Overcoming our Reluctance

Culture is Shifting growing darker and increasingly opposed to the light.

Church may not be as highly regarded as it once was but the church is still the pillar and ground of Truth the Church of the Living God and His chosen institution to change the world. The Bible may be challenged as an out-of-date work of fiction, but it is still the inspired the name of Jesus Christ may be seen as divisive a defensive but she is still the only begotten Son of God the Eternal e preeminence savior of the work and he is still our soon coming King the world is changing but our directive stays the same God has not called us to conform to or complain about culture. He has called us to continue people all around us are desperate for Hope and we must continue to take the light of the Gospel to those lost and cultures Darkness. We must continue in the things. We have learned and been assured we must continue reaching people with the gospel. We must continue training and discipling new Believers. We must continue investing our lives into the next generation of spiritual leader. We will love unconditionally. We will stand courageously. We will follow passionately. We will work tirelessly. We will continue.

Continue with our theme this year. Continuation of what over the next couple of weeks? I'm going to be talking about that as we look at the sermons that God has for us this month and I would just encourage you to be faithful this month. This is there today is the beginning of our Lord chipmunk February a time that we set aside to refocus and to praise God for the wonderful blessings of the past year, but I've seen this year's for us to continue and it'll living the Christian life isn't always easy challenging Factor often faced with have to deal with difficulties and and tribulations and and I mean great struggles we go through and if you're feeling today like no, that's not me. Well just wait just a few moments. It might be you all of us go through difficulties being a Christian is not easy. Continuing on and being the Christian God wants us to be is not an easy task. It is difficult at times. We we surrender to defeat at times there's moment. So we have insecurities. I thoughts are I don't know if I can continue. I don't know if I can get through this. Sometimes we even lack Faith necessary to continue. And so we need to understand something that when we get in that place. The enemy love is the one where that way the love that the enemy love is when we give up enemy love is when we throw in the towel the enemy loves when we live in fear and uncertainty. and in that moment when were mobilized we're literally like a deer looking in the headlights and we're stocked and we're stop right there and we have to fear that overcomes us. We are little the accomplishing very little when it comes to the cause of Christ. It's so important maybe perhaps of times we get there, but we don't stay there.

We need to understand the Lord. He desires us to live the Victorious Life. Do you believe that today that the Lord desires for us to live a Victorious life if you believe it's Amen, I believe it fully. I know the devil doesn't want us to believe that he doesn't want us to have the victory. He doesn't want us to continue. He doesn't want us to contend for the faith. He doesn't want us to have victory in our Christian Life. He wants us to live in fear and bondage. The God doesn't want it that way in our lives. God will give us the victory. He desires for us to have that Victory and see if we need to come to the place that we realize we can overcome in Christ. We are more than conquerors in him here today or text here. I want you to take your Bible once again if you would and turn over to Judges chapter 6

Aaron Judges chapter 6 we see a very familiar story. Are text reveals desperate and difficult days for the people of God the Israelites what they want a difficult time? Yet, where were they living? What was the name of the place? They were living? Does anybody know the name? What was it called? It called The Promised Land. theater in difficult times they've crossed over the Red Sea. They've left Egypt. They been redeemed they been set free. 15 the Shekinah Glory of God with them God right there and their very presence. They were led by Pillar of Fire by Night a pillar of cloud by day. Letting God do the miraculous and give them this Promised Land. It truly is a picture of the Christian Life. A picture of being redeemed a picture of being baptized the picture of being set free a picture of being provided by the four armies by God. literally living the Victorious Life Here we see the the people of God, they're living in that Promised Land, but they had strayed from the Lord that forsaken him. And in an act of divine chastisement Gods allow the midianites to overtake his real and the people is suffered under a very heavy-handed. I mean they were they were going through great persecution and difficulties in trials.

