Eyes On The Enemy

" EYES ON THE ENEMY "

JUDGES 7:1-7

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS ALWAYS INSPIRED ME ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, IS THE FACT THAT HE DOESN’T JUDGE ME BY MY FAILURES, HE DOESN’T JUDGE ME BY MY PAST AND HE DOESN’T JUDGE ME BY THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES I MIGHT BE FACING. WE ARE MOST COMFORTABLE JUDGING THOSE WE SEE AROUND US BUT IT IS COMFORTING TO ME TO KNOW THAT THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE ISN’T A FACTOR IN MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.

WHEN JESUS LOOKS AT US HE ALWAYS SEES WHAT WE CAN BECOME THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SOMETIMES HE SEES THINGS INSIDE OF US THAT WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WERE THERE.

1. ON OCTOBER 1, 1964 AT A LITTLE PAST MIDNIGHT IN BAPTIST HOSPITAL OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA THE DOCTOR HELD UP A NINE POUND BABY BOY BY HIS ANKLES AND SLAPPED HIM ON THE BEHIND…

A. HIS MOMA MIGHT HAVE SAID THAT’S MY SON

B. HIS DADDY MIGHT HAVE SAID THAT’S MY BOY

C. SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE SAID IS THAT ALL THERE IS

BUT FRIENDS I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN JESUS LOOKED DOWN AT ME WITH A DIRTY DIAPER ON MY BEHIND AND A PACIFIER IN MY MOUTH HE SAID THAT IS MY FAITHFUL SERVANT WHO WILL ONE DAY PREACH THE GOOD NEWS THAT I DIED FOR SO MANY YEARS AGO. HE MAY NOT BE MUCH FOR THE WORLD TO LOOK AT AND MOST PEOPLE MIGHT NOT GIVE A PLUG NICKEL FOR HIM, BUT HE WILL ONE DAY STAND BEHING A PULPIT AND PREACH LIKE HIS WHOLE LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. JESUS KNEW FROM THE MOMENT OF MY BIRTH THAT HE HAD A MISSION FOR MY LIFE AND SOMEWHERE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE HE DECIDED BEFORE THE FIRST STAR WAS FORMED IN HEAVEN THAT ONE DAY MY FEET WOULD WALK THE GROUND I NOW STAND UPON.

GOD DOESN’T SEE WHAT WE ARE AT THE MOMENT BUT INSTEAD WITH HIS

WONDERFUL AND ARTISTIC HAND HE SEES THE END OF THE CREATION AND

WHAT WE SHALL ONE DAY BECOME.

1. IN FIRST SAMUEL CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE WHOLE WORLD SAW A SHEPHERD BOY BUT MY FRIENDS GOD SAW A KING

2. JESUS WHEN HE LOOKED INTO THE FACE OF PETER DIDN’T SEE THE CURSES HE WOULD SPEAK OR THE DENIAL IN HIS EYES BUT INSTEAD SAW THE ROCK UPON WHOM HE WOULD BUILD HIS CHURCH THAT THE GATES OF HELL WOULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT

3. MOSES WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO BE THE DELIVER OF THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE FROM THE HAND OF PHAROAH AND THE HARD BONDAGE IN EGYPT WAS ONLY A SHEPHERD BANISHED TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE WILDERNESS

4. JEREMIAH THE PROPHET WAS A BABY JUST AS WE ONCE WERE BUT IN THE BOOK THAT BEARS HIS NAME CHAPTER ONE VERSE FIVE ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE GREAT I AM SAID: " BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN YOUR MOTHER’S BELLY I KNEW YOU JEREMIAH AND FROM BEFORE THE MOMENT YOU WERE EVEN BORN I SANCTIFIED YOU AND SET YOU ASIDE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO MY PEOPLE.’

IN JUDGES CHAPTER SIX VERSE TWELVE THERE IS ANOTHER MAN WE SHALL LOOK AT IN THE SCOPE OF HIS SERVICE TO THE MISSION OF GOD. WE NOW KNOW HIS NAME AS GIDEON AND WE PLACE SUCH GREAT HONOR ON THE NAME OF GIDEON THAT EVEN AT THIS MOMENT A GROUP OF MEN WALK THE FACE OF THIS EARTH BEARING HIS NAME AS THEY HAND OUT THE WORD OF GOD. GOOD MEN, CHRISTIAN MEN THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO THE SERVICE OF GOD AND SEEING THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST AS GIVEN TO US IN MATTHEW 28:18-20 CARRIED OUT BY THE WORK OF THEIR EFFORTS AND PERSEVERANCE.

GIDEON MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A MAN DON’T YOU THINK? SURELY HE WAS A FINE SPECIMEN OF A MAN’S MAN TO INSPIRE MEN WITH HIS LIFESTORY TODAY. THE ANGEL SENT BY GOD INTO HIS PRESENCE FELT SO AND CARRIED THE MESSAGE OF GOD STRAIGHT FROM THE LIPS OF THE LORD…" YOU MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR."

GOD SAW HIM AS A MAN OF GREAT COURAGE AND A MAN THAT COULD LEAD OTHER MEN AND THE WORD SPOKEN TO THE MAN GIDEON BEAR THIS OUT…

BUT…

IF YOU OR I WERE TO HAVE GIVEN OUR OPINION OF HIM IT WOULD BE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN.

A. THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS AT WAR AND HAD NEED OF EACH AND EVERY MAN THAT WAS ABLE TO CARRY A SWORD OR SPEAR TO FIGHT THE GREAT ARMY OF THE MIDIANITES WAS NEEDED.

B. GIDEON WAS THRESHING WHEAT BY A WINEPRESS, HIDING FROM THE MIDIANITES AND HIS OWN PEOPLE

C. GIDEON WAS A DESERTER

D. BUT GOD’S MESSENGER STRAIGHT FROM THE THRONE OF HEAVEN SAID, THE LORD IS WITH YOU, YOU MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR! I OFTEN WONDER IF GIDEON HAD ANY IDEA WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR HIM FROM THAT MOMENT ON?