WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.580 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church, and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today. 00:00:10.339 --> 00:00:14.580 A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:22.280 And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:30.880 And as we follow Jesus together, we've become convinced that there's no one so good they don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it, 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:36.079 which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word. 00:00:36.900 --> 00:00:44.079 This morning, we're picking back up in our series in the book of Judges, which we were last at right before Christmas. 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:47.760 And you'll remember that the book of Judges is about many things. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:52.320 It's about the constant need for renewal and revival among God's people. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:01:01.060 It's about the need for a true and faithful king, a king who can do what no human can do, which is to change the hearts of men. 00:01:01.879 --> 00:01:06.299 It's about the power of spirit-filled leadership among God's people. 00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:13.359 And it's also about God's mercy to hard-hearted people, people like you and me. 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:18.180 Now, you may remember that we've been in the story of Gideon for some time now. 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:27.980 The story of Gideon takes up chapters 6 and 7 and 8, and now we're at the very end of chapter 8, where we get to see how everything concludes. 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:34.920 Last time, we saw Gideon after he had had his victory against the Midianites. 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:41.400 And unfortunately, it was a commentary on the sorry state of Israel, that they were loyal. 00:01:41.820 --> 00:01:45.579 Groups and individuals were loyal to themselves and only themselves. 00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:51.400 And so we saw, for example, the men of Ephraim were concerned not for God's victory or success, 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:55.140 but that they did not receive the honor or glory they thought they deserved. 00:01:55.820 --> 00:02:00.020 Gideon goes and asks for help from the men of Succoth and the men of Penuel, and they say, 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:03.620 No, we're not interested in helping you. We'd rather save our own skins. 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:13.520 And then Gideon himself shows his self-centeredness when he goes and murders his own fellow Israelites, the men of Penuel. 00:02:14.480 --> 00:02:23.680 And so it highlights the problem we're going to see again this week, that we need a faithful and true king. 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:29.480 As Gideon's story ends, it doesn't end well, and so we're going to look again at the dangers of success, 00:02:29.479 --> 00:02:34.799 the very dangers that God had warned his people against all the way back in chapter 7. 00:02:35.719 --> 00:02:39.239 So with that, I'm going to invite you to turn with me in God's Word. 00:02:39.339 --> 00:02:42.179 We are in Judges 8, starting at verse 22. 00:02:42.839 --> 00:02:44.759 You can turn with me in your Bible. 00:02:45.299 --> 00:02:46.799 You can turn on your phone. 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:48.299 You can turn in your worship guide. 00:02:48.859 --> 00:02:51.519 No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:56.800 And God tells us that his Word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold, 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:01.379 and it is sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. 00:03:01.780 --> 00:03:06.140 And so that's why we read now Judges 8, starting at verse 22. 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:09.899 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:17.839 Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian. 00:03:18.799 --> 00:03:19.839 Gideon said to them, 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:24.379 I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:27.000 The Lord will rule over you. 00:03:27.699 --> 00:03:29.179 And Gideon said to them, 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:30.979 Let me make a request of you. 00:03:31.779 --> 00:03:34.759 Every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil. 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.500 For they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites. 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:39.719 Verse 25. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:41.579 And they answered, 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:43.539 We will willingly give them. 00:03:44.239 --> 00:03:48.879 And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:54.620 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, 00:03:55.180 --> 00:04:00.719 besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:05.060 and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.780 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city in Aphra. 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:16.160 And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:22.360 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:27.520 And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. 00:04:28.520 --> 00:04:29.600 Verse 29. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:33.800 Jeroboam, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house. 00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:39.460 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. 00:04:40.699 --> 00:04:45.740 And his concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:54.800 And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash, his father, at Aphra of the Abizrites. 00:04:55.840 --> 00:05:02.879 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-Bareth their god. 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.300 And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:11.379 who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side. 00:05:11.379 --> 00:05:17.459 And they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jeroboam, that is Gideon, 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:22.480 in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. 