The God of Salvation

THE GOD WHO SAVES; Judges 7:1-23 – MHAFB, 8 Mar 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: Days of Anguish, Days of Hope / Topics: Gideon; Midianites (Judges); Trust; Obey; Dependence; Salvation Before Worship: Pray with leaders! Openings Verse: Psalm 62:1-8 (25:4–11, 68:20, 130:1-8) Songs: Bless that Wonderful Name of Jesus; Trust & Obey; Because of Who You Are ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SLIDE-Transition to Sermon Introduction Attention: 1. It has been said, a. “You will not doubt in the dark, if you have truly learned to trust in the light.” 2. The spiritual application of this truth was learned the hard way by Mrs. Louisa Stead. a. Born in 1850 at Dover, England, Louisa crossed the Atlantic and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1871. b. 4 years later she married Mr. Stead & shortly after that they had their daughter, Lily. 3. When Lily was 4 years old, the Stead family went to Long Island Sound, NY, to enjoy a picnic lunch. a. While there, they heard the terrified cries of a boy drowning in the sea. b. Mr. Stead rushed to his aid c. But in great tragedy, the boy struggles brought him down into the water and they both died by drowning. 4. In the time of grief that followed, Louisa struggled with the Lord, asking the many questions that would accompany such a tragedy a. And it was through receiving God’s comfort in these days of grief, that she composed this refrain, i. “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word. ii. Just to rest upon His promise; just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”” b. In the years that followed, Louisa continued to learn trust in our God, leading her to move to South Africa with her daughter as missionaries. i. While there she married South African native, Robert Wodehouse & they continued to serve the Lord despite periodic challenges to Louisa’s health. ii. At one point she wrote, 101 More Hymn Stories 91 ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus In connection with this whole mission there are glorious possibilities, but one cannot, in the face of the peculiar difficulties, help say, “Who is sufficient for these things?” But with simple confidence and trust we may and do say, “Our sufficiency is of God.” Big Picture: 1. Last week we learned about Gideon’s journey of trust as we were encouraged to continue on our journey of trust with God as we speak with Him and obey Him. 2. SLIDE-Title: This week we will reflect on “The God Who Saves” as we pick up… a. Just after Gideon twice tested God with the fleece b. Just before his second major step of obedience— i. After cleansing his household from false god worship ii. Gideon now learns to courageously trust & obey God iii. A decision that allows him and Israel to experience God’s amazing salvation! 3. SLIDE-Thesis: Through this I hope that we will each come to more fully realize that… a. We are totally dependent on God’s salvation, which we receive when we trust & obey Him. b. And by God’s grace, rightly understand what the implications are to this— i. Walking forward in faith & obedience to these very things! Passage: 1. Context: a. So, what that foundation laid, I invite you to stand with me in reverence of God’s Word… b. As we see the lovingkindness of our God through His salvation of Israel from the Midianites. 2. Verses-13 Slides: Judges 7:1-23 Judges 7:1–23 CSB 1 Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops who were with him, got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘My own strength saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the troops: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained. Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot go.” 5 So he brought the troops down to the water, and the LORD said to Gideon, “Separate everyone who laps water with his tongue like a dog. Do the same with everyone who kneels to drink.” 6 The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men, and all the rest of the troops knelt to drink water. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.” 8 So Gideon sent all the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred troops, who took the provisions and their trumpets. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 4 That night the LORD said to him, “Get up and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you. 10 But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant. 11 Listen to what they say, and then you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the troops who were in the camp. 9 12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the Qedemites had settled down in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, “Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.” His friend answered: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.” 