"WHAT FAITH CAN DO"
TEXT: JUDGES CHAPTER 6-8
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever watched or something and either thought to yourself or said out loud (as your bottom jaw dropped), "THAT’S AMAZING," Things like: The Blue Angels performing their aviation acrobatics, a gymnast or figure skater performing for the gold, Michael Jordan playing basketball, David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear, the space shuttle returning to earth, and how about computer chips and fax machines, it is incredible what technology can do....
You know, there was a time when people were Amazed with things that we now take for granted -- things that are not a big deal anymore.... television, automobiles, air conditioning, radio’s and believe it or not at one time people were amazed at 8 track stereos....
You see, the life span of something being considered amazing is often short lived... But there is something that is truly amazing... perpetually amazing... something that still leaves us in total amazement at what it can accomplish even after thousands of years.... And that something is "Faith in God..." real faith in the true God leads people to accomplish some incredible things... I’ve seen and you have seen faith empower people to endure, overcome and achieve some amazing things...
The Hebrew writer in that great chapter of faith Hebrews 11, tells us some amazing things people did through their faith in God...
ABEL THROUGH FAITH PUT GOD FIRST AND GAVE HIM THE VERY BEST OFFERING HE COULD...
NOAH THROUGH FAITH BUILD AN ARK IN THE MIDDLE OF DRY LAND -- WHEN RAIN HAD NEVER BEEN EXPERIENCED TO SAVE HIS FAMILY -- WHICH HAD YET TO BE EVEN BORN....
ABRAHAM THROUGH FAITH LEFT, HIS HOMELAND, HIS PEOPLE ,, HIS GODS AND HIS FAMILY TO FOLLOW GOD EVEN THOUGH HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE HE WAS GOING... BY FAITH HE AND HIS FAMILY LIVED AS FOREIGNERS IN A STRANGE LAND...SLEEPING IN TENTS IN A DRY BARREN LAND... NEVER EVEN HAVING A PLACE TO CALL HOME...
AND ABRAHAM THROUGH FAITH OFFERED HIS ONLY CHILD ISAAC THE CHILD OF PROMISE AS A SACRIFICE TO GOD.... EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN’T MAKE SENSE -- AND HE LOVED ISAAC -- THROUGH FAITH HE TRUSTED IN HIS GOD..
THROUGH FAITH MOSES WHEN HE WAS FULL GROWN REFUSED TO BE KNOWN AS THE SON OF PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER. HE CHOSE RATHER TO BE MISTREATED ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD....
BY FAITH THE PEOPLE PASSED THROUGH THE RED SEA AS ON DRY LAND...
THROUGH FAITH THE WALLS OF JERICHO FELL DOWN AS THE PEOPLE MARCHED AROUND THEM FOR 7 DAYS....
Faith can result in some amazing things, can’t it? someone really giving God their best, building the first ark, leaving everything to follow God (even though you don’t know where it will take you) , being willing to put God first even sacrificing your own son, or choosing God over material riches, power and great fame.....
THE THINGS FAITH CAN DO ARE AMAZING. AND TONIGHT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT FAITH CAN DO (TAKE US FROM WEAKNESS TO WARRIOR) AS WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF A MAN NAMED GIDEON..
Doctor Fred Craddock is a homiletic (preaching) professor at Phillips University in Oklahoma. One time while he and his wife were vacationing in Gatlinburg, they were sitting in a restaurant trying to get off by themselves and they noticed a distinguished looking white-hair man, going from table to table introducing himself and having a conversation. They to each other, "I hope he doesn’t come over here to intrude on our privacy", but here he came and said, "where are you folks from." Dr. Craddock said, "Well we’re from Oklahoma." He said "what do you do?" Dr. Craddock replied, "I’m a homiletics professor at Phillips University." He said, "Oh, you train preachers do you, well I got a story I’d like to tell you", and he sat down. Dr. Craddock though to himself, "Oh no, here comes another preacher story." The man said, "You know I was born in these mountains. My mother was not married and as I grew up I had to put up with a lot of hassles. I felt self-conscious and just kind of kept to myself. What I hated most was coming into town on Saturday because people would stare at me and question me as to who my father was. Even when I went to church I would come in late and leave early, because I didn’t want anyone to ask me questions.
