Judges 6: When God Makes the Fearful Faithful

Different fears: arachnaphobia: fear or spiders, olfactophobia: fear of foul smells, glossophobia: fear of public speaking (ranked higher than fear of death: necrophobia), tocophobia: fear of pregnant women, onphalophobia: fear of belly buttons, longwindaphobia: fear of long sermons, nomophobia: fear of being without phone - 50% of people experience extreme anxiety if they are without their phones.

· What fears do you have? What fears do you have when it comes to your walk with the Lord? Fear of sharing the Gospel? Giving generously? Stepping out of comfort zone and going on a mission trip? Forgiving someone? Opening yourself up to brothers and sisters in Christ? That place in your faith where you fear is the place that God wants to transform you. He wants to transform you into a person of bold faith. Bold faith = “God, I want to hear your voice and do what you tell me regardless of how it affects my comforts or circumstances.”

What fears do you have? What fears do you have when it comes to your walk with the Lord? Fear of sharing the Gospel? Giving generously? Stepping out of comfort zone and going on a mission trip? Forgiving someone? Opening yourself up to brothers and sisters in Christ? That place in your faith where you fear is the place that God wants to transform you. He wants to transform you into a person of bold faith. Bold faith = “God, I want to hear your voice and do what you tell me regardless of how it affects my comforts or circumstances.”

What fears do you have when it comes to your walk with the Lord? Fear of sharing the Gospel? Giving generously? Stepping out of comfort zone and going on a mission trip? Forgiving someone? Opening yourself up to brothers and sisters in Christ? That place in your faith where you fear is the place that God wants to transform you. He wants to transform you into a person of bold faith. Bold faith = “God, I want to hear your voice and do what you tell me regardless of how it affects my comforts or circumstances.”

· Judges teaches us a lot about ourselves – We sin. When left to ourselves we turn from God and follow our own way. We need an Ultimate Judge who will reign and rule over us forever. About God – Judges teaches us that God will allow us to experience the consequences of our sins, but He is gracious and patient with us.

Judges teaches us a lot about ourselves – We sin. When left to ourselves we turn from God and follow our own way. We need an Ultimate Judge who will reign and rule over us forever. About God – Judges teaches us that God will allow us to experience the consequences of our sins, but He is gracious and patient with us.

· This morning, we learn that we serve a God who wants to transform us. Gideon’s story teaches us about God’s transforming power. More written about Gideon than any other judge. Gideon’s life shows us how God desires to transform us. Chapter 6 – How can you experience transformation so that you will become a person of bold faith?

This morning, we learn that we serve a God who wants to transform us. Gideon’s story teaches us about God’s transforming power. More written about Gideon than any other judge. Gideon’s life shows us how God desires to transform us. Chapter 6 – How can you experience transformation so that you will become a person of bold faith?

Gideon’s story teaches us that God wants to take us from fearful to faithful. More written about Gideon than any other judge. How does God take us from fear to faith? Three ways.

God makes you into what you are not.

· Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord handed them over to the Midianites. Under the Midianites, the Israelites experienced their most severe oppression yet. The Midianites swept in and destroyed their crops starving them to death. The people hid in caves fearing for their lives. This went on for seven years until the people had enough and cried out to God.

Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord handed them over to the Midianites. Under the Midianites, the Israelites experienced their most severe oppression yet. The Midianites swept in and destroyed their crops starving them to death. The people hid in caves fearing for their lives. This went on for seven years until the people had enough and cried out to God.

· Surprise! God doesn’t send a judge. Rather, he sends a prophet. “You have not listened to me!” Why a prophet? Why does God break the cycle? People don’t cry out in repentance as much as they cry out in regret. They regret how their lives have turned out, but they aren’t repentant. They aren’t ready to surrender to God. Some of us are more regretful than repentant. We regret things we’ve done because of how our lives have turned out as a result, but we are not repentant. Repentance is recognizing how we have grieved the heart of God and offended Him.

Before God sends a judge He sends a prophet to get to their hearts. “You have not listened to me!” Why a prophet? People don’t cry out in repentance as much as they cry out in regret. They regret how their lives have turned out, but they aren’t repentant. They aren’t ready to surrender to God. Some of us are more regretful than repentant. We regret things we’ve done because of how our lives have turned out as a result, but we are not repentant. Repentance is recognizing how we have grieved the heart of God and offended Him.

