SERMON OUTLINE:
The Negatives:
• Gideon already knew God’s will.
• Gideon’s fleece setting was evidence of his distrust, not his faith.
• Fleece setting is dictating to God.
• Fleece setting doesn’t really solve the problem.
The Positives:
• We see God’s love & patience (vs 40).
• We see Gideon maturing.
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
Famous or well-known sayings and phrases from the Bible Quiz
(1). ‘Can a leopard change its spots?’
From the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23 (King James Version):
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
(2). ‘Give up the ghost’
There are many uses of this phrase in the Bible, including this, from Miles Coverdale's Version, 1535, Acts 12:23:
“Immediatly the angell of the LORDE smote him, because he gaue not God the honoure: And he “was eaten vp of wormes, and gaue vp the goost.”
(3). ‘By the skin of your teeth’
The phrase first appears in English in the Geneva Bible, 1560, in Job 19:20, which provides a literal translation of the original Hebrew:
"I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe."
(4). ‘The apple of my eye’
It also appears several times in the Bible; for example, in Deuteronomy 32:10 (King James Version, 1611) and in Zechariah 2:8:
“He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”
(5). ‘No rest for the wicked’
Isaiah 57 verses 20-21.
The expression was first printed in English in Miles Coverdale's Bible, 1535:
“But the wicked are like the raginge see, that ca not rest, whose water fometh with the myre & grauel. Eueso ye wicked haue no peace, saieth my God.”
(6). ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
From the Bible, Acts 20:35 (King James Version):
“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
(7). ‘A wolf in sheep's clothing’
The King James Version of the Bible, 1611, gives this warning in Matthew 7:15:
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
(8). ‘Wit’s End’.
From Psalm 107:27 (KJV),
“They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” And the Psalm does not refer to the Whit’s End with the Imagination Station.
TRANSITION:
• There is an expression and well-known saying used by Christians:
• Which is; “To put out your fleece”
• This concept of putting out a "fleece" is found in our study passage today;
• Judges chapter 6,
• Where Gideon was afraid to attack Midian until heaven “proved” its support
• So Gideon comes up with a cunning plan,
• He tests God by putting out a fleece.
• And he does this not once but twice;
• A wet fleece, and then then a dry fleece.
• Many Christians today;
• Use this same idea when they have big or important decisions to make;
• They ask God for a sign to show them what to do.
• A sign to give clarity on a certain issue or decision.
• And they refer to it as ‘putting out a fleece’.
Note:
• Now one of the questions we will look at this morning is;
• Was it a wise thing for Gideon to do and can we as Christians copy this principle today?
• i.e. You want to know who to marry – put out a fleece for confirmation.
• i.e. You want to know which university to go to – put out a fleece for confirmation.
• i.e. You want to know what job to take – put out a fleece for confirmation.
• i.e. You want to know if God is calling you to the mission field…etc.
• We all face bog decisions in life;
• Is ‘putting out a fleece’ a good and simple way of finding guidance?
• Note: By ‘putting out a fleece’ today;
• I am not referring to laying a sheepskin on the floor;
• But the idea of asking God for a specific sign.
Ill:
• Fleece by Adrian Plass.
• http://www.sermonspice.com/product/36592/adrian-plass-fleece
ill:
• In my own experience as a Christian;
• It seems to me that God rarely makes things clear to us;
• He never shows us the way ahead i.e. A to Z.
• But rather he shows us things one step at a time.
• i.e. A to B. Then B to C. Then C to D etc.
ill:
Read any of the great Christian biographies and that principle soon becomes clear.
• i.e. David Livingstone planned to go to China,
• But God led him to Africa,
• To be its missionary-statesman, general and explorer.
• i.e. Alexander Mackay prepared for work in Madagascar,
• But was directed to Uganda,
• To aid in founding one of the most remarkable missions in the world.
• i.e. Elisabeth Elliott believed God was calling her to Africa.
• But God sent her to Ecuador.
• i.e. Jim Elliott was convinced he was called to be single;
• But then married Elizabeth Elliott!
