WEBVTT

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 Good morning.

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 As has been said, I am not Pastor Andrew.

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! Pastor Andrew spent the week, as John was just praying there, Pastor Andrew spent the week

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! investing in the teens in their mission trip to Skyview Ranch.

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 And as he was doing that, then I have the opportunity to bring the word this morning.

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 So we look forward to hearing the report.

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 In our family, we got maybe a little bit of a sneak preview with our son Ethan being on the trip.

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 Got to see some of the pictures and hear some of the stories, but neat to hear how God was working.

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 So all that to say, my name is Andy Manwiller.

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 My family and I, we've been coming for about 17 years here to Maranatha.

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 My wife and I have been married for 26 years, 9 months, 26 days.

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 We have 4 awesome kids.

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 It is so much fun.

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 But I love reading, listening to God's word.

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 I love teaching and sharing what God is teaching me.

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 So I'm thankful for the opportunity to share this morning.

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 So let's go ahead and pray again.

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 You can never pray too much.

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 And as I pray out loud, you pray quietly, as Pastor Conner used to say.

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 You can multitask during the message.

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 You can listen and you can pray for me.

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 And we'll dig into God's word together.

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 So let's pray.

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 Thank you, God, for your word, that it is truth.

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 And we pray this morning that you would sanctify us through your truth.

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 May your words be many and mine be few.

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 And I just pray that this would be a sweet time of digging into your word together.

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 That we would leave here changed by the singing, the fellowship, the word, just this opportunity to be in your house.

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 Thank you, God, for the freedom we have to do this.

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 May we not take it for granted and use it for the fullest for your kingdom and your glory.

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 So take this time and use it in our lives.

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 And equip us to go and be the church and do what you've called us to do this week.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 Have you ever felt like God wanted you to do something that you didn't really feel capable of doing?

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 Or maybe calling you to do something that maybe you don't want to do, you're not willing to do.

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 Maybe it's sharing the gospel with someone.

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 Maybe it's trusting in the gospel for ourselves.

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 Maybe you're playing the game and it's time to do business with God.

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 Maybe it's getting to know our neighbors.

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 Maybe it's serving in church somewhere.

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 Maybe it's investing more in our families.

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 Investing in our relationship with our spouse.

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 Investing into our children.

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 Whatever it is, God calls us to do these things.

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 God has things for us to do that, again, sometimes we're maybe not able to do.

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 Or maybe we're not willing.

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 And today we're going to be looking at another example.

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 One of the many examples.

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 Last week we looked at Barak and he seemed a bit unwilling.

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 If you go with me, I'll do this.

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 Today we're going to look at another judge.

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 And just part one, I believe in two weeks, I think Pastor David is going to be preaching part two of Gideon.

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 But we'll see Gideon's fear, his apprehension.

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 And maybe we can identify with that.

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 And then God can use that to open our eyes and challenge us to grow and serve him even with things that we don't think we can do.

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 Or things maybe we're not willing to do.

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 So the background, we're going through Judges this summer.

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 And just a reminder of it, one of the saddest verses in the Bible is in Judges 2.10.

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 So if we look at Judges 2.10, it says,

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 I mean, this is crazy.

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 This is, you read through the Pentateuch, Genesis through Deuteronomy, and even Joshua.

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 And you see what God had done, bringing them out of the land of Egypt and doing all these miracles.

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 And then that generation didn't pass that on to their children.

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 It's been said that Christianity is never more than one generation away from extinction.

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 All it takes is one generation to not pass on the truth.

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 And Christianity goes away.

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 Now, God will not allow that to happen.

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 His word is true and he is always at work.

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 But we need to be passing that on.

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 And so from this, all those great things God had done, and then a generation rose up that wasn't taught, wasn't told these things.

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 And then we see there's this cycle.

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 And verses 11 through 15 kind of give us that cycle.

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 Pastor Andrew and others have kind of talked us through this.

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 But look at verse 11.

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 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.

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 There's this cycle of when we forget God and we turn to sin and we run from him.

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 And we see this cycle happening over and over.

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 We've already seen three iterations of this.

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 In chapter 3, in Judges 3 verse 7, it says,

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 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

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 They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.

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 That's the setup where the people turned away from God.

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 God brought pain into their lives.

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 They called out to him.

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 He rose up a judge.

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 In this case, it was Othniel.

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 And he delivered them.

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 And this cycle that happens over and over again.

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 And this was the first iteration of that.

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 Look at verse 12.

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 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

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 And he strengthened Eglon.

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 And this was the setup.

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 There's this cycle.

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 How many times did the Israelis have to go through that cycle?

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 How many times do I have to go through that cycle?

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 Chapter 4 verse 1.

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 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

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 After Ehud died.

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 They were following a person rather than God himself.

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 The people would turn away from God.

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 And God would bring pain into their lives.

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 God brings pain into our lives for our good.

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 With my children.

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 There's not much better in life than being a husband and father.

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 Being a dad is so fun.

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 It is so cool.

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 But sometimes that does mean teaching and training and disciplining my children.

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 Not just trying to zap them when they do something wrong.

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 But when they sin, when they disobey, they're hurting themselves.

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 They're setting themselves up for worse failures.

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 And I want to bring pain into their lives.

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 As I've heard it said, turn up the heat.

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 To get their attention.

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 To turn them back to what is right.

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 To me.

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 But ultimately to God himself.

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 And that is what God is doing.

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 God's discipline is always for our good.

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 Whether it's discipline that comes because of my own sinful responses.

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 Or sometimes he just brings pain into our lives.

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 Because of the circumstances around us.

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 And so God is always trying to get our attention.

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 That's kind of the main point we want to look at today.

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 That God is with us.

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 We'll see how we should respond to that then.

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 And God is always working.

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 Am I working with him?

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 So this cycle, we've already looked at three different cycles.

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 Starting in chapter 6.

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 So today, again, we're going to go through all of chapter 6.

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 I've got 40 verses and 32 minutes.

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 Here we go.

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 I'll try not to go too long.

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 But that's all right.

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 Verse 1.

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 Here's the setup for Gideon.

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 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

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 And the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.

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 This is now the fourth time in the book where we see this cycle happening.

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 And this time, the pain is Midian.

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 It was kind of fun.

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 I'll try not to take too much time on this.

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 It was kind of fun just looking up all the times Midian appeared in the Old Testament.

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 Who is Midian?

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 Midian was actually a son of Abraham by Keturah in Genesis 25.

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 After Sarah had died, he had another wife and he had Midian.

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 Midian moved east.

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 He's connected with Moab and the Ishmaelites.

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 And they were often kind of a thorn in Israel's side.

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 God used them often to bring discipline, pain, discomfort to turn their attention to God.

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 The traders who sold Joseph into slavery in Genesis 37.

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 It's the Ishmaelites, but the Midianites are also mentioned there.

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 It's almost synonymous a little bit.

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 So again, they're connected in that way.

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 When Moses killed a man, he tried to deliver God's people in his way instead of God's way.

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 He fled and he fled to the land of Midian.

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 And his father-in-law was the priest of Midian.

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 If you remember the story of Balaam and the donkey, the donkey that talked,

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 the Midianites were a part of the group that wanted to have Balaam curse Israel.

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 And when that didn't work, Balaam was sneaky.

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 It's fascinating if you read through it.

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 Balaam then had them sneakily introduce sexual sin into the nation of Israel to try and undercut what God was doing.

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 And it was actually a Midianite woman that was brought into the camp.

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 I hadn't noticed that before.

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 And putting that together, that was in Numbers 25.

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 And Moses ultimately was told to take vengeance on Midian.

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 So there's this give and take.

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 And God used these people in the lives of Israel to bring pain and to draw him back to him.

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 Does God sometimes bring challenging people into our lives to point us back to him?

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 How do I respond to that?

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 So let's see what happens.

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 So there's the setup.

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 Again, the people turn from God.

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 God brings pain into their lives to draw them back to him.

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 Verse 2.

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 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel.

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 And because of Midian, the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains,

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 and the caves, and the strongholds.

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 So because of the oppression, they're trying to survive.

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 And it's kind of fun as you read through Scripture.

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 When in 1 Samuel, 1 and 2 Samuel and such, when David is running from Saul,

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 he hides out in the caves and the dens.

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 And I think this is kind of where those came about.

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 It's kind of cool.

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 As you look through that, like he didn't make them himself.

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 They were already there.

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 But anyway, Scripture ties together.

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 And just dig into Scripture.

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 God's Word is the foundation, not just for an academic exercise,

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 but to know the God of the Word.

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 Anyway, I just thought that was kind of neat.

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 So they're hiding.

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 They're trying to find these secret places so they're not found.

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 Why?

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 What was happening?

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 What was Midian doing?

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 Let's look at verses 3 through 5.

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 For whenever the Israelites planted crops,

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 the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east would come up against them.

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 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land as far as Gaza

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 and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.

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 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents.

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 They would come like locusts in number.

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 Both they and their camels could not be counted,

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 so that they laid waste the land as they came in.

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 We can't even imagine this.

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 We can't even fathom this.

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 We live in such peace and prosperity.

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 Yes, things are hard.

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 Yes, circumstances.

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 And you could point to all kinds of things going bad.

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 But can you imagine living in this,

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 where it's not just like, oh, prices are up or whatever like that.

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 Like people are coming and stealing,

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 and there's literally nothing left.

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 This discomfort, we can't even fathom this.

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 God actually calls us, back even from Genesis,

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 we are called to bring order out of chaos.

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 We did a work, a connect group work study,

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 and we talked about this one of the weeks that I taught.

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 And God, one of our jobs in life is to bring order out of chaos in your home.

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 We have to bring order out of chaos because chaos happens naturally,

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 but we bring order.

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 That's part of being good stewards of this world and bring order out of chaos.

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 But these people were destroyers.

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 They were disruptors.

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 May we not be destroyers and disruptors,

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 but may we be bringing order out of chaos.

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 And they were suffering these consequences,

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 these people coming in and just causing chaos in their lives

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 to an extent, again, that we can't even begin to fathom.

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 And we don't have time to dig into it,

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 but I'd encourage you sometime to read through Deuteronomy 28,

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 and it's paralleled in Leviticus 26.

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 Deuteronomy 28 is really clear.

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 It's really cool.

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 God says, God gives some blessings if they obey.

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 God's rules and guidelines are always for our good, okay?

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 God's rules and guidelines are always for our good,

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 even if it doesn't feel like it.

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 And he says, if you obey me, you'll have blessing.

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 Now, we are not, we are under a different covenant,

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 but the concepts are true.

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 The Proverbs, these things are generally true.

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 And he would say, if you obey, this is what's going to happen.

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 But he also promised them, if you disobey, this is going to happen.

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 And if you still don't turn to me, this is going to happen.

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 And if you still don't turn to me, this, and if you read through it,

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 it's fascinating to see the cycle, the downward, it's going to get worse and worse.

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 And I think we're kind of in this.

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 And as has been mentioned, like Pastor Andrew talked about,

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 not necessarily looking forward to some of the end chapters, right?

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 And just the horrid mess that is the book of Judges.

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 And that can be my life and your life if we don't heed the warnings.

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 God keeps his promises.

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 And that's also true of not just giving us the fruit of the Spirit and love, joy, peace,

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 patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

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 But it's also that he will bring pain into our lives to draw us to him.

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 Again, God's goal in his rules, his guidelines, and the circumstances he brings

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 is always to turn our attention to him.

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 So may we fix our eyes on him.

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 So what happens here?

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 So we got the setup.

00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:53.019
 They turned from God.

00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:54.039
 God brought the Midianites.

00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:55.019
 Things are bad.

00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:55.779
 Verse 6.

00:13:57.179 --> 00:13:59.580
 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian.

00:13:59.700 --> 00:14:02.620
 And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:04.279
 This is what we should do.

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:08.740
 Do we allow difficulties in our lives, whether brought about by our own sin

00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:11.059
 or just because we live in a broken world,

00:14:11.059 --> 00:14:13.820
 do we allow those things to turn our attention to God?

00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:17.340
 1 Thessalonians 5.17 says to pray without ceasing.

00:14:18.620 --> 00:14:22.659
 And the idea there is just being in that constant attitude, that mindset of prayer,

00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:25.179
 that whenever something good happens, our first response should be,

00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:26.440
 thank you, God, for this.

00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:29.259
 And as soon as something bad happens, our response should be,

00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:30.360
 God, what do you want me to learn?

00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:32.659
 God, how can you show your glory?

00:14:32.659 --> 00:14:34.459
 How can I make you look good in this?

00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:35.279
 What do I do?

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:37.500
 Our first response should be to turn to God.

00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:40.799
 And that's what the people of Israel finally did.

00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:46.439
 May we be quicker to turn to him in our circumstances.

00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.620
 So that's the background.

00:14:49.780 --> 00:14:52.160
 What does God do when the people turn to him?

00:14:52.560 --> 00:14:54.280
 Let's read verses 7 to 10.

00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.179
 When the people cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites,

00:14:58.539 --> 00:15:00.699
 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel.

00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:02.179
 And he said to them,

00:15:02.179 --> 00:15:29.000
 God sent a prophet.

00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:32.460
 God reminds them of what he's done for them.

00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.100
 He reminds them of how they've been rescued from slavery.

00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:41.820
 He shows them how they've fallen short of his glory and how they've disobeyed him.

00:15:42.100 --> 00:15:45.639
 And that the goal, again, is always obeying his voice.

00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.480
 God's rules, his guidelines, his directions, his instructions, his tasks

00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:52.820
 are always for our good and his glory.

00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:58.259
 He sent a prophet.

00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:02.159
 Today, he's given us his word.

00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:05.080
 He's given us pastors and teachers.

00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:06.419
 He's given us the church.

00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.500
 I am so thankful for this church.

