The Making of the Mighty (Part2)

17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.” 19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

1. The Sign of the Fire (v. 17-24)

So, God calls Gideon Mighty

Promises to be with Gideon

And the first thing Gideon does

Is he asks God for a sign.

And notice what does not happen…

God does not rebuke him —

God answers with fire consuming the offering from the rock.

Almost the same way that God answers Elijah on Mount Carmel.

Just like in that story…

Here, God brought down the fire on Gideon’s altar

And consumed the meat with the fire

Even though it was drenched in broth.

This is Gideon's altar moment.

And here’s the point I think God is showing us here…

God is patient with our need for confirmation.

He doesn't shame us for needing assurance before we step out.

He could have rebuked Gideon and just said trust me

But, Instead, Gideon asks for a sign

and God provides it.

Gideon says, Lord…

Uh, before I go die for my country that doesn’t seem to love me

Could you maybe give me a sign that I’m not just dreaming right now

and that this is really you asking me to step out in faith.

And God says… sure thing in verse 18…

I’ll wait here while you prepare the goat offering.

And so, Gideon prepares the offering on a rock in vs 19

Pours broth over the meat

And before he can start a fire

The angel of the Lord touches that meat in vs 21

and a fire sprang up from the rock.

So, this was clearly a miracle

and Gideon knew it.

And so he says in vs 22…

Judges 6:22 ESV

22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”

Of course, now Gideon is afraid again

Because now he realizes

this is a manifestation of God Himself

and the only way to see God in his mind

is if you are already dead

And, so, naturally

He is afraid

We talked about this Wednesday night

This is the natural reaction

men had when they saw God in the OT

And what is the natural response from God? What does God always say?

Judges 6:23 ESV

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”

In the beginning stages of stepping out in faith

When God has called you a mighty man

or woman of valor

You will likely be afraid

There will be seasons of fear

But God is always going to reassure you

that you have nothing to fear

but fear itself

Because, if God is for me,

who can be against me?

Do not fear, God says…

You ain’t gonna die

I got you…

I didn’t call you mighty

only to let you die

Just trust me, mighty man, mighty woman…

This first miracle is nothing compared to what else I’m going to do through you.

And he tells Gideon to be at peace…

Judges 6:24 ESV

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

So, first we are in fear…

Then we are called

Then God confirms the calling

then we often enter another season of fear…

This thing is real now

God is really calling me.

I’ve been there

Many of you have been there

The realization that God

who created all things

Is really talking to YOU

and calling YOU

And he’s done something so miraculous

that you cannot deny it

And instead of being happy about it

you just get even more afraid

Let me tell you… that’s okay

It is normal

You aren’t broken

You are mighty

you just don’t know it yet

But God is about to prove it even more.

God didn’t call you just to kill you

he called you to make you mighty

to use you for his kingdom

and to bring you peace

through HIS purpose

and one thing that 99% of this world does not understand

is that you will NEVER have peace

until you find HIS purpose

Search all you want to

but until you find HIS purpose

Peace is not possible

All other attempts at peace are futile

You can drink, or do drugs, or chase your own dreams

but you will never fill that hole inside you

because that hole is shaped like only one thing

and it is the purpose that God designed you to fulfill.

Judges 6:24 ESV

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

So, Gideon accepts this first sign,

and in verse 24,

He builds an altar to the Lord

and calls it.. the LORD is Peace.

And this is why you can’t find peace anywhere else

Because the LORD IS Peace.

He doesn’t just HAVE Peace

He IS peace.

And you can’t find any peace without the LORD.

Then after this first altar,

God asks him to tear down another one,

and build a second altar…

Judges 6:25–27 ESV

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 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 offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had 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.

Private before Public

This is easy to overlook but it's crucial —

before God sends Gideon to fight an army,

He tells him to start in his own backyard.

His father's altar to the false god Baal

had to come down first.

Because Obedience starts at home

before it shows up on the battlefield.

You cannot be mighty in public

before you deal with what's private.

