Power of the Cross

Take Heart

Let the cross change your perspective

How do you see yourself

Gideon - My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my fathers house.

Judges 6:11–16 NKJV

11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order 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, you mighty man of valor!” 13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” 15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Perspective Change

See yourself the way God see you

Spending time with Him changes us

A few chapters later we see Gideon and his 3oo man defeat the Midianites ( God at work)

Psalm 91:1–4 NKJV

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Taking out the Giants

The Bible teaches that David was a man of war even before he became king of Israel. When Israel was confronted by the Philistine Giant Goliath, David cried, ‘for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God? Let no mans heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with the Philistine”

1 Samuel 17:31–32 (NKJV)

31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

No other soldier in Israel’s army had the courage to slay Goliath. Why?

Saul probably did not infuse his men with courage.

He himself was too much of a coward to go and slay Goliath.

Saul could not produce fortitude in his army because he lacked it himself.

David on the other hand produced other Giant killers, as he himself was a giant killer. Read: 1 Chron 20:4-8.

Other examples of David reproductions.1 Sam 22:1-2; 2 Sam 23:8-23.

David took the 400 men of Adullam, who were in distress, debt, and discontent, and trained them into being mighty men.

Because of the Cross and Christ we have been given the power to overcome

Jesus reproduced himself in a rag tag group of disciples.

Paul reproduced himself in a young Timothy and others.

Jesus always lifted the people around him,