00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:09.759
 This is our church family.

00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:14.220
 And we have pastors who preach the word to us faithfully.

00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:17.159
 Pastors and leaders who invest in our lives.

00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:19.139
 God has sent us his word.

00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:20.080
 Am I listening?

00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:22.000
 Am I listening?

00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.620
 Not just going through it rote.

00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:24.879
 Like, oh, I read my Bible today.

00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:25.559
 Check the box.

00:16:25.700 --> 00:16:26.700
 Oh, I went to church today.

00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:27.460
 Check the box.

00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:29.100
 But no, are you here to listen?

00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.279
 Are you here to hear from God and his word?

00:16:33.960 --> 00:16:36.840
 When you read the Bible, do you read it on a regular basis?

00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:37.820
 And do you listen?

00:16:37.820 --> 00:16:38.879
 Listen, God is giving.

00:16:39.040 --> 00:16:41.040
 God is calling to us all the time.

00:16:42.160 --> 00:16:43.260
 But am I listening?

00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.400
 Is my heart hard?

00:16:44.780 --> 00:16:46.000
 Or am I listening?

00:16:46.520 --> 00:16:50.980
 Tom Zentz, a few weeks ago on Memorial Day, talked about how we need constant reminders.

00:16:51.659 --> 00:16:54.600
 May we humble ourselves to recognize, I need these reminders.

00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:57.980
 I have been brought out of the house of slavery of my own sin.

00:16:58.639 --> 00:16:59.340
 I am a slave.

00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.639
 I'm either going to be a slave to sin or a slave to God.

00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:03.560
 You tell me what you think is the better taskmaster.

00:17:03.700 --> 00:17:10.000
 I want to be a slave to the God who loves me and has my best in mind for my good and his glory.

00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.059
 May we be reminded of the truth of the gospel and live in it every day.

00:17:16.120 --> 00:17:17.259
 So that's the background.

00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.559
 It's verses 1 through 10.

00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:24.339
 The next section, and that was, if you're following along, I don't have my slides up there.

00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:24.819
 That's all right.

00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:26.079
 I'll tell you what the blanks are.

00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:28.500
 Cycle of apostasy was the first one.

00:17:28.639 --> 00:17:32.539
 A-P-O-S-T-A-S-Y, if anyone wants to spell it there.

00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:34.619
 The second one is Gideon's call.

00:17:35.679 --> 00:17:36.440
 Gideon's call.

00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:38.279
 So we have the background.

00:17:38.639 --> 00:17:40.259
 The people called out to God.

00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.099
 And God sent them a judge.

00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:45.059
 Someone to deliver them.

00:17:45.299 --> 00:17:46.559
 And here is the call.

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.299
 And we're focusing on his story today.

00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:50.799
 Verse 11.

00:17:52.119 --> 00:18:07.200
 So there's this guy, Joash.

00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:10.000
 He's from the tribe of Abiezer, which is in Manasseh.

00:18:10.899 --> 00:18:12.259
 We'll see that come up later.

00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:13.420
 And the angel of the Lord.

00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:18.599
 I'll let Pastor Andrew go into all the theological details of who the angel of the Lord is.

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:23.420
 But for now, this is God speaking to Gideon.

00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:26.640
 And where's Gideon?

00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:28.220
 Gideon is scared.

00:18:28.339 --> 00:18:28.879
 He's hiding.

00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:31.259
 He's trying to provide for himself and his family.

00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:32.420
 He's in the wine press.

00:18:32.420 --> 00:18:35.220
 So that was a place that was lower, underground.

00:18:35.800 --> 00:18:39.720
 And they would, like, the threshing of the wheat, they're throwing it up.

00:18:39.840 --> 00:18:42.759
 And the wind would blow away the chaff so that you have just the good stuff left.

00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.500
 But he's in a pit trying to hide.

00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:45.680
 And so it's hard work.

00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:46.940
 He's scared.

00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:48.560
 He's hiding.

00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:51.039
 He's still trying to provide for his family.

00:18:51.100 --> 00:18:52.160
 He's trying to make it through.

00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.600
 Do we find ourselves maybe sometimes in those circumstances?

00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.899
 Life is hard.

00:19:01.159 --> 00:19:04.279
 And we just, Proverbs 37, try again.

00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:08.859
 Psalm 37, 3 is a verse I want you to write down and think through as we go through this.

00:19:08.939 --> 00:19:11.139
 Trust in the Lord and do good.

00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:12.539
 Gideon's doing that.

00:19:13.219 --> 00:19:15.719
 We'll see his faith to a certain degree here in a minute.

00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:16.679
 But Gideon's doing that.

00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:18.559
 The angel of the Lord comes, hangs out under a tree.

00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:20.399
 And then he speaks to Gideon.

00:19:20.459 --> 00:19:21.379
 Let's look at verse 12.

00:19:21.379 --> 00:19:24.980
 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him,

00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:27.980
 The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.

00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:30.420
 He's got the right guy?

00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:36.220
 Gideon's hiding in a pit trying to do his work in a way that doesn't even work very well.

00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.360
 And he calls him a mighty man of valor.

00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:41.740
 And he says, and this is key as well,

00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.059
 The Lord is with you.

00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:46.579
 This is a theme in the Old Testament.

00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:49.620
 This is a theme throughout the whole Bible from the beginning to the end.

00:19:49.620 --> 00:19:52.920
 The Lord is with you.

00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:57.559
 So remember, God is with us today as well.

00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:59.360
 But this is fascinating, right?

00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:01.779
 He calls Gideon a mighty man of valor.

00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.599
 Was Gideon acting like it?

00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:04.980
 No.

00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.259
 He was not acting like it.

00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:09.660
 But God saw something in him.

00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:11.299
 Or more likely,

00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:15.599
 God saw what he was going to equip him to become

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:17.839
 something more than he is now.

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.959
 The world will tell you,

00:20:20.159 --> 00:20:20.980
 Look within yourself.

00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:22.819
 Follow your heart.

00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:24.159
 Lies.

00:20:24.919 --> 00:20:26.319
 Don't believe it for a minute.

00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:30.339
 But God saw something that he was going to do in Gideon.

00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:31.859
 And so, you know what?

00:20:31.899 --> 00:20:32.980
 Gideon couldn't do this.

00:20:34.139 --> 00:20:35.980
 Gideon didn't even want to do this,

00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.399
 as we'll see necessarily.

00:20:38.179 --> 00:20:39.299
 But God is calling in him.

00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:41.199
 God was going to work in him

00:20:41.199 --> 00:20:43.240
 to will and to do of his good pleasure.

00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:44.839
 It's a verse we're going to look at at the end.

00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:49.639
 God sees things that he's going to do in us.

00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:52.819
 He calls us to do things that we're not doing right now.

00:20:52.879 --> 00:20:55.379
 He calls us to be things that we aren't right now.

00:20:56.139 --> 00:20:57.579
 And let's see how Gideon responds.

00:20:57.699 --> 00:20:58.319
 Verse 13.

00:21:00.379 --> 00:21:01.720
 And Gideon said to him,

00:21:01.939 --> 00:21:04.619
 Please, sir, if the Lord is with us,

00:21:05.139 --> 00:21:07.079
 why then has all this happened to us?

00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:09.500
 And where are all his wonderful deeds

00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:10.919
 that our fathers recounted to us,

00:21:10.919 --> 00:21:13.399
 saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?

00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:16.100
 But now the Lord has forsaken us

00:21:16.100 --> 00:21:18.480
 and given us into the hand of Midian.

00:21:20.120 --> 00:21:22.060
 Okay, I definitely read that with a certain tone.

00:21:23.420 --> 00:21:24.680
 That's how I think he said it.

00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:25.860
 You might think differently.

00:21:26.080 --> 00:21:27.420
 But clearly, regardless,

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:30.280
 he clearly doubted.

00:21:30.540 --> 00:21:33.200
 But the fascinating thing is he knew the truth.

00:21:33.320 --> 00:21:35.440
 He knew the stories of what God had done.

00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.180
 While Judges 2.10 was true,

00:21:37.300 --> 00:21:39.759
 apparently his father had passed some truth on to him.

00:21:39.800 --> 00:21:41.420
 We'll be talking about his father more here in a minute.

00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:43.420
 But he heard the stories.

00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:45.200
 He knew of it.

00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:46.279
 But the fact is,

00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:48.200
 he didn't see it right now.

00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:51.420
 His circumstances and his feelings

00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:53.640
 did not match the truth that he knew.

00:21:54.140 --> 00:21:55.700
 Can anyone else identify with that?

00:21:56.340 --> 00:21:57.080
 Because I can.

00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:00.800
 I don't know.

00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:04.279
 I have struggled with a lot of things

00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:06.299
 in the last year, several years.

00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:07.500
 But God is so good.

00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:11.019
 But circumstances and what I know to be true

00:22:11.019 --> 00:22:12.279
 don't always match.

00:22:13.379 --> 00:22:15.000
 Does that mean that I'm disqualified?

00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:17.000
 Does that mean that we're disqualified

00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:17.759
 if we have doubts?

00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:19.659
 If we're with Gideon and we doubt?

00:22:19.899 --> 00:22:22.079
 And maybe even we say these things to God,

00:22:22.139 --> 00:22:23.440
 maybe even with a tone?

00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:25.940
 Well, see, the answer is no.

00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:28.360
 Gideon poured out his heart.

00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:29.620
 He shared what he thought.

00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:31.600
 David, in the Psalms,

00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:32.600
 pours out his heart.

00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:34.380
 Some of the Psalms are hard to read.

00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:35.180
 It's okay.

00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:37.440
 The key is he's going to God.

00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.820
 He's responding to God

00:22:38.820 --> 00:22:39.880
 and his work in his life.

00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:43.160
 So verse 14.

00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.059
 Gideon says,

00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:44.559
 yeah, whatever,

00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:45.519
 whatever's going on.

00:22:45.580 --> 00:22:46.360
 But verse 14,

00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:59.599
 Did he answer Gideon's question?

00:23:00.919 --> 00:23:02.079
 No, he didn't.

00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:04.579
 Which sounds a little bit like Job, right?

00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:06.439
 Job did not get direct answers.

00:23:06.879 --> 00:23:08.000
 If you remember last summer

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:08.859
 when we went through Job,

00:23:08.939 --> 00:23:09.839
 the main point of that

00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:10.779
 when we got to the end was

00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:12.479
 just trust God.

00:23:13.059 --> 00:23:14.000
 Fix your eyes on him

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.319
 and do what he's calling you to do.

00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:16.339
 Trust him in the midst

00:23:16.339 --> 00:23:17.220
 of your circumstances.

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:19.859
 And Gideon gets a similar answer.

00:23:21.419 --> 00:23:22.819
 He gives Gideon a task.

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.200
 He says,

00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:24.919
 go and save your people.

00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:27.159
 But more importantly,

00:23:27.639 --> 00:23:28.519
 it was God

00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:30.019
 who was telling him to do this.

00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:32.359
 God gave him clear instructions.

00:23:33.919 --> 00:23:35.000
 Has God given us

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:36.079
 any clear instructions?

00:23:37.159 --> 00:23:38.339
 If you open your Bible,

00:23:39.439 --> 00:23:40.960
 can you find some clear instructions?

00:23:41.919 --> 00:23:42.299
 Husbands,

00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:43.279
 love your wives

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:45.099
 as Christ loved the church.

00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:46.220
 Don't focus on her part.

00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:46.779
 Focus on yours.

00:23:46.879 --> 00:23:48.379
 That's not today's topic though.

00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:49.059
 Children,

00:23:49.220 --> 00:23:50.079
 obey your parents.

00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:50.819
 Fathers,

00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:52.339
 bring up your children

00:23:52.339 --> 00:23:53.299
 in the nurture

00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:54.319
 and admonition of the Lord.

00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:55.539
 Speak the truth

00:23:55.539 --> 00:23:56.539
 in love.

00:23:57.059 --> 00:23:58.240
 There's so many instructions

00:23:58.240 --> 00:23:59.019
 we have been given.

00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:00.579
 We have been given tasks

00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:02.059
 and therefore are good.

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:02.940
 They're not easy.

00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:03.779
 We don't always feel

00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:04.399
 like doing them.

00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:05.220
 They don't always work

00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:05.859
 the way we want.

00:24:06.139 --> 00:24:07.119
 But God has clearly

00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:08.399
 given us tasks.

00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:10.859
 And even the Great Commission,

00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:12.439
 God has clearly given us

00:24:12.439 --> 00:24:12.899
 that task.

00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.159
 Our main goal in life

00:24:14.159 --> 00:24:15.719
 is to glorify God.

00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:16.559
 And one of the best ways

00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:17.119
 we do that

00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:18.139
 is by going

00:24:18.139 --> 00:24:19.259
 as we go

00:24:19.259 --> 00:24:20.500
 into all the world,

00:24:20.919 --> 00:24:21.699
 preach the gospel,

00:24:21.879 --> 00:24:22.619
 make disciples.

00:24:23.659 --> 00:24:24.859
 We have been clearly

00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:26.079
 sent to do this.

00:24:27.439 --> 00:24:28.599
 What was Gideon's response?

00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:32.099
 And Gideon said to him,

00:24:32.359 --> 00:24:33.039
 please Lord,

00:24:33.539 --> 00:24:35.139
 how can I save Israel?

00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:36.159
 Behold,

00:24:36.299 --> 00:24:37.399
 my clan is the weakest

00:24:37.399 --> 00:24:38.119
 in Manasseh

00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:39.459
 and I am the least

00:24:39.459 --> 00:24:40.419
 in my father's house.

00:24:41.419 --> 00:24:41.779
 Again,

00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:43.939
 he's responding honestly

00:24:43.939 --> 00:24:46.139
 and it may be factual.

