Enemies
Pt. 4 – Enemy Earned
I. Introduction
Over the course of this series I have tried to make you aware that you have enemies. There is no way to avoid this truth. I have also tried to share some thoughts with you about how to spot your enemy. I have tried to teach you that you can’t become tolerant of your enemy. I have also tried to help you change your perspective about having an enemy so that you will realize that having an enemy actually makes you stronger and better! This morning I want to wrap this series up by challenging you to shake off apathetic and safe living so that you can earn an enemy.
TEXT: Judges 6:24-30; 7:9-14
24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."
7:9-14
9-12 That night, GOD told Gideon: "Get up and go down to the camp. I’ve given it to you. If you have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your armor bearer; when you hear what they’re saying, you’ll be bold and confident." He and his armor bearer Purah went down near the place where sentries were posted. Midian and Amalek, all the easterners, were spread out on the plain like a swarm of locusts. And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand on the seashore! 13 Gideon arrived just in time to hear a man tell his friend a dream. He said, "I had this dream: A loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp. It came to the tent and hit it so hard it collapsed. The tent fell!" 14 His friend said, "This has to be the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite! God has turned Midian—the whole camp!—over to him."
II. Enemy Earned
a. Make them murder mad.
If Gideon had done nothing (like he always had) no one would have opposed him and no one would have wanted to kill him and the Israelites would have stayed in bondage.
When was last time someone tried to kill you? I am going to make a very blunt and bold statement . . . If you don’t have someone/something trying to kill you (emotionally, spiritually, relationally) then you aren’t really following Christ wholeheartedly!
Nobody opposed the disciples until they earned an enemy. Nobody tried to stop their travels, no one tried to intimidate them, and no one wanted to crucify them, beat them, or behead them until they did something! Have you ever noticed that while they were fishing for fish no one bothered them? Once they started fishing for men they earned an enemy!
One man said correctly that “The best people in almost any field are almost always the people who get the most criticism.” He goes onto say, “Focus on impact, not approval. If you believe you can change the world, which I hope you do, do what you believe is right and expect resistance and expect attackers!”
Do Something . . . Risk Something
We fail to be resisted because we fail to believe that we can change the world. Your level of opposition reveals your level of risk.
I am concerned because some of you have no enemies. That is a clear indication that you aren’t really doing anything for God. Everyone likes you, everyone wants you in the room, and everyone accepts you. Jesus was crystal clear about this fact . . . at the moment we follow Him completely we would be hated. Too many of us are not hated!
In fact, as I told you earlier in this series, Jesus said he was sending us into the midst of wolves. That is a promise that involves the element of danger. We read right over it, but imagine tossing some sheep into the wolf cage. That is essentially what Jesus is saying. We are built for risk and danger and I think life becomes mundane when we lose the element of danger. Most of us have stopped taking risks and started playing it safe and then we wonder why we’re bored. We do our best to avoid bothering anyone, upsetting the apple cart, rocking the boat, or stirring the pot, just fit in, blend in when Jesus was clear that we are called to create waves!
If you have no enemies . . . you have no life!
My dad taught me a spiritual truth when I was very young that I have never forgotten. He once told me that “Dogs don’t bark at parked cars!” In other words, until I begin to do something for Christ the devil is content with leaving me alone. The moment I start moving the devil will show up and begin to jack with me.
So, until I do something that gets the enemies attention I am not moving, but stagnant.
Some of you see people battling all kinds of things (sickness, pain, brokenness, outside forces) and in your mind you have even thought, “I am so blessed because I don’t face any of that!” Maybe you’re not blessed . . . maybe you’re boring. Maybe what we believe is protection is simply a result of playing it safe! Could it be that the devil has decided that that the best and most effective weapon to use against you is to leave you alone because in doing so he doesn’t have to worry about you changing the world?
Earn your enemy!
What are you doing right now that scares the devil? Jesus’ presence caused demons to cry out, cower down, and get nervous! We have so watered down and covered up the Jesus in us that demons, devils, and enemies don’t even notice when we are in the room! Is anything barking at you?
b. Make them talk!
Gideon was instructed to sneak into the camp of his enemies and listen to their discussion. He crawled into position and ease dropped long enough to realize that his enemies were they were scared of him!
If you could sneak up on your enemy what would it/they be saying about you?
What are you involved in that has your enemies talking? What area of ministry, what outreach, what risk are you taking, what endeavor, what need are you meeting, what are you doing that causes your enemies to discuss you?
I want you to notice that when Gideon snuck into the enemy’s camp he discovered that they were not only talking about him, but they were also talking about his God? We need to be doing something that causes our enemies to talk about our God! Your enemies are going to talk about you one way or another, but when they begin to talk about your God you know you are fulfilling your purpose and plan when what we are doing forces them to fear our God! We need to put the fear of God back in our enemies!
We have a decision to make as a body. I honestly believe that we are at a very important moment in the life of this church. We can try to be unopposed. We can try to avoid missteps, casualties, and pain and we will be unnoticed. Or we can take chances, step out in faith, walk towards our promise when it makes more sense to just coast. We can attempt to make the community around us better, we can attempt to grow God’s kingdom . . . but in doing so we just need to know that we will earn enemies. Haters will show up. Attacks will be common place. There will be a price to pay and that price is that we must be disciplined, diligent and we get no days off! We will be in the crosshairs and we have to decide if we want to be the target or not! This is not just preacher speak! This is reality. The moment we try to expand the boundaries of the kingdom the wolf will attack. He isn’t playing. This is life and death. This isn’t a game. And the only way to avoid all of that is to do nothing. I am not about ready to do nothing! Let’s give them something to talk about!
You have a decision to make individually. You can go through life unscathed and safe, but if you do you will make no difference! Or you can go for all that God has called you to do. Go back and pick up that forgotten call. Get off of easy street and get your hands dirty. Find a way to do something for God that stretches you and sets you up for a battle. It is in that moment that you will really have a life!