You know often in times of difficulty. God will raise up one who will lead. Here we see. Once again. God is going to raise up a man to lead the people out of bondage to lead them into victory. Gideon he was an unlikely candidate. He wasn't one that you would look too and say boy there. He looks like the man that's going to lead the people of Israel out of the bond is that there is he's going to bring Victory. I mean, he was a very unlikely candidates list of the God. God saw something that others did not see God chose to use Gideon. He lost in the Lord uses the weak and then adequate accomplish his will. God will use people that you never thought possible. God will use us when we never thought possible and we find herself in Desperate days today you think about the day and age of which we live in you think about the attack that we have on Christianity you would think that you know it in our country that they would never come to the place where you felt as though that being Christian was something that you would have to face persecution for I personally myself I haven't had to face much of that at all. But I believe the day is coming when we're going to face it all the more. There are those that are facing it even in our own society today. We live in Desperate days. But listen God is looking for those who will stand for him despite. The difficulties of our days God is looking for those who are willing to take a stand in the continued and hold fast to the faith and not give in to what's going on in the world today. Listen for us to do that. It's going to require a strong faith and sacrifice our parts. But it can be done we can do it get in. He would have would not have been chosen by those in that day that had seen him those that were around him his own family. People that would have seen him they would not have as his peer. They would not have had him be the one to lead the charge. But you know what that wasn't those people to pierce his friends his family that had called him. It was God that it called him and called him. We're unable but listen God can Empower us to overcome and as we begin a series today, we're taking a step away from our study and Mark and I want to begin a serious today and title and it's dealing with continuing conquerors be a conqueror as we continue. How old is considered the factors in Gideon's life that eventually they literally resolved and victory and I wants to think on the subject of overcoming our reluctance. Tell me what it is truly honest with themselves. We are very reluctant to take a stand in the world. We live in today. Humanly speaking is not an easy thing to continue and hold fast and it to go against this literally that the push of culture that is going against us today.

And oftentimes it's it's it's hard for us to overcome our reluctance. And so I want for us to spend some time and he'll look at Didion it at truly as an inspiration to us for us to continue and for us to be a continuing conquerors in our Christian walk. Let's have a word of prayer Lord. We thank you and praise you for all that. You've given to us or thank you for this great example that we see here and example of a man that buy the world stand. It does not much a man by the world standard is full of fear and anxiety a man that doesn't seem to have the ability to be able to be the great Victor here in this battle Lord. You saw something that the world does not see his Lord. We're thankful today that you'll use us, even though we feel inadequate even though others might even feel that we are inadequate Lord, even the devil tries to get us to think that we're not able to have victory. What I'm saying for the day that we can have victory in you and I pray the Lord that you would just help us to understand better today how to overcome our reluctance to take a stand for us to continue for us to continue to serve and to be a witness in to be the salt and the light in this world that we live in what I pray that you speak to a hard to encourage us and strengthen us enable us call us Lord. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Overcoming are reluctant someone to notice first of all the anxiety of Gideon as you consider the life of Gideon we discover that he lacked confidence. He was filled with it filled with anxiety for you might call it fear. Kinds of anxiety about what was going on around him and I will be honest. It's humanly speaking when you read what was going on around him. Any one of us would be filled with anxiety humanly speaking you think about what had taken place and how the battle had been lost and how they lost their Homeland you might say in the here. They are the living underneath great oppression here. He is filled with anxiety. You know, we too must learn to overcome our anxiety and fear as we trust the Lord we must overcome that by trusting him to do the impossible in our life. We have very similar understanding. This is what he was going through. We might not be under the impression here of the midianites. We truly in our society today. It is not the norm. It is not even politically correct to take a stand on the word of God is not politically correct for a church that will take a stand on a truce with the word of God. Truth is relative. They say when we take a stand for what is absolutely wrong. It is not an easy thing to do and many people today at our child of God. They have great anxiety about that and it affects them. We see here the anxiety of Gideon first of all, we see it through Gideon's activity notice. If you would verse number 11 once again, and there came the angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was an Oprah here. We see the angel Lord comes to him. He's speaking to The Gideons. Tonight would have been like just for that. He's underneath that Oak there. He's thrashing his weed. The Bible says here by the winepress. Why is it why is he doing that? Look at the end of hers who says to hide it from the midianites. He has great anxiety. He has great fear. He is hiding their he's doing it at the winepress, you know it typically in that day if they were going to thrash the we would go to a threshing floor a place. They've been set aside of the next to the field many times. It would like to have it up on a net bait a place that would be a little bit higher. So the wind would come across it could be something that you would see from afar, even if I wanted to win to come across the wide while they were thrashing that we know that threshing floor. It would allow for the chap to be broken up in the wind would take the chaff away. So it normally would and by the way that was the best productive way to do it in that day would have to get it up there on a special place to let the wind help with that and yet we see Gideon he's not doing that. It's normal that didn't is working in the Harvest at all with the impression that he has with the fear that he has anxiety. Oh here he is. He being overcome by fear. And that's controlling him. He's not using all that is available to him to ensure the Harvest instead of being a Thai place and using perhaps oxen to help the trash out that corn and for the wind to help take it away. Siri is hiding down there and he's underneath I don't strain. He's hiding down about a winepress. He's brought a small portion of the week to the winepress. He's working in secret hidden from the midianites. What's the Perla? What's the application? You know, it's so sad today if that's the case for many Believers. We've abandoned the Harvest content with a little work within the church many people are yes, they're involved in church and yes to come to church, but the church is a safe place is hidden from the world. They made a little bit of a harvest of people that are involved in this they find it much easier to take a stand and shirts and they do outside the church. Is the world isn't aware of what we are doing. We don't have to take a stand in the field. We've grown complacent with the little that's being gone. We may see a little grain brought into the storehouse but much of the Harvest remains in the field. There are people that feel the day that we call the Harvest that is great. That is plenteous. There's so much out there that they're never going to be harvested if they're not Harvesters to go out in the Harvest the Harvest. People that become so content with a small amount of harvest that takes place within the church that we have forgotten about the Harvest that remains in the field. You know, you'll likely be attacked while working in the field. We must labor for the Harvest. We're going to have a tax if we're going out into the world. And if we are working in the Harvest is going to be times. We're going to be attacked. Hey, listen, I am glad someone has endured the difficulties the labor for my full-time thankful that there were people that had an impact not not just for my soul. But the one that brought me to the Lord my dad, let me Lord Jesus Christ and there was a man in his life that came out of the shirt and went to his door and continually went to his door went to his door into the fields with a harvest was there and eventually my dad came in a crisis a savior because of that man that went outside of the storehouse into the field and was willing to take a stand. I believe if I had pants race today admitted, he would say you didn't get saved inside the church doors inside the church house outside. The church doors are the church house outside of it. Do you say I mean, it wasn't inside a church that you trust in Christ as your savior. You weren't in church you look around at the hands. I would say the majority of Hance people got saved outside of the church came to church because somebody invited you and you got saved at church because somebody invited you you see majority of people it's because somebody was willing to get outside of the storehouse and to go out into the Harvest. You did Ian there. He is hiding. Fearful humanly speaking. Totally understandable. Humanly speaking apprehension look at verse 13 and Gideon said unto him. Oh my Lord the Lord be with us why then is all this before where be all his miracles, which our fathers told us of us did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt. But now the Lord has forsaken us and Deliver us into the hands of the midianites hose lost. There's a hold Are you here is the the call of God and in Gideon now he begins to question whether it's worth.