Don’t think you are going to storm the gates of hell

If you haven’t spent some time alone in a prayer closet

A publically traded company

Starts out as a private company

that builds up a reputation first

and THEN they go ask for public shareholders

No one is going to invest in a company that started yesterday

by someone that hasn’t been tested and proven

So, a company has to build up privately

before they go public

In the same way

A tree doesn’t grow UP

before it grows DOWN

If a tree grows 100 feet high

and doesn’t have but 10 fee of roots

that tree will fall with a simple summer breeze

But a tree that grows below the surface first

can withstand hurricane force winds.

You can only go as high

as you are willing to go deep.

So, Why was it so important to tear down the altar to Baal

and the Asherah pole?

Baal was a male god of fertility

and Asherah was his girlfriend

a female goddess of fertility

and Isreal needed food

they needed crops

so, they apparently started asking Baal and Asherah for help

They started trusting in someone other than God

So, before God was able to help them

Baal and Asherah had to go

You might be wondering why God hasn’t intervened in your situation

And the answer is usually pretty simple

God will not, and cannot step in

until you step out

God doesn’t want any help

and he won’t move if you try to help him

There is nothing our God cannot do

He framed the world with his words

We try to figure it out

We try to plan it all out

We try to use our own abilities

and we only call on God when we fail

but God wants us to learn to get out of his way

So that he can show us how great he is

And he just started a fire without a match

and Gideon saw it

and Then God says

now, go get rid of all those things you used to trust in

Well, I need yoga to help me with my peace

No you don’t

I need to drink to help my anxiety

No you don’t

I need to smoke to calm down

No you don’t

I need to worry about it

or it won’t happen

No you don’t.

All you need to do

is get rid of your Baal and your Asherah poles

and let God be God all by Himself

So, that’s what Gideon does,

but he’s a little scared of his own family

so he does it at night

Sometimes when you start getting rid

of the things that are holding you back

It isn’t the enemy you have to be worried about

It is your own friends and family

So, Gideon does what God says.

He tears down the altar for Baal

He tears down the Asherah pole

He builds an altar for God

All in the dark of night

and the next day

They wake up and say… who did this?

And they figure out it was Gideon

and they said to Gideon’s father Joash

in vs 30…

Judges 6:30 ESV

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.”

And, I love what Joash says back to them…

Judges 6:31 ESV

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.”

Joash said…

If you have to take up for Baal

Then what kind of God is that?

If Baal really is a god

Let him fight for himself

Joash began to realize

Those things we used to trust in

they really weren’t helping us at all

They were holding us back

They were keeping us from becoming the mighty men and women

that God has called us to me

and when they trusted in God

Watch what happens in vs 34

3. The Spirit Clothes Gideon (v. 34)

Judges 6:34 ESV

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

The Hebrew here is powerful —

the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon like a garment.

He didn't just come upon him,

he came around him.

This is the turning point where Gideon starts to move.

I want someone to realize this important point…

The Spirit doesn't just fill you — He covers you.

He surrounds you.

When we are baptized

Paul said that we “put on Christ”

I literally means to be clothed with Christ,

and it the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word used

in Judges 6.34

God clothed Gideon

After Gideon got rid of his trust in Baal

And Got rid of his trust in Asherah

God was finally able to wrap himself around Gideon

and When God is wrapped around you

You go from being a nothing and a nobody

to being a Mighty Man or Woman of valor

If God be for me…

Come on

God is wanting to wrap himself around you right now

And all it takes is getting rid of

whatever it is that you are trusting in today

Let go of that false sense of security

and make up your mind

I will trust completely in my God

Everything else I have tried before has not worked

So I’m going to give up those things

and fully embrace this God who loves me

who called me

who wants to make me mighty!

Now, after this

You would think Gideon would be sure of himself

He would be confident

His dad is on his side now

His people are starting to join up with him

He sends out word that they are going to fight

And people all over Isreal start showing up ready to fight

behind Gideon

And Gideon isn’t just a scared little man any more

He is literally clothed with the Spirit God

So, what now?

Where do we go from here?