00:05:23.659 --> 00:05:27.459 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:05:28.579 --> 00:05:36.980 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and we thank you again for bringing us here together on this cold and chilly morning. 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:42.180 And we thank you for coming again to speak to us through your word. 00:05:42.280 --> 00:05:46.060 We ask that you would do that very thing that you promised. 00:05:46.540 --> 00:05:51.540 You promised us in Isaiah chapter 55 that your word will not return empty, 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.580 but it will accomplish great things in the lives of your people. 00:05:54.700 --> 00:06:00.140 And so we ask for that this morning, that you would grow our understanding of our sin, 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:03.259 and you'd also grow our understanding of your mercy and your grace. 00:06:03.259 --> 00:06:09.360 That you would change us because of our time here, that we would look more and more like Jesus. 00:06:10.039 --> 00:06:14.240 We thank you that we don't have to worry about whether we've earned or deserved these things. 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:19.120 We know that we haven't, and so we ask for them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:06:19.719 --> 00:06:19.980 Amen. 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:26.159 Robert Caro is a name some of you may recognize. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:32.500 He's a famous biographer known for his multi-volume work on President Lyndon Johnson. 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:39.880 In fact, Caro is in his 90s right now, and the question is whether he's going to be able to finish the final volume before his death. 00:06:39.940 --> 00:06:44.740 And so there's this race because there's one volume left in his magnum opus. 00:06:45.700 --> 00:06:53.620 Caro tells us that Johnson concealed his real motives, his real purpose, his intentions for decades. 00:06:53.620 --> 00:07:03.980 Between 1937 and 1957, Johnson voted against every single civil rights bill that showed up on the floor of the Senate. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:10.720 He convinced other leading Democrats, especially Richard Russell, who is the senator from Georgia, 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:13.879 that he was firmly opposed to civil rights. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:17.160 And so because of this, they helped Johnson move his way up the ranks. 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:22.699 They thought, okay, he's on our team, and so we're going to let him continue to advance. 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:25.540 During this time, Johnson just waited. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.840 And then November 22, 1963 comes, and President Kennedy is assassinated. 00:07:32.340 --> 00:07:37.399 That same day, Johnson is sworn in as President of the United States, 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:43.439 and not four days later, Johnson goes to Congress and says, guess what? 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:49.379 Now it is time to put equal rights into law. 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:54.360 And so that very next year, 1964, the Civil Rights Act is passed. 00:07:54.519 --> 00:08:00.019 When Johnson announces this, it's a great shock to all of these men who had helped him advance through the years. 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:02.259 They thought, Johnson is on our team. 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:03.259 He's our man. 00:08:03.420 --> 00:08:07.240 And then he gets in front of them and says, actually, surprise, guys, I'm not. 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:10.779 I've been for civil rights all along. 00:08:11.159 --> 00:08:15.300 His speechwriter asked him at one point, hey, are you for real on this? 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:21.900 And Johnson said, I swore to myself when I was teaching those kids in Texas, early in Johnson's career, 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:27.439 he was a high school teacher, that if I ever had the power, I was going to help them. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:31.560 Now I have the power, and I mean to use it. 00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:34.259 The point is this. 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:38.440 Success reveals the heart. 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:45.800 Success allows people to show what it is they wanted all along. 00:08:45.900 --> 00:08:47.700 It reveals their plans. 00:08:47.760 --> 00:08:52.500 Because now, and this is what Caro points out, they have the power to make it actually happen. 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:56.800 They don't need to worry about whether people are going to help them advance up the ranks. 00:08:57.260 --> 00:08:57.940 They're all the way. 00:08:58.020 --> 00:08:59.500 They're already at the top. 00:09:00.140 --> 00:09:02.780 And so it reveals the heart for better or for worse. 00:09:02.780 --> 00:09:08.260 For Johnson, for the better, of course, it's good that he opposed racial discrimination and put an end to Jim Crow. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.240 For Gideon, for the worse. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:16.179 Because we find out what's actually been in his heart all along. 00:09:17.059 --> 00:09:22.139 We had some foreshadowing back in chapter 7 about what was actually going on inside Gideon. 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:26.340 Remember, he leads these 300 men against the people of the east. 00:09:26.379 --> 00:09:29.299 And what does he tell them that they're going to yell out as their battle cry? 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:35.299 They are supposed to say, for the Lord and for Gideon. 00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:38.059 And so what do they do when they charge out? 00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:39.099 That's in verse 18. 00:09:39.179 --> 00:09:40.259 He gives them those instructions. 00:09:40.659 --> 00:09:41.439 And then verse 20. 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:44.119 That's what they say, for the Lord and for Gideon. 