Introduction

When an authoritative person speaks, he or she must have creditability, for, if he or she lacks creditability, then that person ceases to be authoritative.

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Moses has now died. Joshua has now been commanded by God, to lead His people Israel into the Promised Land called Canaan.  And God has commanded them, that when you enter the Promised Land destroy all of the Canaanites, lest they become a snare to you. Israel does not obey God's voice. And they go awhoring after the Canaanite gods, Baal and Ashtoreth. And since they have forsaken Jehovah, he allows them to go into Canaanite Captivity.

They cry unto the Lord, the Lord hears them and He rises up Othniel, and he delivers them from the Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. They are alright for a little while, but then they find themselves going right back under Canaanite Oppression, they cry unto the Lord, the Lord hears them and he raises up Ehud a left-handed man. And he delivers them from Eglon, king on Moab. They are alright for a little while, but then they find themselves going right back under Canaanite Oppression, they cry unto the Lord, the Lord hears them and he raises up Shamgar, who kills 600 hundred Philistines with an ox goad. And he delivers Israel.  They are alright for a little while, but then they go right back under Canaanite Oppression, they cry unto the Lord, the Lord hears them and He raises up Deborah and Barak, and they deliver them from Jabin, king of Canaan. They are alright for a little while, but then they find themselves falling right back under Canaanite Oppression, they cry unto the Lord, the Lord hears them and He raises up Gideon.

The Angel of the Lord now finds Gideon threshing wheat by the winepress. And he tells him, "That you mighty man of valor will deliver Israel from the hands of the Midianites". Gideon says Lord I need a sign to let me know that it is you who is talking with me. Gideon goes and prepares a young goat, some unleavened cakes and some broth. And when he returns, the Angel of the Lord commands him to place the young goat and unleavened cakes on the rock and to saturate the offering with the broth. Gideon obeys. The Angel of the Lord extends his staff and touches the offering; fire comes up out of the rock and consumes the offering. Gideon says, "Alas Lord God, for I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face."  The Lord says," Peace be unto you Gideon, for you will not die." Gideon is overjoyed and builds and altar and calls is Jehovah-shalom, witch means The Lord is Peace. Some time goes on, and Gideon says Lord, "I know what sign you gave to me the first time, but I really need to know that you are going to be with me. So what I am going to do is, I am going to put a fleece of wool outside, and what I want you to do is, when I wake up in the morning, let the fleece be wet and the ground dry." Gideon goes to bed and when he wakes up, he wrings out a bowl full of water from the fleece of wool and ground is dry.  Gideon says," Now Lord don't be angry, don't be mad, but I just want to know that you are going to be with me". And brothers and sisters, you ought to want to know that God is with you. When you woke up this morning, you should have known that God was with you. While you are sitting here listening to me preach, you ought to know that God is with you. And you go home and if the Lord wakes you up in the morning, you ought to know that God is with you.  So Gideon says,” Lord, this time, let the fleece be dry and the ground wet." Gideon goes to bed and when he wakes up the fleece is dry and the ground wet.

Gideon now has 32,000 men. God subtracts 31,700 and leaves him 300 men. And it is with those men that he pursues and consumes the Midianites.  But the 2 kings, Zebah and Zalmunna escape. He pursues them thru Succoth and Peniel. And when he apprehends them, he asks them,” Do you know what type of men those were whom you slew and Mt. Tabor."  They said, "Yes, they looked like you, they had the resemblance of a prince."  He said, "They we my brothers, they were the sons of my mother, and if you had not killed them I would not kill you."

And Gideon tells his firstborn to up and slay them. Now Gideon would not have Jether to kill them if he did not think he was capable of doing the task.  Gideon knew something about Jether, he was his father. He helped in his procreation. So he knew what was in him, should have been in Jether.  When God ask you and me to do something, He knows that we are capable of doing whatever He asks us to do. God has intimate knowledge of you and me. He created us in His image and in His likeness and breathed into our nostrils The Breath of Life and we became living souls.  God knows how to form us the right amount of bone, blood and flesh to keep us balanced.  He knows how many hairs are on our head.  And since He knows all this stuff, He knows what we are capable of doing.  Quit saying what you can't do, quite saying I was born on the other side of the track, quit saying that the other race has there foot on my neck, quit saying my parents got divorced at any early age. For the Word says,” We can do all things thru Christ who strengthens us."

