Less Is More With God - Judges 7:1-8

Outline

A. Introduction

Life over the course of time has shown us that just because one has a lot of money, a lot of wealth, a lot of friends; doesn’t mean that they are living the good life

Truth be told, the most populated class in the United States of America is the middle class - those who have learned to survive off of little.

Growing up, I am sure some of you can testify that mama and grandma were always able to go in the kitchen grab some of this and some of that and make a meal out of little because they learned to work with what they have, give God thanks for it, and God somehow made sure nobody in the house went hungry.

That is because God does not need a whole lot to make things happen. In fact, when God gets ready to move He is often seen in Scripture moving not with the masses but with the remnant.

In this day and age in which we live, success is defined by how many friends, followers, and reactions you have on social media. There is now a stigma in society that you are successful by how many people you have with you.

And this leads way in the lives of many to the spirit of I and me. I did this. I accomplished this. It was all me.

B. But God will take our little when nobody knows who we are, we don’t have many people following and supporting us… And He will do what He does within us because at the end of the day He wants all the glory for what has been done. No man, no woman, no boy, or girl can claim the glory - because you didn’t have that much to work with and all the odds were stacked against you but somehow God cause little to become much!

C. Truth is that some of us don’t need more money (we want more money) - we need to manage the money that we have. And the reason sometimes why God inhibits us from having more resources is because we are not disciplined with the little we have. There are people who sit at the dinner table (like me - don’t judge me) who need to eat a little bit. Because I’m eating too much that my clothes don’t fit the way they used to, my blood pressure is a little elevated, and as a result we face a little fatigue… and if we could just apply the principle of little in our lives we would see that we can live off of a little if we honor God everyday and in every way with what He has provided.

Church I must tell you today that for what God wants to do in your life - there are some people who just can’t go. There are some people who’ve:

Got on the armor but don’t have the heart

People who are so needy that they cannot stay focused

People who don’t understand who the battle belongs to.

People like this will

slow you down

threaten the glory that God wants to get out of your for himself

cause you to lose what God has prepared for you altogether

Got on the armor but don’t have the heart

Twenty-two thousand people in the army went home out of fear

If the fearful remained they would have died, caused others to die, or allowed their fear to spread to others

Fear is contagious - fear is a misery that loves company

God says I want to put people around you who’ve got the look on the outside of victory but also a heart of victory on the inside.

If you’re not victorious inside - you won’t be outside.

The army of the Midianites is 135,000 - meaning Gideon was outnumbered to begin with.

Those that would fight the battle would have to look at the 135,000 and ask the question “is there anything too hard for God?”

You’ve got to learn that if you’re going to get the victory in your life - you’ve got to see it before you obtain it.

It’s an attitude and a mentality that says God I don’t know how you’re going to do it but I know that you will.

People are so needy that they cannot stay focused

9700 men the Bible says got on their knees to drink and only 300 lapped like a dog

I grapple with this because naturally if I’m going to drink I gotta kneel down in the sand cup my hands and get some water

But God showed me that those who lapped the water with their tongue like a dog were those who understood their assignment

The Midianites were less than 5 miles away from the Israelite army and so at any moment the Midianites could’ve have attacked

So God needed those in the army who were disciplined enough to be on guard at all times even in drinking some water - but there were 9700 people who were selfish considering only their need for some water over the assignment of being battle ready.

When others are seeking to fulfill themselves at a time of war it is selfish and it shows that they have no regard for the others who they are fighting with over their personal needs.

Every now and again the people who are supposed to be in this thing with you and have your back prove they won’t be there when you need them most because they are too selfish and only concerned about themself.

But God’s desire is that those that are in your life got your back.

Tell somebody sitting next to you - God wants you to have some folk who got your back

But the overarching reason that the text indicates the army was too large is because some folk don’t understand who the battle belongs to

When someone goes to war for the United States of America they are not fighting their own war - but they are fighting on behalf of the United States...

The Israelite Army did not fight one war that was their own. Every war they fought was God’s. And every time they attempted to fight a war and not do it God’s way they would begin to lose.

Whatever you do in your life… you’ve got to do it God’s way. Victory will be assured if you do it God’s way

Even if you fail - if you did it God’s way that means God intended for you to fail… there was a lesson He intended for you to learn. And He just wanted to show you that ALL things work together for the good of them who love the Lord… the called according to His purpose

God said if you go with these 32,000 these 32,000 will try and steal my glory

And my glory I won’t share with another (Isaiah 42:8)

In other words you can’t give yourself the victory so this ain’t your battle

In other words if the folk around you are encouraging you to take matters into your own hands, do it yourself… they are some of the ones that need to go! God needs folk around you that will pray and believe God to fight the battle on their behalf if you just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord

Ephesians 6 told us to put on the whole armor of God not so that we can fight but so that we can stand

You need folk that will help you stand on the word of God that victory shall be mine!

I don’t care what it looks like. I don’t care what it seems like. I might be outnumbered but God is going to get the glory.

At the end of the battle you will will with little because less is more with God

I’m reminded of the widow of Zarephath

She told Elijah (1 Kings 17:7-16) when he asked for some bread - she said I don’t have any bread… I only have a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil.

She took what little she had and it was enough for Elijah, she and her son with leftovers

You can’t tell me what God can’t do with a little

If you’ve only got a little - a little is all you need.

Gideon took the 300 at the command of God in other words he didn’t worry about who he didn’t have. But he trusted God with the little he had.

Stopped worrying about losing folk in your life - they might have costed you everything God has given you

You ought to turn your mourning for those who you lost into thanksgiving and say God I’m grateful that you removed this one and that one so that you could get some glory out of my life.

Closing

The battle is not mine - its the Lords

I’m reminded of the song that says I put it all in his hands

This

And that

He can handle it that’s a fact

I might only have a little but a little is all I need.

I need somebody to say Lord remove whomever you need to that will stop me from giving you the glory!

I was created to give you the glory and I won’t let nothing stop me from bringing you some glory

Get the glory out of my life.

Get the glory on my job.

Get the glory in my home

Wherever I am… I just want you to get the glory!

Less of me and more of you!

Your victory is in your obedience! At times in your life God will call you to let some folk go that He may get the glory.

What’s stopping you from giving God the glory?

We’ve got to tell everything and every person in our lives that is prohibiting us from giving God the glory… you’ve got to go! I can’t let nothing come between my soul and my savior.

My purpose is to bring God the glory. With you around - you might be a stumbling block

And I want to tell somebody today if you’re shacking its time to get the packing - your shacking will stop you from glorifying God

If you got people around you trying to control you by a spirit they have of fear - its time to let them go. Fear will stop you from glorifying God

God says today you’ve got to let go of everybody and everything that will cause you not to bring glory to God.

Gideon wasn’t wrong to have a strategy. He was prepared to go to battle with everything he had though even in the beginning they were outnumbered. But before you step into a battle you’ve got to open yourself to hear the voice of God. If you don’t listen for the voice of God it might cost you everything! Somebody here today God is saying you’ve got to many!