Answering the call if it's a worthy task. He complains about the situation is released facing and yes, there are facing it come in a very difficult situation. He asked the question isn't if dogs that isn't God forsaken us and if it if he if he hasn't forsaken of since why is all this happening. God left us why hasn't God performed a miracle like you did for our fathers. Why hasn't God delivered us? Why are we in this condition? I mean is this is not even worthy to step up to God's hasn't done anything.

Gideon little he seems resigned to the fact that the suffering that they face will never improve. It's never going to change. This must be God's will for our lives. Things just as they are. Can you see the parallel? Satan wants us to believe there's no hope Hayden wants us to think that we cannot go out into the Harvest in the longer. There's nobody out there that wants to be to come to know Christ as their savior. It's Doom and Gloom. There's no hope for this country. There's no hope for America. There's no chance for Revival. The devil wants you to think that there is no possibility that God could raise up people that God could use them to go into the Harvest is Grace his country and that there could be a Revival in this country that there could be multitudes coming of Christ as their savior. The devil wants us to think that there is no hope that the effort that we make is not going to make a difference. Sometimes it feels that way doesn't not humanly speaking. Do we not think what good is it anyways? What good does it mean if I mean, this is for those of you that have gone out and knocked on doors you go door after door after door. Why am I out here? What good is it the devil wants to get you to focus in by the way. I'm those that say know those that say I'm not going to listen to you those that would ridicule you those that you may be witness to at work and they don't want to hear it or your family members that it turns you down those that have a persecuted you in different ways.