14 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel’s camp and said, “Get up, for the LORD has handed the Midianite camp over to you.” 16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each of the men a trumpet in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other hand. “Watch me,” he said to them, “and do what I do. When I come to the outpost of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I and everyone with me blow our trumpets, you are also to blow your trumpets all 17 around the camp. Then you will say, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’ ” 19 Gideon and the hundred men who were with him went to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch after the sentries had been stationed. They blew their trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew their trumpets and shattered their pitchers. They held their torches in their left hands, their trumpets in their right hands, and shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army began to run, and they cried out as they fled. 22 When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred trumpets, the LORD caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords. They fled to Acacia House in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abelmeholah near Tabbath. 23 Then the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites. Transition: 1. Join me in prayer… 2. Now, I invite you to join me in a topic oft ignored by mankind… Main Point 1: Our Great Need for God Explain: 1. The Scriptures regularly teach us that... a. MP1: We are totally dependent upon God to live the abundant life He made us to live! b. Consider how today’s story highlighted this… 2. Judges 6:35 shares that when Gideon sent out the call for battle an astounding 32,000 Israelites from 4 tribes responded to his call! a. That is a fighting force over twice the population of Mountain Home! b. Undoubtedly this was an encouraging to Gideon! 3. But then 7:12 shares that their enemies "had settled down in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.” a. What could a mere 32,000 do to a force so large that you can’t even get a good count of their camels? 4. Yet in Judges 7:2 God amazingly tells Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘My own strength saved me.’” a. And so God whittles the Israelite 32,000 army to a mere 300, less than 1% of their original size… b. (Talk about a journey of learning to trust God!) c. As a quick side-note, sometimes the story of how God reduced this army makes people think… i. “God sent home the people who were afraid & those who put there heads down into the water for a drink? ii. Ah, I get it, God got rid of the cowards & those with bad situational awareness. iii. He left a deadly special ops-style force that was strong enough to defeat this foe!” d. But remember, the story of Judges is not ultimately about the amazing people… i. Rather it is about the amazing God! ii. A God who, in v2 pointed out to Israel that He wants them NOT to think, “My own strength saved me!” iii. Rather, in v7 “The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men...” iv. And in v9 "the Lord said to him, “Get up and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you.”” e. In essence you have God sharing with Gideon this truth, i. “Your 32,000 are not powerful enough to defeat this innumerable force, ii. But it is big enough that Israel will *think* that their victory is by their own strength. iii. I want to make sure that Israel realizes where their salvation is actually coming from.” 5. God even accommodated for Gideon’s weakness in vv10-15 by preemptively offering a confirming sign! a. One that specifically highlighted that "God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him” (v14). b. Gideon gets it, worships God, & then shares with the 300, “Get up, for the Lord has handed the Midianite camp over to you.” (v15) c. Again note how this sign & Gideon’s words to Israel both highlight that the impending victory is ultimately God’s work. d. Gideon realizes, just as we do this morning, that God offers them victory & an abundant life… i. MP1: But we need to trust & obey Him to receive it! Illustrate: Consider how the traditional Gospel song, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” highlights these truths… 1. I am weak, but Thou art strong, Jesus, keep me from all wrong, I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. 2. Through this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. 3. When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more, Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom's shore, to Thy shore 4. Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. Expand: 1. MP1: Being made in His image, God gave us autonomy, creativity, & strength (among other things); however, we often need God’s help due to… a. MP1: A broken world (c.f. Genesis 3:17-18, 5:29; Isaiah 24:4-6; Jeremiah 12:4, 11; Romans 8:19-22) i. Sin has left us with tragedies like this past week’s TN tornadoes & the CoVid-19 ii. Natural disasters make us endanger & hurt us in many ways! b. MP1: Sinful people (c.f. Matthew 5:10-11) i. They evilly exercising their power to hurt others for their own selfish gain ii. Think of exploitation, burglary, identity theft, & much more. c. MP1: Spiritual Warfare i. The Apostle Peter warns us that “Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour;” and when we are not alert with a sober-mind, we are quite susceptible to his attacks! (1 Peter 5:8) ii. Paul, 1. At one point warning us that Satan will disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14, c.f. 2 Cor. 10:3-5)… 2. Later exhorts us, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:11-12) iii. And James reminds us that when we “submit to God” & “resist the devil,” the devil “will flee from you” (James 4:7) d. MP1: Our own sinfulness (c.f. Romans 5:12) i. It seem to wage a war within us! ii. Initially subjecting us to the worst of slavery in separation from God (John 8:34; Romans 6:16; Ephesians 2:1-10; 2 Peter 2:19) 2. Each of us are born into weakness and have great need for God—we… a. Suffer in a broken world, b. Are mistreated by sinful people, c. Live in the dominion of Satan, & ultimately d. Are enslaved to our own sins. 3. Where do you stand in this area of need? a. Consider, where in your life do you need the Lord? Transition: 1. As we consider this, let’s begin to move to our next main focus from this verses 2. Moving from a focus on our great need for God, let’s look at… Main Point 2: Our God’s Great Salvation Explain: 1. MP2: A gracious gift to His people! 