But the Word says Gideon says,” Up and slay them, but the youth drew not his sword for he feared, because he was yet a youth." Now Jether is well equipped for the task. For he has a sword by his side. His sword is in his sheaf, so he is well equipped for the task.  God has given us everything we need to do battle with Satan.  You know Satan don't you, the accuser of the brethren, the one going about like a roaring lion seeking whoever he can devour, the one who is able transform himself into an angel of light. It is he who is our common enemy. That alcoholic son is not the enemy, that drug addicted husband is not the enemy, that disobedient daughter is not the enemy, Al-Qaeda is not the enemy, George Bush is not the enemy, Satan is the enemy.  And Paul gives the church at Ephesus, what you need to defeat Satan.  He says when you stand against Satan, stand with your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, have your loins girt about with truth, have on the breastplate of righteousness, take the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, and last but not least take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  Satan is not intimidated by your opinions, he doesn't care about your theological and philosophical outlook, pick up The Word. Since God lead me in that direction, put down Jet magazine, put down S.I., put down Oprah's book of the month, put down Playboy magazine, and pick up The Word.  The Word has everything we need for rule and guide.

But he says, up and slay them, but the youth drew not his sword, for he feared because he was yet a youth. Gideon sees in Jether, what Jether does not see in himself. Jether sees that he's inexperienced; Gideon sees that he experiences will lead him to greatness. Jether sees that he's just a boy, but Gideon sees a boy growing into manhood.  God sees in us, what we do not see in ourselves. If you ask Moses, Moses will tell you, "That God told me to go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go." And I told the Lord, "Lord, I've got a speech problem, I'm slow of speech." He said," That's alright, your brother Aaron will speak for you, but you still are going to go down and tell Pharaoh to let me people go." God sees in Moses, what Moses does not see in himself.  Come here Amos, Amos will tell you," I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son, but I was herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs, but God called me to go and prophesy to His people Israel."  God sees in Amos, what Amos does not see in himself.  Come Andrew, Peter, James and John, who are fishing by the see of Galilee, who have no ecclesiastical training, no rabbinical training, but Jesus tells them, "To follow me and I will make you fishers of men."  Jesus sees in them, what they do not see in themselves.  Come here Peter.  Peter has now denied the Lord 3 times. Christ has died and been resurrected. Peter is feeling mighty bad and feels no longer worthy to be called an apostle. Jesus says,"Peter do you love me." "Yea  Lord." "Feed my lambs."  "Peter do you love me."  "Yea  Lord."  "Feed my sheep."  "Peter, do you love me."  "Yea  Lord".  "Feed my sheep".  Jesus sees in Peter, what Peter does not see in himself.  Come here Paul, one of the greatest hellions to ever ravage the church. One his way to do harm to the church at Damascus.  But Jesus stops him dead in his tracks and make him an apostle to the Gentiles. God sees in Paul what Paul does not see in himself.  Brothers and Sisters, as I stand here today, I am not all that I ought to be. It amazes me how every time I stand that God would put His Word in my mouth, because at my best I am a filthy rag in the eyesight of God. I don't know what he sees in me, but thank God he sees in us what we do not see in ourselves.

But Gideon says up and slay them, but the youth drew not his sword for he feared because he was yet a youth.  Jether fails to take his father at his word. Any time you and I do not do what God tells us to do; we fail to take him at His Word. But our God is creditable.   He has opened up the Red Sea, He has brought water out of a rock, he has been in fiery furnaces, he has locked lion’s jaws. So our God is creditable, and since he creditable he can be trusted. Many of our brother and sisters on the Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi Coast Line can testify that Allstate lied.  Because before Hurricane Katrina, they said, "You are in good hands with Allstate." But after Hurricane Katrina, you couldn't find there hands. But you know, just like they knew, they were not in Allstate hands; they were in the Lord's hands.  And Lord said whoever I have in my hand, the devil in hell can't pluck you out. The Prudential, Rock of Gibraltar lied.  Because when storm came, it washed away that rock that they said would always stand.  But there foundation was not built on that rock, their foundation was built on the Rock of our Salvation which is Jesus Christ, out God can be trusted.

But even though Jether failed to take his father at his word.  I am glad that Gideon did what Jether could not do. For Zeba and Zalmunna said, "Rise thou and slay us, for as a man is, so is his strength."  Gideon took his sword and slew Zebah and Zalmunna.  Gideon did what Jether could not do.  But I glad that God is able to do what you and I can't do...................................