GOD DELIGHTS IN BAD ODDS
1 Sam. 14:6-15,23
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: BOUDREAUX DUMPING TRASH
1. Boudreaux pulled over on the side of the highway and was dumping his trash beside the road. A policeman spotted him, turned around, got out and walked up to him. “Boudreaux, what do you think you’re doing?”
2. Boudreaux said, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m dumping my trash!” The policeman said, “You can’t dump your trash on the side of the highway! Can’t you see that sign right there?”
3. “Yeah, I see it. It says, ‘Fine For Dumping: $100.’ So here’s my trash, so where’s my $100?”
B. THE LONG-SHOT THAT WON
1. At the 1913 Kentucky Derby, the smart money rested on one of three horses. Their names were Yankee Notions, Ten Point, and Foundation. True to the odds-makers predictions, those three swapped the lead back and forth between them as they rounded the track at Churchill Downs. As the horses churned into the stretch, Ten Point was leading.
2. Then something happened that almost nobody saw coming: a 91-1 long shot named Donerail drove from the rear of the field and captured the lead. When he crossed the finish line, he was half a body length ahead of Ten Point. To this day, Donerail’s incredible upset stands as the highest paying, long shot victory in Kentucky Derby history. [Raymond Medeiros]
3. GOD DELIGHTS IN BAD ODDS/LONGSHOTS. Why? Because then it’ll be obvious that only God could’ve pulled it off. The more unlikely the situation (if we pray), the better God likes it. God likes to show His hand, but He won’t do it unless we step out and depend on Him to come through in order for us have success. God likes the “come-from-behind” position.
4. EXAMPLES:
*Samson Versus 1,000s of Philistines.
*Gideon’s 300 men against 120,000 Midianites.
*Elijah Versus Ahab, 450 prophets, millions of Israelites.
* 5½’ shepherd Boy against a 9’9” martial arts Champion.
*Unarmed Slaves against the Egyptian Army (Red Sea)
*We see it again today:
C. TEXT
6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. 23 So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven. 1 Sam. 14:6-15,23.
D. TITILE
The title of this message is, “God Delights in Bad Odds.”
I. THE EFFECTS OF COMPROMISE WITH SIN
A. ONLY 600 WILLING TO FIGHT
1. Israel was a nation that wouldn’t commit to serving God. Their compromise weakened them and made them subject to their enemies. Here was a nation with 2 ½ million people, but King Saul can only rally 600 soldiers to fight. Where were the “men” of Israel?
2. The location of Saul’s headquarters was indicative of their morale. The place where they were camped was called Migron, which means "fear." Saul & his men had gone from warriors to worriers!
B. THEY WERE UNARMED
1. The Israelites with Saul were unarmed; they only had slings and clubs; there wasn’t a sword or spear among them. 1 Sam. 13:19 says, “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” The Israelites had allowed the Philistines to disarm them!
2. “DISARM” means to subdue, cripple, debilitate, disable, incapacitate, paralyze, strip, subjugate, & weaken. Needless to say, it’s a shameful thing to be helpless and unable to defend yourself.
3. MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY HAVE LAID ASIDE THEIR WEAPONS! Paul tells us, “The weapons we fight with are not carnal (human weapons), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds!” 2 Cor. 10:4.
4. We’re talking about the weapons of intercessory prayer, taking authority over the enemy, standing on the Word of God, and fighting the good fight of faith! Satan is attempting today to disarm the people of God by removing the fires (forges) of revival!
C. THE ENEMY HAD OVERWHELMING FORCE
1. The Philistines LOOKED IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT (13:5): 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and foot soldiers "as the sands on the seashore"
2. ISN’T THIS THE PERFECT SET-UP FOR GOD TO “SHOW UP & SHOW OUT” HIS POWER? Only the faithfulness of God had kept the Philistines from crushing the tiny Israelite force. Never forget that the battle belongs to the Lord!
II. JONATHAN’S RISKY FAITH
A. THE FAITH OF JONATHAN
1. Jonathan was a believer willing to take a risk, to think outside the box – to step out and give God a try. That's why I like fanatics: it's easier to restrain a fanatic than to raise a corpse!
2. Jonathan was willing -- with only one servant and one sword -- to fight the entire well-armed Philistine army! Jonathan decided, “It’s not time to SIT back, but time to TAKE back.” He had an EYE FOR DIVINE OPPORTUNITY.