2. Remember what God told Gideon, a. “I will deliver you with the three hundred men...” (v7) & b. “Get up and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you.” (v9) 3. And once Gideon has grown to trust that God will indeed save them, a. He declares to the 300, “Get up, for the Lord has handed the Midianite camp over to you.” (v15) 4. Then, when Israel began the battle we are told, a. “The entire Midianite army began to run, and they cried out as they fled. When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred trumpets, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords” and they fled (vv21-22) 5. Gideon then sends out messengers to the land of Israel that the Midianites are fleeing through a. And many Israelites rise up to help cut off the fleeing horde of Midianites, b. Their princes and kings are captured and killed c. And the land had peace for another 40 years. 6. This was all a result our great God’s great salvation! Types of Salvation: 1. But let’s pause for a moment and talk about God’s salvation in a fuller sense a. Sometimes we confuse & limit what the Bible means with this word. 2. From Genesis to Revelation you see stories of God saving His people in two main ways a. MP2: Temporal Salvation: The saving of an individual from another calamity i. If you use our Comprehensive Airman Fitness paradigm, you can think of this salvation as covering the three pillars not covered in the first. ii. MP2: Physical Salvation: When your life, limb, or health is in danger 1. Like the tornadoes & Covid-19 that we mentioned earlier; the focus of today’s passage iii. MP2: Mental/Emotional Salvation: When your mental & emotional wellbeing are endangered 1. Consider such things as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more! iv. MP2: Social Salvation: When your social standing has been endangered. 1. When neighbors, coworkers, friends, &/or family turn against you… b. I want to encourage you to realize that temporal salvation has two general purposes: i. It tangibly expresses God’s practical lovingkindness to His people ii. MP2: For those with faith to see it, it points us toward God’s greater gift, His... 3. MP2: Eternal Salvation: The spiritual saving of a human a. This is what most American Christians mean when they talk about God’s salvation b. Have you ever noticed how deliberately Jesus & His apostles use miraculous acts of temporal salvation as a means to bring people to God’s eternal salvation? As one example in Acts 3... i. We see Peter & John deliver God’s temporal salvation of healing a lame man ii. This miracle draws a crowd which causes Peter to immediately break into a sermon about Jesus in which he declares Acts 3:19–20 CSB 19 Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. iii. The religious leaders arrest them and ask, “By what power or in what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7), Acts 4:8–12 CSB 8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” iv. You see, the temporal salvation was meant to lead them all to the ultimate offer of spiritual salvation through Jesus Christ. 1. And so it even is with Gideon & the defeat of the Midianites 2. There temporal salvation from physical & social woes was meant to point them to the spiritual salvation found in their faithfulness to God, something Israel substantially failed at at this time. Expand: 1. Reverend C. H. Spurgeon discusses this God’s great salvation well in his sermon, “The Way of Salvation” (15 Aug 1858) based on Acts 4:12: a. “What a great word that word "salvation" is! b. It includes i. MP2: the cleansing of our conscience from all past guilt, ii. MP2: the delivery of our soul from all those propensities to evil which now so strongly predominate in us; iii. it takes in, in fact, the undoing of all that Adam did. c. Salvation is the total restoration of man from his fallen estate; i. and yet it is something more than that, ii. MP2: for God's salvation fixes our standing more secure than it was before we fell. d. It finds us broken in pieces by the sin of our first parent, defiled, stained, accursed: i. it first heals our wounds, ii. it removes our diseases, iii. it takes away our curse, iv. it puts our feet upon the rock Christ Jesus, v. and having thus done, 1. at last it lifts our heads far above all principalities. and powers, 2. MP2: to be crowned for ever with Jesus Christ, the King of heaven. e. Some people, when they use the word "salvation," understand nothing more by it than deliverance from hell and admittance into heaven. i. Now, that is not salvation: 1. those