Untitled Sermon

Don’t let Your Fears become larger than your Faith

English Standard Version Chapter 6

The Call of Gideon

11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress 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, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 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.

Gideon was a man who dealt with a lack of both fear and faith. Like Gideon many of us fear a lot of things and our belief goes as far as our next moment. Israel was in trouble again; the Midianites came in took over Israel and their resources. God allowed this to happen because Israel turned their backs on God and worshipped false gods. They cried unto the God of their fathers and just like that the master had a plan. The Lord planned to used Gideon to bring his children out of bondage and deliver them into a place of peace. How many us as men have the Lord spoken to your hearts to do something but just like Gideon your fear and lack of faith got in the way? After tonight we are going learn how to defeat the bullying power of fear and learn to walk in the power faith that intimidates the devil.

Definition of Fear

an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

When the Angel told Gideon that the Lord was calling him to lead the revolt against the Midianites he thought that was the craziest thing he had heard. It’s the same response all of had when the Lord said I’m call you to be a minister, a business owner or even a husband for that matter.

5 Major factors of what promotes fear

· Your own perception (you don’t believe in yourself You believed the lie)

· Failure

· Doubt (The idea presented to you)

· Rejection

· Poverty mindedness

Read (the lack of confidence)

God will build your faith in the midst of fear:

Gideon ask the Lord to prove himself to him by performing miracles. What Love about our God is that when he places a call on your life he knows how to build your faith for the Job. God does honor the request of Gideon and perform the miracles. Each time a miracle was perform Gideon’s faith increased.

Read Judges 6:20:22 (the first miracle shown by the Lord to him)

With every miracle comes and instruction. The Lord needed Israel to sanctify the land removing Baal’s alter before he could bring forth their victory. So here it is, without the miracle Gideon’s faith doesn’t grow and without the tearing down of the alter of Baal Israel doesn’t get their victory.

Gideon Rallies the troops:

Gideon moves to another level of faith and finally rallies the troops. However, he needs to be reassured that God has called him to defeat their enemy. The Lord performs to more miracles but after the miracles he tells Gideon you have too many in his army and that he needs to deplete it down 300 men from 32,000 men.

Read ;

Final level of Faith:

It is now night time for Gideon to get ready to go fight but he needs one more thing from the Lord, the final confirmation. The Lord caused the enemy to dream their demise. When he told his dream to another man God cause the other man to interpret the dream using Gideon’s name. It was there that Gideon’s total fear let and faith was at its best and the defeat their enemy

Top 5 Ways Faith devours fear

· Change your thinking - King James Version (KJV)

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

· Meditate on the word of God- King James Version (KJV)

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

· Operate in God’s Love- King James Version (KJV)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

· Resist the Devil- King James Version (KJV)

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

· Cast out Spirit of Fear from your life- King James Version (KJV)

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

“Fear looks at things, Faith jumps out and take it”