00:24:46.299 --> 00:24:47.779
 He's hiding in a wine press

00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:49.399
 using it for a task

00:24:49.399 --> 00:24:50.639
 that it's not designed to do.

00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:52.459
 His family apparently

00:24:52.459 --> 00:24:53.459
 is small in the tribe.

00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:54.099
 I'm just going to take

00:24:54.099 --> 00:24:54.659
 his word for it

00:24:54.659 --> 00:24:55.159
 at that point.

00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:57.139
 But Manasseh is a small tribe.

00:24:57.379 --> 00:24:57.719
 In fact,

00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:58.419
 half the tribe's

00:24:58.419 --> 00:24:58.959
 on the other side

00:24:58.959 --> 00:24:59.399
 of the Jordan,

00:24:59.479 --> 00:25:00.000
 if you remember.

00:25:00.459 --> 00:25:01.419
 Half of them settled

00:25:01.419 --> 00:25:01.899
 over there.

00:25:01.979 --> 00:25:02.819
 So it's a smaller,

00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:04.279
 they took a lot of land,

00:25:04.459 --> 00:25:05.639
 but so he's struggling.

00:25:05.779 --> 00:25:06.059
 He's looking at it.

00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:07.239
 How can I do this?

00:25:08.479 --> 00:25:09.779
 It's an honest assessment.

00:25:10.739 --> 00:25:11.779
 But where's his focus?

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:14.119
 His focus is still

00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:14.799
 on himself.

00:25:15.539 --> 00:25:16.619
 His focus is still

00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:17.819
 on who he and his family

00:25:17.819 --> 00:25:19.239
 are on their own

00:25:19.239 --> 00:25:20.599
 without God.

00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:22.759
 Moses did this

00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.779
 when God called him.

00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:24.339
 If you read through

00:25:24.339 --> 00:25:25.559
 Exodus chapter 2 and 3,

00:25:26.199 --> 00:25:27.199
 you'll see Moses

00:25:27.199 --> 00:25:28.359
 throws up five excuses

00:25:28.359 --> 00:25:30.179
 and God sometimes

00:25:30.179 --> 00:25:30.759
 doesn't even directly

00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:31.199
 answer them.

00:25:31.239 --> 00:25:32.679
 It's all about God

00:25:32.679 --> 00:25:34.139
 focusing on him.

00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:36.799
 Giving excuses.

00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:38.099
 May we not give excuses.

00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:38.879
 And again,

00:25:38.919 --> 00:25:39.599
 it could be,

00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:41.259
 I think God is revealing

00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:42.639
 how empty Gideon is.

00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:44.159
 How needy Gideon is.

00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:45.859
 He doesn't see God working.

00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:47.099
 We saw that in verse 13.

00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:48.059
 And he knows that

00:25:48.059 --> 00:25:48.879
 he's not sufficient

00:25:48.879 --> 00:25:49.879
 to do these things.

00:25:50.839 --> 00:25:51.759
 God brings us

00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:53.279
 to our lowest point

00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:54.859
 so he can fill us

00:25:54.859 --> 00:25:55.779
 with himself.

00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:57.259
 Because it's God

00:25:57.259 --> 00:25:58.039
 who gets the glory,

00:25:58.259 --> 00:25:58.839
 not us.

00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:00.159
 And God can use us.

00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:01.279
 We can do great things

00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:01.680
 for him.

00:26:02.039 --> 00:26:02.960
 But it's not

00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:04.000
 in our own strength.

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:05.160
 And sometimes God needs

00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:05.619
 to bring us

00:26:05.619 --> 00:26:06.440
 to the end of ourselves.

00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:08.019
 Would it be better

00:26:08.019 --> 00:26:09.900
 to humble ourselves

00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:11.579
 before the Lord

00:26:11.579 --> 00:26:12.700
 and he will lift us up

00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:13.480
 as James said

00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:14.920
 rather than having him

00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:15.579
 humble us?

00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:18.740
 That God opposes the proud

00:26:18.740 --> 00:26:19.720
 but gives grace

00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:20.259
 to the humble

00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:21.259
 again in James.

00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:24.700
 So God is revealing

00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:25.940
 his need.

00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:27.539
 And so what happens here

00:26:27.539 --> 00:26:28.339
 in verse 16?

00:26:28.339 --> 00:26:37.939
 Again, the focus

00:26:37.939 --> 00:26:39.179
 is not on Gideon.

00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:39.980
 The focus is not

00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:40.639
 on his family.

00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:43.079
 The focus is on God himself.

00:26:43.399 --> 00:26:44.519
 God has called him

00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:45.399
 to do this thing.

00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:46.299
 Again, this is a theme

00:26:46.299 --> 00:26:47.179
 throughout the whole Bible

00:26:47.179 --> 00:26:48.199
 including in Revelation.

00:26:48.919 --> 00:26:49.679
 One of the best parts

00:26:49.679 --> 00:26:50.639
 of being in heaven forever

00:26:50.639 --> 00:26:51.639
 is God's presence

00:26:51.639 --> 00:26:52.339
 with us

00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:53.379
 in an even more

00:26:53.379 --> 00:26:54.240
 tangible way.

00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:55.639
 God will be

00:26:55.639 --> 00:26:56.500
 with his people

00:26:56.500 --> 00:26:58.660
 and he will be

00:26:58.660 --> 00:26:59.180
 our God

00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:00.460
 and he will be with us.

00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:03.079
 It's I will be with you.

00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:03.900
 Whatever God

00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:04.819
 is calling you to do,

00:27:04.900 --> 00:27:05.880
 whatever hard things

00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:06.880
 are happening in work,

00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:07.680
 I've talked to many of you

00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:08.519
 about my work, right?

00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:10.759
 God is with you

00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:12.019
 wherever you are

00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:13.440
 no matter how hard it is,

00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:14.779
 no matter what is going on,

00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:15.759
 God is with you.

00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:16.759
 You are not alone.

00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:18.700
 You also have

00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:19.500
 the body of Christ

00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:21.000
 but God is with us.

00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:22.980
 And he says

00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:23.480
 you're going to strike

00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:24.680
 the Midianites

00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:25.599
 as one man.

00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:26.180
 You'll have victory

00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:27.259
 as I am with you.

00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:28.140
 We have been given

00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:29.380
 tasks as well.

00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:30.019
 Again,

00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:30.680
 family,

00:27:31.100 --> 00:27:31.460
 church,

00:27:31.820 --> 00:27:33.039
 all these different things.

00:27:33.340 --> 00:27:34.360
 I do want to just talk

00:27:34.360 --> 00:27:35.220
 very briefly about

00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:37.299
 Matthew chapter 28,

00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:38.039
 the Great Commission.

00:27:38.620 --> 00:27:39.340
 We tend to focus

00:27:39.340 --> 00:27:40.000
 on the fact,

00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:40.940
 go therefore

00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:41.740
 and make disciples

00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:42.420
 of all nations,

00:27:42.620 --> 00:27:43.299
 baptizing them

00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:44.120
 in the name of the Father

00:27:44.120 --> 00:27:44.680
 and the Son

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:45.320
 and the Holy Spirit,

00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:46.779
 teaching them to observe

00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:47.960
 all that I have commanded you.

00:27:48.580 --> 00:27:49.340
 Don't forget the end.

00:27:49.620 --> 00:27:50.000
 Behold,

00:27:50.120 --> 00:27:51.160
 I am with you

00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:52.140
 always to the end

00:27:52.140 --> 00:27:52.680
 of the age.

00:27:53.500 --> 00:27:54.320
 God is with us.

00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:55.920
 We tend to also forget

00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:56.519
 verse 18.

00:27:56.600 --> 00:27:57.320
 Let me read that one.

00:27:57.960 --> 00:27:58.700
 All authority

00:27:58.700 --> 00:27:59.400
 in heaven

00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:00.060
 and on earth

00:28:00.060 --> 00:28:01.300
 has been given to me.

00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:02.380
 Go therefore.

00:28:03.580 --> 00:28:04.800
 God is the one

00:28:04.800 --> 00:28:05.720
 who has called us

00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:06.620
 to these things

00:28:06.620 --> 00:28:08.460
 and who is sufficient

00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:09.160
 for these things.

00:28:09.340 --> 00:28:09.620
 Nobody,

00:28:09.820 --> 00:28:10.460
 but God is

00:28:10.460 --> 00:28:11.360
 and God will work

00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:11.940
 through us.

00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:13.180
 Like Gideon,

00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:14.200
 we need to get our eyes

00:28:14.200 --> 00:28:15.140
 off of ourselves

00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:16.300
 and on to God

00:28:16.300 --> 00:28:17.259
 when God says,

00:28:17.580 --> 00:28:19.480
 I will be with you.

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:22.160
 Let's go

00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:24.039
 and take steps of faith,

00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:24.900
 trust in the Lord

00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:25.660
 and do good.

00:28:28.339 --> 00:28:28.920
 After this,

00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:30.059
 we'll see how Gideon responds

00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:31.079
 just like any of us would do.

00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:31.640
 More doubt.

00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:34.259
 But God is so gracious.

00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:35.660
 Look at verses 17 and 18.

00:28:35.660 --> 00:28:36.420
 And he, Gideon,

00:28:36.519 --> 00:28:36.980
 said to him,

00:28:37.540 --> 00:28:38.620
 If now I have found favor

00:28:38.620 --> 00:28:39.200
 in your eyes,

00:28:39.300 --> 00:28:40.360
 then show me a sign

00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:41.040
 that it is you

00:28:41.040 --> 00:28:41.860
 who speak with me.

00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:43.259
 Please do not depart

00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.640
 from here

00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:44.500
 until I come to you

00:28:44.500 --> 00:28:45.480
 and bring out my present

00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:46.460
 and set it before you.

00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:47.320
 And he said,

00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:48.080
 I will stay

00:28:48.080 --> 00:28:48.779
 until you return.

00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:51.019
 This is again

00:28:51.019 --> 00:28:51.480
 the setup

00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:53.160
 for the next paragraph.

00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:54.980
 He's asking for a sign.

00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:55.920
 Verse 19.

00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:57.039
 So Gideon went,

00:28:57.580 --> 00:28:59.860
 Gideon went into the house,

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:00.680
 prepared a young goat,

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:01.300
 unleavened cakes

00:29:01.300 --> 00:29:02.600
 from an ephah flour,

00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:03.880
 the meat he put in a basket

00:29:03.880 --> 00:29:05.360
 and the broth he put in a pot.

00:29:05.600 --> 00:29:06.580
 He brought them to him

00:29:06.580 --> 00:29:07.300
 under the terebinth

00:29:07.300 --> 00:29:08.300
 and presented them.

00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:10.160
 Gideon wants to show hospitality.

00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:13.120
 Gideon wants to show his hospitality

00:29:13.120 --> 00:29:14.140
 by providing a meal.

00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:17.960
 And what happens here?

00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:18.440
 There's more.

00:29:18.519 --> 00:29:19.480
 What does the angel of the Lord

00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.060
 do with this?

00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.380
 The angel of God said to him,

00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:22.300
 Take the meat

00:29:22.300 --> 00:29:23.300
 and the unleavened cakes

00:29:23.300 --> 00:29:24.400
 and put them on this rock

00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:26.700
 and pour the broth over them.

00:29:26.860 --> 00:29:27.540
 And he did so.

00:29:28.440 --> 00:29:29.380
 Then the angel of the Lord

00:29:29.380 --> 00:29:30.980
 reached out the tip of the staff

00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:31.780
 that was in his hand

00:29:31.780 --> 00:29:32.940
 and touched the meat

00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:33.820
 and the unleavened cakes

00:29:33.820 --> 00:29:36.320
 and fire sprang up from the rock

00:29:36.320 --> 00:29:37.600
 and consumed the meat

00:29:37.600 --> 00:29:38.500
 and the unleavened cakes.

00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:39.940
 And the angel of the Lord

00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:41.420
 vanished from his sight.

00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:44.120
 It's kind of like Elijah

00:29:44.120 --> 00:29:46.300
 pouring water on the sacrifice.

00:29:46.840 --> 00:29:48.360
 But that happened after this,

00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:49.000
 so I can't use that

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:49.540
 as an illustration.

00:29:50.040 --> 00:29:51.600
 But Gideon probably had in mind,

00:29:51.840 --> 00:29:52.800
 he knew the scripture,

00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.659
 he knew the stories.

00:29:55.059 --> 00:29:56.259
 Back in Leviticus 9,

00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:57.720
 verses 23 and 24,

00:29:57.899 --> 00:29:58.379
 I don't have time

00:29:58.379 --> 00:29:59.680
 to look at that right now,

00:29:59.740 --> 00:30:00.740
 but you can go look that up later.

00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:02.319
 Back in Leviticus 9,

00:30:02.379 --> 00:30:03.319
 23 and 24,

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:04.139
 when Aaron,

00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:05.159
 the priest,

00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:06.079
 was consecrated

00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:07.899
 and they made a sacrifice,

00:30:08.059 --> 00:30:09.099
 the glory of the Lord

00:30:09.099 --> 00:30:09.980
 appeared to the people

00:30:09.980 --> 00:30:11.659
 and fire came out

00:30:11.659 --> 00:30:12.859
 and consumed the offering.

00:30:14.359 --> 00:30:15.779
 God had appeared to him

00:30:15.779 --> 00:30:17.240
 and fire came out

00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:18.099
 and consumed the offering.

00:30:18.299 --> 00:30:19.539
 God was there.

00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:21.079
 God was present.

00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:24.000
 And so what was his response?

00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:24.939
 Look at verse 22.

00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:26.460
 Then Gideon perceived

00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:28.639
 that it was the angel of the Lord.