00:09:46.239 --> 00:09:49.379 But the second half wasn't necessary. 00:09:50.819 --> 00:09:55.579 They're only there to fight for the Lord, not for Gideon. 00:09:55.580 --> 00:09:59.580 That small hint then continues in this story. 00:09:59.680 --> 00:10:02.100 We see verse 22. 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:06.520 People of Israel are so pleased with Gideon that they come to him and say, guess what? 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:09.340 We would like to make you a king. 00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:10.200 Not just a king. 00:10:10.280 --> 00:10:11.080 We want a dynasty. 00:10:12.020 --> 00:10:12.940 Verse 22. 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:16.360 Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also. 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:20.159 For you have saved us from the hand of Midian. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:25.159 And Gideon here, the very next verse, he gives them the right answer. 00:10:25.740 --> 00:10:27.720 Gideon gives them the spiritual answer. 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:30.019 He knows what he's supposed to say. 00:10:30.019 --> 00:10:34.000 I will not rule over you and my son will not rule over you. 00:10:34.199 --> 00:10:37.279 The Lord will rule over you. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:41.799 Gideon here provides them with a wonderful, pious answer. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.360 No, I'm not going to do that because, of course, I'm not worthy. 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:45.600 Right? 00:10:45.659 --> 00:10:49.399 And God is the one who is the king of Israel. 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:54.120 The problem with the right answer, though, is this. 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:56.559 And this is on page 7 of your worship guide. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.399 We'll often say one thing and do another. 00:10:59.979 --> 00:11:04.399 Or more precisely, we'll say what we think other people want to hear. 00:11:04.959 --> 00:11:06.919 And then in private, do what we want. 00:11:07.899 --> 00:11:12.179 Thus the old saying, don't listen to what people say. 00:11:13.079 --> 00:11:15.299 Watch what they do. 00:11:17.099 --> 00:11:21.859 Gideon's words and his actions do not line up. 00:11:22.979 --> 00:11:25.099 Gideon says, no, God is the true king. 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:27.560 Let's not listen to what Gideon says. 00:11:28.040 --> 00:11:30.480 Let's watch what he actually does. 00:11:30.560 --> 00:11:33.139 And as we watch him, we learn quite a lot. 00:11:33.740 --> 00:11:39.019 Gideon quickly pivots from lip service to God to outright idolatry. 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:42.800 In verses 24 through 27, he says, on the one hand, God is king. 00:11:42.920 --> 00:11:45.139 And on the other hand, let's set up an idol. 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:52.600 The first thing he does, though, is he receives an offering from these people. 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.500 So verse 23, hey, I'm not going to rule over you. 00:11:55.560 --> 00:11:56.200 God's the king. 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:07.460 Verse 24, but while we're talking about this, about how much you appreciate me and how great it was that I saved you, let's just pause on that for a moment. 00:12:07.460 --> 00:12:10.820 How about we take up a love offering? 00:12:10.820 --> 00:12:17.140 You guys could bring me, I won't become the king, but you could give me all your golden earrings right now. 00:12:17.980 --> 00:12:26.640 I mean, while you're feeling all this emotion and this gratitude towards me, how about the people of Israel put their money where their mouths are? 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:29.920 And that's exactly what happens. 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:31.100 They come forward. 00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:32.820 They give him all their golden earrings. 00:12:32.820 --> 00:12:40.040 By the way, if golden rings sound familiar, this happened with God's people earlier in the Old Testament when they set up the golden calf. 00:12:40.640 --> 00:12:42.080 That was made out of golden rings. 00:12:42.160 --> 00:12:43.280 We're not meant to miss that. 00:12:44.140 --> 00:12:44.840 They bring him. 00:12:45.400 --> 00:12:46.700 Not just that. 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:50.180 Sounds like verse 25 and 26 here. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.340 There's also crescent ornaments and pendants. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:53.760 And there's purple garments. 00:12:55.040 --> 00:12:56.480 So yeah, God's going to be the king. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:02.840 Again, also, it would be nice if I could finally cash in on all these risks that I've taken. 00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:06.560 People of Israel here, they play along. 00:13:07.920 --> 00:13:09.200 And so he collects all this gold. 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:13.800 The next thing he does is he, verse 27, makes an ephod and puts it in his city. 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:18.779 Now to understand what's happening here, we have to track with what an ephod is exactly. 00:13:19.300 --> 00:13:22.840 An ephod was a tunic that would be worn by the high priest. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.379 And it's important to know there's only one high priest. 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:27.820 It's an article of clothing that he would wear. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:35.879 On the breastplate of the ephod, there was the urim and the thumim, which were used to discern God's will for his people. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:44.779 Okay, so he's setting up, building something that is meant to only be worn by the high priest, who's in the city of Shiloh at this time. 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:50.179 And this article that the high priest has is used for discerning God's will. 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:58.979 In other words, he is setting up an alternate location for people to come and worship God. 00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:00.719 Gideon is saying this, 00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:04.179 You don't have to go to the temple to worship God. 