B. ENCOURAGED TO STEP-OUT BY 3 GREAT TRUTHS:
1. Jonathan believed GOD WAS ON HIS SIDE (v. 6). The Philistines were "uncircumcised," that is, not in covenant with God. We too can be confident because we’re in covenant with God through Jesus’ blood.
2. Jonathan believed in GOD’S POWER; Vs. 6; "There’s no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."
3. Verse 6, "It may be that THE LORD WILL WORK "FOR US." It’s not someone else God’s going to help, but us!
4. We could add one more: God is looking for an opportunity to show people He’s God.
C. JONATHAN TESTS GOD’S WILL
1. Jonathan had the same spirit as Peter, "If it's you, Lord, bid me come to you on the water." He put himself in the driver’s seat of a miracle and see if God will start the car!
2. Jonathan said, "If they tell us to come up to them, we’ll know that God is calling us to fight." Of course, that’s what they would most likely say, since they wanted to keep the high ground.
3. That was tantamount to saying, "When I drop this book, if it falls (gravity), then God is calling us to fight."
4. Jonathan, by faith, was provoking God to move in a miracle.
III. THE RESULTS OF FAITH
A. JONATHAN WON A GREAT VICTORY
1. As Jonathan and his servant went up to the garrison, God gave them success in striking down 20 Philistines in a row.
2. God then waded into the battle, sending an earthquake
and a panic on the Philistines, which put them into full-scale retreat.
3. Saul observed the whole Army of the Philistines began to run and chasing them were 2 wild-eyed guys; "Come back here? We got more for you!"
4. Then the even the backsliders and those in fear began to rise up and act like they were part of the move of God.
B. IMPLICATIONS FOR US?
1. GOD WILL NEVER BE OUTDONE BY SATAN! Whatever the enemy does, God will exceed/surpass it.
a. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!” Rom. 5:20. 7X Paul said God would do “MUCH MORE” than was necessary (Rom. 5:9,10,15,17,20; 2 Cor. 3:9,11).
b. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” Isa. 59:19.
c. “You...have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” 1 Jn. 4:4. Notice the verb is in the past tense – “You HAVE (already) overcome them....” It’s a done deal. As long as you stay in Christ, you can’t be beaten!
2. GOD NEEDS A VOLUNTEER, A PERSON WHO WILL TAKE THE RISK OF STEPPING INTO AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION, and seeing what God will do. Will YOU be that person?
3. Come On Church! Let’s rise up in prayer & boldness and restore the Kingdom of God to its greatness!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS. #1: “The Lost Battalion” Held On!
1. A young man told of his experience in WW1. He was in the "Lost Battalion." They pushed too far into the German territory and found themselves surrounded and cut off from the U.S. army.
2. Their food and water gave out. Every once in a while a German would come to say, "Surrender." Only one shell was left, and we decided to use it as a signal. At night we turned the cannon straight up, put in the shell, and prayed and pulled the trigger. How we hoped the Americans would see it.
3. Next morning an airplane dropped us canteens of water and bread and a note saying, "Hold on! We’re coming!" This continued for several days. Then we heard cannons blasting. Soon our army came and took us to our own lines.
4. Maybe you feel surrounded and you’re being asked to surrender to the world in these last days, but God sends us this message, "Hold on! I am coming!" [The Latter Rain Evangel, by N. C. Baskin, adapted]
B. ILLUS. #2: PUTTING THE DEVIL UNDER YOUR FEET
1. Overcoming locked gates, tall fences and snapping dogs presents a challenge for us meter readers in rural Oklahoma, where we are required to read all meters: no estimates are allowed.
2. One time a co-worker succeeded in getting past a particularly vicious watchdog tied to a chain that was long enough to give him sway over the entire back yard and driveway.
3. Later, the man was questioned by his superior: "How were you able to get past that watchdog? The customer is curious."
4. "That’s easy, boss," the meter reader replied. "I parked on his chain."
5. Come on Church; let’s don’t ‘take it off the devil,’ let’s ‘park on his chain!’
C. THE CALL
1. How many of you will say, “God, give me the heart of Jonathan, to desire to see the enemy overthrown and to participate in a move of God?”
2. How many of you are in a battle and need God to work a miracle for you? Raise your hands. Come to the front and let’s pray.
3. It’s “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” Zech. 4:6. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” Rom. 8:37.
4. “Thus say the Lord unto you, “Be not afraid...for the battle is not yours, but God's” 2 Chron. 20:15.