00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:30.439
 And Gideon said,

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:32.079
 Alas, O Lord God,

00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:33.460
 for now I have seen

00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:34.319
 the angel of the Lord

00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:35.299
 face to face.

00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:36.919
 What was me?

00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:37.980
 There is humility here.

00:30:38.059 --> 00:30:38.819
 He recognizes

00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:40.039
 that in God's presence,

00:30:40.179 --> 00:30:41.299
 he is nothing.

00:30:42.419 --> 00:30:43.259
 And this happens

00:30:43.259 --> 00:30:43.980
 throughout scripture.

00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:44.919
 Job,

00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.220
 when God confronts him,

00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:47.119
 he puts his hand

00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:47.659
 over his mouth.

00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:49.019
 He repents

00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:50.240
 and dust and ashes.

00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:51.480
 Moses,

00:30:51.619 --> 00:30:52.400
 at the burning bush,

00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:53.619
 he takes his sandals off

00:30:53.619 --> 00:30:54.539
 because he's on holy ground.

00:30:54.879 --> 00:30:55.240
 Isaiah,

00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:56.019
 when he sees God,

00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:56.200
 says,

00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:56.940
 Woe is me,

00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:57.879
 for I am undone.

00:30:57.960 --> 00:30:59.220
 I am a man of unclean lips

00:30:59.220 --> 00:31:00.000
 and I live among

00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:01.160
 a people of unclean lips.

00:31:01.740 --> 00:31:02.720
 We see this again

00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:03.379
 in a little bit

00:31:03.379 --> 00:31:04.019
 with Samson

00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:05.400
 and his parents.

00:31:06.400 --> 00:31:08.240
 The only valid response

00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:08.920
 to realizing

00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:09.779
 God is at work

00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:11.180
 is to humble ourselves,

00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:12.519
 to recognize

00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:13.180
 who we are

00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:13.960
 and who God is.

00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:15.160
 Do we turn

00:31:15.160 --> 00:31:16.500
 our attention to him?

00:31:16.500 --> 00:31:17.539
 Do we allow

00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:18.299
 our circumstances

00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:19.900
 to point us to him?

00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:21.880
 How does God respond

00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:23.299
 to Gideon's recognition?

00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:24.339
 Verse 23,

00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:26.779
 But the Lord said to him,

00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:28.920
 Peace be to you.

00:31:29.799 --> 00:31:30.579
 Do not fear.

00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:33.460
 You shall not die.

00:31:35.400 --> 00:31:37.019
 When all this is going on,

00:31:37.500 --> 00:31:38.319
 my circumstances

00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:39.339
 are out of my control.

00:31:40.539 --> 00:31:42.480
 When I am lost

00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:43.500
 and I am undone

00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:45.119
 and I'm seeing God working,

00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:47.659
 God brings peace.

00:31:47.739 --> 00:31:48.839
 So often throughout Scripture

00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:49.799
 when an angel appears

00:31:49.799 --> 00:31:50.279
 to a person,

00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:50.599
 he says,

00:31:50.719 --> 00:31:51.399
 Peace be to you

00:31:51.399 --> 00:31:51.859
 because they're ready

00:31:51.859 --> 00:31:52.439
 to freak out.

00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:53.739
 When Jesus appeared

00:31:53.739 --> 00:31:54.539
 to the disciples

00:31:54.539 --> 00:31:56.319
 after he rose from the dead,

00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:56.619
 he said,

00:31:56.719 --> 00:31:57.519
 Peace be to you.

00:31:57.539 --> 00:31:58.679
 He said it like two or three times

00:31:58.679 --> 00:31:59.599
 because they needed it.

00:31:59.739 --> 00:32:00.639
 I need that.

00:32:00.739 --> 00:32:01.659
 I get so anxious.

00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:02.479
 I don't know about you,

00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:04.919
 but I'm getting older

00:32:04.919 --> 00:32:06.399
 and so like feelings

00:32:06.399 --> 00:32:07.239
 are bigger now.

00:32:07.339 --> 00:32:08.339
 It's like this is weird.

00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:10.479
 I shared some things

00:32:10.479 --> 00:32:11.239
 that are going on

00:32:11.239 --> 00:32:12.119
 and at least two people

00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:12.579
 said to me,

00:32:12.639 --> 00:32:13.219
 Oh, you're telling me

00:32:13.219 --> 00:32:14.019
 you're in your 40s.

00:32:14.019 --> 00:32:16.099
 Okay, message received.

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:17.759
 Life changes

00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:19.079
 and sometimes it's hard

00:32:19.079 --> 00:32:20.220
 and sometimes it's good,

00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:22.859
 but regardless of where we're at,

00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:24.559
 God is in control

00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:26.400
 and if I fix my eyes on him,

00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:27.279
 there is peace.

00:32:27.879 --> 00:32:28.519
 God's kingdom

00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:29.940
 is not of this world.

00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:30.900
 He does not promise

00:32:30.900 --> 00:32:32.299
 a nation to rise up

00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:33.720
 and that's like the Jews

00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:34.920
 thought they were going to rise up

00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:35.700
 and take out the Romans.

00:32:35.819 --> 00:32:37.579
 That's not what God promises us.

00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:38.700
 His kingdom

00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:39.859
 is not of this world,

00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:40.779
 but it is of the heart

00:32:40.779 --> 00:32:43.000
 and what God promises us

00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:44.299
 is not comfort

00:32:44.299 --> 00:32:45.420
 and ease

00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:46.440
 and riches.

00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:47.700
 It's not what he promises.

00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:48.680
 He promises us

00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:49.359
 love,

00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:50.599
 joy,

00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:51.900
 peace,

00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:53.019
 patience,

00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:54.180
 kindness,

00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:55.339
 goodness,

00:32:56.259 --> 00:32:56.900
 faithfulness,

00:32:57.539 --> 00:32:58.059
 gentleness,

00:32:58.440 --> 00:32:59.339
 and self-control.

00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:00.619
 That's the fruit,

00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:01.240
 the evidence

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:01.880
 of the spirit

00:33:01.880 --> 00:33:03.200
 of God working in us

00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:04.759
 and that is so much better

00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:05.960
 than anything else

00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:06.720
 whether we have

00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:07.240
 great riches

00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:07.940
 and great things

00:33:07.940 --> 00:33:08.779
 or we have not.

00:33:09.380 --> 00:33:10.619
 The kingdom of God

00:33:10.619 --> 00:33:11.500
 is of the heart

00:33:11.500 --> 00:33:12.779
 and as we rest in him,

00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:13.720
 he gives us

00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:15.359
 and brings us peace.

00:33:15.660 --> 00:33:16.440
 We need that.

00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:17.880
 We need to fix our eyes

00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:19.480
 on God himself.

00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:22.200
 And so what happens

00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:23.819
 when Gideon realizes this

00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:24.599
 in verse 24?

00:33:25.259 --> 00:33:26.099
 Then Gideon built

00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:26.940
 an altar there

00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:27.559
 to the Lord

00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:28.299
 and called it

00:33:28.299 --> 00:33:30.359
 the Lord is peace.

00:33:31.019 --> 00:33:31.740
 To this day,

00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:32.660
 it still stands

00:33:32.660 --> 00:33:33.359
 in Ophrah

00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:34.039
 which belongs

00:33:34.039 --> 00:33:34.819
 to the Abiezrites.

00:33:35.900 --> 00:33:37.119
 Another good response

00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:37.759
 to realizing

00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:38.720
 that God is at work

00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:40.500
 is building a reminder.

00:33:40.500 --> 00:33:42.339
 We are forgetful people.

00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:42.700
 Again,

00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:43.960
 Tom Zent shared that

00:33:43.960 --> 00:33:44.319
 with us

00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:45.920
 on the Memorial Day service

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:47.019
 and it's been said

00:33:47.019 --> 00:33:47.440
 from the pulpit

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:48.099
 many times,

00:33:48.359 --> 00:33:49.500
 I am a forgetful person.

00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:50.640
 We are forgetful people.

00:33:50.819 --> 00:33:51.700
 I need reminders.

00:33:52.339 --> 00:33:53.299
 Do you have any reminders

00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:54.079
 of when God

00:33:54.079 --> 00:33:55.099
 was working in your life?

00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:57.920
 We have black lava rock

00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:58.440
 out in front.

00:33:58.559 --> 00:33:59.240
 We've chosen that

00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:00.039
 as our landscaping

00:34:00.039 --> 00:34:01.319
 because you don't have

00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:02.299
 to do it every year.

00:34:03.960 --> 00:34:04.880
 But my wife

00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:06.140
 has taken some rocks

00:34:06.140 --> 00:34:07.140
 and painted them white

00:34:07.140 --> 00:34:08.539
 and written on them

00:34:08.539 --> 00:34:09.659
 things that God has done.

00:34:09.659 --> 00:34:10.859
 So when you go out front

00:34:10.859 --> 00:34:11.659
 out of our door,

00:34:11.799 --> 00:34:13.019
 there's these bright white

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:14.940
 reminders of what God

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.619
 has done.

00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:16.920
 It's just a small thing.

00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:17.579
 I'm very good

00:34:17.579 --> 00:34:18.319
 at forgetting them.

00:34:18.799 --> 00:34:19.519
 I'm very good

00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:20.639
 at walking right past them

00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:22.019
 and not remembering them

00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:22.639
 or letting them

00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:23.679
 focus my mind on him.

00:34:23.819 --> 00:34:25.039
 But I have the opportunity.

00:34:25.639 --> 00:34:26.779
 Do you have any reminders

00:34:26.779 --> 00:34:27.699
 of what God has done

00:34:27.699 --> 00:34:28.319
 in your life?

00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:29.799
 So that when you face

00:34:29.799 --> 00:34:30.599
 hard times,

00:34:30.619 --> 00:34:31.599
 you can look back

00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:33.299
 and see God has done

00:34:33.299 --> 00:34:33.859
 this for me.

00:34:34.279 --> 00:34:34.960
 God has done this

00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:35.579
 for the Israelites.

00:34:36.059 --> 00:34:36.920
 God is going to take care

00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:37.319
 of me now

00:34:37.320 --> 00:34:37.980
 as I go forward.

00:34:38.660 --> 00:34:40.059
 Setting up these reminders

00:34:40.059 --> 00:34:41.600
 of who God is

00:34:41.600 --> 00:34:42.980
 and what he's done.

00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:45.000
 Jacob did this

00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:45.860
 with his rock pillow.

00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:47.400
 The two and a half tribes

00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:48.140
 at the end of Judges

00:34:48.140 --> 00:34:48.519
 do this.

00:34:48.580 --> 00:34:49.320
 They set up a reminder.

00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:50.500
 Hey, we are a part of you.

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:52.039
 We need reminders.

00:34:52.220 --> 00:34:52.920
 We are forgetful.

00:34:52.980 --> 00:34:53.780
 Even Peter and Paul

00:34:53.780 --> 00:34:54.820
 talk about reminding

00:34:54.820 --> 00:34:55.700
 people of truths.

00:34:56.180 --> 00:34:57.600
 I need these reminders

00:34:57.600 --> 00:34:58.500
 and I'm guessing

00:34:58.500 --> 00:34:59.000
 you do too.

00:35:00.980 --> 00:35:01.700
 So we move into

00:35:01.700 --> 00:35:02.420
 the next paragraph

00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:03.800
 starting in verse 25.

00:35:04.160 --> 00:35:04.720
 It brings us

00:35:04.720 --> 00:35:05.420
 to the third point.

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:06.039
 So the first point,

00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:07.019
 cycle of apostasy.

00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:08.240
 Second was Gideon's call.

00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:09.480
 The third is Gideon's

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:10.539
 first step.

00:35:11.159 --> 00:35:12.039
 S-T-E-P, step.

00:35:13.820 --> 00:35:15.159
 So God's got his attention.

00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:16.380
 He gives him

00:35:16.380 --> 00:35:17.360
 his first task.

00:35:17.500 --> 00:35:17.940
 Here we go.

00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:18.820
 Verse 25.

00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:21.380
 25 and 26.

00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:22.240
 That night,

00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:23.240
 the Lord said to him,

00:35:23.680 --> 00:35:24.700
 take your father's bull

00:35:24.700 --> 00:35:25.760
 and the second bull,

00:35:25.860 --> 00:35:26.500
 seven years old,

00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:27.559
 and pull down

00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:28.360
 the altar of Baal

00:35:28.360 --> 00:35:29.340
 that your father has

00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:30.860
 and cut down

00:35:30.860 --> 00:35:31.400
 the Asherah

00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:32.220
 that is beside it

00:35:32.220 --> 00:35:33.760
 and build an altar

00:35:33.760 --> 00:35:35.000
 to the Lord your God

00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:35.880
 on the top

00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:36.780
 of the stronghold here

00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:38.020
 with stones laid

00:35:38.020 --> 00:35:38.620
 in due order.

00:35:39.060 --> 00:35:40.040
 Then take the second bull

00:35:40.040 --> 00:35:40.760
 and offer it

00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:41.640
 as a burnt offering

00:35:41.640 --> 00:35:42.300
 with the wood

00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:43.120
 of the Asherah

00:35:43.120 --> 00:35:44.660
 that you shall cut down.

00:35:46.420 --> 00:35:47.520
 His first assignment

00:35:47.520 --> 00:35:48.520
 is to tear down

00:35:48.520 --> 00:35:49.540
 the altar of Baal

00:35:49.540 --> 00:35:50.180
 and the Asherah

00:35:50.180 --> 00:35:51.800
 that his father had

00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:53.940
 and replace it

00:35:53.940 --> 00:35:54.920
 with an altar

00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:55.700
 to God

00:35:55.700 --> 00:35:56.420
 and sacrifice.

00:35:57.060 --> 00:35:57.900
 So Gideon's dad

00:35:57.900 --> 00:35:58.860
 is an interesting character,

00:35:58.860 --> 00:35:59.220
 isn't he?