One day when the church had a new preacher, who had a short benediction I didn’t get out in time and got caught in the crowd. The preacher grabbed my hand and said, `whose are ya boy, whose son are you.’ And I thought Oh boy even the preacher is going to give me a hard time. But then he said, `Oh, I recognize the family resemblance your a child of God’, then the preacher patted me on the back and said, `you have a great inheritance now you go and claim it.’ Those were the most encouraging word’s I have ever heard and I have been grateful to preachers event since."
Then the man got up and introduced himself as Ben Hopper and he left the table. Dr. Craddock kept going over in his mind again and again, Ben Hopper, Ben Hopper, and then it hit Him, Ben Hopper had twice been elected as The Governor of Tennessee.
An illegitimate child, who was looked down upon was not a likely choice to become the Governor of the state of Tennessee. I’m sure that those who stared at, ridiculed and ignored him never picked Ben Hopper to become a future Governor of their state, He was a very unlikely candidate, But nevertheless He did.
You know to me that is one of the most exciting things about God, Time and time again throughout the pages of scripture we see God using the unlikely, using the ordinary to accomplish his will and get his work done.
When Moses, barely 3 months old was placed in that tiny basket barely escaping death, He was not from a human standpoint at the time the one most likely to deliver his people.
What about David, even his own father didn’t think that he could possibly be a King after all he was just a shepherd boy. But when God looked at David, He didn’t see a shepherd boy,,but rather he saw a man after His own heart, And He told Samuel, this one, He will be my King.
And then there is the woman at the well, she had been through 5 unsuccessful marriages, was now living with a man. And she comes to draw water from the well at the hottest part of the day, because she can no longer bare to face the stares, whispering and cold shoulders of the other woman in the town. Most people would not have looked at that sad and lonely woman walking down that hot dusty road and picked her out to do anything significant. But Jesus is not most people and when he saw her approaching that well on that hot and sunny day He said, "she is the one who will take the Gospel to her town," and she did and they believed.
And what about Saul of Tarsus, I am confident that the early church did not hold weekly meetings to discuss how they could convert Saul, because they felt that he just had so much potential for Jesus Christ -- They were afraid of Him and even after his conversion many were still afraid for quit sometime.
Listen to what God says in I Samuel 16:7, this truth still needs to be learned today, "I DO NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS MAN LOOKS AT. MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT I LOOK AT THE HEART!"
God looks at the heart, and when God looked at:
MOSES HE SAID, "HE IS MY DELIVERER!"
DAVID HE SAID, "HE SHALL BE MY KING!"
WOMAN AT THE WELL "SHE WILL WIN HE TOWN FOR JESUS"
PAUL HE SAID, "HE WILL TAKE THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD (even at the cost of his own life)"
God is a master at using the unlikely, he is an EXPERT at turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, time and time again in scripture, we see God’s power manifested in lives of someone who on the outside may not look that impressive, but on the inside, has submitted and surrendered his or hers life completely to God. And Oh, the things God can do and the victories God can win, with that kind of surrendered life.
What about you do you feel kind of ordinary (most of us are), do feel like an unlikely candidate to anything significant for the kingdom of God, "I don’t have much to offer, what can I really do? What can I really give that would matter?"
If that’s how you feel (right now) great! because you are just the kind of person that God loves to work with and work through. You see, those who think they have already arrived, those who think they know all the answers and who think they can do everything, are always to busy listening to themselves, to hear what God has to say.
Today we are going to study the life of Gideon. And as we study Judges 6-8 we will see how Gideon went from being an unlikely warrior to becoming a mighty soldier in the army of God.
Gideon serves as an example today for all who desire to be used of God, for all who desire to do something significant for the kingdom. In the life of Gideon we see how God works in the lives of ordinary men and women, taking them from being weak to becoming Warriors.