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:06.139 You can come to me instead. 00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:12.319 You don't have to go to the high priest and to the temple to discern God's will. 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:14.299 You can come here instead. 00:14:14.299 --> 00:14:17.699 You know, the tabernacle in Shiloh is great. 00:14:18.859 --> 00:14:20.620 It's time for a satellite campus. 00:14:21.819 --> 00:14:23.319 Okay, this is going to be great for our city. 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:26.219 It'll be great for the economy. 00:14:27.419 --> 00:14:29.919 And we find out very quickly what happens. 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:32.000 Same verse, verse 27. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:43.200 Which is a graphic language to say Israel was cheating on God. 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:48.139 Israel was not offering true worship to the true God. 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:51.379 They were offering false worship to this false God. 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:57.120 Not only did Gideon lead them astray, he also, it tells us, led his family astray. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:02.139 And himself, it became a snare to Gideon and his family. 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:10.279 Gideon is pulling these people in the opposite direction from where he's supposed to be leading them. 00:15:11.560 --> 00:15:14.600 It's not just idolatry that is his problem, though. 00:15:15.060 --> 00:15:18.899 Gideon, while he says, on the one hand, I'm not going to be king. 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:20.360 God is going to be king. 00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:24.919 He then proceeds to do exactly what we would expect from a king. 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:32.339 This love offering that he takes in verses 25 and 26 is more than enough gold than he needs to put together this ephod. 00:15:32.659 --> 00:15:37.419 And so what we're finding out here is that Gideon becomes extremely wealthy. 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:41.179 And what is it that a wealthy king is going to do with his resources? 00:15:41.439 --> 00:15:46.019 Well, verse 30, he's going to use his resources to have many, many wives. 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:54.019 In case the point is not clear, he then spells it out for us literally. 00:15:55.019 --> 00:15:58.079 Verse 31, he calls his son Abimelech. 00:15:58.299 --> 00:16:00.319 What does Abimelech translate to? 00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:04.759 Abimelech means my father is king. 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:15.939 Not only does he act like a king, he names his son in such a way that it is clear he thinks he is a king. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:20.980 Some have pointed out that he has already been acting like this. 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:26.039 Back in chapter 7, beginning of chapter 8, as he's going on this rampage of revenge, 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:29.620 he's doing exactly what we would expect of an ancient king. 00:16:29.620 --> 00:16:35.179 The passage teaches us many things. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:36.299 One of them is this. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:46.980 Many people, especially in the church, know the right thing to say. 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:58.019 Many people know the right thing to say, and their hearts are worshiping something else. 00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:08.400 The person with an enormous ego knows enough manners to thank their team for success. 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:16.359 But internally, they're congratulating themselves for how smart and talented they are. 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:21.359 Externally, they're smart enough to say, hey, you know, it's all God. 00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:23.539 God was the reason this was successful. 00:17:23.539 --> 00:17:30.500 Internally, they remind themselves of how much brilliance and foresight and work ethic they have. 00:17:33.639 --> 00:17:38.759 It's easy for us to talk a big game about our Christian witness. 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:49.640 And then when we're more out in the world, we disguise the fact that we believe basic things about the Christian faith that would offend our culture. 00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:55.640 And we downplay our faith in conversations with non-Christians. 00:17:55.640 --> 00:18:04.860 It's easy for us to talk about how indignant we are about the morality of the world around us. 00:18:04.859 --> 00:18:17.879 And then when the magnifying glass comes to find we found our own ways to cheat and gossip and cut corners. 00:18:19.819 --> 00:18:25.839 It is easy for us to say one thing and do another. 00:18:27.179 --> 00:18:29.399 And that's what Gideon does here. 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:32.359 Why is there such a disconnect? 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:43.059 Well, it's because blessing and success in service to God do not make us immune to idolatry. 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:53.259 Blessing and success in service to God does not mean that we no longer have to keep watch over our hearts. 00:18:54.459 --> 00:19:01.599 That we're no longer at risk of the temptation to believe it's not God that's great, but it's us. 00:19:02.359 --> 00:19:03.359 We're not going to be able to believe it's us. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:06.659 In fact, success can put us at even greater risk. 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:11.939 If we think that we are somehow now the good guy, we're beyond temptation. 00:19:13.579 --> 00:19:18.399 And yet not everything we do is right and blessed. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:35.220 And so the walk of faith is every day looking to God, reminding ourselves it is him and him alone who gives us blessing and success. 