(Extensive inspiration for this sermon, and the series "Prevailing Prayer" taken from Francis Frangipane’s booklet of the same name.)
Everyone grab a Bible. When you get one, hold it up in the air. We have a bit different type of message this morning in that we are simply going to take a look at the life of one prominent individual in God’s Word. So you’ll want to follow along verse by verse as we explore the lessons to be learned from this life.
Open up to the book of Judges. Judges 6. Near the front of your Bibles. The seventh book of the Bible. Judges 6. We begin by setting the stage. Judges 6:1 (READ THROUGH VERSE 10).
A common pattern in the life of Israel has resumed. Israel has again been sinning and subsequently fallen under foreign oppression and now is once again crying out to God for deliverance.
We see the elements we have already explored in our 40 day prayer journey in this passage. You have a desperate situation. The people are living in caves which back in this particular time of the Old Testament were not used for permanent dwellings. They have had to abandon their homes and live in caves which is a pretty good indicator that they are in desperate straits.
So they have joined in community crying out to God. Desperation, community, and you have a clear need for confession and repentance. The chapter begins by telling us they are doing evil, and God Himself declares through His prophet, “You have not obeyed My voice.”
If you have gotten to a Bible, try something really tricky. While balancing your Bible on your knees, take out your worship folder, and a pen to jot down a few notes as we go through this passage.
Right out of the gate, picture in your mind and understand throughout our passage today that there are battles that the children of Israel are fighting. Write them down. There is the battle with these oppressors who are physically challenging them. They are eating their food. Starving them out. Oppressing them in a very physical sense. Their very existence and survival is in danger.
But there is a second battle going on. These people are living in constant fear, and not just against the physical forces that they are facing. Notice the prophet’s words in verse 10, “Do not fear the gods of the Amorites.”
Their disobedience has given way to an oppression and darkness that is not only physical, but spiritual. The “Gods of the Amorites.” In other words, demonic principalities and powers have actually begun to rule the spiritual environment which the children of Israel are dwelling in.
With this backdrop, we have the entrance of a deliverer. As you follow the word of God. As you read story after story. Recognize that time and time again God will begin the process of delivering the many with the deliverance of one. Moses. Noah. David in his flight from Saul. Another Saul who became Paul. Time and time again we see that the deliverance of the many begins with the deliverance of the one.
So God sought out someone who was desperate, oppressed, in need of a deliverer, and He found Gideon. Verse 11 (READ). Gideon’s situation doesn’t look any different than any one else’s. He is threshing wheat in a winepress. What does that mean?
A winepress was a pit carved into rock in which grapes were crushed. On the other hand, wheat was usually separated on open threshing floors so the wind could carry away the chaff in the winnowing process.
The fact that Gideon was forced to thresh wheat hidden inside a winepress, despite the fact that he clearly had access to a threshing floor, again highlights the desperate state the Israelites were in. It means that he is having to hide his work to survive. To continue doing such a basic task as farming, he is having to do it undercover.
Gideon is struggling with the same physical oppression as the others are. And before long, we will see he is struggling with the same spiritual oppression as well.
Verse 12 (READ THROUGH VERSE 13). Now, you may not think you can relate to the Gideon you have heard about who leads just 300 men into successful battle. The great warrior and hero of Bible lore, and VBS flannel graphs. But how about this Gideon? I can relate to this one. Because notice the connections that Gideon makes, and I know I am guilty of often making.
He connects God’s presence with His protection. If God isn’t providing for our needs, if we are under physical and spiritual attack from the enemy. Than God must not be with us. He must have forsaken us. Right? Ever been there?
Verse 14 (READ THROUGH VERSE 15). Let’s jot down some common characteristics of a Godly calling. First. . .
1. THE CALLED IS SURPRISED, EVEN SHOCKED THAT THE LORD HAS CALLED HIM!
Gideon can’t believe he is the one who has been called to deliver God’s people. How can it be him? He is a nobody. He is threshing wheat in a winepress of all things. He says that his clan is the weakest of clans, in a weak tribe. Basically, he is the third string quarterback on a losing team in a weak conference. He isn’t even in the best choice in his own home. His brother would be a better quarterback.
Ever felt that way? Guess what? When you sense that God is calling you to something too big to handle. When you think, what can I do for the kingdom of God? When it seems completely shocking to consider that God might be calling you to make an eternal difference at your work place, your school, your neighborhood, in your family. . .I’ve got bad news for you. That is a really good sign that it is God who has come calling.
Look what the angel of the Lord tells Gideon in verse 16. Speaking to him as the very voice of God (READ).
I want you to notice a number in that verse. I only see one number in my translation of that verse. How about yours? What number do you see in that verse? “One”. Keep that in mind, and we’ll come back to it. But remember, the deliverance of the many, begins with the deliverance of one.
Verse 17 (READ THROUGH VERSE 24). Can I make a suggestion here? If you sense a call from God on your life, I believe it is okay to take some time to confirm that call. I think God’s okay with that. He might even be open to you seeking a sign from Him. My hunch is that He prefers that to the individual who is constantly jumping, switching, changing course, and shifting from task to task.