GOD WORKS THROUGH ORDINARY MEN
As I said God is a master at using the ordinary, at using things that others would merely pass right by. The staff of Moses was only a piece of wood nothing special until it was touched by God, and then it was an instrument through which God performed Great miracles. Those 5 smooth stones in the stream near the valley of Elah were not that special either, but when God got a hold of them AND PUT THEM INTO THE HANDS OF a shepherd boy by the name of David they became powerful projectiles that would slay the great enemy of the Israelites, Goliath.
They were just 2 small coins that belonged to a widow women -- but when she placed them in the offering plate for God those 2 coins became a gift that has been talked about for 2,000 years.
What about the disciples, most were just simple fishermen, not wealthy, not educated, not very influential-- that is until Jesus got a hold of them and those uneducated fisherman turned the Roman World upside down in 30 years.
Do you know what? Gideon was pretty ordinary too, and like most ordinary men, Gideon had faults, he was not perfect and he seemed an unlikely candidate to do anything worth writing home about.
[6:11-15]
A. Our text begins towards the end of a 7 year oppression upon the Israelites by the Midianites. The Midianites were so cruel that many of the Israelites were living in caves (to escape persecution), and whenever the Israelites produced a crop, the Midianites would rush in and steal it. They had taken all their livestock and left them with nothing. It was a very difficult and frightening time for the nation of Israel.
The text says that Gideon was in the wine press threshing wheat. The Hebrew verb used here expresses the idea of hiding.
Since winepress were carved out of stone, they were usually underground. Normally 2 cistern areas were carved out, with one slightly below the other. The upper area is where a man would tread out the grapes and as the liquid rose to a certain height it would drain down into the lower vat where the wine would be stored. Many of these were large enough for a man to hide in, and Gideon was probably down in the lower vat hiding hitting the wheat with a stick, while he had covered the upper opening with perhaps some brush -- he did this so the enemies would not find him and take his food.
I imagine his heart was pounding as he hoped no one would hear him. Gideon from a human standpoint at that time was a very unlikely warrior.
B. Gideon didn’t have an impressive pedigree either. He did not come from a prestigious family. He was just an ordinary guy, from the weakest family within the tribe of Manasseh and he was the least (youngest) within this weak and unimpressive family.
C. And Gideon didn’t have a lot of confidence either, let’s put ourselves in his sandals, and I think we’ll see why. Here you are the least member of your family, which happens to be the weakest family in the whole tribe of Manasseh.
And the Midianites, who were worse then any bully you could ever imagine are picking on you stealing your donkeys, cows, your bike and your lunch money.
And here you are hiding out in a winepress or in the bathroom stale eating your lunch because you are afraid that the bad guys will beat you up and take it.
And while your hiding in the corner, heart pounding, palms sweating, as your ears are tuned in to hear the least little sound -- someone looks from over the top of the stall and calls you a Mighty Warrior...
I think if Gideon wasn’t so afraid he would have laughed - "are you talking to me, you must be nuts...me save Israel, surely you jest, My family is the weakest and I am the least one in my family.. you must have me mistaken for someone else." Gideon did not feel like a Mighty warrior.
D. Yes, Gideon did not seem to be a likely Warrior, he did not appear to have the resume that would land him the job of leading and delivering God’s people: no pedigree, no confidence, hiding in a winepress... and do you know what else made him unlikely for this job,? His father house was full of idols and altars to foreign Gods.
WE SEE IN THE LIFE OF GIDEON THAT GOD WORK’S THROUGH THE UNLIKELY AND THROUGH THE ORDINARY.
II. AND WE ALSO SEE THAT GOD HAS PATIENCE WITH ORDINARY MEN
Ordinary men don’t usually make the transition from weakness to warrior immediately, it takes time for their faith to grow and to develop.
Jesus’ disciples who turned the world upside down did not undergo an immediate transformation from fishermen to Gospel Warrior. It took time for their faith to reach the Warrior point. And as we read the Gospels we see many times the patience of our Lord with these ordinary man, as he waited for them to mature spiritually.
Gideon’s faith was weak, it was immature. And when your faith is weak and immature there are a lot of things you can’t understand; Gideon could not understand why God was letting all of this tragedy strike His people... He wondered where God was, where the miracles were.. but at this point in his life his faith was to weak to see that it was NOT God But Israel who brought this on , even his own family had altars and worshipped Baal.