You see the devil wants you to believe that your efforts are going to make no difference but understand this God is Sovereign God is who he says that he is he can do all things but he desires us to be workers in the Harvest God could do it. Anyway, he desires but you know, what's God's plan is that he would use us to go out into the Harvest God is Sovereign we cannot assume that things will never be any better if we cannot see the future. Listen if you and I aren't willing to stand for the Lord and a try to make a difference if you and I aren't willing to continue then who will If you and I are parents if we're not willing to take a stand and continue and a pass on the petanque who's going to take that baton what next generation is going to follow after us. If we're not willing to stand for the Lord I can tell you this that it's not God's will that men should die lost. He's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. It's not God's will that we just close our eyes and close our ear that's close our doors and stop reaching out into the Harvest that is out there. It's not God's will that we not continue if it's not God's will that we don't go forth. He wants no one to perish. Yeah, man has bought much upon himself, but that isn't what the Lord desires. You know everyone of us we brought much upon herself, but I'm so thankful. That that's not what the Lord desires for me. I was able to come to know him as my personal savior. No matter what spin a person has done no matter what condition is country is in there are people that are out there that need Christ as their savior. if we don't go if we don't take a stand for what is right, if we don't continue as a church and as a as a people who will Who will there is hope as long as we live in the day of Grace and we live in that day people can still be saved people can still come to know Christ as their savior purlisse noticed Gideons assumption with the word 15. Any 7-Day, I'm on my Lord. Where what shall I say this real behold? My family is poor. I'm an ass of and I am the least in my father's house. Getting what is he doing? He begins to question the choice God has made. I can't do it God. You don't understand. I mean, I'm part of an acid which by the way is a small tribe. And secondly, I'm the least of my father's house. I'm not worth a whole lot. I can't do it surely the Lord has made a mistake. He doesn't want me to become a leader. I asked you a question. Question we might ask yourself. Who are we to question the authority of God?

Who are we to question God? I got all the forwarding. God puts a calling on USA. Well, I can't do that. Excuse me. Who has called you? Who are we to question the command of God? Who are we to question the commission of God? Who are we to question that? I can tell you who we are nothing but Sinners going to stay by God's grace and we are nothing compared to God. We don't have the understanding that God has God sees things that men do not see it's up to us to decide. It's up to God to decide.

Here we go. Get in. We know what he says about himself and we also know that that God saw something in Gideon that even get in there to see. Gideons assumption was he couldn't do it. God is calling him Gideon wasn't called by the way because of who he was. He wasn't expected to stand in his own ability. He wasn't called because of his abilities are what family he came from? Carbs in expect for him to stand on his family name or his own personal abilities. He was type of assumption that human nature. Is it not you think about it? I see so many parallels here to how we is a Christian live about how come get Ian and always facing is things we consider why you think to yourself sure. There's someone else who could do the task better than me a task needs to be done with surely somebody else to do better. Even if you have the desire to see the past done will surely somebody else could be a better Solunar than me surely. Somebody else could be better teacher and Sunday school to me surely. Somebody else could do a better job than me, surely. God wouldn't call me to preach.

Many times we miss God's blessings because we doubt that God can really use us. God can use us God wants to use us. Well, I doubt that the church is not a very big charge for just a small Backwater town. You think that matters to those that are out on the street right now? They don't know Christ as their savior. I will die and go to a Chrysler State ternatea without Christ. I think that maybe there's some big business that can be done here in this in this town for eternity and allies of people that you think that these young people that God can't work in their life and see them go and marvelous works for God in your life might not be in Ludington, Michigan. It might be the next Revival in this country is started because somebody's in this place that God speaks their heart that God called them. They have a desire to follow that was that will that God has on your life. You sell yourself short. God sees things we cannot see. Who am I? question God can I have the question? Who am I that God would want me now? God calls explicit we know he wants us to send his son to die for us. God loves you. God has a purpose for your life.

I was secondly the possibility with in Gideon. Getting looked at himself from a human perspective. That's all he was looking at. He rested solely upon his own ability getting had no idea that he was capable of accomplishing the miraculous in his life. God knew much about Gideon that he had never seen before and God he's going to reveal some of these things to get in. It's not going to be easy though. Give me a challenge notice. If you would hear verse about his undiscovered Courage the number 12 hits in the angel Lord appeared onto him and said unto him the Lord is with the bow what to say next.

