Sermon Tone Analysis

A Mighty Man

It is always a blessing to look back at the Scripture and see the blessings of God toward His people Israel.

On of those favorite examples of this is the Lord work wit Gideon.

Gideon is one of those OT characters that we really can identify with, you know why?

He perceived that he was too ordinary to be used by God.

Consider this… so often we think God uses these special people, a.. Billy Graham, a Jonathan Edwards… and so forth..

We think they were great and God could use them but we forget they are no different than us.

They were ordinary people who loved the Lord their God and had a desire to be used by God.

Their heart was simply open.

Honestly they were no different than we are… They were the ones God called up, and friends we need to be ready as well, God is calling us I believe today to be ready as well.

So let me share the beginning of Judges chapter 6, and lets look at verses 7-10

So you see what is happening… The Midainites, have been harassing the Israelites for a while now, the people are under such oppression and God hears and knows and is about to act...

Here is a great truth my friends, are you ready.

God pays attention to our prayers and is at work for our Good!

So 3 thoughts today to help us see what is happening...

1. Appearance....

It is beautiful my friends we when have a chance to see the divine.

To come into contact with God or his messengers in a very unique and very personal way.

And this is what we see happening here, the Scripture tells us that on a particular day in time, Gideon was at work, at the wine press.

He is there at work processing the grain, maybe wheat for his family and possibly others to eat.

But here is the kicker, he is doing it in secret in a a winepress …not the threshing floor.

He is hiding His work from others, especially is the Midianites came around, He didn’t want them to find it and take their food.

Now look at verses 11 and 12

Here is the appearance, the Lord has sent His messenger to Gideon at the winepress.

God knew where he was… He was hiding from the Midianites but you cannot hid from God.

But listen to the Angel’s greeting...

The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Wow....

The Lord’s messenger appears to this young man, during a crucial time in Israel’s history… He appears to him and tells Him who he really is in God sight. he is a mighty man of valor

Gideon never sees himself like that, but God knows better, God knows our past, our present and yes our future.

And at times, God appears to us (or sends his messengers) in the hope of reminding us He is in control He will help us.

Now we know Gideon is a man full of question, if the Lord is with us, with me why are we in the shape that we are in?

Why is Midian able to take advantage of us… why are these things happening.. why are you allowing it God.

Well verse 10 tells us… You have not obeyed the voice of the Lord.

Listen my friends, there are many instances in Scripture where God allows his people to experience suffering because of their sin… We call it chastisement..

But God is control and He will appear to his people in due time.

So here is a second thought...

2. A Godly Challenge....

Here is the next thought we need to pay attention too.

There are times, when God appears to us that He calls us to step up if you will.

We can perceive this “Step Up” as a challenge my friends.

Lets look at this passage....

Wow, that is a challenge.

but listen the first step in any direction toward God requires us to clean house if you will.

At times it is in a spiritual sense but at times it also has the idea of a physical sense as well.

Think about when a person first comes to faith in Christ… what might they clean house of Spiritually?

Thoughts, carvings, actions, talk etc......

Now what about Physically?

A person might feel like they need to get rid of items they possess.

It might be drugs and or alcohol, it means you do abstain from things, don’t view things, etc...

So the challenge here in following the Lord is straight forward.

God says lets get rid of all the idols.

A. Get Rid of the Idols

Why?

It violated God’s standard.

The first two of God’s commands were broken here to say the least.

The challenge in following God is always getting the false gods out of the way.

And you might say I don’t have any false gods, well my friends, what about the god of self.

If we put our life in front of God then I will tell you that you are worshipping the god of self.

For Gideon, God wanted him to take his father’s bull, and a the second one who was 7 years old and tear down the altar dedicated to baal and the asherah poles and use that wood and stones laid int eh right order and sacrifice those animals unto Him, the true and only God of the universe.

Man, what a challenge… this was His father’s shameful practice and those around His father worshipped these false golds as well… but you know what.. Gideon did.

Now some might pick on Gideon cause he waited till night, no matter… God didn’t tell him daytime or night time, just told him to do… and Gideon did.

I am sure he was nervous, I am sure he may have been uncertain but the good news is this, He did...

He offered a sacrifice of those bulls unto the Lord His God.

Now here is where it gets interesting...

When the men got up the next morning they are upset, they are mad and they want to know who did this and after a little investigation they determine it was Gideon.

They want Joash,, Gideon’s father to hand him over to be killed for doing this think but Joash said … my paraphrase,: Are you settling accounts for Baal? if he is god, then let him deal with my son ...

And everyday that Gideon lived was a testimony that there was only one God is the world, and that was YHWH.

I really believe His Father came to his senses and knows that baal and asherah was false goods and capable of nothing, there is only one true God.

Years ago there was a the show the Highlander… the catch phrase there can only be one...

There is only one God...

2. Be Obedient and Stand Against Midian

Now if you advance future you see that another challenge comes to Gideon, and that is when God calls him to take men and step up against Midian.

Now remember, Gideon, he ins’t the bravest, or the strongest.

He hasn’t been a soldier or fighter… He was a farmhand for the most part.

But remember my friends, the fight isn’t about our ability, its about His ability.

Now we know the stories of how Gideon tested God, he had a faith crisis and God was merciful and helped his faith grow.

The story of the fleese… I think God allowed it to help Gideon’s faith grow.

Now Judges 6:33 tells us this

There came a time when 3 groups of people, all those who were primarily east of the Jordan came together to over throw the children of Israel.

They were more of a warrior people and they figured this time, we will wipe them from the earth.

But God had Gideon rally the people and many came to him to fight, about 32K people came out…

But God told Gideon you have to many people… leas they say we did this ourselves ...

So God told him, announce ot eh people if any are fearful or sacred, you can go home and 22K left the ranks..

And still God says you have to many… take them to water and if anyone drinks one way keep and another way let go and there were only 300 men left...

Here is the challenge, He believed God when God said with 300 the battle will be won

And so with 300 men, Gideon went to prepare to meet the enemy of the Lord.

Here is the lesson my friends, there are times when God speak to us and what we hear doesn’t or it cannot seem to make sense from it.. but the challenge is to obey anyway for His ways are perfect and ours are not.

God will do what He has said my friends...

Now just one last thought

3. The Victory

as you continue reading in chapoter 7, the Bible says that very night the Lord spoke to Gideon and told him to go down to meet the enemy, for this night they would be delivered into His hands..

And God even said if you doubt, go back and sneak into the camp and listen tot what they are talking about..

The story of a barley cake rolling into camp.

So they went and divided the 300 men into 3 groups of 100.. and with trumpets in one hand and jars with torches in the other and swords by their side.

As all three groups did this, the army of the enemy was in confusion, they turned on one another and started to flee and Gideon and his men went in pursuit...

Man, they pursued them and even caught two of their princes and killed them.. and chased them out of the region back across the Jordan

God had won the victory for them, and did so because Gideon stood up and still for God...

So there is a lesson...

God hears us and our prayers