Gideon wanted to make sure that what he was sensing in his spirit, hearing in his ears, and feeling in his heart was from God. And when he got that confirmation, he responded with a second common characteristic of a Godly call. . .
2. THE CALLED IS AT PEACE WITH GOD.
Gideon receives this confirmation of his call from God, and the result is this act of worship in which Gideon declares that the Lord is Peace. Not the Lord of Fear. Not the forsaking Lord. But the Lord is Peace.
Follow this scene. The Lord has come to Gideon and told him he is to lead Israel in victory over the Midianites. That’s like God telling a housewife to stand up to her abusive husband or a high school student to take on drug peddlers. It is at those times that God reminds us that He knows we can’t, but He can, and to prove it He gives a wonderful gift. He brings a spirit of peace. A peace before the storm. A peace beyond logic. A peace that passes all understanding.
God gave peace to David after He showed him Goliath. He gave it to Saul after He showed him the gospel. He gave it to Jesus after He showed Him the cross. And He gave it to Gideon. So Gideon, in turn, gave the name to God. He built an altar and named it Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace.
As we will soon see. It doesn’t mean Gideon’s life is at peace with everyone around him, or that there isn’t still a place for experiencing good ol’ fashioned human fear. But there is a level of peace with God. A recognition of the call God has placed on one’s life, and an ability to rest in that divine relationship.
Verse 25 (READ THROUGH VERSE 27). Didn’t take long for God to act on this newfound relationship and call, did it? That same night. And remember what I said a moment ago about the persistent resistance of human fear. It’s still there.
Again, if you want help relating to some of these Bible heroes, spend less time remembering Gideon with the sword and a small group of bandits, and more time remembering Gideon waiting until the darkness of night to act due to his fear.
He’s just a man. Just a person like you and me. Afraid. Aware of the enemy that surrounds him. Shocked that God is going to use him. But ready to act.
Two types of battles are being faced. There is the physical battle, and there is the spiritual battle. Which does God address first?
It’s not the need to eat. It’s not the desire for a successful harvest. It’s not moving them out of caves and getting them back in their homes. God goes right at the spiritual idols, and the oppression and fear that they are bringing to Gideon’s community. And when you attack the place of oppression and fear within a community, you better be ready for some push back.
Verse 28 (READ THROUGH VERSE 30). How frustrating that must have been for Gideon. He is responding in obedience to God. He is tearing down a symbol of bondage and oppression, and even a symbol of demonic influence. And the response of the oppressed is that they are ready to kill for Baal!
Don’t miss this frequent connection. Spiritual and physical oppression often lead to a level of fear that cause us to defend the sacred cows in our lives. We become debilitated. We may even know that the ruling forces and influences in are life are wrong. But we don’t want anyone touching them. Don’t want anyone rocking the boat.
These are the same people that have whined for years about wishing they were back in Egypt. Now they find themselves being humiliated once again, and when someone takes a stance against it. . .they turn on their own, instead of rallying behind him.
Everyone, except one. Verse 31 (READ THROUGH VERSE 32). Here is another important truth for today regarding common characteristics of a call. . .
3. A CALL CAN BE SQUASHED OR VALIDATED BY A LOVED ONE.
This is a huge moment. Gideon’s father is on the hot seat. The community is mad. His altar and idol has been torn down by his son. The wood of the idol was used to start a fire to burn one of Gideon’s dad’s bulls. Another one of Joash’s own bulls had been used to actually tear down the altar. His own stuff being used by his own son to destroy his own stuff. To top it all off, the men of the city are now ready to kill Gideon, his son, for committing such an atrocity against Baal.
I can not overplay how huge this moment is. Have you ever run into the house, excited to tell your parents something, and had them respond in a way that immediately deflated you? Ever shared a vision or dream with a spouse only to have them kill it with one quick verbal stab? Ever presented a thought, an idea, even something that you felt God had been brewing in your spirit to a class, small group or committee. . .and left feeling like, “I must not have been hearing God. It will never happen.”
Many a call from God can be squashed or validated by the confidence of a mentor, and the faithfulness of a father. Gideon’s dad? He came through with flying colors. He recognized the absurdity of his ways, and that if Baal was in danger. . .Baal could fight for himself.
Gideon’s father even renamed Gideon Jerubbaal to deride those who would put their trust in Baal. The name literally means “Let Baal Plead,” and was given to Gideon by his father to become a living reminder of Baal’s impotence in the face of Gideon’s obedience.
A call can be squashed or validated by a loved one, and Gideon’s call was clearly validated by his father. Look at the result on Gideon’s life. Verse 33 (READ THROUGH VERSE 35).
Another common characteristic of a Godly call is that. . .
4. THE CALL WILL BE EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Picture this incredible moment. This pagan God’s altar has been torn down. The city is in an uproar. In the heavenlies, there are battles raging that we can hardly even picture. In the physical realm the Midianites and Amalekites are preparing to jump on this moment, and bring utter destruction on the children of Israel.