What? Here's a guy's just a few moments ago. Here. He is. He's hiding down in the winepress if he's hiding from the midianites and then he says my my family name I'm not able to do this. I mean weekly I can't do this and what is And said unto him the Lord is with thee thou Mighty Man of Valor. God saw something in him that Gideon could have seen himself all getting to see with a heart filled with anxiety and fear. God saw a mighty man of Valor and discourage wouldn't be found within himself being at Mighty Man of Valor was not going to be because getting all of a sudden became the strong individual humanly speaking know the power of being a mighty man of Valor is going to be given to him by the Lord himself. University has a way of bringing out the best in people. It's amazing that we connect what we can accomplish when we put to the test. I wonder what lies within us that is waiting to be discovered if what only submit to God's will for a life. I wonder what's in the heart of these young people. I wonder what God could do with young people who simply submit themselves to the will of God for their life. I wonder what moms and dads could be us. What a father what a husband could be if he would submit himself to the will of God. I wonder what the church could be if the membership of the church would submit themselves to the will of God for their life. What is hidden under the The Flash? What is hidden in the heart? What is God see that? We are we are blind to what can God do in your life.

I've seen God work.

I seen God do the impossible.

How do I straighten this before and I share this testimony? No way possible that I'd be up in this Pulpit preaching in my power. No way possible. God put a dream in my heart. Back before I ever preached God put a dream in my heart. He put a calling in my say. I remember is got they calling on me at 14 years old. So you young people are older than that. So if you're at that age when God put that calling in my life God impressed upon my heart that he called me to preach what an honor it is.

Didn't think I could do it but you know there was times of the god called me that I wouldn't dream of it. a picture of it I saw it. Never thought I could do. It wasn't something I could do in My Own Strength, but I trusted God for it got put that dream in my heart. I remembered in my dreams looking and I'm talking my talk about at night sleeping. I'm talking about the aspiration of picturing it in your mind that the thought of what it was going to be like in being able to just preach with no holding back. In the Flesh it's so hard to just let go and it went but when your power of the holy spirit of God is to be able to preach and to be able to preach it and then to do it without being afraid in your your legs shaking so bad. You can hardly stay in there.

She got called me. And God has a calling for every single one of us. God will put that Vision in your heart if you allow him to By the way, God will never ask you to stand without providing the strength and wisdom needed within your heart to stand. God will never call you without enabling you for that call. And you may not even realize that it's bear. You may not even realize what calling it is right now, but God does because he is the one who placed it there the keys his we're willing when he calls us to do it's where we say. Yes, Lord. I will go. Yes, Lord. I will be yes Lord. I will surrender to you.

I don't know God to take his tender hand. And I moved out. To reveal what he has placed in your hearts. You see most people are not even willing to allow that to happen. They say know right off the bat. I say no. I can't know I won't. How do you say God you are sovereign God I trust in you God, whatever it is. Whatever you want me to do, whatever calling you put on my life. I will obey I will surrender and when I do I will continue. I'm not going to throw in the towel. I'm not going to give up. You know that God has called you and you have been faithful to that call perhaps in the past. And right now God is challenging you to continue with that call. Do not give up to not give in. We see here at Gideon. He had an Undiscovered courage. He didn't even realize was their notices undeniable ability. Look at burst 14th and the Lord looked at it in this by might and thou shall save Israel from the hand of the midianites not I sent the have not I Scentsy

He's telling him to go you'll get in may not have fully understood or come to rest entirely in the Lord with he was not asked to stand against the midianites in his own ability. Lord will never send us out to be devoured of our enemies. When we stand for the Lord's with stands in his strength not in our strength it may look as if the enemy will soon overtake us, but God is in control God Is Bigger than anything else that we faced Psalm 73:26 is my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God is the strength of my heart. God is a power that we have never lead you where his grace cannot keep you He's not going to lead you where is Grace isn't going to be a sufficient for you. And when we realize that we are not staying in our own abilities put in the Lord's we are well on our way to becoming Victoria. That's why so many Christians today are not finding victory in the life cuz they're trying to stand in their strength alone. They're trying to do the work of God in the strength alone. Husband that wife and their strength alone. Hey listen, it is only when we come to the way of understanding that it is by God's power that we are an able to do what God has called us to do that. We have the victory that he desires with my life. It's only then in Romans 8:31. It's as if God be for us who can be against us God wants us to have Victory failing families today, even though they call himself Christian. Why is it there so many Wayward people today that used to be in church. Why is it there so many churches that seems his other Lose their power. It's about as written on the church, which means the glory of the Lord has Departed. It all started with in the hearts of people. Denying the power of God eternal life trying to do their own Street getting defeated not being obedient to a God is called him to do. We need to understand that if God be for us who can be against us. If God has sent us he will provide some relief noticed his unlimited resources that he had looking for 16 and the Lord said unto him surely. I will be with me and thou shalt Smite the midianites as what to say one man. Surely. I'll be with the you're going to despite your going to be able to take them down. Like it's just one man now by the way, it wasn't just one man. It wasn't all we see that that the number them chapter 7 you can see that the number of them was that in numerable. It's like the sand of the sea talked about like a locust in the valley. I mean uses pictures where there's a huge number of people and in here they are hip is going to take him down as one man. Gideon was a humble man. Getting was a meager man. He had meager means and how much he wasn't a man of military might he didn't have a great experience and the battles in the wars. He faced the host of valiant men score season in battle.

