When Less Is More

I. THE PEOPLE ARE TO MANY Vv.2-6a

A. The Battle of The Lord

ESDRAELON

1. Gideon means He that cuts down. They camped by the well of Harod. Harod

means fear.

2. The valley of Jezreel which stretches across Central Palestine from the

Jordan to the Mediterranean, separating the mountain ranges of Carmel and

Samaria from those of Galilee, extending about 14 miles from north to

south, and 9 miles from east to west. That ancient river, the Kishon,

which flows westward to the Mediterranean, drains it. At one point was the

most important road that led through the Mediterranean coast.

3. The Midianites were attempting to develop a trading empire. Control

over this land would give them dominion from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Here

Gideon gained victory over the enemy. Here also Barak defeated Sisera.

This plain has been well called the battlefield of Palestine. It has been

a chosen place for encampment in every contest carried on in this country

from the days of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, Napoleon Bonaparte

from Egypt to Syria.

4. There is also a battle that will happen here in the Valley, here in

Brownsville

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B. Test and Sifting Being Afraid (Vv 2-3)

1. The people thought they were ready for battle but they were not. 32,000

men are camping ready to go into battle God says the people are too many.

God used different test in preparation for the battle. 7:12, 8:10 The

midianite army was composed of 135,000 men Gideon was out numbered 4 to 1

God is saying “Gideon there is something wrong with army”

Gideon probably thinking I know what it is we don’t have enough

people. No the problems is you have to many people.

1. The message was that whoever was afraid he could turn and go home.

2. This demonstrates God’s love and concern. He does not want nobody

to serve Him by force or of a sense of guilt

3. 22,000 men went home. There was a reason why they went home. They were

afraid, in other words they were not prepared for battle. There hearts

were not consecrated to the Lord because in the perfect love there is no

fear. Here now Gideon is out numbered 13 to 1 Now the ones who were

fearful went away

C. Test and Siftings Drinking WaterVv4-6a

1. But now there were only 10,000 men left. More than half left. God says

to Gideon the people are too many.

2. There was still another test. When they went to the water those who

laps from the water like a dog, those will be set aside for battle. Those

who knelt down like a dog were disqualified for battle.

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3. 9,700 of them got on their knees to drink water. These that were

kneeling were tired, and in the position they got into demonstrated that

they wanted to rest.

4. They wanted to drink water so bad that they lost the urgency of the

moment.

5. There is a lesson for us. God does not want us to loose the sense of

urgency towards His work. There is only one-way to loose it and that is to

think about our needs think about how tired we feel that we need a break.

So we excuse ourselves with God because we are tires. Brothers we need to

make a sacrifice on our time a sacrifice in our rest, to come to battle.

Sacrifice means that I will come and support it means that I will not stay

home and watch TV. We do this not because I am saying this but because we

love Jesus and if we love Jesus we will be willing to sacrifice for Him

because He sacrificed it all for us.

6. Second lesson that we can learn is that God does not depend on numbers

but depends on consecrated people who want to serve the Lord.

7. The people are to man.

II. GOD’S DREAM TEAM Vv.6b-9

A Few Good Men Vv.6b-7

1. God’s team was composed of only three hundred men.

2. Now Gideon is out numbered 450 to 1.I can imagine Gideon” God I

think we are in trouble,

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3. God was saying to Gideon Trust me, Don’t worry, I am in charge.

Whenever you are in a situation where you had it, don’t fight like

the world does, say here I am Lord, I do not know what to do, Help me to

trust you. God is the one who well get the praise; God wants you to trust

Him. Sometimes when things are going wrong is maybe because something is

going right. God maybe doing a Gideon in your life, in your family, job,

and maybe your health. Cutting back is not about loosing but sometimes

about you wining. God takes five fish and three loafs to feed five