Because Gideon’s faith was weak and a little unstable, three times in these chapters we see Gideon’s need to have his faith confirmed. And in these confirmations we also see The Patience of God.
A. The first time had do with a goat, after Gideon said to God, "how can I save Israel," we read [6:17-19]
To me the phrase that shows the patience of God is, "AND THE LORD SAID, `I WILL WAIT UNTIL YOU RETURN.’ It is a if God knows that Gideon needs to have his faith boosted, so he patiently waits as Gideon goes and prepare a goat (I’ve never prepared a goat but I imagine it takes a little time).
B. Gideon also needed his faith confirmed as he gathered his army, [36-40]
This is where the expression, "I’m putting out my fleece comes from"
C. When God had Gideon reduce His army from 32,000 men to 300 men, and this army was about to take on an army of 135,000 men, Gideon once again needed confirmation of his faith.
[7:9-11]
It takes time for faith to mature and to develop, And in the life of Gideon we can see that God has patience with those who truly desire to serve Him. but whose faith has not yet caught up with their desire, and they just need a little faith boost now and then.
GOD WORKS THROUGH ORDINARY MEN
GOD HAS PATIENCE WITH ORDINARY MEN
III. AND GOD EMPOWERS ORDINARY MEN
I want to briefly talk about 4 ways that God empowered Gideon.
A. GOD EMPOWERED GIDEON WITH WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
1) even though Gideon may not have felt much like a warrior at the time, the fact that The Lord God called "MIGHTY WARRIOR" HAD TO BE A TREMENDOUS BOAST TO HIS CONFIDENCE. Wow, God called me a mighty Warrior... maybe I am, maybe I can be...
when someone expresses with words, their confidence in you, it can be a great SOURCE OF encouragement and it can empower you.
Remember Ben Hopper and the words spoken to him by the preacher (your a son of God, now go claim your inheritance)... those words empowered him and he became the Governor.
2) God also encouraged Gideon with his words in verse 14, "GO IN THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE AND SAVE ISRAEL..."
Did you catch what God said, go in the strength YOU HAVE!!!
Gideon may not have felt that he had any, he may not have known that it was even there, but God saw within Him some talent and some ability/he saw strength. Gideon was not useless, he had something to give and he had something to offer.
B. GOD ALSO EMPOWERED GIDEON WITH HIS PRESENCE
To know that The Lord God, the creator of the Universe was with him, would certainly empower Gideon.
And the Lord appeared to Gideon on seven separate occasions from the time of His call to the time of the battle. And on one occasion God caused His Spirit to come upon Gideon.
The Lord’s presence confirmed the word’s that God had first spoken to Gideon, "AM I NOT SENDING YOU?" And Gideon was empowered for battle by God’s presence and by God’s spirit.
C. GIDEON WAS ALSO EMPOWERED BY GOD’S DIRECTIVES
Most people do not like to have a job simply dropped into their laps and then be told nothing about what they are to do. It is a lot easier when you’re given clear and concise directives. It makes you feel more confident and better equipped to do the job.
God gave Gideon specific directives after his call, Gideon was not left in the dark as to what he was to do.
The first thing God told Gideon to do was to go to his father’s house and destroy the altars erected to worship Baal -- and he did.
And then God gave Gideon specific instruction about the battle plan, the number of soldiers and types of weapons.
Gideon was empowered by God’s directives, because in them, he was told what he was to do, and because in them, he received another confirmation that God was with Him. It was God’s plan.
C. GOD ALSO EMPOWERED GIDEON WITH HIS ASSURANCE OF VICTORY
As the time of battle approached Gideon was Afraid, perhaps as he sat with his army of only 300, looking down at the Midianite camp of 135,000, THAT WAS DESCRIBED AS THICK AS LOCUSTS, WITH CAMELS AS NUMEROUS AS THE SANDS OF THE SEASHORE. Yes, perhaps this sight caused GIDEON to pull out his TI-35 calculator and pushed in the numbers (135,000 divided by 300) and AS he saw the NUMBER 450, He realized that each man in hi army would be up against 450 Midianites.