00:35:59.799 --> 00:36:00.719
 I think he clearly

00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:02.439
 told Gideon about God

00:36:02.439 --> 00:36:03.739
 because back

00:36:03.739 --> 00:36:04.899
 when the angel of the Lord

00:36:04.899 --> 00:36:05.679
 first appeared to him,

00:36:05.719 --> 00:36:06.059
 he knew,

00:36:06.339 --> 00:36:07.099
 where's all these things?

00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:08.000
 I've heard these things,

00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:08.819
 but where is it happening?

00:36:08.919 --> 00:36:10.719
 So his father had told him,

00:36:11.859 --> 00:36:12.239
 but yet,

00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:14.639
 but yet he has an altar

00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:15.199
 of Baal

00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:15.879
 and an Asherah.

00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:16.679
 He's two-faced.

00:36:16.779 --> 00:36:17.459
 He's double-minded.

00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:19.599
 I'm guessing he felt

00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:20.639
 the cultural pressure

00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:22.119
 and wanted to fit in,

00:36:22.199 --> 00:36:22.899
 wanted to look good

00:36:22.899 --> 00:36:23.759
 to those around him.

00:36:23.759 --> 00:36:24.159
 After all,

00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:25.079
 we're in the judges, right?

00:36:25.359 --> 00:36:26.259
 And everyone was doing

00:36:26.259 --> 00:36:26.719
 what was right

00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:27.379
 in their own eyes.

00:36:27.539 --> 00:36:28.239
 So I want to look good

00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:29.399
 to as many people as I can.

00:36:31.539 --> 00:36:33.119
 Change starts

00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:34.559
 in the home.

00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:36.179
 It starts with me.

00:36:36.839 --> 00:36:38.439
 It starts with my family

00:36:38.439 --> 00:36:40.359
 and then God can use it

00:36:40.359 --> 00:36:41.079
 from there.

00:36:42.439 --> 00:36:43.199
 So first,

00:36:43.359 --> 00:36:44.439
 what idols do I have

00:36:44.439 --> 00:36:45.119
 in my life?

00:36:45.739 --> 00:36:46.500
 What idols are

00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:47.579
 in my family's life?

00:36:47.959 --> 00:36:49.599
 I need to tear them down

00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:50.579
 and replace them

00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:51.619
 with the things of the Lord.

00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:53.479
 So may I ask you,

00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:54.919
 what idols are in your life?

00:36:54.979 --> 00:36:56.079
 What idols are in our lives

00:36:56.079 --> 00:36:57.039
 that we can get rid of

00:36:57.039 --> 00:36:57.919
 in my family?

00:36:57.920 --> 00:36:58.920
 Look around your house.

00:36:59.019 --> 00:36:59.700
 What are some things

00:36:59.700 --> 00:37:00.159
 that are idols?

00:37:00.260 --> 00:37:01.019
 Look at your calendar.

00:37:01.960 --> 00:37:04.420
 Look at your budget spreadsheet

00:37:04.420 --> 00:37:05.539
 if you're as geeky

00:37:05.539 --> 00:37:06.460
 as I am about that kind of thing.

00:37:06.619 --> 00:37:07.659
 You can tell a lot

00:37:07.659 --> 00:37:08.340
 about yourself.

00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:09.519
 There's sayings about that.

00:37:09.559 --> 00:37:10.079
 You can tell a lot

00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:10.680
 about yourself

00:37:10.680 --> 00:37:11.840
 by your money,

00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:12.480
 your time,

00:37:12.619 --> 00:37:13.360
 what you watch,

00:37:13.700 --> 00:37:14.159
 your calendar,

00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:14.820
 things like that.

00:37:14.860 --> 00:37:16.019
 So evaluate those things.

00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:16.840
 What things need

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:17.659
 to be torn down

00:37:17.659 --> 00:37:19.680
 and what altars

00:37:19.680 --> 00:37:20.659
 to God need to be built.

00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:23.260
 So what does Gideon do?

00:37:23.720 --> 00:37:24.440
 Verse 27.

00:37:25.300 --> 00:37:26.740
 So Gideon took the men

00:37:26.740 --> 00:37:27.420
 of his servants,

00:37:27.700 --> 00:37:28.780
 took 10 men of his servants

00:37:28.780 --> 00:37:29.840
 and did as the Lord

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:30.360
 had told him.

00:37:30.940 --> 00:37:32.720
 But because he was too afraid

00:37:32.720 --> 00:37:33.400
 of his family

00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:34.539
 and the men of the town

00:37:34.539 --> 00:37:35.400
 to do it by day,

00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:36.559
 he did it by night.

00:37:36.820 --> 00:37:37.780
 So he obeyed,

00:37:38.300 --> 00:37:38.740
 kind of.

00:37:39.380 --> 00:37:40.519
 But he took a step

00:37:40.519 --> 00:37:41.539
 of faith.

00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:43.320
 God told him to do it.

00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:44.420
 He took 10 people with him.

00:37:44.780 --> 00:37:45.700
 God told him to do it.

00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:46.579
 He didn't want everybody

00:37:46.579 --> 00:37:46.960
 to know,

00:37:47.059 --> 00:37:47.940
 so he did it at night.

00:37:48.380 --> 00:37:50.220
 But he took a step.

00:37:51.179 --> 00:37:52.199
 Are we willing

00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:53.399
 to take those steps?

00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:54.339
 Like Nicodemus

00:37:54.339 --> 00:37:55.459
 came to Jesus at night.

00:37:56.579 --> 00:37:57.879
 So many other examples.

00:37:58.519 --> 00:37:59.199
 People afraid

00:37:59.199 --> 00:37:59.959
 but doing what's right.

00:38:00.379 --> 00:38:01.219
 Trust in the Lord

00:38:01.219 --> 00:38:02.039
 and do good.

00:38:03.299 --> 00:38:04.500
 What is a small step

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:05.279
 I can take?

00:38:05.339 --> 00:38:06.319
 What is a small step

00:38:06.319 --> 00:38:07.079
 you can take?

00:38:07.480 --> 00:38:08.019
 And maybe,

00:38:08.119 --> 00:38:09.099
 how can I do it boldly?

00:38:09.199 --> 00:38:10.059
 Trusting in the Lord.

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:13.459
 But there are consequences.

00:38:13.759 --> 00:38:14.679
 It doesn't always go well.

00:38:14.739 --> 00:38:15.980
 He was afraid of his family.

00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:17.139
 And we'll see,

00:38:17.219 --> 00:38:17.859
 rightfully so.

00:38:17.939 --> 00:38:18.519
 Verse 28.

00:38:18.519 --> 00:38:19.460
 And when the men

00:38:19.460 --> 00:38:19.860
 of the town

00:38:19.860 --> 00:38:20.800
 rose early in the morning,

00:38:20.920 --> 00:38:21.219
 behold,

00:38:21.340 --> 00:38:22.019
 the altar of Baal

00:38:22.019 --> 00:38:22.840
 was broken down

00:38:22.840 --> 00:38:23.739
 and the Asherah

00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:24.679
 beside it was cut down

00:38:24.679 --> 00:38:25.440
 and the second bull

00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:26.460
 was offered on the altar

00:38:26.460 --> 00:38:28.380
 that had been built.

00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:29.840
 And they said to one another,

00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:31.159
 who has done this thing?

00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:32.780
 And after they had searched

00:38:32.780 --> 00:38:33.320
 and inquired,

00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:33.719
 they said,

00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:34.360
 Gideon,

00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:35.420
 the son of Joash

00:38:35.420 --> 00:38:36.159
 has done this thing.

00:38:36.780 --> 00:38:37.300
 Then the men

00:38:37.300 --> 00:38:37.699
 of the town

00:38:37.699 --> 00:38:38.500
 said to Joash,

00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:39.759
 bring out your son

00:38:39.759 --> 00:38:40.679
 that he may die.

00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:41.659
 For he has broken

00:38:41.659 --> 00:38:42.880
 down the altar of Baal

00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:43.780
 and cut down

00:38:43.780 --> 00:38:44.880
 the Asherah beside it.

00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:46.599
 He took a step

00:38:46.599 --> 00:38:47.139
 for God

00:38:47.139 --> 00:38:48.980
 and now his life

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:49.519
 is being threatened.

00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:51.079
 Sometimes things

00:38:51.079 --> 00:38:51.980
 don't go as planned.

00:38:52.579 --> 00:38:53.199
 God's plans

00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:54.400
 are not always ours

00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:55.279
 and sometimes things

00:38:55.279 --> 00:38:55.879
 get worse

00:38:55.879 --> 00:38:56.839
 before they get better.

00:38:57.079 --> 00:38:57.819
 But am I willing

00:38:57.819 --> 00:38:58.319
 to follow

00:38:58.319 --> 00:38:59.279
 and trust God

00:38:59.279 --> 00:38:59.839
 anyway?

00:39:02.420 --> 00:39:03.839
 The cultural response,

00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:04.579
 kill him,

00:39:04.839 --> 00:39:05.239
 cancel him,

00:39:05.299 --> 00:39:05.559
 whatever.

00:39:05.779 --> 00:39:06.599
 It's pretty drastic.

00:39:06.759 --> 00:39:07.179
 Most of us

00:39:07.179 --> 00:39:09.659
 will not face death

00:39:09.659 --> 00:39:11.119
 by standing up

00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:11.539
 for God.

00:39:12.379 --> 00:39:12.940
 Maybe we just

00:39:12.940 --> 00:39:13.699
 get looked at funny.

00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.079
 Maybe our families

00:39:15.079 --> 00:39:15.900
 won't like to change.

00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:16.440
 Again, after all,

00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:16.860
 he was afraid

00:39:16.860 --> 00:39:17.240
 of the family.

00:39:17.340 --> 00:39:18.099
 What happened?

00:39:18.180 --> 00:39:18.900
 Dad, why do you

00:39:18.900 --> 00:39:19.720
 want to meet together

00:39:19.720 --> 00:39:20.900
 and do family Bible time

00:39:20.900 --> 00:39:21.240
 at night?

00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:22.139
 Why are you making me

00:39:22.139 --> 00:39:23.039
 read the Bible every day?

00:39:23.220 --> 00:39:24.500
 Why are we serving?

00:39:24.660 --> 00:39:25.539
 I'd rather go play.

00:39:25.960 --> 00:39:27.000
 Why is this happening?

00:39:28.539 --> 00:39:29.639
 Our family might not like it.

00:39:29.639 --> 00:39:30.619
 We might be made fun of.

00:39:30.660 --> 00:39:32.000
 Maybe more serious consequences,

00:39:32.160 --> 00:39:32.840
 losing our job.

00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:33.639
 I'm pretty sure

00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:34.139
 at this point

00:39:34.139 --> 00:39:34.519
 we're not going

00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:35.059
 to face death.

00:39:35.220 --> 00:39:35.920
 The day may come.

00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:37.160
 Are we ready for that?

00:39:38.240 --> 00:39:40.220
 God is good

00:39:40.220 --> 00:39:40.900
 and he's worth

00:39:40.900 --> 00:39:43.440
 consequences for.

00:39:43.440 --> 00:39:45.320
 Am I willing

00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:46.039
 to stand for God

00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:46.539
 even if people

00:39:46.539 --> 00:39:47.019
 don't like it?

00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:48.480
 Luke 9, 23-26

00:39:48.480 --> 00:39:49.280
 is a good passage

00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:49.900
 to read through

00:39:49.900 --> 00:39:50.480
 as a reminder.

00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:51.119
 Jesus said,

00:39:51.340 --> 00:39:51.920
 take up your cross

00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:53.119
 and follow me.

00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:54.119
 Deny yourself

00:39:54.119 --> 00:39:54.900
 and if you

00:39:54.900 --> 00:39:56.320
 don't be ashamed

00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:57.500
 of God before men.

00:39:59.240 --> 00:39:59.720
 So Gideon

00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:00.700
 took this step of faith

00:40:00.700 --> 00:40:01.380
 and what happened?

00:40:01.740 --> 00:40:02.639
 The people didn't like it

00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:03.539
 but look at verse 31.

00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:05.460
 But Joash said

00:40:05.460 --> 00:40:06.700
 to all who stood

00:40:06.700 --> 00:40:07.159
 against him,

00:40:07.159 --> 00:40:08.179
 that's Gideon's dad,

00:40:08.179 --> 00:40:10.199
 Joash said

00:40:10.199 --> 00:40:10.859
 to all who stood

00:40:10.859 --> 00:40:11.379
 against him,

00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:13.259
 will you contend

00:40:13.259 --> 00:40:13.699
 for Baal

00:40:13.699 --> 00:40:15.299
 or will you save him?

00:40:15.839 --> 00:40:16.619
 Whoever contends

00:40:16.619 --> 00:40:16.940
 for him

00:40:16.940 --> 00:40:17.379
 shall be put

00:40:17.379 --> 00:40:18.339
 to death by morning.

00:40:18.579 --> 00:40:19.399
 If he's a god,

00:40:19.559 --> 00:40:20.259
 let him contend

00:40:20.259 --> 00:40:20.839
 for himself

00:40:20.839 --> 00:40:22.079
 because his altar

00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:22.960
 has been broken down.

00:40:23.960 --> 00:40:24.379
 Gideon took

00:40:24.379 --> 00:40:25.079
 a step of faith

00:40:25.079 --> 00:40:25.719
 secretly

00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:27.619
 but his dad

00:40:27.619 --> 00:40:28.259
 was impacted.

00:40:28.819 --> 00:40:29.619
 His father

00:40:29.619 --> 00:40:31.679
 got his act together.

00:40:32.019 --> 00:40:32.219
 He said,

00:40:32.219 --> 00:40:32.399
 okay,

00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:32.639
 yeah,

00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:33.239
 that's wrong.