• i.e. William Carey (the father of modern missions) proposed to go to the South Sea,
• But God had other plans and guided him to India,
• To give to the teeming millions of that land the Bible in their native tongue!
Ill:
• On Camp next week;
• I am going to serialise each day the story of Gladys’s Aylewood,
• (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Aylward)
• The remarkable small London parlour maid who went to be a missionary to China.
• Her story was told in the book, The Small Woman, by Alan Burgess,
• And also made into the film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness,
• When Gladys’s Aylewood arrived in China (which is a miraculous tale in itself);
• She lived a happy single life for seven years in China,
• Before an English couple came to work nearby.
• As she watched them together;
• She began to realise that she was missing out on something wonderful.
• So she prayed that God would choose a man for her in England;
• Call him to be a missionary;
• And to send him straight out to her part of China and have him propose!
• She told this story to Elizabeth Elliott who said;
• “As she told me this story she leaned towards me;
• And pointed her bony little finger towards her face and she said;
• “Elizabeth, I believe God answers prayer!
• He called him but he never came!””
• TRANSITION:
• We all want clear signs from God – but so often we do not get them!
• None of those Christian heroes of the faith;
• Had a clear sign from God like Gideon asked for.
• To help them discern and discover the will of God;
• They had to walk by faith and not by sight!
• One step at a time.
• i.e. A to B. Then B to C. Then C to D etc.
• Which I would suggest is the normal Christian principal for guidance.
Question: Should a Christian put out a ‘fleece’?
Answer:
• As we look at our Bible passage you will see that;
• These verses actually discourages us from setting our fleece before God.
• As you scan the passage you will see 4 reasons why that is.
(1). Gideon already knew God’s will.
• Twice in this chapter God told Gideon what his will was;
• Twice in this chapter Gideon was clearly told what to do!
• i.e. Verse 36 Gideon knew that and was very aware of that:
• “Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand AS YOU HAVE PROMISED”
Question: When did God promise Gideon and reveal his will to him?
Answer:
The first time God promised Gideon victory was in verse 14:
“ The LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’”
The second time God promised Gideon victory was in verse 16:
“The LORD answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.’”
Notice:
• Gideon had three special supernatural reasons for trusting God;
• And yet he still doubted.
• FIRST: Gideon have a double promise of victory from God.
• On two occasions God assured him verbally.
• SECOND: But he also had a miraculous messenger (an angel);
• Who delivered that message!
• (I would suggest the vast majority of us have never knowingly seen an angel)
• THIRDLY: God gave him a miraculous sign;
• His sacrifice was consumed by fire before him!
• Verse 20-21:
“The angel of God said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.’ And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.”
• This is not the story of Gideon’s obedience;
• And therefore watch, learn and copy!
• But rather this is a story of someone who knew what they ought to do;
• But still refused to do it because he wanted more and more proofs from God.
• His actions in this chapter;
• Reveal Gideon as a bad example not a good pattern to follow.
Application:
• God was looking for obedience;
• And all he found was a man with excuses!
• If we want to know the will of God;
• It will require us to obey God in the things he has already revealed to us.
Ill:
• Suppose I am working in the garage,
• It is hot and dusty and I am thirsty.
• My son Arlo comes by and so I say to him;
• “Arlo, please can you pop in the house and bring me a glass of cold water?
• He replies: “Sure dad” and off he goes;
• A few minutes later he returns with an apple.
• So I say, “Arlo I really like apples, but can you get me a glass of water”
• So again he replies; “No problem” and off he goes.
• This time when he returns he is holding a bar of chocolate.
• So once again I say, “Arlo I really like chocolate, but can you get me a glass of water?”
• And this time he reappears with an ice-lolly.
• So I say, “Arlo I really like ice-lollies, but can you get me a glass of water”
• So again he replies; “No problem” and off he goes.
• This time when he returns he is holding a…
• TRANSITION:
• The point of the story is this.
