WEBVTT

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 So a wonderful story, isn't it? It's one of my favorites, and I can remember learning this one

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 so early in my life in Sunday school, and perhaps you can remember it as well. Maybe some of you,

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 this is the first time you've ever really come across this narrative before in the Bible, and

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 it's just fascinating. It's one of those stories that's fascinating to learn about. It's so

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 interesting to picture and to ponder in our minds, but it's so very important for us to understand

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 the theological truths that are here, and that's what we want to try to do this morning.

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 Remember the Gideon cycle, it begins in chapter 6, where we're told that the people of Israel did

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 what was evil in the sight of the Lord. That phrase in the book of Judges always has to do with

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 bell worship and the things that would come along with that, of course. And the Lord gave them into

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 the hand of Midian seven years. Now this is one of the shortest periods of oppression that we read

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 about in the book of Judges, but at the same time it might be the most difficult and devastating season

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 of oppression that Israel actually faced. Because of Israel's idolatry, God strengthened and allowed

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 this coalition of semi-nomadic tribes that was led by Midian. It included the Amalekites and the people

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 of the east as well. This giant coalition of nomadic tribes. God strengthens them, and God allows them for

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 seven years in a row annually to come into the land of Israel, specifically to the valley of Jezreel,

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 and they left utter devastation in its wake. The people of Israel would not stay in their homes.

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 They had to leave their homes. They would run, and they made caves in the mountains that they would

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 basically hide out in until this coalition left and went back east. And they're often described in

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 the story as locusts, not just as a description of their immeasurable number, but particularly because

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 of the devastation they left behind. They came in exactly like locusts that would fly in in a season

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 of harvest and devour everything of substance that's there. And that's exactly what the Midianites

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 were doing. They were taking all of the food from Israel. They were taking all of the livestock

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 from Israel. And this was probably the hardest seven years that we read about in the book of Judges.

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 Now, in most cases, it takes Israel sometimes decades of oppression before they actually cry out to God.

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 20, 30 years, maybe 40 in some cases. The suffering under Midian was such that it only takes them seven years.

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 Seven years, the shortest time frame we read about. It's so hard. They know that they will not survive

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 unless God steps in and does something on there. Perhaps. So they cry out to the Lord and God,

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 his faith wasn't he. He's gracious to raise up and empower this man, Gideon, who becomes his chosen

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 deliverer. And it's in verse one of chapter seven that we learn and begin to understand what this whole

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 conflict is really about. Look at verse one again. Then Jerobel, that is Gideon, and all the people who

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 were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Herod. And the camp of Midian was north

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 of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. So you don't necessarily have to read chapter six to know

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 what's happening here. There is an enemy. They are camped near the Mount Moreh. They're in the valley

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 of Jezreel. There's a lot of them. And then there's Gideon, and he's got his men, and they're just above,

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 and they're looking down. We can see there is a fight that is about to take place. That's what the author

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 is setting us up for. But he uses a term here that helps us understand really what it's about.

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 He starts with a different name for Gideon. That is the name Jerobel. And it's very unusual for the

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 author to do this. Typically, even in the rest of chapter seven, he's going to call him Gideon. That's

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 his common name. But at the beginning, he doesn't do that. Why? Why does he call him Jerobel?

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 Well, if you remember, the name means, if you look back at chapter six, I think somewhere around

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 verse, let's see, verse 32. It means, let Baal contend against him. That's what the name means.

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 It's a nickname. It was given to him by the people of his own town because in obedience to the Lord,

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 Gideon overnight one night took some servants, and he destroyed and beat down the altar that was set up

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 to Baal and the Asherah that was beside it. He destroyed their pagan worship, or at least the shrine

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 of their pagan worship. And he pounded it down, he broke it down, and then he built an altar to Yahweh

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 in its place, and he sacrificed a bull in its place. Well, the people of the town, they're so

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 incensed by this, they want to kill him. Remember, Gideon's dad steps up for him on his behalf. He

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 basically saves his life. And what the people do is they assign this nickname for Gideon,

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 Jerobel. Let Baal contend against him. It was something of a curse against him. Essentially,

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 the people were saying, okay, we're going to trust that Baal, the God we really want, the God we really

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 want to serve, that he's going to destroy you for what you've just done to his altar. And so they're