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:46.360 It is God and God alone who put us in the family that we're in, gave us the talents that we have, opened the doors that were open, provided opportunities where there were none. 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:53.819 In other words, we have to remind ourselves every single day of what we're told in Psalm 127. 00:19:53.819 --> 00:20:01.240 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. 00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:08.759 Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:19.819 Christian author Corrie ten Boom became famous for the time she spent in a Nazi concentration camp. 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:23.819 And after that, she had a long career of speaking and writing. 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:31.799 And that sort of career was the one where she received often praise and thanks from all sorts of people telling her how great she was. 00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:39.000 And so at one point she spoke on what it was she did to protect herself from this danger of success. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:43.599 How it was that she reminded herself of this truth that everything comes from God. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.200 She said this, 00:20:45.619 --> 00:20:48.119 When people come up and give me a compliment, 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:50.220 Corrie, that was a good talk. 00:20:50.299 --> 00:20:51.899 Or, Corrie, you were so brave. 00:20:52.919 --> 00:20:55.359 I take each remark as if it were a flower. 00:20:56.299 --> 00:21:00.339 At the end of each day, I lift up the bouquet of flowers. 00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:02.559 I have gathered throughout the day and say, 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.619 Here you are, Lord. 00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:06.720 It is all yours. 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:15.879 Every day, she reminds herself, in praise to God, 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:20.539 that he is the one who establishes all things. 00:21:21.659 --> 00:21:23.759 He's the Savior, not her. 00:21:24.419 --> 00:21:26.740 He's the Savior, not Gideon. 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:30.859 He's the Savior, not us. 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:41.120 Which gives us our final sobering reminder of Gideon's life, 00:21:42.120 --> 00:21:47.839 which is that beginning well does not guarantee that we end well. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:54.799 That life is filled with snares and temptations, 00:21:54.919 --> 00:21:58.220 and the world is constantly speaking lies to us. 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:02.159 And we're constantly speaking lies to ourselves, 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:06.679 and so we have to be reminded week after week, day after day, 00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:10.179 that it is God and God alone. 00:22:10.180 --> 00:22:16.840 At the end of his life here, Gideon sets up this idol in Aphra, 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:18.220 his father's city. 00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:21.220 That's his last act, essentially. 00:22:22.560 --> 00:22:25.460 Do you remember what the first thing Gideon did was? 00:22:27.340 --> 00:22:28.860 God called him and said, 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:30.779 You need to go tear down an idol. 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:32.500 Where? 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:33.880 In Aphra. 00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:40.920 Gideon sets up an idol in the very same place where he tore one down. 00:22:44.800 --> 00:22:47.300 God has brought Gideon on this journey of faith. 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:49.480 He was a man who began, who was fearful. 00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:52.720 God assured him over and over again. 00:22:55.120 --> 00:22:58.720 Why did God allow him to fight with only 300 people? 00:23:00.100 --> 00:23:02.220 For this very reason. 00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:06.180 Remember, the very beginning of chapter 7, verse 2, he says, 00:23:06.779 --> 00:23:10.759 I'm afraid if you have too many people, you're going to say, 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.960 My hand has done this. 00:23:13.940 --> 00:23:15.339 And what does Gideon do? 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:18.660 He says, My hand has done this. 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:23.319 Now, I want to give Gideon a fair shake. 00:23:24.140 --> 00:23:29.079 We find out here, not everything that Gideon does is bad. 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:30.680 He has some positive legacy. 00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:36.279 Verses 33 and 34, we find out when he dies, the idolatry gets even worse. 00:23:36.820 --> 00:23:44.580 So, in his imperfect leadership, Gideon, at some level, is restraining the people from even worse idolatry. 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:49.360 There is something positive here in the midst of a sad ending. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.380 And, in fact, Gideon shows up in Hebrews chapter 11. 00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:55.960 He's listed as one of these members of the hall of faith. 00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:59.080 And so, Gideon is, in one sense, faithful. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:03.240 On the other sense, compromised in his integrity and his legacy. 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:11.579 And so, we're reminded, once again, of one of the major themes I've been telling you about over and over. 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:14.359 What does the book of Judges teach us? 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:19.339 It teaches us of our need for a faithful and true king. 00:24:20.339 --> 00:24:27.980 It teaches us of our need for a king who can do what no human can do, change the hearts of men. 00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:35.220 In Deuteronomy chapter 17, Moses provides God's word to the people and he tells them, 00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:39.339 here's what the ideal king of Israel should look like. 00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:44.539 And this ideal king does the exact opposite of what Gideon does here. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.059 The ideal king does not amass wealth for himself. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:51.420 The ideal king does not amass wives. 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:55.460 And the ideal king obeys God. 00:24:55.460 --> 00:25:01.180 I told you at the beginning that Gideon says the right thing. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:02.740 He says the spiritual thing. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:06.180 That's only half true. 00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:10.220 When they come to him at the very beginning, they say, 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:13.940 Rule over us because you saved us. 00:25:14.600 --> 00:25:18.340 They say not one wrong thing, but two wrong things. 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:20.220 Gideon only corrects one. 00:25:21.120 --> 00:25:23.039 He says, I won't rule over you. 00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:24.340 He corrects them with that. 00:25:24.339 --> 00:25:29.159 He does not correct the second statement because you saved us. 00:25:29.779 --> 00:25:32.220 Who was it that saved Israel? 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.539 It was not Gideon. 00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:37.799 It was God. 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:44.359 And what do they say should be done for the one who saves them? 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:48.379 That is the one who rules over them. 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:58.180 And so here, the author of Judges is reminding us of why it is that we look to God as our leader and our ruler. 00:25:58.340 --> 00:26:02.700 Why it is that God is the one we praise for success and not ourselves. 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:06.180 Because he and he alone is the one who saves. 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:12.740 We know even more in the New Testament, our salvation is not something that comes from ourselves. 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:16.299 It's not something we praise or congratulate ourselves for. 00:26:16.560 --> 00:26:20.519 No, our salvation comes by the king and the king alone. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.880 Our salvation is what comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:31.140 That he is the one who provides not a small salvation like saving Israel from the people of Midian. 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:33.280 He's the one who provides the great salvation. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:37.140 The salvation that we've seen in our Lord and Savior, our Lord Jesus. 00:26:37.140 --> 00:26:40.800 That he came and lived the perfect life that we should have lived. 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:43.800 He died the death that we deserved. 00:26:43.799 --> 00:26:49.659 And so we have nothing to praise ourselves for. 00:26:51.419 --> 00:26:54.599 The heart of the passage is this. 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:57.740 The problem of this passage is this. 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:03.039 Confusion about who is the true Savior. 00:27:04.899 --> 00:27:09.319 Confusion between our role and Jesus' role. 00:27:09.319 --> 00:27:10.319 Confusion between our Lord and Savior. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:11.319 Confusion between our Lord and Savior. 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:17.240 In Luke chapter 10, Jesus sends out 72 of his followers to go out and to preach and to heal. 00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:20.659 And they come back, having done many great things. 00:27:20.939 --> 00:27:25.379 And they tell Jesus how excited they are that the demons have been subject to them. 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:27.240 And they've accomplished so much. 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:30.619 Do you remember what Jesus says to them? 00:27:32.419 --> 00:27:34.700 Luke chapter 10, verse 20, he says, 00:27:34.700 --> 00:27:38.740 Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you. 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:44.079 Rejoice that your name is written in heaven. 00:27:46.099 --> 00:27:51.759 Remember, God is the Savior and you are not. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:28:00.099 Remember, God is the one who establishes we are not. 00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:05.319 Our salvation is our treasure. 00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:09.059 So we do not have to seek after other things. 00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:14.539 Whether it's gold or success or power or honor. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.500 We can say what Gideon didn't say. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:23.659 Not just that God is the king, but God is the one who saves. 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:25.740 Let's pray. 00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:31.400 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and thank you for your word, 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:34.539 where you tell us what we need to hear, 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.339 even when it's hard and challenging and unpleasant. 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:41.980 And we ask that you would use the example of Gideon 00:28:41.980 --> 00:28:46.680 to remind us of our need to praise you and you alone 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:48.980 for all success and all blessing. 00:28:49.180 --> 00:28:55.120 That we would have lives characterized by daily faith and trust in you. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:57.200 Praising you rather than ourselves. 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:00.120 We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:29:00.580 --> 00:29:00.840 Amen. 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:04.039 I invite you to stand for our closing hymn. 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:04.099 Amen.