God and Gideon

Welcome/ Prayer/ Intro

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning? Can I be honest? Im really hoping God will do something among us this morning, because I just want to see Yahweh move. Let’s open our hearts and Invite the Spirit to flood the caverns of our souls this morning and wake us up! Would you pray with me?

Prayer: God we come before you this morning with so much. So many different feelings, thoughts, and hopes. Lord, we have come here because we believe you are alive and still working among your people. We may have come out of obligation or guilt, whatever our motivation for coming to your house this morning, meet us where we are at. God may we see you move this morning! Lord, I just want you to speak to your people through me this morning. You change lives Jesus. Transform us yet again to look more like than we walked in. God be glorified, be blessed, be the enthroned in our hearts once again King Jesus, Amen.

This Morning we are going to Jump right into the middle of Judges. Judges 6-7 is the story of Gideon, so If you havent already, would you turn there in your bible and lets jump right in!

Judges Cycle: Israel does Evil, God removes his protection, People Cry out, God raises Judge, Peace, Repeat!

Lets take a look at what happens this time around with Gideon, beginning at verse one.

Did Evil, Lord gave them to Midianites, forced to live in caves.

The Israel cries out, “Help”

Prophet: I brought you out of eygpt, rescued you, I gave you their Land, Do not worship the gods of this land and you did not listen- this is why this is happening? clear as day to me folks!

People ask why does God let this happen? When will people learn to listen!

God comes down to Gideon who is threshing wheat in a winepress. He is hiding there. its like combining in a ditch right?

God says, The Lord is with You mighty Warrior!

Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us then why is all this happening? where are all those wonders and signs? isnt the God the one who brought us out of Eygpt.

Gideon’s first response was complaining in Cowardice? complaining often leads to blaming, Gideon blamed God for this mess.

Gideon’s second response was insecurity and fear around what He could do.

How can I do this? my clan is the weakest and I am the runt of the family!

When I read this I think, Wow I am just like Gideon sometimes.

I can get so caught up in the situation and focused on what I can or cant do that I just complain

Other times I can get down and bitter and think this situation Im in is so messed up and I cant do anything?

Sometimes, I too like to make excuses for my insecurity, God what can I do Im just one man?

Does anyone else get like this sometime?

complain about the situation it makes you feel useless

Your insecurity forces you to blame others and God.

Conversation the other day: “People use religion as a crutch to explain what they can understand and work to be a better person so they can feel good about themselves”

This is what we see here: Religion is a focus on results and what we can do!

Transition: What I Hope we will see in this story is that God doesnt want us to focus on Results and what We can do, but He wants us to focus on Him and What He can do! Not, for us, but Through US! Lets Keep reading to see How God works through Gideon!

God works through Gideon

After Several Signs with the Altar and the Fleece, Gideon obeys and gathers His men (Turn to chapter 7)

32,000 Israelites

Midianites- have over 130,000 - They are seriously outnumbered so what does God do?

He says, “You have two many men, I cant deliver the midianites with this many men or you might boast?

I love how God knows insecurity can turn to pride so quickly- Gideon could go from, im the weakest to Im the greatest.

Downsize so God can be glorified!

First, God tells Gideon to tell everyone who is scared to go home (Fear gets in the way of faith!) 22,000 left!

Second- God says still too many, take them down to the water for a drink, Keep the ones who lap from cupped hands- many theories on this one

Jess thinks its the meatheads that would stick their heads in the water, so thats why God picked that group to get rid of the meat heads.

One thing is Clear: Gideon’s Men must decrease so God can increase!

I love the words of John the baptist in Jn 3:30- He must increase, I must decrease.

This is something, we must ask ourselves, in what areas of our lives do our wants, desires, longings, plans, thoughts, opinions, ect need to decrease or be downsized so God may increase? (Pause)

God then continues to reassure insecure Gideon with not His word, but his enemies

If you are scared, go to the camp with servant

Dream about a Giant loaf of bread rolling into camp!

I know that bread is Gideon! - Crazy right!

God is patient and Kind- like checking under the bed or closet for the little kid who is scared.

Gideon responds with Worship before victory.

Different than before, not a test or reassurance, but worship

How has can we embrace celebrating before the victory?

God has been teaching me to do this with Grace, Grace is an undeserved gift. We usually think of Grace as forgiveness or salvation, but God has been teaching me to see the little things as his grace too!

The Battle of Trumpets and Jars (Not Swords)

Men are finally ready to go to battle against 130,000+ enemies and He gives each man a jar and a trumpet!

They break up into three groups and blew the trumpets and smashed the jars!

A sword for the Lord and Gideon! (Yet they didnt use swords)

Then what Happened, someone read 7:22 for me? - The Lord did it! He caused the enemy to destroy themselves.

Focusing on God and What he does Transformed Gideon- He went from frightened farmer to Hero!

Can someone read Chapter 8:22-23 out loud for us?

This is how we know Gideon was no longer focused on himself or his results, because He said “No” God will be your King!

Application: What can we learn from this story?

God can do big things with Small Groups of People!

300 vs 130,000

Today there are 2 billion Christians in the word Jesus started with 12

Today there are # people in church today, Yet, God’s not Done here!

We are still part of His Plan! In fact, it was 4 years ago that we began putting that on our bulletins, lets not forget it! We are still part of His Plan! We are Here because God has put us here!

God can use Tiny, insecure people who dont feel God enough.

God came directly to Gideon- only judge he does this with. Yet, Gideon still doubted

God gives him sign after sign, but he is still afraid.

God gives this guy a dream about a giant loaf of bread to reassure him!

God works with Gideon even though he is afraid, insecure, timid, a pain really

That means God can use each one of you, there is nothing you have thats holding back God.

We just have to learn like Gideon to pray, listen, and obey!

3. When we loose sight of Who God is and What He is doing, Relationship becomes Religion

We focus on the situation around us

We focus on what we can/cant do

We tend to complain and blame

We think in Terms of what God can do for us instead of What God can do through us.

Which one of these is God calling you to focus on this week?

Imagine what God can do with us!

Imagine what it would look like to set our insecurities and defenses aside and Just say, “God im here, Im listening, Tell me How you want to use me in your plan and your story!

Imagine How your life would change if all the sudden you stopped thinking about what you can do and what God can do!

Imagine how Jesus could change for you if you focused on relationship instead of results

Imagine if each of us sitting here today did each of these, imagine how God could use us! He defeated 130,000 with 300. Made 2 billion disciples with 12. Imagine what God will do with Diller Church to build his kingdom and fulfill his plan!

Would you pray with me?