And this is what I came to preach today

When God has called you Mighty

And he’s replaced all things you used to trust in

and he is wrapped around you

and yet you find that…

your Faith Still needs a fleece…

Judges 6:36–40 ESV

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Now, I want you to fully realize what is happening here…

Gideon has already been called mighty

He has seen a sign of the fire consuming his offering

He knows it is really God calling him

He has dealt with his past

Repented of trusting in Baal

Torn down the altars of Baal

and the Asherah poles

and he’s not got God’s Spirit

wrapped around him like a coat

And people from all over Isreal are responding

to his battle cry

and after all this…

Gideon says… Lord. I need one more sign.

And, you’ve probably heard people say

that Gideon should not have asked for a sign.

That is wrong to fleece God

But I’ve come to flip the Script for you tonight.

Because God didn’t rebuke Gideon

He didn’t say, didn’t I just show you a sign?

When my fire consumed your goat?

God didn’t say, Can’t you feel my Spirit

Wrapped around you?

Is that not enough?

But instead, God gives Gideon the sign he asks for

Not once, but three times

First with the fire on the altar

and then he takes his fleece

(act it out)

and asks God to make the dew cover the fleece

and not the ground

And he lays it down all night

and wrings it out in the morning

and fills a bowl with the water in the fleece

and the ground around the fleece is dry.

Then he does it again

But this time he asks God to do the opposite

He lays out the fleece again

And in the morning

All the ground around the fleece is soaking wet

from the morning dew

but the fleece itself is dry

…

And God never rebukes Gideon for asking for those signs.

Instead he does the signs

and he gives Gideon the confirmation he needed

to do what God called him to do

and there will be times in the making of a mighty person

When your faith still needs a fleece

And you’ve been told before

That you shouldn’t need a fleece

because that’s doubting God

Or that is testing God

But, God never said that…

Someone else did

When Gideon fleeced the Lord

God answered him

and didn’t rebuke him

God was willing to confirm his word

You can search the OT and the NT

And there is no where that says

that what Gideon did here was wrong

Instead, what we find in Hebrews chapter 11

Listed among names like Moses, Noah, and Abraham

Is a man name Gideon

who was a man of Faith

But sometimes

Even your Faith needs a fleece

Sometimes

You need God to confirm

that He is going to do what he called you to do

And that is still faith.

You believe, you just need confirmation

That is not the same as testing God

God knows the difference

and the difference is a heart issue

Are you faithful, but need confirmation

Or doubtful and wanting God to prove himself? God knows our heart.

And if we have the right heart about it

He even welcomes us to test him.

As a matter of fact,

in the case of paying Tithes

God said, Test me in this

and watch and see if I don’t open up the windows of heaven

So, God never said, don’t fleece me

Instead, we see that Gideon …

a mighty man in the making

Asked God for 3 signs

and God gave him all three

Altar:

So I want to close tonight by asking you a question.

Where are you in this story?

Maybe you are still in the winepress —

hiding,

afraid,

convinced that God called someone else and not you.

Maybe you've heard the call —

you know God has spoken to you,

you know what He is asking you to do —

but you still have other altars in your life

that need to come down.

Things you are still trusting in.

Things you keep running back to when life gets hard.

And God is waiting on you to tear them down

before He can wrap his Spirit around you.

Or maybe

you are right where Gideon is

at the end of tonight's passage.

God has called you.

God has confirmed it.

His Spirit is wrapped around you.

And you are still laying out a fleece.

Still asking God to prove it one more time.

And I want you to know tonight —

that is okay.

God is not angry with you.

He is patient with you.

He is answering you.

Let’s all stand…

Tonight, I want to invite you to do something about this message.

If you are hiding in a winepress —

come to this altar

and let God find you

right

where

you are.

If you have altars in your life that need to come down —

things you've been trusting in instead of God —

you know what those things are —

come bring them before the Lord tonight

and lay them down at his feet…

If your faith just needs one more fleece —

come and tell God that.

He's not going to shame you for it.

I believe He's going to answer you.

Just like He answered Gideon.

God wants to speak to someone here tonight.

Do you need a word from the Lord?

Do you need confirmation that he is with you

that he has called you

that his promise is going to come to pass?

Come talk to him right now…

Let him make you into a Might Man

Or mighty woman

Even if you faith still needs a fleece.

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