• What Arlo is bringing me is good and it is nice;
• BUT it is not what I am asking for;
• So actually it is disobedience no obedience!
• So often God asks us to do something;
• And we reply by doing something good but it is not actually what he has asked us to do!
• And we need to realise that this is disguised disobedience and not obedience!
Quote: 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 22 (N.I.V.):
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
Quote: 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 22 Living Bible:
“Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him.
• The peoples offerings and sacrifices were good;
• In the sense they followed the prescribed pattern;
• But actually they were a substitute for obeying God.
• They like Gideon and like us;
• Need to listen to what God is saying;
• And with his help seek to obey!
(2). Gideon’s fleece setting was evidence of his distrust, not his faith.
Ill:
• Robert Moffat (1795 – 1883) was a missionary to Africa,
• He was also father-in-law of David Livingstone,
• And he was the first translator of the Bible into Setswana.
• For many years he worked for God in the British colony of Bechuanaland,
• Today the region forms part of South Africa;
• While he was faithfully serving God in that part of the world;
• He never saw a single convert.
• Some of his friends in England wrote to him;
• They asked him what they might send him as a present, a gift;
• He wrote back requesting a communion set.
• His friends were surprised by the request:
• Because since there were no other believers in that area and no converts.
• What would be the point of a communion set.
• Several months later when the communion set arrived;
• There were more than a dozen natives who had been converted to Christ.
• They were able to take part in their first Lord’s Supper.
• Thanks to the faith of Robert Moffat.
• TRANSITION: Moffat was very much a man of faith;
• In this incident (I stress that because at other times Gideon displayed great faith –
• Hebrews chapter 11 calls him a man of faith verses 32-34);
• But in this incident I would suggest that;
• Gideon’s fleece setting was evidence of his doubt, not his faith.
• His actions reveal his lack of faith and they do not show him in good light.
Note: Remember all the things in Gideon’s favour:
• At this moment in time:
• (a). Gideon had a double promise from God.
• (b). He had experienced a miraculous sign from God;
• Hs offering as consumed by fire.
• (c). Gideon had evidence of God’s protection (vs 27-32);
• After tearing down the alter and Asherah pole in his father’s house,
• (d). Verse 34 tells us that Gideon had been filled with the spirit!
• As a result he blew the trumpet and had 32,000 Israelites respond to the call to arms.
Humanly speaking you might look at this story and say:
• Everything is working in Gideon’s favour.
• He has promises, miracles, protection and now an army by his side.
• And yet bizarrely it’s at this point that we find Gideon turning to God and saying:
“Now are you really sure this is what I’m supposed to do?”
“Can you show me a sign confirming this?”
Now in Gideon’s defence – let’s remember that:
• Gideon would have grown up in a pagan community,
• His father was a pagan priest, with idols in his home.
• He may well have known some of the stories of God’s people;
• Such as the freeing of the people of Israel out of Egypt.
• But Gideon had probably never seen or heard the written word of God,
• This man is wearing the ‘L’ plates of a new believer;
• He is young and inexperienced in his new found faith.
• All he can draw on is his recent experience:
• When God appeared to him and called this weakling to be a mighty warrior!
• And as Gideon looks at his newly formed army numbering 32,000 men;
• He knows that humanly speaking he has not got a chance of winning any war!
Ill:
• Chapter 7 verse 12 tells us about the opposition Gideon is supposed to destroy;
• Numerically they are described as “being as thick as locusts”.
• And if that was not frightening enough we are told:
• “Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.”
• Gideon’s task was formidable!
And this task was asked of Him from a God, whom he was just getting to know:
• In one sense we should not be surprised that he had doubts.
• After all he was ordinary the same as you and me!
• He was not some super saint from history.
Ill:
• We know that from the safety of this comfortable building;
• With a Bible in your hand and the fellowship of other Christians;
• Believing is easy;
• But when we are alone, with no bible and without the support of other believers;
• Our faith is challenged and stretched and we are suddenly not quite so sure.
• And it is a whole new ball-game.
