Every action we do on this earth has a corresponding reaction whether for good or for evil.
Many people don't really understand it or they are not aware of it, but that is the truth of life.
Every thing we do on this earth has a corresponding consequences whether for good or evil that we do to ourselves or to the people close to us.
For instance, when you decide not to go to work one day, the result is you will not get paid for that day, and ultimately, if you do that more often, you will get fired from your job, your paycheck at the end of the month will suffer.
Then, you might not be able to buy the things you need and your mortgage might not get paid and your children will have no food to eat.
And so, you have to go to work and do your work well so that you will be promoted and the result will ultimately be good.
People also call this as the principle of cause and effect.
For every motive, there is a corresponding outcome.
For every action done, there is a resulting reaction.
You can either hurt people or bless people and the consequences will then follow.
You can either encourage people or discourage people by your words and your actions.
This is also called the ripple effect of life.
When you toss a small pebble or stone into a glassy pond, watch the ripple effect that will happen within the pond.
It all starts with a crystal clear pond, then the ripples generated by that stone get larger and larger and eventually encompass the entire pond.
The water becomes cloudy and gloomy.
The ripple effect on life can be in the form of our gradual and continuing spread of our influence to people.
When we keep on doing good to people, they will share their thoughts to others about us who will be spread to other people and the positive thoughts concerning us becomes a word of mouth that reaches even to people who are far from us.
Pretty soon, everyone in the neighborhood has heard our good deeds.
Our influence whether good or bad had a ripple effect on the lives of the people we come in contact with.
The same principle of cause and effect is being taught in the Scriptures.
It is also called the principle of sowing and reaping.
2 Cor. 9:6 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
If you sow generosity to the lives of people, you will ultimately receive generosity in return.
This law of sowing and reaping is applicable to all areas of life: in relationships, in our finances, in our physical body, in everything we do.
Whatever we sow early in life, someday we are going to reap as we grow older.
If you keep on smoking cigarettes, ultimate, you will get a lung cancer in old age.
If you hate studying and not want to go to school, you can end up homeless or a beggar someday, God forbid.
When you deposit money even in small amounts each month in your early life, ultimately, you will be able to withdraw a substantial amount of retirement cash after many years.
That is true also in the words that we speak or in our relationship to people.
Whatever we deposit is going to be returned to us in full.
If you sow criticism from other people, you are going to reap criticism from other people.
If you sow kindness, you are going to reap kindness.
If you plant apple seeds, you don't get grapes as fruits; you get apples.
That is also called the law of the harvest.
Every action has a corresponding reaction.
That ripple effect is also true in our relationship to eternal things.
The Scripture calls this the principle of binding and loosing.
Matthew 16:19 (NIV) "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
God has given us, Christians the key or the authority to loose and to bind on earth that has eternal consequences.
When we pray for people on this earth, the Lord in heaven will hear our prayers.
When we speak words of comfort to our hearers, the Lord in heaven will bring comfort to those who would receive us.
When we announce the Good News of salvation, it has spiritual consequences to those hungry for the truth.
Whatever we bind on earth will be bind in heaven.
Whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Our words have power.
Our actions have meanings.
Every action we take, every words we speak and every thought we entertain has a corresponding eternal significance.
And so, because this ripple effect is real in our lives, we have to make sure that we understand this clearly so that we can decide the proper action to every situation we are confronted with.
When we know this principle, we can make be sure that our action will be well motivated and properly thought at.
When we understand the repercussion of all our action, we can be more contemplative with the various decisions we have to make in life.
Before you succumb to that temptation to sin, think of the consequences of that action in your life and in the life of your loved ones.
We had to make sure that what we sow or plant in the lives of people are good seeds that will create life to our hearers not death to their spirits.
There is a ripple effect of life.
And so, today, we are now in the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges.
We are going to study the life of the next judge, Gideon, the man famous for delivering Israel with only a handful of people.
He was a simple man just like us whose main job was to collect wheat and because of too much fear, he would hide it from the enemy.