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 going to watch. They're going to watch and let Baal contend against Gideon. Now, interestingly,

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 the author uses Jerobel instead of Gideon to start the narrative. And the purpose of that is to remind us

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 what this whole scene is actually about. In the end, this chapter is not about Israel's conflict

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 with Midian. It's about God's conflict against Baal worship among his people. That's what this is

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 really about. Even the battle itself is not so much about God fighting against Midian as much as that it

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 is about God fighting for Israel. He's wooing them. He's proving himself again to them. And once again,

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 he's proving his faithfulness to his faithless chosen so that he might bring them back to love

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 and obedience and worship of him. Okay. That's what this is really about. It's not about Midian.

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 It's about Baal. It's about the Lord God winning his people back to himself. That's what this is.

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 Well, the focus of our text is on the actual battle between Midian's massive army and Gideon's

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 meager 300. But the message of the text is actually quite simple. The message is this.

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 The battle belongs to the Lord. The battle is the Lord's. Therefore, all the glory is the Lord's as

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 well. All the glory. He is sovereign over every detail that unfolds in this chapter. And that is

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 something that should motivate our worship. It should strengthen our hearts and it should lead to us

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 giving him glory. There's three things that God does in this battle. The first thing that he does

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 is he reduces the army. He reduces the army. Surprisingly, this is the first thing that he does in preparing

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 Gideon for the battle is he reduces the army to almost nothing, which is ironic, isn't it? Because

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 if you look back at chapter six again, particularly verses 34 and 35, it says that the spirit of God

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 clothed Gideon for the purpose of gathering these men. Do you remember that? After that whole episode with

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 the altar of Baal, it says that God clothed Gideon with his spirit so that Gideon would have this

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 divinely empowered mission to gather men for the battle. And now we find God is actually taking all

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 these men away. So something formerly meant to give Gideon confidence is now removed by the Lord

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 intentionally. And God used two different methods to actually do this. The first one was he sent the

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 fearful home. Look at verse three. Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people saying, whoever

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 is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gideon. 22,000 of the people

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 return. Only 10,000 remain. Deuteronomy chapter 20, it provides certain provisions for some men who did

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 not have to go to battle. And in most cases, the provisions had to do with the circumstances of their

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 life. For example, if a young man had betrothed a woman to be his wife, but had not yet married her,

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 he was exempted from calls to battle. And the purpose of that was so that he could establish his marriage

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 and his family and continue his family's name rather than go to war, die, and let somebody else do it.

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 Right? Okay, so, and there are several different provisions that God made for the people. One provision

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 actually brought tremendous shame. The others were excusable. One brought tremendous shame. And it was that

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 anyone who was fearful of the battle could not remain and fight. They had to go home. Now, it's not that

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 some people just aren't afraid to fight. That's not what we're talking. We're talking about those who are

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 melting in fear, who are trembling in fear. And the reason for that provision was because fear spreads

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 like gangrene. If you got one person who's just scared to death of what's happening, that's going to

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 cause a lot of other people to start to be a little afraid themselves. And it can be devastating to an army.

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 So God makes this provision. If people are just completely afraid, don't let them go to the battle.

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 Now, whether or not God is doing that in this instance, I don't know. I don't think so. It could just be that

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 God wants Gideon to see exactly how much fear is out there among his own men. In any case, fear is a major

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 theme of this story. Fear and its effects on our faith. And throughout the Gideon narrative, we see it over and over

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 again. And it's going to come into play in a major way with the Midianites in just a moment. And in the

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 end of this, 22,000 of the 32,000 left. How devastating that is. You got 32,000 men, two-thirds of them

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 leave like that. Well, God wasn't finished dwindling the army. There was still more to reduce it now. Look

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 at verse four. The Lord said to Gideon, the people are still too many. Take them down to the water and

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 I will test them for you there. Anyone of whom I say to you, this one shall go with you, shall go with

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 you. Anyone of whom I say, this one shall not go with you, shall not go. So he brought the people to

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 the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps,

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 you shall set him by himself. Now this next phrase, this is a clarifying statement on the first one.

