“300”
Pt. 3 – Cracked Pots
I have been drawing your attention to the now infamous battle for Thermopylae where the 300 Spartans held off over 20,000 Persian hordes for 4 days while inflicting heavy casualties upon the Persians. Of course, if you read your history book or watch the movie you also know that the Spartans weren’t alone. They had assistance from as many as 6100 soldiers from surrounding areas. Another truth that you know is that ultimately the mighty 300 were soundly defeated until every last man, save the one sent back to rally the remaining Spartans to action, was killed. This again is what makes the real 300 so spectacular. They faced even more insurmountable odds at 135,000 to 300 and yet this 300 with the help and assistance of almighty God wins a resounding victory.
We have been going back over the account of Gideon and his mighty men and have learned some lessons. Quickly I want to remind you of these before we conclude our study this morning.
Don’t be surprised if the enemy seeks out your most precious for an attack!
You can’t hide forever!
We must start with us.
Did not fear insurmountable odds.
Convenience doesn’t lead to conquering.
And then last time we learned that when you are involved in battle God will provide.
God’s provision is for war not for waste.
Provision should not distract us from war, but rather prepare us for war.
Praise is a weapon and therefore it must be continual, sacrificial, and always precedes victory.
Finally, others are counting on your praise. We must pick up our trumpet and praise.
There are several other lessons or truths that I could bring to your attention that I just don’t have time to dive into. So just let me mention them in passing before we deal with our topic this morning.
Additional truths:
a. I believe that one of the major characteristics of the 300 was and is that they gladly listened to, submitted to, and followed leadership as long as that leadership is moving forward, taking back territory, and refusing to be satisfied with status quo. In other words they were unwilling to follow or to settle for the “same old same old”.
We see this in Judges 7:17 he instructs his army of 300 to “Watch me, follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.” And they obeyed. Others may think you are hard headed, rebellious, and unruly. I just think you are looking for someone to lead you who will refuse to settle for mediocre (the best of the worst and worst of the best – half way up the mountain). The challenge is that you have to have enough discernment to notice and realize when you have found that leader. Too many of us have become so accustom to discounting, mistrusting, and resisting every leader in our life until we fail to recognize the one that God sends into our life to harness our abilities, giftings, and help us fulfill our destiny!
b. The 300 confused the enemy. So will you. He won’t understand your sound, your soul, your heart, your fire, your passion! You are on assignment to confuse the enemy so that you can take territory. That means you won’t fit in, you won’t play the part you will be different! Quit trying to fit in. Quit compromising so that you won’t stick out. God has ordained you to be different. That difference will be a weapon.
c. Gideon sent word (Judges 7:24) to the people who lived in the hill country of Ephraim and asked them to join in the route of the enemy. Even though none of the men of Ephraim had passed the test the three hundred had passed Gideon invited them to enjoy the victory.
The men of Ephraim hadn’t felt the rush of adrenaline or twinge of fear that Gideon’s three hundred had experienced as they approached the Midianite camp. They didn’t have to think about all that they could have possibly lost if the attack on the Midianite camp had gone wrong. Yet they were invited to take part in the spoils of victory. The three hundred should have hogged the victory. They should have grabbed the spotlight. They should have made a name for themselves and advertised their ability. They should have kept all the spoils to themselves.
Right?
No, one of the major characteristic of this army is willingness to go out of your way to invite people who may not have sacrificed, prayed, fought, or worked like you to enjoy the blessings and spoils of victory. Members of this army are not stingy or egotistical. This victory is not about us or just for us. The victories we win are for the advancement of His kingdom not our kingdom. We don’t need the spotlight or the credit. We are only concerned with winning and the blessing it brings to the Body of Christ. So in other words this isn’t about getting our name in the program! This isn’t about us getting to sing so others will know who we are. This isn’t about us getting to do our thing. This isn’t even about us prospering! No this is about us gaining a victory that we can share with those around us. This is about the kingdom of God growing and bring about a blessing that can flow into every area of our community!
Text: Judges 7:7, 16-22
7GOD said to Gideon: “I’ll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home.”
16He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch in the jar. 17He said, “Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do. 18When I and those with me blow the trumpets, you also, all around the camp, blow your trumpets and shout, ‘For GOD and for Gideon!’” 19Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. 20All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, “A sword for GOD and for Gideon!” 21They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. 22When the three hundred blew the trumpets, GOD aimed each Midianite’s sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives
I. Cracked Pots
As weapons, to go along with the trumpet that they had picked up, Gideon handed each of his men a vessel or a pot. One of the noticeable things about this pot is that it was Empty. It that had nothing on the inside. At least that is how the pots began. Then Gideon went one step further and handed each man a torch to be placed on the inside of the pot.
Strange? Maybe. But this is a perfect picture of our battlefield equipment. I could stop here and remind you that you are nothing more than a clay pot. That’s right, whether we like it or not, we are simply a vessel of dirt. Our bodies are constructed from dust and, just like the pots Gideon handed his men, our pots are empty. We really have nothing to offer on our own. But when we meet Jesus we are handed a torch, a fire that is placed on the inside. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul tells us that we are earthen vessels that hold a treasure on the inside.
God constructed us this way so that people will notice that the power comes from God, not us. We have been chosen to house the fiery presence of Christ. However, it is here that I want to focus our attention this morning. I need you to notice one more very important truth from the account in Judges. Gideon sends his men to battle with the vessel and the torch. When he gave the command Gideon’s men broke their vessel to allow the light to shine through. In other words (Slide 7a) the light couldn’t get out until the pot was cracked or broken!
I want to focus in this morning on brokenness!
