As he stood there staring across the field within a stadium filled to the top, John Elway was in the 1987 AFC championship game losing by 7 points with 5 minutes left and 98 yards to drive to score and potentially be in the NFL Super Bowl. He was looking for a victory in an unlikely situation.
Read Judges 7:20-21
We as followers will be able to find victory in the most unlikely situations when we are faithful and obedient to God and his plans.
I. To Find Victory we must accept the Task
- A story of a man and a nation who faced a very tough task can be seen in Judges chapter’s 6 and 7. Israel was being suppressed by the Midianites for around seven years and then he gave a task to an unlikely man to accomplish it. His name was Gideon, many of you have know the story, he was a farmer from the tribe of Manasseh and as Gideon said himself, “the weakest in my family”.
- Gideon was an unlikely leader but for Israel to be led to victory he had to accept the task no matter the risk.
- Many of us may think we aren’t smart enough to lead a Small group or not strong enough speakers to preach in front of thousands or not a powerful leader enough to lead a dwindling church into a mighty body of Christ that continues to grow.
- God knows what we are capable of and most importantly what he is capable of accomplishing, so we must be obedient to his calling and tasks for us as his followers.
- In today’s world the element of risk is very small. Everyday people are trying to find ways to minimize risks in life whether it’s stock, Medicare, healthcare, seatbelts helmets among many things. I’m not saying these things are bad but because of them we can sometimes become hardened to the idea of taking risks. Sometime’s God wants us to take risks…risks for him so that his power can be shown through his task at hand.
- As followers of Christ we do have a choice.. We can walk in obedience to God’s plans and be led to victory or we can walk our own way in disobedience and be led astray.
- To find victory we must obey and accept God’s plans no matter the risk or situation.
II. To Find Victory we must have FAITH
- We must believe in God’s plans, have faith in his power and know that he can accomplish anything through his power.
- At first Gideon questioned God’s favor and power and asked for a sign to know God would be with him.
- He actually asked for several signs, in one God brought fire from a rock and consumed a meal and in the other he asked one day for a wool fleece to be wet and the ground to be dry and then the next day he asked for the wool to be dry and the ground covered in dew… God answered… and Gideon had faith in God’s plans in himself to become a leader in an unlikely situation.
- There were a few guys who met in their basement in Birmingham, AL. They were newly saved, ex drug addicts and many other things when one of them had a vision put in his heart that they would be leading thousands to the Lord. AN unlikely group of friends answered God’s task and did work for God. They began to grow more and more from a few friends to thousands of people from all over the nation who meet once a month to hear the word of God from this same group of the friends. It’s called the Basement, and it’s now broadcasted on national television as well as the web.
III. To Find Victory we must completely Obey
- Gideon accepted the task had faith, but had to obey. He had an army of 32,000 men to match up against a very powerful Midianite army. Then the Lord cut down his army to ten thousand because he wanted Israel to know they relied on the Lord and not their own strength.
- Too many times we accept the task, have faith but we don’t completely obey. Instead we attempt to accomplish the task at our own way. We live a live of “My way or the Highway” feeling that we can accomplish anything on our own.
- Imagine that a spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend was only 85 % faithful to you. That’s how we treat God sometimes, we accept his vision and believe in it but we may do it his way or we may just do it our way because we think it’s easier.
- We must completely obey God’s plans to have True Victory.
- During the Civil War President Lincoln met with a group of ministers for a breakfast. One of them spoke up and said, “Let us pray that we are on God’s Side,” Lincoln then responded, “No, Gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.” We must not only accept the task and know that God’s supporting us but we must make sure we are supporting his will and not our own.
- Gideon’s army was now down to 10,000 when he commanded him to take his men down to a watering pool or area. There he separated the men who drank the water to their mouths directly and the men who drank the water from their hands to their mouths. Only 300 hundred men drank from their hands, and God commanded Gideon to send the rest home.
- Imagine the thoughts of these men. Only 300? Verses thousands of warriors?
- Then they were to take trumpets, torches, and jars to the campsite of their enemy at night. I personally would like some weapons but they obeyed God and would find victory.
- As they blew their trumpets and broke their jars and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.” IT caused complete chaos and the enemy turned against themselves killing each other and then they fled.
- Gideon accepted obeyed God completely and found victory
IV. Conclusion
- As he eyed the 98 yards of green grass ahead of him, Elway called play after play, and made pass after pass and run after run to make it all the way down the field to tie the game and send it to Over Time where they won the AFC Championship.
- Much like the Israelites, the broncos
o Accepted the task
o Believed and had faith
o Obeyed and executed their plans
o Found Victory amidst an unlikely situation
- Are we going to be like Gideon who answered the task had faith and obeyed God’s will and found victory or are we going to dwindle away by not doing the things the Lord has called us to accomplish.