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 This is not a second condition. This is a clarification of the first condition. Okay. So,

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 and then he says, likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink. Well, you can't get down and drink water

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 like a dog without kneeling down. So that's essentially what's happening in this verse. And God's

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 saying, anyone who kneels down and puts their face down like that, just set them to the side,

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 mark them. And then he goes on to say in verse six, and the number of those who lapped putting

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 their hands to their mouth, as opposed to actually putting their face down to the water, was only 300

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 men. All the rest knelt down. And the Lord said to Gideon, verse seven, with the 300 men who lapped,

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 I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go home.

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 And this second test is interesting. It's interesting because it seems so arbitrary.

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 It just seems so random. Gideon's told to have them drink some water and just mark the ones who

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 drink in a particular way. And whoever drank with that method was sent home. And that leaves just 300

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 men to fight this battle against what Gideon sees as an innumerable amount of people.

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 Now, through the years, people have tried to suggest that there was a method to God's madness in this,

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 and that the method was he was preserving those who were truly courageous and those who demonstrated

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 alertness to the task. In other words, what they would say is that what God is doing here is he is

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 limiting the army to the best of the best, so that only the best of the best fighters are the ones who

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 are going to go against this army. That actually works against the text here. That's not what's

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 happening here. This is all about the numbers is what this is. God sends 22,000 home because he knows

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 22,000 of them are afraid. He does this test at the water because he knows what's going to be left

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 over. It's just very few men. It has nothing to do with their courage. It has nothing to do with

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 their alertness. It has everything to do with the numbers. God was reducing the army to nearly nothing.

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 And this was just the way that he chose to do it. Now, the 32,000 that Gideon began with,

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 that's still a weak army compared to the Midianite coalition. But now it's just 300

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 plus Gideon. And the question is, why? Why does God actually do this? Why does he whittle it down to

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 300 people? And the answer is in verse two. The Lord said to Gideon, the people with you are too

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 many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Now that seems backward, doesn't it? We would expect

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 God to say, you don't have enough to do this. We better get some more men. That's not what he says.

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 He says, no, you got too many men for this. You can't be delivered with this many men. We're going to have to

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 take some of them out. And here's his reason. Lest Israel boast over me, saying my own hand has saved me.

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 So knowing Israel's proclivity for ignoring God's presence and power, God strips away

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 everything that Gideon and his army could possibly trust in except God himself. That's what's happening here.

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 Even with 32,000 men, Israel was operating from a position of weakness, but God knew their pride.

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 Their pride was such that if they were to defeat the Midianites, even with just 32,000 men, they would

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 take glory for themselves. But God wants them to see clearly that this battle, it belongs to him,

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 that he is the one who will bring salvation to his people. But Israel would have been quick

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 to take the glory that belongs to God alone. So God needs to expose the depths of their weakness here

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 so that they might understand the truth of his gracious work on their behalf and thereby glorify him.

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 Dale Ralph Davis has a helpful statement about this. He says that the weakness of Israel in this moment

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 is not a superficial weakness. It is their real condition, he says. And he goes on,

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 so in Christian experience, it is important to define what weakness is not. Weakness does not mean

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 that you are a glob of spiritual jello that flops at God's feet. It does not mean that you whine a lot,

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 even though you may whine a lot. It does not mean that you look pale, even though many of us look a

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 little pale today. It does not mean that you have the flu. You may not feel weak at all, he says.

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 It has little to do with how you feel. You do not feel weak. You are weak. It's your genuine condition.

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 That is, you are stripped of all human resources and forced to lean upon God alone.

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 That is the true nature of our weakness. That we are stripped of all human resources to accomplish

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 anything of eternal value, of our salvific value in our lives. And we must lean on God alone.

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 Because like Israel, we are so often prone to ignore God's sovereign work in our lives.

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 And we ought not be surprised when we get to various circumstances where it seems like

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 God has stripped us of everything we feel like we need

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 so that we can trust in nothing else but Him.

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 But even if God doesn't do that,

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 even if He doesn't strip us the way that He strips the army in this moment,

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 He wants us to see that the battle is His.

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 He wants us to trust Him, not our own devices.

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 He wants us to glorify Him

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 rather than lift up our own egos.

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 Now whether it's in relation to your salvation,

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 or circumstances related to your spiritual growth,

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 or maybe just your progress in life,

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 you must reckon at some point with the reality of your own insufficiency.