Ill:
• Charles Blondin was a 19th century acrobat,
• Famous for his tightrope act 160 feet (48.5 meters);
• Above the rushing waters of Niagra Falls;
• On a rope which was over a thousand feet long (305 meters).
• In 1860 a Royal party from Britain saw Blondin cross the tightrope on stilts,
• He then did the same incredible stunt only this time he was blindfolded.
• Not only that he then walked halfway across, stopped and cooked and ate an omelette.
• Next he wheeled a wheelbarrow from one side to the other,
• And returned with a sack of potatoes in it.
• Then Blondin approached the Royal party.
• He asked the Duke of Newcastle,
• "Do you believe I could take a man across the tightrope in this wheelbarrow?"
• The Duke replied; "Yes, I do" ,
• "Hop in, then" , replied Blondin.
• You might be surprised to know that the Duke declined Blondin's challenge.
• He might have believed Blondin could do it,
• But he wasn't about to trust him with his life.
• TRANSITION:
• When it comes to God, this kind of belief is not much good to him.
• God is looking for followers who will trust him with their lives.
(3). Fleece setting is dictating to God.
Verse 36-37:
“Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised – 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing-floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’”
• Notice that Gideon didn’t come to God and say,
• “God I still have doubts please confirm for me that you are still calling me to this task.”
• Instead he told God specifically how God was to display the sign.
• The test was for God to suspend the laws of nature;
• In order to confirm His will to Gideon.
Ill:
• Remember Gideon’s background was pagan;
• Gideon had never read or was unaware of Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 17:
• Where God says through Moses to the Israelites
• “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
• Those words come to God’s people with the reminder;
• That God had supernaturally delivered the people from Egypt,
• He had performed many miracles to bring them to this point.
• Now he wants them to be people of faith and not people of sight;
• He wants the Hebrew people to develop their trust.
• They had already experienced more than enough supernatural events;
• To know God was real and that God keeps his word.
• They had a wealth of experience to develop confidence and trust;
• No further test shall be answered or needed.
• TRANSITION:
• Gideon was putting God to the test;
• He was dictating to God the terms of how the sign is to be shown.
• It was up to God to do what Gideon asked or else no obedience!
• He would not do what God had asked him to do!
Ill:
• You might remember that Jesus faced similar requests in the gospels;
• Matthew chapter 4 verses 1-11:
• When Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan to;
• ‘Throw yourself of the top of the temple’ –
• In other words test God - see if he will protect you like he promised.
• Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 17:
• “Do not put the Lord you God to the test.”
Ill:
• Another time in the life of Jesus;
• The religious leaders approached him and demanded a sign from him.
• Jesus’ response was short and swift:
• Matthew chapter 12 verse 39:
“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be
given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
• The irony in that passage from Matthew’s gospel and also in the story of Gideon;
• Is that miracles had already been occurring,
• e.g. Jesus was healing the sick, freeing the demon possessed;
• e.g. in Gideon’s case God consumed the offering with fire,
• God filled Gideon with his Spirit to blow the trumpet to which people responded.
• And yet with all this evidence before both Gideon and the religious leaders;
• They still demanded a miraculous sign on their terms.
Notice:
• Gideon might be spiritually immature but he is not stupid!
• He is very much aware that he is pushing the limits with God.
• Look at verse 39,
• Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request.”
• Gideon knew he was treading on thin ice;
• And that he was pushing it with God!
But once again keep in mind:
• Gideon had been living in a time of idolatry;
• He knew very little about the living God.
• He was timid by nature;
• You remember that just days before this incident,
• Gideon had been hiding in a wine-press.
• For him every step of faith was something new and major.
• This incident would be a major learning curve in his experience of God.
(4). Fleece setting doesn’t really solve the problem.
• God granted Gideon his first request and made the fleece wet and the ground dry.
• But for Gideon that was not enough – he needed more!
• You can just see the cogs turning in Gideon’s mind:
“Ok the fleece is wet and the ground is dry, but what if the fleece just holds water longer than the ground does, what if this just naturally happened.”