· Notice – God doesn’t wait for His people to repent before He saves them. He raises up a prophet in spite of their lack of repentance. He did the same for you. () Yes, you repented of your sins, but God was at work initiating your salvation long before you placed your faith in Christ.

Notice – God doesn’t wait for His people to repent before He saves them. He raises up a prophet in spite of their lack of repentance. He did the same for you. () Yes, you repented of your sins, but God was at work initiating your salvation long before you placed your faith in Christ.

· Gideon – maybe the biggest wimp in the Bible. He’s just like his people – hiding. Hiding in a winepress threshing wheat. (Usually done on the hills – throwing the chaff in the air letting the wind blow away the chaff while the grain falls to the ground.) You don’t do this in a winepress!

Gideon – maybe the biggest wimp in the Bible. He’s just like his people – hiding. Hiding in a winepress threshing wheat. (Usually done on the hills – throwing the chaff in the air letting the wind blow away the chaff while the grain falls to the ground.) You don’t do this in a winepress!

· The angel of the Lord appears: “Mighty man of valor!” Mighty? He’s hiding in a winepress! But, God is going to transform him into a mighty man! He knows the transformation He wants to work in you! He knows what He is going to make you into as you surrender to Him.

The angel of the Lord appears: “Mighty man of valor!” Mighty? He’s hiding in a winepress! But, God is going to transform him into a mighty man! He knows the transformation He wants to work in you! He knows what He is going to make you into as you surrender to Him.

· Gideon: Where have you been? You abandoned us! God had not abandoned His people. They abandoned Him. That’s the way it works. God doesn’t leave us. We leave Him.

Gideon: Where have you been? You abandoned us! God had not abandoned His people. They abandoned Him. That’s the way it works. God doesn’t leave us. We leave Him.

· Gideon: Do you know who I am? You aren’t going to find anyone weaker than me. God: “I’ll be with you…” That’s really all you need to know. God is with you. That should be enough to remove any hesitancies and cause you to walk in bold faith.

Gideon: Do you know who I am? You aren’t going to find anyone weaker than me. God: “I’ll be with you…” That’s really all you need to know. God is with you. That should be enough to remove any hesitancies and cause you to walk in bold faith.

· Is it really you? Show me a sign. Gideon lays out dinner before the Lord, and a fire flames up from a rock and consumes it. Gideon knows he is in God’s presence. “I’m doomed.” But God assures.

Is it really you? Show me a sign. Gideon lays out dinner before the Lord, and a fire flames up from a rock and consumes it. Gideon knows he is in God’s presence. “I’m doomed.” But God assures.

· God is transforming Gideon – it doesn’t matter who Gideon was or what he had done. God was going to use him.

God is transforming Gideon – it doesn’t matter who Gideon was or what he had done. God was going to use him. Gideon is God’s man.

· Good news: God wants to transform you. Doesn’t matter how messed up you are. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. He wants to change you and use you. Wants to change your attitude, your desires, your motives, your whole way of life.

Good news: God wants to transform you. Doesn’t matter how messed up you are. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. He wants to change you and use you. Wants to change your attitude, your desires, your motives, your whole way of life.

Good news: God wants to make you into what you are not.

Stop being satisfied with being stuck. Some of us satisfied with lack of growth, fearful living, half-hearted Christianity when there’s so much more. Because you are satisfied with being stuck, you are resisting the work God wants to do in you.

Quit asking God to improve your life and start asking God to change your life. The Gospel is not the good news of self-improvement but the good news of complete transformation. We’re often more interested in self-improvement than transformation. “God, how can you enhance my life?” Rather than, “How can you change me and conform me to your will?” What you want from God is nowhere near as important as what He wants from you. Christianity is not seven steps to a healthier marriage, three ways to financial freedom, four ways to relieve stress, or five ways to have better kids. The heart of the Gospel is that God wants to make you into a brand new person and as God makes you new – it will affect every area of your life. We cannot bypass what God wants to do in your life just so you can get to self-improvement.

· The Gospel is not the good news of self-improvement but the good news of complete transformation – taking you from sinner to saint.

· We’re often more interested in self-improvement than transformation. “God, how can you enhance my life?” Rather than, “How can you change me and conform me to your will?”