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 Because it's only when you reckon with your own insufficiency

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 that you'll be able to grasp God's power and love at work in your life.

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 God wants you to understand the work that He's doing in you.

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 And often it takes Him reducing our resources to nothing

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 before we learn to truly trust Him.

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 And that's what He's doing with Gideon,

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 and He's doing it with the army itself.

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 That's the first thing God does.

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 He does the opposite of what we would do.

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 He reduces His army.

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 Number two, God strengthens His servant.

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 He strengthens His servant.

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 This is my favorite part.

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 I want you to take a moment and just imagine

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 how absolutely deflating this must have been for Gideon.

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 If you've been with us through the study,

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 you know Gideon's already prone to fear.

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 He is in constant need of reassurance from God.

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 Even after God clothes him with the power of His Spirit

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 so that he might gather these 32,000 men together,

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 he still goes back to God after that.

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 And he has this whole sign test that he has to do.

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 He lays out his fleece for God on two different occasions.

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 That's not because he's faithful.

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 That's because he's fearful.

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 He needs constant reassurance.

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 That's who he was.

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 Now, this chapter opens with Gideon and his men

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 getting up early and positioning themselves for this battle.

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 This is probably Gideon's most confident moment

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 in the whole story, at least before his sin at the end.

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 This is Gideon's most confident moment.

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 That is the morning before God reduces the army.

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 He's done the test.

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 He's seen the fleece.

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 He's gathered the men.

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 And now he's starting to feel some confidence about,

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 okay, maybe God is actually going to do this thing.

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 And what's the first thing that God does?

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 He takes away all the confidence.

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 He takes away everything that Gideon was trusting in.

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 In that moment, everything that he thought

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 was going to work for him.

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 How deflating.

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 How miserable Gideon must have been.

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 But this situation, it allows us to see something

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 truly wonderful about the Lord.

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 And that is his personal care for his servant.

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 Now, that's you.

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 That's just not spiritual leaders.

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 That is anyone who belongs to the Lord in Christ Jesus,

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 of course, as we look from a New Testament perspective.

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 We've been doing this all throughout the Gideon study.

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 We've tried to keep one eye on the big picture

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 of God's salvation of Israel, of his people as a whole.

00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:08.359
 And by application, we've tried to keep one eye

00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.480
 on God's gospel work globally in the global church, okay?

00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:14.299
 But we're trying to keep our other eye

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:17.339
 on God's unique work in the individual person

00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:19.059
 that is Gideon in this story.

00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:21.079
 And what this does for us at this moment

00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:22.819
 is it helps us to remember

00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:25.619
 that God not only is doing this big work

00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:28.659
 that we may or may not feel like we're a part of,

00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:32.479
 but he is doing a unique and particular work

00:21:32.479 --> 00:21:35.239
 in you, in me.

00:21:35.979 --> 00:21:37.239
 He knows us.

00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:39.659
 He knows our weaknesses.

00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:43.439
 He knows the intricacies of what's in our mind

00:21:43.439 --> 00:21:45.519
 and in our hearts that no one else may know.

00:21:45.639 --> 00:21:48.099
 And he's doing a particular work in us.

00:21:48.099 --> 00:21:50.079
 And we see that come forward here

00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:51.959
 in this scenario with Gideon.

00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.759
 It's God who takes the initiative

00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:57.179
 to strengthen Gideon here.

00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:58.939
 And it's one of my favorite parts.

00:21:59.179 --> 00:22:00.059
 Look at verse nine.

00:22:00.500 --> 00:22:02.480
 That same night, that is the night

00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:03.719
 that he reduces the army.

00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:05.299
 God wastes no time here.

00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:10.799
 He says to Gideon, arise, go down against the camp,

00:22:11.259 --> 00:22:12.939
 for I have given it into your hand.

00:22:13.139 --> 00:22:14.099
 Now stop there for a second.

00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:15.019
 What's God saying?

00:22:15.399 --> 00:22:16.079
 He's saying it's time.

00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:17.339
 It's time to go fight the battle.

00:22:18.199 --> 00:22:19.059
 It's done.

00:22:20.399 --> 00:22:21.720
 Victory is secure.

00:22:22.659 --> 00:22:24.179
 But now notice what he says.