00:40:33.299 --> 00:40:33.879
 I shouldn't have done that.

00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:34.500
 Let me stand up

00:40:34.500 --> 00:40:35.079
 for God now.

00:40:35.299 --> 00:40:37.179
 Our steps of faith

00:40:37.179 --> 00:40:38.359
 will have impact

00:40:38.359 --> 00:40:39.039
 for others.

00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:40.139
 As for me

00:40:40.139 --> 00:40:40.819
 and my house,

00:40:41.059 --> 00:40:42.039
 we will serve the Lord.

00:40:42.659 --> 00:40:44.119
 1 Timothy 4.12

00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:46.599
 This is a good reminder

00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:47.259
 that Gideon

00:40:47.259 --> 00:40:48.219
 took the step of faith

00:40:48.219 --> 00:40:48.980
 and his father,

00:40:49.059 --> 00:40:50.059
 someone older than him,

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:51.519
 was impacted.

00:40:52.980 --> 00:40:54.039
 Do not let people

00:40:54.039 --> 00:40:54.599
 look down on you

00:40:54.599 --> 00:40:55.419
 because you're young

00:40:55.419 --> 00:40:56.519
 but set an example

00:40:56.519 --> 00:40:57.399
 for the believers

00:40:57.399 --> 00:40:58.079
 in word,

00:40:58.299 --> 00:40:58.440
 in,

00:40:59.079 --> 00:40:59.759
 I don't have that one

00:40:59.759 --> 00:41:00.579
 memorized very well.

00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:01.399
 Word,

00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:01.859
 spirit,

00:41:02.059 --> 00:41:02.359
 faith,

00:41:02.919 --> 00:41:03.259
 purity.

00:41:03.839 --> 00:41:04.559
 I butchered that one.

00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:05.539
 Go look it up

00:41:05.539 --> 00:41:06.259
 for yourself and see.

00:41:06.260 --> 00:41:07.600
 But we can set an example

00:41:07.600 --> 00:41:08.320
 for others

00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.180
 and God will use that

00:41:10.180 --> 00:41:11.000
 in the lives of others

00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:12.080
 whether they're older than us

00:41:12.080 --> 00:41:12.920
 or younger than us.

00:41:13.040 --> 00:41:14.300
 Are we willing to humble ourselves

00:41:14.300 --> 00:41:15.520
 and learn from people younger,

00:41:15.960 --> 00:41:16.220
 older,

00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:17.500
 and work together?

00:41:17.580 --> 00:41:18.160
 We'll talk about this

00:41:18.160 --> 00:41:18.620
 in a little bit.

00:41:18.680 --> 00:41:19.780
 We need all generations.

00:41:19.980 --> 00:41:20.800
 We need gray hairs.

00:41:21.120 --> 00:41:22.160
 We need young people.

00:41:22.440 --> 00:41:23.360
 We need everybody

00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:24.860
 together as the body.

00:41:26.300 --> 00:41:26.740
 So again,

00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:27.700
 this was a good response.

00:41:27.800 --> 00:41:28.560
 If Baal's God,

00:41:28.620 --> 00:41:29.380
 let him deal with it.

00:41:29.780 --> 00:41:30.700
 Kind of like Elijah.

00:41:31.680 --> 00:41:32.520
 Elijah says,

00:41:32.660 --> 00:41:32.780
 you know,

00:41:32.820 --> 00:41:33.640
 how long will you limp

00:41:33.640 --> 00:41:34.500
 between two opinions?

00:41:34.600 --> 00:41:35.220
 If Baal's God,

00:41:35.320 --> 00:41:35.720
 follow him,

00:41:35.719 --> 00:41:36.639
 but if the Lord is God,

00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:37.179
 follow him.

00:41:37.719 --> 00:41:39.159
 Do you and I believe

00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:40.119
 that the Lord is God?

00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:41.919
 It's easy in this setting

00:41:41.919 --> 00:41:42.939
 to say yes.

00:41:43.959 --> 00:41:44.359
 Tomorrow,

00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.399
 when we go to work,

00:41:45.659 --> 00:41:46.639
 when we go to play,

00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:48.299
 when we go to whatever,

00:41:48.419 --> 00:41:49.199
 go to our homes,

00:41:49.859 --> 00:41:51.299
 do we still believe that

00:41:51.299 --> 00:41:52.119
 and is it still true

00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:52.759
 and are we willing

00:41:52.759 --> 00:41:53.339
 to stand up

00:41:53.339 --> 00:41:54.039
 and say that

00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:55.259
 even when it's not popular

00:41:55.259 --> 00:41:56.500
 and may come with consequences?

00:41:57.359 --> 00:41:58.079
 Are we willing

00:41:58.079 --> 00:41:58.719
 to follow him

00:41:58.719 --> 00:41:59.819
 even if it's costly?

00:41:59.820 --> 00:42:02.059
 So what happened?

00:42:02.140 --> 00:42:02.760
 Verse 32,

00:42:03.200 --> 00:42:04.160
 therefore on that day,

00:42:04.260 --> 00:42:05.240
 Gideon was called

00:42:05.240 --> 00:42:05.980
 Jerob Baal.

00:42:06.080 --> 00:42:06.660
 That is to say,

00:42:06.900 --> 00:42:08.220
 let Baal contend against him

00:42:08.220 --> 00:42:09.400
 because he broke down

00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:09.920
 his altar.

00:42:10.640 --> 00:42:11.280
 He didn't die.

00:42:11.860 --> 00:42:12.260
 Again,

00:42:12.460 --> 00:42:13.280
 he saw God,

00:42:13.340 --> 00:42:13.860
 he didn't die.

00:42:14.120 --> 00:42:14.700
 He was threatened,

00:42:14.820 --> 00:42:15.420
 he didn't die.

00:42:16.039 --> 00:42:17.000
 He was branded though.

00:42:17.740 --> 00:42:19.059
 He was called derogatory names

00:42:19.059 --> 00:42:19.940
 from then on.

00:42:20.240 --> 00:42:21.440
 It's a small price to pay.

00:42:21.800 --> 00:42:23.220
 Don't worry about idle threats.

00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:25.240
 Proverbs 26.2

00:42:25.239 --> 00:42:26.619
 says like a sparrow

00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:27.199
 by flitting

00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:28.579
 or a swallow

00:42:28.579 --> 00:42:29.379
 and it's flying

00:42:29.379 --> 00:42:30.639
 so a curse unfounded

00:42:30.639 --> 00:42:31.579
 will not come to rest.

00:42:31.779 --> 00:42:32.959
 I love that verse by the way.

00:42:33.019 --> 00:42:34.000
 I love barn swallows.

00:42:34.139 --> 00:42:34.859
 They're my favorite birds.

00:42:34.939 --> 00:42:35.679
 There's some out in the backyard.

00:42:35.859 --> 00:42:36.099
 They just,

00:42:36.319 --> 00:42:37.339
 they always are flying.

00:42:37.419 --> 00:42:38.259
 You never see them land

00:42:38.259 --> 00:42:39.500
 and just like that,

00:42:39.819 --> 00:42:40.799
 these kind of curses,

00:42:41.099 --> 00:42:41.579
 you're going to be called

00:42:41.579 --> 00:42:42.239
 Jerob Baal.

00:42:42.319 --> 00:42:43.219
 May Baal get you.

00:42:43.559 --> 00:42:44.239
 It'll never land.

00:42:44.619 --> 00:42:45.899
 I don't have to worry about it.

00:42:46.279 --> 00:42:47.659
 I can trust my God

00:42:47.659 --> 00:42:49.879
 and he will take care of me.

00:42:52.699 --> 00:42:53.839
 So we move into

00:42:53.840 --> 00:42:55.700
 Gideon's next assignment.

00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:56.760
 That's the next blank

00:42:56.760 --> 00:42:57.500
 and I'm sorry,

00:42:57.620 --> 00:42:58.320
 that blank is small.

00:42:58.500 --> 00:42:59.480
 Gideon's next assignment.

00:42:59.720 --> 00:43:00.280
 Write that in there

00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:01.280
 as best you can

00:43:01.280 --> 00:43:03.000
 and then Gideon is ready.

00:43:03.620 --> 00:43:03.780
 Okay?

00:43:04.400 --> 00:43:05.360
 Gideon's next assignment

00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:06.140
 and Gideon is ready.

00:43:06.220 --> 00:43:06.840
 Let's see what happens.

00:43:06.940 --> 00:43:07.539
 Verse 33.

00:43:08.460 --> 00:43:09.420
 Now all the Midianites

00:43:09.420 --> 00:43:10.180
 and the Amalekites

00:43:10.180 --> 00:43:11.200
 and the people of the east

00:43:11.200 --> 00:43:11.900
 came together

00:43:11.900 --> 00:43:13.400
 and they crossed the Jordan

00:43:13.400 --> 00:43:14.000
 and encamped

00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:15.539
 in the valley of Jezreel.

00:43:16.100 --> 00:43:17.300
 He just faced his family.

00:43:17.700 --> 00:43:19.000
 He just faced his tribe

00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:20.460
 and now the enemy

00:43:20.460 --> 00:43:21.059
 is amassing.

00:43:21.480 --> 00:43:21.920
 He handled,

00:43:22.100 --> 00:43:23.800
 he weathered the last storm

00:43:23.800 --> 00:43:25.440
 now comes the next one.

00:43:26.880 --> 00:43:27.800
 The bad guys

00:43:27.800 --> 00:43:28.580
 are joining together

00:43:28.580 --> 00:43:29.260
 and they're hanging out

00:43:29.260 --> 00:43:30.060
 in the valley of Jezreel.

00:43:30.140 --> 00:43:31.260
 We've got a standoff going.

00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:33.060
 Verses 34 and 35.

00:43:33.480 --> 00:43:34.760
 But the Spirit of the Lord

00:43:34.760 --> 00:43:35.539
 clothed Gideon

00:43:35.539 --> 00:43:37.160
 and he sounded the trumpet

00:43:37.160 --> 00:43:38.220
 and the Abiezrites

00:43:38.220 --> 00:43:38.900
 were called out

00:43:38.900 --> 00:43:39.519
 to follow him

00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:40.840
 and he sent messengers

00:43:40.840 --> 00:43:41.980
 throughout all Manasseh

00:43:41.980 --> 00:43:42.920
 and they too

00:43:42.920 --> 00:43:43.420
 were called out

00:43:43.420 --> 00:43:43.960
 to follow him

00:43:43.960 --> 00:43:45.160
 and he sent messengers

00:43:45.160 --> 00:43:46.440
 to Asher, Zebulun

00:43:46.440 --> 00:43:47.120
 and Naphtali

00:43:47.120 --> 00:43:48.340
 and they went up

00:43:48.340 --> 00:43:48.960
 to meet him.

00:43:49.620 --> 00:43:49.940
 Woohoo!

00:43:50.120 --> 00:43:51.060
 We're getting the band together.

00:43:51.200 --> 00:43:52.080
 We're going to go attack.

00:43:52.160 --> 00:43:52.800
 This is good.

00:43:52.800 --> 00:43:55.080
 The Spirit of the Lord.

00:43:55.260 --> 00:43:56.680
 Notice that it was God

00:43:56.680 --> 00:43:57.880
 working in him.

00:43:58.480 --> 00:43:59.320
 We need to be open

00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:00.039
 to God working

00:44:00.039 --> 00:44:01.019
 and seeking in him.

00:44:01.240 --> 00:44:02.960
 Seeking out his direction,

00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:04.060
 his will,

00:44:04.140 --> 00:44:05.039
 being willing to submit

00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:05.480
 to that.

00:44:06.920 --> 00:44:07.820
 God was with him.

00:44:07.880 --> 00:44:08.780
 He called out his family.

00:44:09.180 --> 00:44:09.860
 He called out,

00:44:10.380 --> 00:44:11.680
 and maybe that was an impact.

00:44:12.280 --> 00:44:13.260
 His dad stood up.

00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:15.140
 His family joined him

00:44:15.140 --> 00:44:15.780
 in this battle.

00:44:16.300 --> 00:44:17.920
 As we take one small step

00:44:17.920 --> 00:44:18.340
 of faith,

00:44:18.440 --> 00:44:19.400
 there can be ripple effects.

00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:20.400
 God can use that

00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:21.260
 in bigger ways.

00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:22.639
 And then he called out

00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:23.619
 three more tribes.

00:44:24.160 --> 00:44:25.460
 He's ready for the big time.

00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:27.260
 But then comes

00:44:27.260 --> 00:44:28.420
 verses 36 to 40,

00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:30.820
 which Gideon is ready

00:44:30.820 --> 00:44:31.579
 was the second part

00:44:31.579 --> 00:44:32.200
 of point four.

00:44:32.380 --> 00:44:33.320
 Point five is,

00:44:33.740 --> 00:44:34.280
 or is he?

00:44:35.079 --> 00:44:35.840
 Or is he?

00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:36.680
 We see doubts

00:44:36.680 --> 00:44:37.500
 surface again.

00:44:38.139 --> 00:44:39.680
 Verses 36 and 37

00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:43.099
 says this,

00:44:43.599 --> 00:44:44.679
 Then Gideon said to God,

00:44:44.879 --> 00:44:46.659
 If you will save Israel

00:44:46.659 --> 00:44:47.319
 by my hand,

00:44:47.359 --> 00:44:47.960
 as you have said,

00:44:48.039 --> 00:44:48.259
 behold,

00:44:48.579 --> 00:44:50.619
 I'm laying a fleece of wool

00:44:50.619 --> 00:44:51.519
 on the threshing floor.