· What you want from God is nowhere near as important as what He wants from you. Christianity is not seven steps to a healthier marriage, three ways to financial freedom, four ways to relieve stress, or five ways to have better kids. The heart of the Gospel is that God wants to make you into a brand new person and as God makes you new – it will affect every area of your life. We cannot bypass what God wants to do in your life just so you can get to self-improvement.

God uses you close before He uses you far.

God has big plans for Gideon. He will use Gideon to deliver an entire nation from the Midianites, but before he does, God wants him to start with his own household.

· God has big plans for Gideon. He will use Gideon to deliver an entire nation from the Midianites, but before he does, God wants him to start with his own household.

God to Gideon: Go pull down the Baal idol at your father’s house. Notice Gideon goes, but he’s still afraid. He’s working up the courage. He’s faithful, but he’s a work in progress. You are a work in progress as well.

· God to Gideon: Go pull down the Baal idol at your father’s house. Notice Gideon goes, but he’s still afraid. He’s working up the courage. He’s faithful, but he’s a work in progress. You are a work in progress as well.

Everyone wants Gideon dead, but his father, Joash, says “Let Baal defend himself.”

· Everyone wants Gideon dead, but his father, Joash, says “Let Baal defend himself.”

God’s mission for your life almost always starts close. Think about it: In your home, God’s desire is for you to lead your family to worship God alone and protect your home from idolatry. Some of us have let idols creep into our homes. To Gideon: you can’t go to war with the enemies around you until you go to war with the enemies among you. To us: how can we expect to have a broad influence in our community and culture if we’re not willing to first lead our families to live for Christ? (e.g. – I can’t lead my church well if I don’t lead my family well.)

· God’s mission for your life always starts at home. Think about it: In your home, God’s desire is for you to lead your family to worship God alone and protect your home from idolatry. Some of us have let idols creep into our homes. To Gideon: you can’t go to war with the enemies around you until you go to war with the enemies among you. To us: how can we expect to have a broad influence in our community and culture if we’re not willing to first lead our families to live for Christ? (e.g. – I can’t lead my church well if I don’t lead my family well.)

2 Questions:

What do you need to go to war with in your home?

· What idols have you allowed to creep in your home? What idols do you tolerate? (Remember, an idol is anything we let take priority over our relationship with the Lord.) What do you let your kids worship? What do you worship? Sports, money, trivial pursuits? What do you talk most about as a family? What do you celebrate most? Are there meaningful conversations about faith? Do you pray together? All the stuff we treat as of primary importance is not eternal.

What idols have you allowed to creep in your home? What idols do you tolerate? (Remember, an idol is anything we let take priority over our relationship with the Lord.) What do you let your kids worship? What do you worship? Sports, money, trivial pursuits? What do you talk most about as a family? What do you celebrate most? Are there meaningful conversations about faith? Do you pray together? All the stuff we treat as of primary importance is not eternal.

What would happen if your family started praying together several times a week? Or reading a chapter of Proverbs around the dinner table in the evening.

· Do we realize the mission field God has given us in our home?

Do we realize the mission field God has given us in our home?

What do you need to lead your family to do outside the home?

What are you doing outside the home as a family that’s impacting the Kingdom?

Involved in the ministry of the church together? (All kind of opportunities at Northwood.)

Mission trip together? Investing in someone in your oikos as a family?How are you teaching those God has entrusted you to live on mission?

· One action step: What can you do this week to spread transformation to your oikos? Could be as easy as talking about this sermon – or talking about what you have made most important in your home. Could be praying together one night during the week, or reading the Bible together. (What if you read a Proverb together every night before dinner and talked about it during dinner.) Do something and trust God to honor it! Why? Think of the impact you could have if your whole family walked in bold faith! It takes bold faith to lead your family.

Think of the impact you could have if your whole family walked in bold faith! It takes bold faith to lead your family.

The more you see God using you to make a difference in the lives of those he has put around you - the more you will see God begin to use you in the lives of others - and beyond. Start stepping up as a leader in your family and see what God begins to do.

God proves to you that you have no need to fear.