And there is my favorite word again. “But.” Remember that word? Peter is in jail. His execution is eminent. “But the church was gathered in constant, earnest prayer on his behalf.”
Now the enemy is camping in the valley. At the front door. “But the Spirit of the Lord came up on Gideon,” and a calling began to be fulfilled.
You see, once the spiritual battle has been addressed in an individual’s life, there is power to pursue a calling to deliver others. Once Gideon was able to move from a place of feeling forgotten and forsaken to a place of peace with God, he was able to begin providing spiritual and physical deliverance for others. Starting with his own father. And in that order. . .first addressing the spiritual battle, and then the physical.
Verse 36 (READ THROUGH VERSE 40). He does it again. He senses God’s direction. God’s spirit calling him to battle. So once again, he takes the time. Not once, but twice to seek a confirmation of that call. And I don’t have any problem with that. But I will give you a warning related to confirming a call from God. One of the common characteristics of a Godly call is that when you have confirmed that call and know you have been sent by God. . .
5. THE CALL REQUIRES GOING IN THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF ONE SENT BY GOD.
Chapter 7, verse 1 (READ THROUGH VERSE 8). Gideon takes what today is often an unpopular position. He acts in the authority that he believes he has been called by. That isn’t a very popular way to lead anymore. In fact, people will discourage it. Even people in the church. But the commission of the Lord carries the endorsement of the Lord, and when God puts a call in your heart, and on your life that you know and have confirmed is from God. . .you don’t have to apologize for that call. You have to act on it. And act in the assurance and authority that you are chasing after God with all that is within you.
In my life, that means I can not apologize for relentlessly pushing the body of Christ to pray, evangelize the lost, and minister to the marginalized of our community. It is a call from God that I have tested, had confirmed, and He has empowered with His authority and Holy Spirit. It burned in my heart before I left Bartlesville, OK, almost three years ago, and has never changed since the first day I stepped back into Fayette County.
Gideon did not apologize for the destruction of property. For placing the people in a serious place of spiritual battle and danger. . .not to mention escalating their already bleak physical situation. He accepted the call. He rallied the people. And he moved forward with the authority of God that he had confirmed multiple times.
And notice, once Gideon made this commitment, there were no questions to ask. Look at the transformation that has taken place in this man’s life. The kind of transformation that comes with a call from God, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. One chapter earlier he is asking all kinds of questions. Questions of God’s presence. Questions of his own ability.
Now, his squad is being reduced from 32,000 to 300. Down to less than 10%. And Gideon continues to lead forward.
But lest we in our humanity loose touch with this great hero. We get one more example of the common man that God calls to battle. Verse 9 (READ THROUGH VERSE 14). I like those verses. God gives Gideon a choice, and like I often do, he takes the choice of the “just want to make sure” mode of thinking. And God provides yet another confirmation of the call.
And did you notice what he overheard the man say? (READ VERSE 14) The sword of Gideon. The son of Joash. A man of Israel. Remember our number way back in the beginning of our study? One.
Coincidence? Or a vision confirming the power of one? The radical change, miraculous working, and supernatural victory that God can bring about through the obedient answer of a call on one wholly committed individual.
Last verse. Verse 15 (READ). Last common characteristic of a Godly call. . .
6. IT IS A CALL TO MOBILIZE GOD’S PEOPLE.
Billy Graham’s call to evangelize people through crusades has always been a call that required the mobilization of God’s people in crusade cities.
Rick Warren’s call to address the African crisis of AIDS is a call to mobilize God’s people.
Jesus’ call to fulfill the great commission was a call to mobilize the people of God.
My call to the city of Lexington is a call to mobilize the people of God. To engage Christians in ministries such as Step-by-Step. To move us into relationships with our neighbors, co-workers, and the lost in our communities.
A Godly call will almost always be a call to mobilize God’s people.
So how does this all tie into our prayer walk? Our 40 Days of Prayer journey. When we combine the power of a call with a life and dedication to seeking God’s face in prayer, we will see some of the same things Gideon saw.
a. The power of a calling can bring spiritual victory to our prayer lives.
b. The power of a calling can bring physical victory to our prayer lives.
c. The power of a calling will bring movement to our prayer lives.
So let me get us thinking about our questions for prayerful reflection this week on our prayer calendar.
- What has God called you to?
- What have you done to verify that call from God?
- What are you ready to do in movement towards fulfillment of that call?
Let me close with this thought. If this idea of being called by God, and empowered by God for kingdom impact is a bit overwhelming for you. The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember. . .
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...
AND
Lazarus was dead!
What do we have that’s worse than that? So no more excuses. When God comes and finds us hiding. Maybe hiding from spiritual and physical oppression that has bound us for years. We need to recognize that our shock and amazement that God is calling out to us is probably confirmation that He is.
God can use us to our full potential. We’re aren’t the message. We’re just the messenger. But I believe God is still looking for Gideons. And I believe He still desires to use Gideon’s to bring Kingdom victories, and eternal freedom to the oppressed.
