshly but gave him the evidence he needed. Yet He also said, in John 20:29, “...Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.” The signs in the Bible are for you too.

God’s patience is seen in his humoring of Gideon with the fleece. But God has already given that sign. So, are you “looking for fleeces” — or are you looking for opportunities to just trust God anyway.

God is patient with us in our growing process.

God doesn’t demand perfection from the start, and doesn’t even expect it as we grow. He is patient with our struggles, but God does expect us to grow beyond them. While God doesn’t demand perfection, He does require progress.

We should treat one another with the same patience and grace too. Ephesians 4:1–3 “Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Paul is saying here that UNITY starts with U (you). Don’t demand perfection from someone else when you aren’t there either. God can and does use them just like He can you.

3. God's Power: Strength in Our Limits

Judges 7:1-8

Divine Strategy: display God’s strength through human weakness.

From 32,000, to 10,000, down to 300.

Gideon perhaps misjudged his leadership ability because far more answered the call than he probably hoped for.

And you know that when this amount of people started showing up Gideon had to be getting a little bit bigger of a chest, feeling less anxious, and his imagination and plans started forming how he was going to lead 32,000 men to defeat the Midianites!..

But, v.2 - God changes “Gideon’s Plan A” to God’s Plan to show His power.

God has always known people will try to take credit for God’s accomplishments, that people will always fall into the trap of trusting their own actions. God has made it crystal clear in the New Testament that we aren’t saved by our own abilities and actions.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.”

Even after we are saved we rely too much on manmade plans and devices. People falsely think the key to Church growth has to do with monetary resources, that a worship service is most successful or good when I FEEL it impacted in my emotions, that bringing in a young preacher will add to the younger population of the Church, that if we just keep to our traditions and doing things the way we always have (or at least always have since the 50’s), we will remain strong.

The truth is, none of these things—money, emotions, wisdom, popularity, or tradition—are the foundation of a thriving Church. Jesus is. And when we say “this is the only way we can be successful” we’re limiting God. We’re thinking too much of our own plans and not relying on Him like we should. But true strength comes from abiding in Christ and living faithfully to the Word with whatever circumstances are at hand.

So God gives us a timeless story to show us “I can use a cowardly person to lead and a ragtag 300 people to defeat an army” so that we will learn and remember WHERE to put our faith! In God who is is Patient, Powerful, and Works Providentially.

God works through people the world deems to be unlikely and insignificant, as well as in seemingly unlikely and insignificant ways.

(PPT)Matthew 13:31–33 “He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”

Whats the point? Size and earthly devices don’t matter when it comes to God’s Kingdom - God’s brings huge lasting impact through what is small, He works against common earthly logic to show that you’ve got to have a better perspective and a better way of thinking. God redeemed your soul with Jesus, but your mind also needs to be renewed.

I don’t mean just think of heavenly things. I mean think in heavenly ways.

With Gideon’s 300, this was crazy by our standards! If you’re about to fight an army, the last thing you want is fewer men! V.12 tells us that the enemy was “numerous as locust and camels without number” . Impossible odds.

But recall the lesson from Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

God isn’t limited by what is seen, so don’t focus all your attention on it!

Judges 7:19-25

Fear was shattered with faith.

SUCCESS REQUIRES SUBMISSION!

Gideon’s victory was only done when they were obedient “to a T”.

Even Jesus submitted to accomplish the plan. It took submission, vulnerability, and full trust. We kid ourselves if we think our faith will require less than Jesus’.

The triumph was in faithful obedience to God and God’s plans.

The world defines success as power, numbers, and resources - but spiritual success comes from submission to God’s way - even if it doesn’t make sense to me. “Well God, I don’t understand why I’m supposed to do this as a Christian or as the Church” - “You don’t need to, you just need to trust and submit.”

God’s Strength is not just seen in the actions of the 300, but in Gideon himself.

(PPT) Hebrews 11:32–34, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, performed righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

God’s guidance lead to a transformation of Character and transformation of Circumstance. That’s true now too, and is seen today in you and your faithfulness.

I love my vantage point: When I watch you step out, do more, succeed more, grow more - I’m thinking “way to go!” But I’m also thinking “God is working”. That should be both exciting and sobering to each of us.

Our weaknesses are a canvas for God’s strength to be seen and admired. Some of God’s best sermons are how he’s healed and changed broken people.

God calls the fearful and the doubters to action that leads to transformation. Gideon’s story teaches that faith is not the absence of doubt, but the willingness to trust in God anyway. It gives hope to the ones that feel to uncapable. We learn that the community of God’s people are meant to rely on divine providence while wrestling with uncertainties.

Gideon didn’t start out as someone that was likely to be a faithful leader. I know you’ve probably been there, thinking “who am I to lead or be an example of faith?” You are the called out of God (ekklesia, church).

It’s not about the start, it’s about the finish.

Have you been baptized and renewed in Him? Are you continually submitting in faith?