two things are the effects of salvation. ii. We are redeemed from hell because we are saved, 1. and we enter heaven because we have been saved beforehand. iii. Our everlasting state is the effect of salvation in this life. f. Salvation, it is true, includes all that, because salvation is the mother of it, and carrieth it within its bowels; i. but still it were wrong for us to imagine that that is all the meaning of the word. g. Salvation begins with us as wandering sheep; i. it follows us through all our mazy wanderings; ii. it puts us on the shoulders of the shepherd; iii. it carries us into the fold; iv. it calls together the friends and the neighbors; v. it rejoices over us; vi. it preserves us in that fold through life; vii. and then at last it brings us to the green pastures of heaven, 1. beside the still waters of bliss, 2. where we lie down for ever, 3. in the presence of the Chief Shepherd, 4. never more to be disturbed.” 2. Brothers & Sisters, a. This is the great salvation of our God! b. Have you received it? c. Do you walk in it daily? Transition: 1. Let’s begin to close this off... Conclusion: Conclusion Reiterate: We are totally dependent on God’s salvation, which we receive when we trust & obey Him. 1. God’s design for us was to have an abundant life a. His design for our communities were to have them filled with unity, love, & joy b. Yet sin has broken all of this! i. Our world is broken, the people are sinful, spiritual warfare rages, & our own desires work against us! c. We are totally dependent upon God to find & life out the abundant life that He made us to live i. As Gideon well demonstrates, we are not able to receive this unless we trust & obey in God 2. And this would be our dismal state, if not for our great God! a. As Jonah declares, while in the belly of the fish, “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9) b. We serve an amazing God who offers a great salvation to us 3. Beyond mere temporal salvation from the calamities of this world, God offers the eternal salvation that... a. Cleanses our guilty conscience from sin b. Delivers us from our propensities to evil c. Secures our standing before God d. Crowns us forever in glory & relationship with Jesus Christ Apply: So, how should we respond? First… 1. Con: Recognize your need: a. Do you understand your own weakness & need? i. When God let Midian bring Israel to temporal dire poverty, 1. It provided the context for them to see their even greater spiritual poverty ii. What has God allowed to happen in your life to show you your need for Him? 1. Where are you at before the Lord? b. Do you humbly come to Him in recognition of your need? i. This brings us to the second application point… 2. Con: Receive God’s salvation: a. God provides opportunities for us to see our need not to make us suffer, nor to belittle us, i. Rather, it is to drive us to Him for our greater salvation! ii. To enter into a closer relationship of trust in & faithfulness to Him! b. If you have never received God’s spiritual salvation, I invite you to do so now! i. As Peter shared in Acts 3, 1. It comes when we repent from our sins and turn to Jesus Christ as our Savior & Lord! 2. There is trust here—trust in Jesus, a. That He truly is who He said that He was & b. That He truly did what He said that He did 3. There is obedience here—repenting from sins & to Jesus a. The acts of obedience are not complete b. This is an internal obedience of the heart, a change of direction 4. Paired with trust, a. We agree with God about what sin is, b. And we earnestly work with God to forsake this sin! ii. If you have never first trusted & obeyed the Lord, I invite you to do so today! iii. If you have made this step before, but you have strayed & wandered, 1. I invite you today to repent & return! 2. “Return to the shepherd & Overseer of your soul” (1 Peter 2:21–25) 3. Con: Worship God for His salvation: a. Consider Gideon’s example in v15 after hearing his enemies trepidation, “he bowed in worship” he then went to his people & declared the Lord’s salvation! i. Two excellent examples for us to follow! b. Positively respond to Him with great gratitude & reverence, thanksgiving & honor i. Then declare to others the great salvation of our God! c. And finally, as an outworking of this point, let us continually… 4. Con: Walk in faithful obedience: (See Ephesians 2:8-10 & Titus 2:14) a. Con: Notice that this comes after salvation… i. We do not earn our salvation by good works, ii. But good works should naturally flow from our salvation b. In part, you were saved for this very reason—to do good! c. If you are a Christian & you find that joy is not a common part of your life, i. I encourage you to honestly ask yourself this question— 1. Are you rightly obeying Him? Or… 2. Are there areas of your life that you reserve for your own sinful ways? d. Remember what the old hymn says, i. “Trust and obey—for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Appeal: 1. And with that said, let’s close this off. 2. I hope that this morning you have seen again the big story of Judges— a. Not the human “heroes of faith” with all their foibles & follies, there stubbornness & rebellion… b. Rather, an amazingly loving & faithful God i. That continually reaches out to us in our brokenness! ii. And offers us a great salvation! Conclude: 1. Pray with me...