They may have enjoyed the best modern Weapon 3. We don't know everything that they had but I'm sure what they had was more than what Gideon had.

Humanly speaking. Of course you think of Gideon had the Lord? Getting his something was far greater than what the midianites had. And God was with him. God can provide the resources necessary to overcome the enemy that we cannot handle on her own if there's a whole lot we face in this life. We cannot handle it on our own we have to understand something though. The battle is not ours The Battle Belongs to the Lord is not the battle that we are facing our self as we are in the spiritual battle. It is the Lord's battle. It's when we try to take on that battle in our own strength and our own life that we find ourself defeated, but we understand the battle is the Lord's we have victory in him. You know, you can't even begin to comprehend what the Lord is able to provide. What God can give I mean just think about if he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. Slaves what do they have delivered them from Egypt? He brought them across on dry ground across the Red Sea. He said them for forty years in the wilderness Hebrew across the Jordan he gave them Jericho the list goes on and on you think about how God had given them great strength hates. You think about the great victory that he gave to the shepherd boy taking over taking out a giant I'm in the Canada Canada. Can we see how the dog was able to provide how God gave the victory listen to the Christian has at his disposal all that God can provide we have all the power of God's right there that God wants to use in our life. What more could we possibly need? What would be the reason why we wouldn't answer the call? Well, I can't do it. That's not about you. How do I have the right ability to speak out about you? No, the bottom line is it's not about what we're not able to do. It's about what we're not willing to do.

It's not what we're willing to do.

Not willing to surrender our self. To the holy spirit of God to empower us to do what God has called us to do. We're not willing to have simple obedience to the call of God in our life.

Notice if you would thoroughly the victory of Gideon. The victory of getting your much could be said about Gideon's fleece and seeking a sign but in the end he was obedient to the call of God. That's the bottom line is obedience the call of God and if we are to continue and remain strong on the battle and continue in the Harvest, we must learn the principle that Gideon realized there's some definite steps that we must practice to ensure Victory nor life and I want to look at them very quickly now noticed first of all, and it is so important that we get this here's the application now to our life for that Victory. There's some steps number one the presence of worship the presence of worship verses 25 through 27 noticed there if you would And it came to pass the same night. The Lord said unto him take that father's young Bullock. Even the second Bull look up 7 years old and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has and cut down the Grove that is buy it and build an altar in the Lord that God upon the top of this rock in the order place and take the second bullet the wood of the Grove which dog has cut down then Gideon took 10 men of his servants and did as the Lord had said unto him and so it was stop there. Here we see Gideon was surrounded by those who rejected the Lord getting was surrounded by those who had turned to worship a bail including his own father. He literally was surrounded by those that rejected God. They literally were worshipping Baal in the Groves was a place where they would go to idle worship. That's what this is talking about here. And so he did he here he is. Now God has commanded him before he goes to battle to reestablish something in his life. And so what did you do Theory establishes the altar in the worship of the Lord why so he could be victorious? Listen to We Will Never gain Victory. If God doesn't have the preeminence in our life. We will never gain victories in a spiritual battle that we are facing. If God is does not have the preeminence in our life. This is far too often. We try to secure the victory without him and in doing so often listen number closely in doing so often. We are involve little in idle worship. What do you mean preacher people are more secure with the almighty dollar than they are with almighty God. People are more interested. In other people's Almighty opinion and they are about what God thinks. They're more afraid of what somebody would say then What God Says?