00:44:52.059 --> 00:44:52.940
 If there's dew

00:44:52.940 --> 00:44:53.879
 on the fleece alone

00:44:53.879 --> 00:44:55.239
 and it's dry on the ground,

00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:56.339
 then I shall know

00:44:56.339 --> 00:44:57.279
 that you will save Israel

00:44:57.279 --> 00:44:57.899
 by my hand,

00:44:57.919 --> 00:44:58.460
 as you've said.

00:45:00.039 --> 00:45:00.519
 Gideon says,

00:45:00.599 --> 00:45:00.980
 Whoa, whoa, whoa,

00:45:00.980 --> 00:45:01.599
 slow down a second.

00:45:02.039 --> 00:45:02.859
 This is great,

00:45:02.980 --> 00:45:03.440
 but you know,

00:45:03.500 --> 00:45:04.259
 I'm having doubts.

00:45:04.319 --> 00:45:05.099
 I'm not sure anymore.

00:45:05.819 --> 00:45:06.779
 God, are you sure?

00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:08.099
 He's asking for a sign

00:45:08.099 --> 00:45:08.819
 and trusting God.

00:45:09.820 --> 00:45:10.380
 Often,

00:45:10.640 --> 00:45:11.980
 our biggest successes

00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:13.200
 are followed

00:45:13.200 --> 00:45:14.500
 by our greatest challenges

00:45:14.500 --> 00:45:15.140
 and failures.

00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:16.559
 1 Corinthians 10, 12

00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:17.340
 says,

00:45:17.539 --> 00:45:18.519
 Beware you who think

00:45:18.519 --> 00:45:19.080
 you're strong,

00:45:19.200 --> 00:45:19.860
 lest you fall.

00:45:21.559 --> 00:45:22.400
 Be ready.

00:45:22.840 --> 00:45:23.640
 Beware when you think

00:45:23.640 --> 00:45:24.100
 you're strong.

00:45:24.300 --> 00:45:24.880
 Don't continue

00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:25.900
 in your own strength

00:45:25.900 --> 00:45:27.059
 what God has begun

00:45:27.059 --> 00:45:27.740
 doing in you.

00:45:28.380 --> 00:45:29.600
 Let him complete his work

00:45:29.600 --> 00:45:30.420
 even when it's hard.

00:45:30.500 --> 00:45:31.420
 Philippians 1, 6.

00:45:31.880 --> 00:45:32.620
 He who began

00:45:32.620 --> 00:45:33.440
 a good work in you

00:45:33.440 --> 00:45:34.440
 will be faithful

00:45:34.440 --> 00:45:35.260
 to complete it.

00:45:35.660 --> 00:45:36.140
 Am I willing

00:45:36.140 --> 00:45:36.800
 to trust him?

00:45:37.019 --> 00:45:38.260
 When God starts working,

00:45:38.260 --> 00:45:39.440
 am I willing

00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:40.200
 to keep going

00:45:40.200 --> 00:45:41.180
 in his strength

00:45:41.180 --> 00:45:42.200
 and not my own?

00:45:43.260 --> 00:45:44.240
 Use the talents,

00:45:44.380 --> 00:45:44.540
 gifts,

00:45:44.620 --> 00:45:45.940
 abilities that he's given me

00:45:45.940 --> 00:45:47.040
 but not do things

00:45:47.040 --> 00:45:47.880
 in my own strength.

00:45:50.460 --> 00:45:51.340
 Verse 38.

00:45:52.140 --> 00:45:53.260
 So he does the fleece thing.

00:45:53.620 --> 00:45:54.380
 I'm not going to go

00:45:54.380 --> 00:45:55.380
 too deep into this

00:45:55.380 --> 00:45:56.260
 and make things up.

00:45:56.400 --> 00:45:57.240
 Let the main things

00:45:57.240 --> 00:45:58.000
 be the plain things

00:45:58.000 --> 00:45:58.620
 and the plain things

00:45:58.620 --> 00:45:59.320
 be the main things.

00:45:59.460 --> 00:46:00.200
 What happens here

00:46:00.200 --> 00:46:01.300
 in verse 38?

00:46:01.300 --> 00:46:02.300
 And it was so.

00:46:02.539 --> 00:46:03.160
 When he rose early

00:46:03.160 --> 00:46:03.780
 the next morning

00:46:03.780 --> 00:46:04.780
 and squeezed the fleece,

00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:05.800
 he wrung enough dew

00:46:05.800 --> 00:46:06.519
 from the fleece

00:46:06.519 --> 00:46:07.660
 to fill a bowl of water.

00:46:08.600 --> 00:46:08.900
 Then,

00:46:09.860 --> 00:46:11.400
 so God answered.

00:46:11.500 --> 00:46:12.100
 God is gracious.

00:46:12.780 --> 00:46:13.620
 Sometimes he answers

00:46:13.620 --> 00:46:14.280
 with the fleece.

00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:15.320
 Sometimes he doesn't.

00:46:15.380 --> 00:46:16.080
 Kind of like with Job.

00:46:17.400 --> 00:46:18.260
 So what does Gideon do?

00:46:18.519 --> 00:46:18.980
 Then Gideon,

00:46:19.039 --> 00:46:19.640
 verse 39.

00:46:20.300 --> 00:46:21.460
 Then Gideon said to God,

00:46:21.920 --> 00:46:22.720
 let not your anger

00:46:22.720 --> 00:46:23.420
 burn against me.

00:46:23.500 --> 00:46:24.920
 Let me speak just one more time.

00:46:25.420 --> 00:46:26.680
 Please let me test

00:46:26.680 --> 00:46:27.420
 just once more

00:46:27.420 --> 00:46:28.019
 with the fleece.

00:46:28.019 --> 00:46:29.619
 Please let it be dry

00:46:29.619 --> 00:46:30.599
 on the fleece only

00:46:30.599 --> 00:46:33.019
 and on all the ground

00:46:33.019 --> 00:46:33.980
 let there be dew.

00:46:34.980 --> 00:46:35.380
 Again,

00:46:35.480 --> 00:46:36.159
 I'm not going to

00:46:36.159 --> 00:46:37.280
 over-spiritualize this

00:46:37.280 --> 00:46:38.039
 or make things up.

00:46:38.099 --> 00:46:38.519
 You know what I think

00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:39.019
 happened here?

00:46:39.639 --> 00:46:40.539
 Gideon's first test,

00:46:40.639 --> 00:46:41.699
 he was off a little bit, right?

00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:42.460
 What happens

00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:43.039
 if you put,

00:46:43.239 --> 00:46:44.340
 if I put a t-shirt

00:46:44.340 --> 00:46:45.500
 on my back porch

00:46:45.500 --> 00:46:46.019
 at night

00:46:46.019 --> 00:46:47.259
 and there's dew

00:46:47.259 --> 00:46:48.699
 and then the sun comes out,

00:46:49.119 --> 00:46:49.420
 the ground,

00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:51.380
 the deck is going to be dry

00:46:51.380 --> 00:46:52.119
 but the t-shirt's

00:46:52.119 --> 00:46:53.019
 still going to be wet, right?

00:46:54.219 --> 00:46:54.519
 Oops.

00:46:55.059 --> 00:46:55.460
 Hey God,

00:46:55.500 --> 00:46:56.119
 I got that backwards.

00:46:56.199 --> 00:46:56.719
 Can we try it again?

00:46:56.800 --> 00:46:57.280
 I think that's all

00:46:57.280 --> 00:46:57.880
 that happened here, right?

00:46:58.240 --> 00:46:58.599
 Whatever.

00:46:58.800 --> 00:46:59.880
 I'll let Pastor Andrew

00:46:59.880 --> 00:47:00.740
 correct me if I'm wrong

00:47:00.740 --> 00:47:01.720
 or he can go deeper

00:47:01.720 --> 00:47:02.099
 if he wants

00:47:02.099 --> 00:47:03.559
 but then he gives

00:47:03.559 --> 00:47:04.420
 that clear sign.

00:47:04.539 --> 00:47:04.660
 Okay,

00:47:04.700 --> 00:47:05.940
 if I put the t-shirt out

00:47:05.940 --> 00:47:08.039
 and now

00:47:08.039 --> 00:47:09.280
 if the t-shirt's dry

00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:10.500
 but they're still due

00:47:10.500 --> 00:47:11.660
 then God did something

00:47:11.660 --> 00:47:12.300
 because that's what,

00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:13.000
 you know,

00:47:13.059 --> 00:47:14.320
 that's not what happens

00:47:14.320 --> 00:47:14.860
 in the normal

00:47:14.860 --> 00:47:15.700
 natural world.

00:47:16.579 --> 00:47:17.140
 So he asked

00:47:17.140 --> 00:47:18.260
 for another go at it

00:47:18.260 --> 00:47:20.340
 and God is gracious

00:47:20.340 --> 00:47:21.140
 enough to answer.

00:47:21.240 --> 00:47:21.940
 Look at verse 40.

00:47:22.539 --> 00:47:24.000
 And God did so that night

00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:25.160
 and it was dry

00:47:25.160 --> 00:47:26.079
 on the fleece only

00:47:26.079 --> 00:47:27.340
 and on all the ground

00:47:27.340 --> 00:47:28.139
 was due.

00:47:28.719 --> 00:47:30.079
 Sometimes God is gracious

00:47:30.079 --> 00:47:31.739
 and gives us those answers.

00:47:32.340 --> 00:47:33.519
 He gives us that assurance

00:47:33.519 --> 00:47:34.759
 that we're following him

00:47:34.759 --> 00:47:36.119
 and sometimes he doesn't.

00:47:36.639 --> 00:47:38.340
 Am I willing to follow him

00:47:38.340 --> 00:47:40.860
 and walk by faith

00:47:40.860 --> 00:47:42.960
 even if I don't feel like it,

00:47:43.179 --> 00:47:44.360
 even if my circumstances

00:47:44.360 --> 00:47:45.179
 don't change?

00:47:45.380 --> 00:47:47.239
 Am I willing to follow him?

00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:49.059
 So now

00:47:49.059 --> 00:47:50.419
 Gideon is continuing

00:47:50.419 --> 00:47:51.019
 to be humbled.

00:47:51.159 --> 00:47:52.039
 He's amassing an army

00:47:52.039 --> 00:47:52.879
 and

00:47:52.879 --> 00:47:54.859
 in two weeks

00:47:54.859 --> 00:47:56.079
 we'll see what happens

00:47:56.079 --> 00:47:57.039
 in chapter 7.

00:47:58.099 --> 00:47:59.019
 But for now,

00:47:59.799 --> 00:48:00.399
 so what?

00:48:01.119 --> 00:48:01.719
 What's the takeaway?

00:48:02.419 --> 00:48:03.459
 I go home this afternoon.

00:48:04.099 --> 00:48:05.599
 I go to work tomorrow.

00:48:06.139 --> 00:48:07.000
 I got all these things

00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:07.939
 going on in my life.

00:48:08.259 --> 00:48:08.859
 What difference

00:48:08.859 --> 00:48:09.500
 does this make?

00:48:11.899 --> 00:48:12.819
 I've heard it said

00:48:12.819 --> 00:48:13.879
 God doesn't call

00:48:13.879 --> 00:48:14.559
 the qualified

00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:16.320
 but he qualifies

00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:16.880
 the called.

00:48:18.679 --> 00:48:19.719
 You might not feel

00:48:19.719 --> 00:48:20.320
 like you can do

00:48:20.320 --> 00:48:21.440
 what God has called you to do.

00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:22.880
 And what God calls us

00:48:22.880 --> 00:48:23.559
 to do is hard

00:48:23.559 --> 00:48:25.099
 because our sinful hearts

00:48:25.099 --> 00:48:26.219
 fight against it,

00:48:26.659 --> 00:48:27.639
 whatever it is.

00:48:28.279 --> 00:48:29.599
 But God will work in us,

00:48:29.639 --> 00:48:29.920
 again,

00:48:30.039 --> 00:48:30.679
 to will and to do

00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:31.360
 of his good pleasure.

00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:32.779
 We'll look at that verse

00:48:32.779 --> 00:48:33.380
 here in a little bit.

00:48:34.059 --> 00:48:34.860
 But I want to encourage

00:48:34.860 --> 00:48:35.500
 and challenge us.

00:48:35.579 --> 00:48:36.639
 Are we taking steps

00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:37.279
 of faith?

00:48:38.199 --> 00:48:39.579
 What is God calling you

00:48:39.579 --> 00:48:40.059
 to do?

00:48:40.619 --> 00:48:41.719
 To grow spiritually?

00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:42.779
 Maybe to trust Christ

00:48:42.779 --> 00:48:43.219
 as Savior?

00:48:43.219 --> 00:48:44.859
 to lead your family?

00:48:45.619 --> 00:48:46.839
 To invest and love

00:48:46.839 --> 00:48:47.339
 your wife

00:48:47.339 --> 00:48:48.319
 as Christ loved the church?

00:48:48.459 --> 00:48:49.719
 To invest in your children

00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:50.639
 even when it's hard?

00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:52.259
 To witness to neighbors,

00:48:52.379 --> 00:48:52.899
 to coworkers?

00:48:53.059 --> 00:48:53.779
 Maybe get involved

00:48:53.779 --> 00:48:54.379
 in the church?

00:48:54.719 --> 00:48:55.459
 May I just say,

00:48:55.539 --> 00:48:56.239
 as my wife and I

00:48:56.239 --> 00:48:57.279
 oversee the nursery ministry,

00:48:57.359 --> 00:48:57.919
 we can always use

00:48:57.919 --> 00:48:58.559
 nursery helpers,

00:48:59.619 --> 00:49:00.679
 isn't this a blessing

00:49:00.679 --> 00:49:01.059
 up here?

00:49:01.179 --> 00:49:02.159
 The people who play?

00:49:03.059 --> 00:49:04.339
 Do you play an instrument?