Part of the story we’re familiar with. Gideon throwing out his fleece, but we misunderstand. We think that he was trying to find God’s will, or at least that’s how we use it. “I need a sign to know I’m doing the right thing. I’m throwing out my fleece.” God, if you want me to (blank) then cause this quarter to land on heads three times in a row…

· Part of the story that we’re perhaps most familiar with. Gideon throwing out his fleece, but we misunderstand. We think that he was trying to find God’s will, or at least that’s how we use it. “I need a sign to know I’m doing the right thing. I’m throwing out my fleece.” God, if you want me to (blank) then cause this quarter to land on heads three times in a row…

· Part of the story that we’re perhaps most familiar with. Gideon throwing out his fleece, but we misunderstand. We think that he was trying to find God’s will, or at least that’s how we use it. “I need a sign to know I’m doing the right thing. I’m throwing out my fleece.” God, if you want me to (blank) then cause this quarter to land on heads three times in a row…

Gideon already knew God’s will. God told him. His problem is that he doubted God’s will. In spite of God’s instructions, and in spite of a previous sign, He continued to disbelieve. He needed to know that he could trust God. He needed God to change him from a doubter to a believer. Gideon’s question: “How do I know I can trust you?” Or, “Who are you?”

· Gideon already knew God’s will. God told him. His problem is that he doubted God’s will. In spite of God’s instructions, and in spite of a previous sign, He continued to disbelieve. He needed to know that he could trust God. He needed God to change him from a doubter to a believer. Gideon’s question: “How do I know I can trust you?” Or, “Who are you?”

God is patient with Gideon – Gideon knows he is testing God’s patience (vs. 39), but God remains patient with Gideon. Lays out a fleece – if dew on fleece alone – he can trust God. It happens. 2nd time – fleece dry ground wet – I’ll trust you.

· God is patient with Gideon – Gideon knows he is testing God’s patience (vs. 39), but God remains patient with Gideon. Lays out a fleece – in dew on fleece alone – he can trust God. It happens. 2nd time – fleece dry ground wet – I’ll trust you.

How do we know we can trust God? We don’t throw out a fleece – we run to the cross. The cross proves we can trust God because the cross shows us the love of God. He loves us so much that He willingly gave His Son for us – Lived for us, died for us, rose again for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus suffered the death that we deserve so we can have the life we do not deserve.

· How do we know we can trust God? We don’t throw out a fleece – we run to the cross. The cross proves we can trust God because the cross shows us the love of God. He loves us so much that He willingly gave His Son for us – Lived for us, died for us, rose again for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus suffered the death that we deserve so we can have the life we do not deserve.

Because God has proved Himself faithful to us at the cross: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” ()

· Because God has proved Himself faithful to us at the cross: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” ()

Ultimately, understanding the love of God demonstrated to us through His Son is what takes us from fearful to faithful.

· Real transformation doesn’t come from church attendance or religious duty but in a steadfast conviction that God did for us through His Son what we could not do for ourselves.

When we grasp the reality of the cross – it transforms us into a people of bold faith – not a people of fear and doubt. – perfect love casts out fear.

· When we grasp the reality of the cross – it transforms us into a people of bold faith – not a people of fear and doubt. – perfect love casts out fear.

n Christ, we have courage – courage to walk by faith. Courage to walk by faith. Courage to lead our families. Courage to go where He calls us. Courage to put sin to death. Courage to forgive because we know that God is for us. He’s saying to each of us who are in Christ: “Go, mighty man or mighty woman of valor. I am with you.”

· Now, in Christ, we have courage – courage to walk by faith. Courage to walk by faith. Courage to lead our families. Courage to go where He calls us. Courage to put sin to death. Courage to forgive because we know that God is for us. He’s saying to each of us who are in Christ: “Go, mighty man or mighty woman of valor. I am with you.”

This morning:

· This morning:

Don’t resist the work that God wants to do in you to make you into who He wants you to be. (Repent and believe)

o Let God transform you. (Repent and believe)

Step out in faith in that area where you’ve been telling God, “No.”

o Ask God to build your faith and then take steps to grow in faith. (We have the Word and the Spirit)

Repent of simply desiring self-improvement and ask God to give you a longing for life-transforming faith.

o Cooperate with the work of God. Repent of simply desiring self-improvement and ask God to give you a longing for transformation. Repent of being comfortable with idolatry. Repent of resisting God’s work.