People will bow down to all kinds of things that that's the cares of this world. The things of this World Treasures of this world that listed there are parents that will tell their children know you don't want to go to be a missionary because you don't make much money at that. I'm not saying that here necessarily but I've heard it I've heard of some people at work all these young people that their parents and their family gave him the hardest time actually hitting the call that got to put on your life why because of the almighty dollar because of a steam because of the names because of passing on a business what I mean you fill in the blank whatever it is.

The cares of this world to become higher than almighty God. We make decisions based on what will benefit us right here in the now instead of thinking about this ever after for eternity the impact of Our Lives. It almost started. We're going to have picture in life. It must start with putting God as the number one in our life that he might have preeminence. You know, that's what worship is all about worth ship. What God is worth? What do you give to God? What do you sacrifice to him? Here we see that the angel Lord. He told Gideon to go to cut down that grow that Grove is a picture of the things of the cares of the worship of the God of this world cut down at idle worship get it out of your life get away from your family to get it out of your home get off your property. If you get out of your life get out of your workplace to cut that thing down and nose Listen to Not to sacrifice these balls here. You're going to didn't take that that you had over here and you going to put it down as an offering burn that as worship to the Lord I was at worship because you're getting the garbage out your burning it up there getting it out of your life. You're making it not something that's easy to go back to your getting it out the filth the picture that was a picture of not relying on God the pictures that's literally the idle worship that brought about the Judgment of God down upon the people of God. Making a choice to go back and to continue what his forefathers had fought for their in the promised land before Father's it experience the miracle of God. Have you? have we are we experiencing a miracle of God in our life victory? Racine the world impacted because of this charge play it starts with presents. worship Porsche of giving God primitive star life bowing down before God and surrendering all the way are to him getting rid of the idols in our life. Same God take this. I laid on the altar before you the god burn it there might be some things you need to burn to get rid of in your life. putting God number one

you say it's time to remember who he is. And Our obligation to worship him. We truly are obligated. We truly are because of who he is. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our worship the power of faith in this is last they went looking for number 7 close with this. The power of faith and the Lord said unto Gideon. By the 300 men that I that lapped will I save you and deliver the midianites into thine hand and let all the other people go every man unto his place. Do the mission that Gideon had been called to do was impossible with men? We know that. Gideon said so it's impossible. Getting started out with 32,000 men. God says no, I'm going to take that down down to 300 men. Why would God do that? I'll tell you why because we're great numbers perhaps God the men would say we didn't our strength. Go to sing. I'm going to do it and you're going to see it's by my power and by my my life that I'm going to give you the victory in your life. It took away all the things that you could say perhaps that would be reason for self-worship. Now. It must be God that is worshipped. God given the glory self credit to God credits.

She getting was going to have to rely on the Lord fully to the PC enemy. Does it require? What is required for us to rely fully on the Lord for our Victory? What does it require for us as a charge to rely fully in the Lord for you? As a dad has a mom as a young person realize I can tell you what it requires is faith. Faith you many times if a situation that are beyond our control you might be here today feeling that way you might have had this past month and you might be feeling this week things that are completely out of our control we tend to worry about the outcome. We are anxious about it. We are Fierce about it and the lack of faith it hinders our progress in the work of God. But the work that God has called us to perform it hinders us the work that we're responsible for its overwhelming we get overwhelmed with it. It becomes a burden instead of a blessing. It's become something that weighs us down. We feel like we're molasses and you can't move forward and it's a lack of faith believe in a God that God can but God can give us the strength that we need. You see will never accomplish it without the Lord's help. We have to remember that. We need to develop a face like Gideon had that was a lot of Facebook's you think about that the face that 300 men to take on and it said there were seven judges cut the number like grasshoppers that the number like the stand to see and I mean camels that were on a numerable. I mean, it had all kinds of things in that day having a camel to ride on was a huge thing all these things. Tender still there was no way he was going to have good free unless he trusted in the Lord to give the victory. Why because without face? We can do very little matter fact without faith. It's impossible to please God. We know that. Without faith. We can't do anything that actually has of Eternal value. That has an impact. Through faith. I can accomplish so much. trusting in God 1188 Aaron Rodgers said he says Victory is not achieved by fighting. It is achieved by faith. Faith is not believing that God can do something faith is knowing that he will. What is it that you know that he will do in your life? Do you have faith? I mean just stop and think about it. I know the last breath I take you on Earth. I'm going to heaven about you. That's a lot of faith, isn't it by the way that phrase to something? God gave me? praise the Lord for that I had to make a choice, but God gave me the faith once I made the decision.