Yet, the angel of the Lord appeared to him one day and told him that he is a mighty warrior.
Judges 6: 12 "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,mighty warrior.”
What a shock this could have been to Gideon.
All he knew was that his clan was he weakest in Manasseh and he is the least in his family.
Being a mighty warrior is beyond his comprehension.
He could not even think about such a foreign thought.
But ultimately, because of the principle of the ripple effects of life, that became a reality to Gideon.
He began to submit to God's good plan and allowed the Lord to use him to the fullest and everything was being unfolded right before his eyes.
At the end of his life the Bible spoke about him,
Judges 8:28 28 "Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years."
It was not just a ripple effect in a small pond, but a tsunami wave in the ocean that defeated and destroyed his enemy, the Midian because he was a force to reckon with when his life was totally dedicated and committed to God's use.
In the same manner, God can make a ripple effect of something good for your life if you will fully commit yourself to Him for His purpose.
In our study, we will look at three things:
1. THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF SIN.
Judges 6:1-2 "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds."
The first thing we can learn from this chapter is that the sin of the Israelites brought about a corresponding consequences to the entire nation.
The verse says that Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
That means they did things that dishonor their God such as disobedience to God's commands, worshiping idols and giving their sons and daughters to marry the heathen nations.
All these and more were considered evil in the sight of God.
The God who is holy cannot tolerate acts of sin.
In fact, He hates sin.
Because of that, God was angry with sin and the consequences has been fatal.
They were given over into the hands of the Midianites, their ruthless enemy.
God has to teach them a very painful lesson.
The devastation brought about by their adversary was so strong that they could not even live in their regular homes.
Instead, the Israelites had to dwell in mountain clefts, in caves and strongholds.
In spite of this, their crops were being destroyed and their livestock stolen from them.
Their physical and spiritual morality has been devastated because of sin.
They became worst than slaves to their enemies.
Do you know that sin has a ripple effect upon an individual and upon the people that he loves?
Yes, indeed, many people simply ignore this truth, but this is truth even if people will ignore or disregard this truth on purpose.
Sin has always a damaging impact upon the lives of people, whether physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially or relationally.
Sin can destroy.
Sin has always a consequences in our lives.
Let me give you an example:
The person who cheated on their spouse is going to have to endure the lack of trust that results to his action.
Ultimately, it can end up in the end of marriage divorce which will make the children to be severely heartbroken in the process.
The person who breaks the law will consequently go to jail.
The person who constantly abuses verbally and physically his children will ultimately result in losing them.
The person who borrowed what they cannot repay may face foreclosure and bankruptcy.
The ripple effects of sin can go beyond our lives and into the lives of the people even those we do not know.
Sometimes, there are cases when the person has died already and the ripple effect of his or her sins is still being felt by the survivors.
Here is what the Scriptures says about this ripple effects of sin:
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN?
1. IT BRINGS DESTRUCTION TO OUR BODY. Galatians 6:7- 8 (NIV) "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
Sowing in the flesh refers to acts of immorality outside of marriage.
It says that every time you fulfill your lustful desire outside of marriage, you are sowing seeds of the flesh that will ultimately reap you a harvest of destruction.
It can be in the form of sexual diseases from unhealthy partners or it can be in the form of the destruction of your marriage.
Brothers and sisters, it is not good to engage into fleshly desires which wage war against your very soul.
2. IT BRINGS ILLNESS TO OUR BONES. Psalms 38:3 (NIV) "Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin."
Think of it, even his very bones not just his skin has been affected by acts of sin.
It is said that sin is like a cancer that brings illness to the body.
The cancer to the bone is the most painful one of them.
Every bitterness and unforgiveness therefore must be avoided so that our bones will remain healthy over time.
3. IT LEADS US TO PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL DEATH. Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) " There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
This is ultimately the result of sin when left unchecked.
Physical death is the separation of the body from the spirit and soul.
Spiritual death is the eternal separation of the spirit from God.