00:22:25.139 --> 00:22:28.399
 But if you're afraid to go down,

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.299
 that is afraid to go and fight the battle

00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:31.500
 at this very moment,

00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:34.460
 I want you to go down to the camp.

00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:37.659
 Take Porah, your servant, with you.

00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.460
 And you shall hear what they say.

00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:43.799
 And afterward, your hands shall be strengthened

00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:46.299
 to go down against the camp.

00:22:47.639 --> 00:22:49.079
 And here's what I love about this.

00:22:50.099 --> 00:22:52.299
 Going down to the camp with Porah is optional.

00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:54.039
 This is not a command from God.

00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:55.480
 It's conditional.

00:22:56.579 --> 00:22:58.059
 Gideon, if you're too afraid

00:22:58.059 --> 00:22:59.680
 to go fight this battle at this moment,

00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:01.899
 just go down on your own.

00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:02.859
 Take Porah with you.

00:23:02.980 --> 00:23:03.960
 You don't have to go by yourself.

00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:06.700
 There's loneliness in Gideon's position right now.

00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:07.960
 Take Porah with you.

00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:10.220
 And I'm going to do something

00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:11.200
 that will build your confidence

00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.299
 if you're afraid.

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.340
 And what I love about it

00:23:15.340 --> 00:23:17.299
 is there's no response from Gideon.

00:23:17.900 --> 00:23:20.200
 All we read in the next part of the verse is,

00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:22.299
 then he went down with Porah.

00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:24.559
 There's no question he's afraid.

00:23:25.299 --> 00:23:26.460
 I love it.

00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:30.900
 He goes down and he finds a place

00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:33.440
 to hide at the outpost of the armed men.

00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:35.100
 Isn't this wonderful?

00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:38.419
 Not only does God declare

00:23:38.419 --> 00:23:40.199
 that he's already given the Midianites

00:23:40.199 --> 00:23:41.119
 into Gideon's hand,

00:23:41.179 --> 00:23:42.439
 he's done that a number of times

00:23:42.439 --> 00:23:43.339
 through the story already,

00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:44.959
 but he very tenderly,

00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:48.519
 very patiently allows

00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.639
 for Gideon's anxieties to be soothed.

00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:55.439
 Now, those of you who are parents

00:23:55.439 --> 00:23:56.939
 know what it's like

00:23:56.939 --> 00:23:59.599
 to have to soothe an anxiety

00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:01.079
 that may or may not be rational.

00:24:01.919 --> 00:24:03.579
 You can tell your kids 100 times,

00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:05.199
 this is safe or this is good

00:24:05.199 --> 00:24:06.119
 and I've taken care of it

00:24:06.119 --> 00:24:06.879
 or whatever it is.

00:24:07.259 --> 00:24:08.119
 You can jump.

00:24:08.199 --> 00:24:09.339
 I promise I'll catch you.

00:24:10.539 --> 00:24:11.579
 And they're still going to be

00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:12.720
 plagued with anxieties, right?

00:24:13.199 --> 00:24:13.980
 Now, if you're like me,

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:15.599
 you eventually grow a little impatient.

00:24:16.379 --> 00:24:18.079
 You say, would you just jump already?

00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:20.779
 Or whatever the thing is.

00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:23.339
 Notice the tenderness that God has here.

00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.000
 He has fought this fear

00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.319
 with Gideon the whole time,

00:24:27.399 --> 00:24:29.159
 but he never loses his patience.

00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:32.720
 He never loses his tenderness.

00:24:34.100 --> 00:24:35.279
 Knowing his fear,

00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:39.740
 God gives Gideon another sign

00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:41.220
 that Gideon didn't even ask for.

00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:44.660
 And Gideon's quick to take advantage of it.

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:46.060
 And the sign comes with a promise,

00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.680
 the promise in verse 11.

00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:50.340
 What Gideon is privileged to hear

00:24:50.340 --> 00:24:51.759
 will give him the strength

00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:53.960
 that he needs to move forward full of faith.

00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:57.940
 Now, it's worth noting at this point

00:24:57.940 --> 00:25:00.980
 that there is a massive difference

00:25:00.980 --> 00:25:03.360
 between having no faith

00:25:03.360 --> 00:25:05.980
 and having a weak faith.