There are two types of brokenness:
a. God initiated brokenness
b. Self initiated brokenness
You know about God initiated brokenness. It comes in the form of the plagues to deal with a hardened Pharaoh who has refused to humble himself before God. It comes in the form of long hair, long fingernails, and a desire to eat grass for an arrogant Babylonian king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar. It comes in the form of a big fish to swallow a wayward prophet. It comes in the way of bright light on the Damascus Road to a preacher masquerading as a ruthless killer named Paul.
God will take steps to correct, chastise, reprimand or whatever else word you can place there in order to produce in brokenness in His Children. He will use people to break us. People we like and people we don’t like. He will use situations to break us. Good experiences and bad experiences. But God can and will initiate brokenness in our lives.
But there is also self initiated brokenness. This kind is better. This is when someone willfully and willingly humbles themselves. This is what James talks about in 4:10, “10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.”
This is the brokenness found in 1 Chronicles 7:14 that we love to quote. “If my people who are called by their name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” But we fail to remember the key word which is humble.
Self initiated brokenness is better. This type of brokenness moves God.
But rest assured brokenness is inevitable for members of this army. Jesus attests to this in (Slide 8b) Matthew 23:11 when he says, “11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
In other words you are cracked if you do and cracked if you don’t! Come on look at your neighbor and say you will be a cracked pot.
Why? Because brokenness is necessary for light to escape from within you. What is in you has to get out. So if it is essential then we must change our perspective on brokenness. Most of us have a distorted or unhealthy view on brokenness.
II. Perspective of Brokenness
a. Avoidance to Embracing
We must come to grips with brokenness and understand that we can’t avoid it so we should embrace it. It is a necessary step in the journey. That is why you have gone through some of the tough, hard, painful things that you have experienced. God is allowing what is happening to you to break you so that His light can dispel the darkness and the enemy.
No victory could have been won if the lights had remained hidden. Victory demanded brokenness. The same is true in your situation. I know you would like to experience life with no pain, no tears, and no brokenness. However, victory can only be won when you are broken enough to allow the light of Christ to shine through you. God takes people who have been shattered and makes them vessels of honor. He does this so that the broken vessel won’t receive the glory or the attention. Everyone will look at the broken life and give glory to God for the great things that have been accomplished through it.
The good news is that with all of your problems, hang-ups, hurts, pains, bumps, bruises, and shattering experiences you are the perfect candidate to house the fire of Christ. God has selected you because He only uses a cracked pot! Don’t hide your brokenness, celebrate it. It allows the light to show through and victories to be won! Brokenness doesn’t just produce light it reveals light.
b. Get over it
Some of us focus so much on the pain that we fail to see the product. Therefore we can’t seem to get over the pain of the process and we become consumed with bitterness, anger, depression. There comes a time when you have to change your perspective, see what the process was about and get over it. Get over the hurt. Get over the divorce. Get over the back stabbing. Get over the double cross. Get over the lie. Get over the failure. Did it hurt? Absolutely! Was it part of the process? Absolutely! The pain was a byproduct of the ultimate goal which was brokenness. If we focus on the pain we stagnate and remain hardened and useless. All the pain did was to produce cracks in you so that light could escape. Quit trying to patch the cracks! Come on look at your neighbor. Some of them have been through painful, gut wrenching tragedy. But look at them and tell them, “get over it!” Get your big girl panties on and allow the process to produce the fruit of brokenness! See the big picture.
Too many of us are like Samuel. When God rejected Saul, whom Samuel had chosen or at least thought he had chosen, he mourned over it so much that God had to confront him and say, “How long will you mourn over what I have rejected?” How long will you cry over spilled milk? Get over it.
c. Understand the potential of brokenness
Did you know that your greatest liability can become your greatest asset? What do you mean? Think about Zacchaeus. Do you want to sing the song you learned in children’s church? He was a wee little man. Think about it. He was probably ridiculed all through life. He always got the short end of the stick. Last one picked for the team. Butt of every joke. Snickers and snears. Little man in a big man’s world. But have you ever stopped to think that he had been the average 5’8” of his day that he would have never had to climb the tree? Jesus would have never been at his house if he had not had a liability.
What has caused your brokenness can become an area of potential for ministry and for people to see Jesus! Your divorce can be a platform for ministry to singles who are about to choose a spouse. Your devastating financial loss can become a vantage point to help someone to make good business decisions. Come on allow your liability, your brokenness to become a place of potential rather than a death trap of despair.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT CAUSED YOUR CRACK, BUT I DO KNOW THAT GOD CAN USE YOUR CRACK!
d. It all boils down to trusting God
All He is trying to do is get rid of bragging rights and get the light that is in you out of you. We have to trust Him. He states very clearly in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - 13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
The good news is that the more broken you are the closer God is! Psalms 34:18, “God is close to those who are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit.”
Isaiah 42:3 - 3A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.
3He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.
Isaiah 57:15,
“15A Message from the high and towering God, who lives in Eternity, whose name is Holy: “I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again.”
Trust God! Yes, the cracks can be painful, but trust God. The cracks are what reveal the light. You may examine your own life and say I am ruined. I am a mess. I have too many flaws, too many hurts, too many broken areas. However, cracked pots become great weapons in the hands of God!
III. Closing
So this morning I am telling you that what I am trying to do is gather a bunch of people who won’t say no to crack! I am trying to gather imperfect, flawed, broken people who will allow the pain of their past to become a portal for light! So that other broken people will see and be drawn. I know the fire is in you. We just need it to get out.
Do I have any broken folks in the house? Have you viewed your pain properly? Have you allowed the pain to mold you or bog you down?
I want us to pray a very dangerous prayer this morning. I want us to pray for brokenness. That we will either initiate it or that God will initiate it but one way or another we will be broken so that light will escape from this place. I want us to also pray for those that are being broken, but haven’t been able to see past the pain to understand the process. Pray that God will minister hope to them now!