4. IT SEPARATES US FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Isaiah 59:2 (NIV) "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
5. IT LEADS US TO THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF HELL. Mark 9:43 (NIV) "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, where the fire never goes out."
This is the ultimate result of sin - the eternal lake of fire which was initially reserved for the devil and his demons.
The ultimate judgment will result in the lake of fire.
When all our sins have piled up and we have rejected Christ as the only provision for our salvation.
That is why, if you have not yet received Christ as your Lord, you must do it now or tomorrow might be too late.
The urgency of the matter is between life and death, between heaven and hell.
Do you know that the world has lost far too many bright stars due to drug addiction and alcohol abuse?
I went to the drugabuse.com website and discovered the many well known celebrities who have died due to drinking or drug abuse.
They made a study of the complications with substance abuse that led to the death of 75 celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and many more.
They have the talent, the money, they have the prestige and the applause of men but they were all overcome by their addiction.
The ripple effect has been so devastating.
Of the total 75 celebrities studied, 57 were male while 18 were female.
Of the celebrities studied, 42% were overdose either solely from a prescription drug or a combination of a prescription drug and another substance.
Perhaps, one of the saddest part of their story is the many who went to costly rehab but still were not able to pull away from their addiction.
Foremost of this is Amy Winehouse, the five times Grammy Winner including best news artist, record of the year and song of the year.
Her battle with substance abuse were widely publicized in 2005.
She admitted to be a marijuana smoker and overdosed on several drugs, being brought to medical facilities in an in coherent state.
During that time, she was in a period of heavy drinking, drug use and weight loss.
She was even rumored to have gone to rehab at least four times for substance abuse.
But in spite of that, she died in July 2011 due to alcohol poisoning.
What a waste of life due to the consequences of sin.
So, how can we prevent sin from destroying our lives?
By turning away from sin completely.
Through personal repentance, we can overcome the effects and consequences of sin in our lives and for our future legacy.
We must repent and ask the Lord to forgive us so that we will be cleansed and the curse of sin will be eliminated.
Only Jesus can heal our body, soul and spirit from the corruption of sin.
Come to Christ and the power of sin will be destroyed.
2. THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF PRAYER
Judges 6: 7-12 "When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worshipthe gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.” 11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrahthat belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,mighty warrior.”
The second thing we can know from this verse is that prayer will always have an impact in our lives.
The word impact mans an effect, an impression or an influence.
This is what happened to the Israelites when they prayed and cried to the Lord for help because of the abuses of the Midianites.
They could not bear the burden of slavery any longer.
Their oppressor had been so cruel and inhuman.
They prayed to God and consequently, the Lord answered.
He sent them a prophet to encourage them.
Then, He sent them an angel to raise up a deliverer.
All of these are God's response in answer to their prayers.
You see, prayer is the most powerful force in this world.
When we pray, God's ears are always attentive to our needs.
When we pray, all angels are ready for His bidding.
God does wonders when we pray.
Do you know that only prayer can bring remedy to the curse of sin in our lives?
Only prayer can put an end to the destructive effects of sin and its misery.
Only prayer can bring life and health to our spiritual lives.
Prayer can restore us to vibrant and abundant living.
However, there are many individuals both Christians and non-Christians who have not yet discovered the value of prayer in their lives.
Because of that, they are still lost in the cancerous effects of sin in their lives.
But when a person discover this great secret of power through prayer, heaven's door will be opened and that person can be set free completely and even instantly.
When we pray, God will send forth His ministering angels to help us in our times of needs.
When we pray, the power of the Holy Spirit will work in our lives to lead us to the right path of life.
We must learn to pray, my brothers and sisters so that we can be set free from the corruption of sin and its downward pull.
Here is what the Scripture says about the miracle of prayer in our lives.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT WHEN WE PRAY?
1. THROUGH PRAYER, WE WILL BE DELIVERED FROM OUR DISTRESS. Psalms 107:28-30
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea[a] were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Some of you might be going through great distress of emotion or relationship at this time.
You do not know what to do.
You have made a bad decision in the past and it destroys your marriage and your finances.