00:49:04.879 --> 00:49:05.559
 Come and join us.

00:49:05.619 --> 00:49:06.279
 One of the principles

00:49:06.279 --> 00:49:07.699
 of our music ministry here

00:49:07.699 --> 00:49:08.339
 that Pastor John

00:49:08.339 --> 00:49:09.519
 introduced in 2012

00:49:09.519 --> 00:49:10.119
 when he started

00:49:10.119 --> 00:49:11.059
 was more is better.

00:49:11.059 --> 00:49:13.299
 Maybe God is challenging

00:49:13.299 --> 00:49:13.840
 you to say,

00:49:13.960 --> 00:49:15.179
 hey, I play the whatever.

00:49:15.420 --> 00:49:16.099
 Can I do that too?

00:49:18.039 --> 00:49:18.619
 Serve with,

00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:19.920
 there's children's ministries.

00:49:20.900 --> 00:49:21.980
 I want to challenge you,

00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:22.599
 wherever you're at,

00:49:22.679 --> 00:49:23.219
 young people,

00:49:24.019 --> 00:49:24.500
 serve.

00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:25.739
 Get involved.

00:49:25.880 --> 00:49:27.000
 There's nursery opportunities,

00:49:27.179 --> 00:49:28.279
 children's ministry opportunities.

00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:29.039
 Get involved and serve.

00:49:29.079 --> 00:49:29.779
 You guys do a good job

00:49:29.779 --> 00:49:30.380
 of this overall.

00:49:30.880 --> 00:49:31.799
 Maybe God is calling you

00:49:31.799 --> 00:49:32.460
 to step up

00:49:32.460 --> 00:49:34.699
 and do different things.

00:49:34.699 --> 00:49:36.799
 For those who are older,

00:49:38.239 --> 00:49:39.639
 it is not time

00:49:39.639 --> 00:49:40.579
 to make way

00:49:40.579 --> 00:49:41.480
 for the next generation.

00:49:42.199 --> 00:49:43.159
 It is time

00:49:43.159 --> 00:49:43.980
 to serve

00:49:43.980 --> 00:49:45.059
 with the next generation.

00:49:45.960 --> 00:49:46.719
 May I encourage you

00:49:46.719 --> 00:49:47.319
 and challenge you,

00:49:47.399 --> 00:49:48.039
 don't check out.

00:49:48.699 --> 00:49:49.480
 There's no retirement

00:49:49.480 --> 00:49:50.539
 from the family of God.

00:49:51.019 --> 00:49:52.339
 We need the gray hairs

00:49:52.339 --> 00:49:54.679
 of which I'm now being.

00:49:55.079 --> 00:49:56.399
 We need the gray hairs

00:49:56.399 --> 00:49:57.919
 and the green horns.

00:49:58.139 --> 00:49:59.279
 We need to work together

00:49:59.279 --> 00:50:00.500
 to grow and sharpen

00:50:00.500 --> 00:50:01.480
 and encourage each other.

00:50:01.799 --> 00:50:02.980
 May this church grow

00:50:02.980 --> 00:50:04.119
 and serve one another.

00:50:04.119 --> 00:50:05.079
 So what is God

00:50:05.079 --> 00:50:05.980
 calling you to do?

00:50:06.279 --> 00:50:06.619
 Again,

00:50:06.759 --> 00:50:07.219
 maybe it's something

00:50:07.219 --> 00:50:07.699
 in the church.

00:50:07.799 --> 00:50:08.440
 Maybe it's missions.

00:50:08.559 --> 00:50:08.980
 Who knows?

00:50:09.400 --> 00:50:10.380
 Maybe it's something else.

00:50:11.339 --> 00:50:12.359
 But are you willing

00:50:12.359 --> 00:50:13.119
 to serve

00:50:13.119 --> 00:50:14.920
 and get involved?

00:50:15.880 --> 00:50:16.839
 Like Gideon,

00:50:17.259 --> 00:50:18.339
 there's nothing special

00:50:18.339 --> 00:50:19.019
 about Gideon.

00:50:19.299 --> 00:50:19.980
 He was broken.

00:50:20.159 --> 00:50:20.799
 He was small.

00:50:21.019 --> 00:50:22.099
 But God was going

00:50:22.099 --> 00:50:22.739
 to work in him.

00:50:23.460 --> 00:50:24.400
 Two passages

00:50:24.400 --> 00:50:25.119
 to look at

00:50:25.119 --> 00:50:25.980
 and then we'll close

00:50:25.980 --> 00:50:26.339
 in prayer.

00:50:26.880 --> 00:50:27.659
 Philippians 2,

00:50:27.759 --> 00:50:28.559
 12 and 13.

00:50:29.839 --> 00:50:30.920
 I've quoted this one

00:50:30.920 --> 00:50:31.559
 a couple times,

00:50:31.719 --> 00:50:32.480
 but you can see it

00:50:32.480 --> 00:50:33.000
 for yourself.

00:50:33.579 --> 00:50:34.559
 Philippians 2,

00:50:34.679 --> 00:50:35.739
 verses 12 and 13

00:50:35.739 --> 00:50:36.460
 says this,

00:50:37.460 --> 00:50:37.780
 Therefore,

00:50:38.019 --> 00:50:38.539
 my beloved,

00:50:38.980 --> 00:50:40.219
 as you have always

00:50:40.219 --> 00:50:40.739
 obeyed,

00:50:40.800 --> 00:50:41.219
 so now,

00:50:41.300 --> 00:50:42.400
 not only as in my presence,

00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:43.760
 but much more in my absence,

00:50:44.199 --> 00:50:45.679
 work out your own salvation

00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:46.840
 with fear and trembling.

00:50:47.239 --> 00:50:48.780
 For it is God

00:50:48.780 --> 00:50:49.659
 who works in you,

00:50:49.860 --> 00:50:50.800
 both to will

00:50:50.800 --> 00:50:52.019
 and to work

00:50:52.019 --> 00:50:53.300
 for his good pleasure.

00:50:54.860 --> 00:50:55.400
 Excuse me.

00:50:55.519 --> 00:50:56.619
 God is the one

00:50:56.619 --> 00:50:58.039
 who works in us

00:50:58.039 --> 00:50:58.639
 to will,

00:50:58.780 --> 00:50:59.639
 to be willing to,

00:50:59.719 --> 00:51:00.539
 to want to do

00:51:00.539 --> 00:51:01.800
 what he called us to do

00:51:01.800 --> 00:51:03.039
 and then to follow

00:51:03.039 --> 00:51:03.759
 through and do it.

00:51:04.099 --> 00:51:05.059
 Will we rely

00:51:05.059 --> 00:51:06.139
 on his strength

00:51:06.139 --> 00:51:06.679
 to do it?

00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:08.039
 So if you've never,

00:51:08.639 --> 00:51:09.400
 if God's calling you

00:51:09.400 --> 00:51:09.920
 to step up

00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:10.639
 and do something,

00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:11.699
 would you step out

00:51:11.699 --> 00:51:12.139
 and do it?

00:51:12.719 --> 00:51:13.519
 Trust in the Lord

00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:14.219
 and do good,

00:51:14.279 --> 00:51:15.039
 whether it's family,

00:51:15.279 --> 00:51:15.559
 church,

00:51:15.679 --> 00:51:16.480
 whatever it is.

00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:17.539
 And for those

00:51:17.539 --> 00:51:18.039
 who have been serving

00:51:18.039 --> 00:51:18.940
 for a long time,

00:51:19.079 --> 00:51:19.639
 thank you.

00:51:20.039 --> 00:51:21.380
 We need the faithful,

00:51:21.559 --> 00:51:22.279
 people who have been

00:51:22.279 --> 00:51:23.259
 serving and doing this

00:51:23.259 --> 00:51:23.860
 for years

00:51:23.860 --> 00:51:25.539
 and continuing to do so

00:51:25.539 --> 00:51:26.219
 as an example

00:51:26.219 --> 00:51:27.380
 and teaching and training

00:51:27.380 --> 00:51:28.160
 the next generation

00:51:28.160 --> 00:51:29.079
 and serving with them

00:51:29.079 --> 00:51:29.800
 and bringing them up.

00:51:30.940 --> 00:51:31.720
 But remember,

00:51:31.860 --> 00:51:33.119
 it's not about you.

00:51:33.240 --> 00:51:33.840
 And for us,

00:51:33.940 --> 00:51:34.340
 let's not,

00:51:34.440 --> 00:51:35.240
 let's not trust

00:51:35.240 --> 00:51:36.019
 the older people.

00:51:36.880 --> 00:51:37.940
 Let's trust the God

00:51:37.940 --> 00:51:39.039
 that they are pointing us to

00:51:39.039 --> 00:51:41.619
 because 1 Corinthians 1, 26

00:51:41.619 --> 00:51:42.880
 and following says,

00:51:42.980 --> 00:51:44.039
 for consider your calling,

00:51:44.200 --> 00:51:44.460
 brothers.

00:51:45.180 --> 00:51:46.519
 Not many of you were wise

00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:47.680
 according to worldly standards.

00:51:47.800 --> 00:51:48.780
 Not many were powerful.

00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:50.180
 Not many were of noble birth.

00:51:50.180 --> 00:51:51.340
 But God chose

00:51:51.340 --> 00:51:52.539
 what is foolish in the world

00:51:52.539 --> 00:51:53.400
 to shame the wise.

00:51:53.700 --> 00:51:54.539
 God chose

00:51:54.539 --> 00:51:55.500
 what is weak in the world

00:51:55.500 --> 00:51:56.320
 to shame the strong.

00:51:56.320 --> 00:51:57.300
 God chose

00:51:57.300 --> 00:51:58.059
 what is low

00:51:58.059 --> 00:51:59.240
 and despised in the world.

00:51:59.660 --> 00:52:00.700
 Even things that are not

00:52:00.700 --> 00:52:01.940
 to bring to nothing

00:52:01.940 --> 00:52:02.780
 the things that are

00:52:02.780 --> 00:52:03.740
 so that

00:52:03.740 --> 00:52:05.880
 no human being

00:52:05.880 --> 00:52:06.539
 might boast

00:52:06.539 --> 00:52:08.000
 in the presence of God.

00:52:08.760 --> 00:52:10.120
 It's all about God

00:52:10.120 --> 00:52:10.900
 and His glory.

00:52:11.460 --> 00:52:12.400
 It starts with me

00:52:12.400 --> 00:52:13.140
 and my life,

00:52:13.400 --> 00:52:14.280
 me and my family,

00:52:14.600 --> 00:52:15.300
 me and my church

00:52:15.300 --> 00:52:16.340
 and we can impact the world.

00:52:16.760 --> 00:52:18.160
 What is God calling you to do?

00:52:18.900 --> 00:52:20.480
 Will you take that step,

00:52:20.840 --> 00:52:21.580
 trust in the Lord

00:52:21.580 --> 00:52:22.519
 and do good?

00:52:22.880 --> 00:52:23.580
 And may we watch

00:52:23.580 --> 00:52:24.519
 and see what God does

00:52:24.519 --> 00:52:25.539
 for His glory.

00:52:25.539 --> 00:52:26.240
 Let's pray.

00:52:26.320 --> 00:52:29.300
 Thank you God for Gideon.

00:52:29.539 --> 00:52:30.519
 Your patience with him.

00:52:31.160 --> 00:52:31.860
 Thank you that you are

00:52:31.860 --> 00:52:32.640
 patient with us.

00:52:34.140 --> 00:52:35.180
 God, I pray that you would

00:52:35.180 --> 00:52:36.519
 work in us today

00:52:36.519 --> 00:52:37.280
 as we sit here

00:52:37.280 --> 00:52:38.460
 and we're maybe

00:52:38.460 --> 00:52:39.640
 riled up

00:52:39.640 --> 00:52:40.760
 and we feel

00:52:40.760 --> 00:52:41.920
 the call,

00:52:42.019 --> 00:52:42.460
 the excitement.

00:52:42.640 --> 00:52:43.600
 Lord, will you work in us

00:52:43.600 --> 00:52:44.140
 to will

00:52:44.140 --> 00:52:45.400
 and to do

00:52:45.400 --> 00:52:46.840
 of what you're calling us to do?

00:52:47.660 --> 00:52:48.900
 Lord, would you work in us?

00:52:48.980 --> 00:52:50.120
 May we have strong,

00:52:50.519 --> 00:52:51.280
 godly people

00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:51.960
 in this church.

00:52:52.059 --> 00:52:53.019
 May we have strong,

00:52:53.220 --> 00:52:54.039
 godly families

00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:54.639
 in this church.

00:52:54.980 --> 00:52:55.940
 May we be a strong,

00:52:56.079 --> 00:52:56.639
 godly family

00:52:56.639 --> 00:52:57.420
 who loves you,

00:52:57.559 --> 00:52:58.179
 loves each other

00:52:58.179 --> 00:52:59.500
 and shares the gospel

00:52:59.500 --> 00:53:00.500
 with the world.

00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:02.279
 Go with us

00:53:02.279 --> 00:53:04.059
 and use us

00:53:04.059 --> 00:53:04.800
 for your glory

00:53:04.800 --> 00:53:06.599
 in every place

00:53:06.599 --> 00:53:07.699
 that you have placed us

00:53:07.699 --> 00:53:09.820
 with the real people

00:53:09.820 --> 00:53:10.340
 in our lives.

00:53:10.420 --> 00:53:11.119
 Help us to invest

00:53:11.119 --> 00:53:12.039
 for your glory

00:53:12.039 --> 00:53:12.659
 and your kingdom.

00:53:13.019 --> 00:53:13.840
 In Jesus' name,

00:53:14.280 --> 00:53:14.500
 Amen.

00:53:15.380 --> 00:53:15.740
 Thank you.

00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:16.360
 You're dismissed.