And Maybe he thought to himself, "maybe I misunderstood the Lord, is this really going to work."
God heard his thoughts and God read his heart and told Gideon, "GIDEON IF YOU ARE AFRAID GO DOWN TO THE ENEMIES CAMP TONIGHT AND YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED , AND YOU WILL BE READY TO ATTACK THE CAMP"
[7:13-14]
I want you to think about the first picture that we were giving of Gideon, afraid, hiding in the winepress threshing wheat -not a too impressive sight was he -- not a likely choice for a Mighty Warrior was he?
Now that you have that picture in your mind, I want you to see the picture of Gideon that the author of Judges paints in Judges [7:15-18]
Gideon had become a Mighty Warrior for God!!!
CONCLUSION
GOD IS A MASTER AT USING THE UNLIKELY, HE IS AN EXPERT AT TURNING THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY. IN THE LIFE OF GIDEON WE SEE GOD’S POWER MANIFESTED IN THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WHO ON THE OUTSIDE WAS NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE. BUT ON THE INSIDE HAD SUBMITTED HIS LIFE COMPLETELY TO GOD. AND OH, THE THINGS THAT GOD CAN DO AND THE VICTORIES GOD CAN WIN, THROUGH THAT KIND OF SURRENDERED LIFE.
THERE ARE STILL MANY BATTLES LEFT TO BE FOUGHT AND MANY MORE VICTORIES TO BE WON, (BATTLEGROUND ARE HOME SCHOOL JOB, CHURCH ..ETC) GOD’S ENEMIES ARE STILL OPPRESSING HIS PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE TAKEN MANY CAPTIVE -- MANY ARE AFRAID AND ARE HIDING IN CAVES AS THEIR HOPE SLOWLY FADES.
GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR WARRIORS TODAY!
IS GOD LOOKING AT YOU TODAY? IS HE CALLING YOU A MIGHTY WARRIOR. AND ARE YOU TEMPTED TO SAY, "BUT GOD YOU CAN’T BE TALKING TO ME, WHAT CAN I DO, I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH, I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH ...I CAN’T..
BROTHERS AND SISTERS GOD LOVES TO WORK THROUGH ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN -- MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE TRULY WILLING TO PUT THEIR LIVES INTO THE POTTERS HANDS AND SAY TO HIM -- "I’M YOURS, I’M NOT MUCH -- I TRUST YOU GOD, MOLD ME INTO A WARRIOR! GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR PEDIGREES (DOESN’T MATTER IF YOUR FAMILY IS WEALTHY OR WELL EDUCATED.., WHAT GOD IS LOOKING FOR IS A SURRENDERED HEART.
AND REMEMBER GOD WILL HAVE PATIENCE WITH YOU AS YOUR FAITH DEVELOPS. HE KNOWS THAT THE TRANSFORMATION FROM WEAKNESS TO WARRIOR TAKES TIME.
LET GOD ENCOURAGE YOU TONIGHT WITH HIS WORDS--"YOU, ARE A CHILD OF GOD," AND GOD WILL SAY TO YOU GO IN THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE, YOU DO HAVE TALENT YOU DO HAVE AN ABILITY, YOU CAN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION."
LET GOD EMPOWER YOU WITH HIS PRESENCE AND HIS SPIRIT-- AND SURELY I AM WITH YOU UNTIL THE END OF THE AGES".
GOD HAS GIVEN US CLEAR DIRECTIVES -- GO OUT INTO,ALL THE WORLD AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL MEN AND WALK AS JESUS WALKED."
AND HE HAS GIVEN US HIS ASSURANCE THAT VICTORY IS OURS;
WE ARE DESTINED TO WIN.......
IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? NO ONE
AT THE PROPER TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP...
LET JESUS’ WORDS IN JOHN CH 14 GIVE YOU ASSURANCE, "DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD, TRUST IN ME ALSO. IN MY FATHERS HOUSE ARE MANY ROOMS, IF IT WERE NOT SO I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. AND IF A GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME."
