God Delights In Bad Odds

GOD DELIGHTS IN BAD ODDS

1 Sam. 14:6-15,23

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: BOUDREAUX DUMPING TRASH

1. Boudreaux pulled over on the side of the highway and was dumping his trash beside the road. A policeman spotted him, turned around, got out and walked up to him. “Boudreaux, what do you think you’re doing?”

2. Boudreaux said, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m dumping my trash!” The policeman said, “You can’t dump your trash on the side of the highway! Can’t you see that sign right there?”

3. “Yeah, I see it. It says, ‘Fine For Dumping: $100.’ So here’s my trash, so where’s my $100?”

B. THE LONG-SHOT THAT WON

1. At the 1913 Kentucky Derby, the smart money rested on one of three horses. Their names were Yankee Notions, Ten Point, and Foundation. True to the odds-makers predictions, those three swapped the lead back and forth between them as they rounded the track at Churchill Downs. As the horses churned into the stretch, Ten Point was leading.

2. Then something happened that almost nobody saw coming: a 91-1 long shot named Donerail drove from the rear of the field and captured the lead. When he crossed the finish line, he was half a body length ahead of Ten Point. To this day, Donerail’s incredible upset stands as the highest paying, long shot victory in Kentucky Derby history. [Raymond Medeiros]

3. GOD DELIGHTS IN BAD ODDS/LONGSHOTS. Why? Because then it’ll be obvious that only God could’ve pulled it off. The more unlikely the situation (if we pray), the better God likes it. God likes to show His hand, but He won’t do it unless we step out and depend on Him to come through in order for us have success. God likes the “come-from-behind” position.

4. EXAMPLES:

*Samson Versus 1,000s of Philistines.

*Gideon’s 300 men against 120,000 Midianites.

*Elijah Versus Ahab, 450 prophets, millions of Israelites.

* 5½’ shepherd Boy against a 9’9” martial arts Champion.

*Unarmed Slaves against the Egyptian Army (Red Sea)

*We see it again today:

C. TEXT

6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. 23 So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven. 1 Sam. 14:6-15,23.

D. TITILE

The title of this message is, “God Delights in Bad Odds.”

I. THE EFFECTS OF COMPROMISE WITH SIN

A. ONLY 600 WILLING TO FIGHT

1. Israel was a nation that wouldn’t commit to serving God. Their compromise weakened them and made them subject to their enemies. Here was a nation with 2 ½ million people, but King Saul can only rally 600 soldiers to fight. Where were the “men” of Israel?

2. The location of Saul’s headquarters was indicative of their morale. The place where they were camped was called Migron, which means "fear." Saul & his men had gone from warriors to worriers!

B. THEY WERE UNARMED

1. The Israelites with Saul were unarmed; they only had slings and clubs; there wasn’t a sword or spear among them. 1 Sam. 13:19 says, “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” The Israelites had allowed the Philistines to disarm them!