• Setting our fleece before God, dictating to Him how He is to answer;
• Can create more problems and questions;
• Than the question we started with.
Ill:
• Suppose you set a fleece and you say;
• You go for a job interview and the company say they will contact you soon.
• You go home and say:
• “If God wants me to have this job then the company much contact me by Wednesday!”
• Wednesday comes and goes without any contact,
• So you say to yourself – God does not want me to have the job.
• But then first thing Thursday morning a letter pops through the door offering you the job.
• Question: What do you do?
• Do you blame it on a lousy postal service and take the job.
• Or do you say, “No, it should have come yesterday to be valid!”
• Now you are even more confused than before!
• The point: When we try to dictate and manipulate God into working in my way.
• It can often backfire and cause us more questions than answers.
• By setting a fleece before God;
• What we have actually done is given reason to set more fleeces before God;
• In order to confirm the doubts that have arisen from the first fleece.
• TRANSITION: So Gideon comes to God and again dictates how God should respond.
• Instead of the fleece being wet and the ground dry,
• He says make it so the ground is wet and the fleece is dry;
• Then I will really know for sure.
Note: There are two important lessons we can learn from this short passage:
First: We see God’s love & patience (vs 40).
“That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.”
• We see in these verses the love and patience of God;
• He didn’t say; “That’s it I have had enough of Gideon.
• Let’s move on to someone else who won’t test me”.
• I believe God recognises Gideon’s immaturity and also his ignorance;
• And he responds to that in grace;
• He gives Gideon what he did not deserve.
Sound familiar – it should because that is how God deals with you and me!
• We are forever testing his patience and allowing our will to get in the way of his.
• Yet, as with Gideon God demonstrates great love and great patience towards us.
• We are only here today because God in his love & patience;
• Has given us opportunity after opportunity;
• Despite our foolish mistakes!
Second: We see Gideon maturing.
• Up to this point in the story we have seen that Gideon is still getting to know God.
• We see his struggles as he tries to get to know who God is;
• And if God can be trusted to follow through on His promises.
Question: How do we know Gideon’s faith has matured?
Answer: Gideon does not question God’s direction again!
• As we read the rest of Gideon’s story;
• Please notice that Gideon does not question God’s way again.
• Even when God reduces his army to a handful of men;
• Against the hordes of the Midianite enemies.
• Gideon obeys without question;
• Why?
• Because he has faith that God will do what He says because he has come to know God.
• As with all maturing believers:
• Gideon will now be walking by faith and not by sight!
Ill:
• This week at the CYE Sailing Centre;
• I have seen this principle applied again and again and again.
• Young people wanting to sail;
• When they try it their way they soon capsize and end up in the water.
• When they listen to the instructor;
• And seek to apply his directions – most of them sail and sail well!
• TRANSITION: Gideon had learnt to follow the words of his instructor;
• He looked to him and not to signs as he matured in his faith!
• He was growing up in his faith and not just growing old;
• May we too!
In conclusion:
• You may be saying to yourself;
• If we should not lay out fleeces to know God’s will, how can we discover it?
My simple answer is this:
• Do not over spiritualise!
• Keep your eyes on Jesus day by day and he will naturally lead you.
• i.e. A sheep does not worry about food, water, protection;
• It follows the shepherd and he leads it to all that it needs.
Ill:
F. B. Meyer
• “When I was crossing the Irish Channel one starless night,
• I stood on the deck by the captain and asked him,
• “How do you know Holyhead Harbour on so dark a night as this?”
• He said, “You see those three lights?
• All of them must line up together as one, and when we see them so united,
• We know the exact position of the harbour’s mouth.”
• “When we want to know God’s will there are three things which always concur:
• The inward impulse, the Word of God, and the trend of circumstances –
• God in the heart, and God in circumstances, indicating His will.
• Never start until these three things agree.”
Sermon audio:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=fTazhvLxpBrklCeSphXb4YNxxRrtgA4Z&forceSave