The text tells us to pray and cry out to the Lord for help and he will deliver us.
Prayer can reverse the curse of sin in our lives.
Brothers and sisters, let us spend more time with God in prayer.
2. THROUGH PRAYER, THE DOORS WILL BE OPENED. Matthew 7:7
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Some of you might be going through tough times because the door of opportunity has not yet been opened.
It has been closed to you for many years now because of that sin that you have done in the past.
You cannot forgive yourself in the process.
You cannot move forward.
Through prayer, things can change for the better.
3. THROUGH PRAYER, WE WILL RECEIVE WHAT WE ASK FOR. Matthew 21:22 (NIV) 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
4. THROUGH PRAYER, THE SICK WILL BE HEALED. James 5:14-16 (NIV)
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
5.THROUGH PRAYER, GOD'S PEACE WILL BE RECEIVED. Phil. 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Let me tell you a story.
There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat.
He had an old rifle and three bullets.
So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit.
He shot at the rabbit and missed it.
The rabbit ran away.
Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.
The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey.
He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer.
But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.
Still, the voice again said to him, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey.
The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it.
When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake's head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond.
When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family all because of one bullet precisely used.
The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.
That is what it means for the cause and effect.
The ripple effect of a focused prayer.
3. THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF A COMMITTED PERSON.
Judges 6:13-16 (NIV) 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 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?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
Many of us don't fully realize it, but there is such a ripple effect when a person is fully committed and devoted to God.
Here is Gideon, just like many of us, uncertain, doubtful and with low self-esteem, yet eventually the Lord was able to use him to become a good leader and bring about peace in the land.
When the angel appeared before him and told him that he is a mighty warrior,
“Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
Gideon said, "Who, me? Lord, you must be joking! You must have the wrong person."
Gideon can't believe what he just heard from the angel.
How can he become a mighty warrior when he is so afraid of the enemy that he had to hide just to protect his wheat harvest?
How can he become a mighty warrior when his clan is the weakest in Manasseh and he is the least in the family?
But the angel of the Lord confirmed what he saw in Gideon, “You are the one. You need be afraid. I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
And again, Gideon hesitated.
It took time for the truth to sink down into his very heart.
And so, he asked for proof that God is calling him by asking for signs.
First, he prepared an offering to the angel of a young goat and a loaf of bread without yeast.
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.
It was a sign that his sacrifice has been accepted by the Lord.
Then, the angel of the Lord instructed him to tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
He did this and the people realized that the spirit of the Lord was with him.
They eventually took allegiance to his leadership.
Eventually, God was demolishing all the obstacles in his life and raising him up to become the mighty warrior that is in him.
And as we go further the next chapter, we will find Gideon accomplishing great things for the Lord because the ripple effect of a committed heart has made its impact known.
You see, you can have a positive ripple effect upon the lives of the people close to you.
As long as your heart is dedicated to God and fully submitted to His Lordship, great things can ultimately be accomplished.
You had to first of all cut the curse of sin in your life through repentance.
Receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
Turn away from any iniquity and live a holy life before God.
Then, dedicate yourself fully to God through prayer.
Humble yourself before the presence of Christ and He will exalt you.
Then, commit yourself to God's purpose and will.
Follow His plan for your life and you will see the ripple effects of people being changed through your testimony.
Here are some Scriptures regarding our mission on this earth.
WHAT IS OUR MISSION?
1. TO GO AND BEAR FRUIT. John 15:16 (NIV) : 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
2. TO PROCLAIM HIS PRAISE. 1 PETER 2:9 (NIV) " 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
3. TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) "19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teachingthem to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
4. TO GLORIFY GOD IN OUR BODY. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (NIV) " 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
5. TO WORSHIP THE LORD. Psalms 117:1-2 (NIV) "
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.[a]
6. TO LIVE IN HOLINESS AND GODLINESS. 2 Peter 3:11 (NIV) " 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives."
7. TO DISCERN GOD'S WILL. Romans 12:2 (NIV) "
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
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