00:25:07.120 --> 00:25:09.039
 In fact, it's not just a massive difference.

00:25:09.259 --> 00:25:11.500
 It's an eternal difference.

00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:16.180
 No faith would have led Gideon

00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:19.100
 to go home with the other

00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:23.900
 20 or 32,700 men, right?

00:25:24.620 --> 00:25:26.039
 If he didn't have any faith,

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:27.579
 he would have said,

00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:28.340
 this is ridiculous.

00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:30.700
 There's no way this will ever work.

00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:32.620
 I'm done with it.

00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:35.039
 But he doesn't do that.

00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:37.440
 That's not his position at all.

00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:38.819
 Despite his fear,

00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:42.539
 he stays and he trusts the Lord

00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:44.059
 with each step.

00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:45.420
 Now, it takes every step,

00:25:45.860 --> 00:25:48.600
 but he trusts the Lord with every step.

00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:51.180
 Now, we often think that faith

00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:52.920
 is the absence of fear,

00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:54.259
 but that's not true.

00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:56.940
 Faith is not the absence of fear.

00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:00.039
 Faith is better understood

00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:03.539
 as perseverance in the midst of fear.

00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:06.500
 And that's what we see in Gideon.

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:09.259
 His faith may have been weak.

00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:14.660
 Still, it's not the strength of our faith,

00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:18.200
 but the object of our faith

00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:19.880
 that saves us.

00:26:22.820 --> 00:26:24.019
 He may have trembled

00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:25.160
 as he walked down the hill

00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:26.440
 to the outside of the camp,

00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:28.460
 but he still went.

00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:31.660
 We think about this sometimes

00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:35.200
 in relation to God's work of salvation

00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.720
 and justification by faith.

00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:39.579
 It might have been Mark Dever

00:26:39.579 --> 00:26:40.460
 that I heard one time

00:26:40.460 --> 00:26:41.160
 give an illustration

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:44.059
 about the way faith works

00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:45.500
 and the life of a believer.

00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:46.740
 It's like two people

00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:47.900
 who are getting on an airplane.

00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:50.319
 One of them is completely comfortable.

00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:52.039
 They have no problems.

00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:54.000
 They have no anxiety whatsoever.

00:26:54.380 --> 00:26:55.220
 They get on the plane.

00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:56.420
 They know that they're going to get

00:26:56.420 --> 00:26:57.700
 where they need to go.

00:26:57.940 --> 00:26:58.620
 The second person

00:26:58.620 --> 00:26:59.839
 is the complete opposite, right?

00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:01.339
 The second person gets on the plane.

00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:03.480
 They're just an absolute wreck.

00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:06.200
 They're scared for their life.

00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:06.660
 They're not sure

00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:07.640
 if they can trust the pilot.

00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:08.140
 They're not sure

00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:09.200
 if they can trust the mechanics

00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:10.360
 to actually put this thing together.

00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:11.000
 They're not sure

00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:12.100
 if the side of the plane

00:27:12.100 --> 00:27:12.819
 is going to blow off

00:27:12.819 --> 00:27:14.279
 like it did with the one airline

00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:15.360
 this week, right?

00:27:15.799 --> 00:27:16.100
 They don't know

00:27:16.100 --> 00:27:17.220
 if this is going to be a convertible

00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:18.140
 or if it's going to be

00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:19.380
 just like a normal aircraft.

00:27:19.380 --> 00:27:19.980
 They don't know.

00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:21.740
 And they're scared to death.

00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.240
 Now, both of them get on the plane.

00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:25.779
 Right?

00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:28.680
 One's faith is stronger than the other,

00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.000
 but they both get on the plane.

00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:32.640
 And they both get to their destination.

00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:35.100
 One may get there

00:27:35.100 --> 00:27:36.000
 with a little more joy

00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.120
 and comfort than the other,

00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:38.620
 but they both get there.

00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:39.640
 And the point is,

00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:42.000
 it's not the strength of their faith

00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:43.400
 that gets them where it is

00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:44.299
 that they need to go.

00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:45.960
 It's the object of their faith.

00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:46.819
 And in this case,

00:27:47.019 --> 00:27:48.380
 it's not whether or not

00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:49.880
 Gideon was really full of faith.

00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.700
 It's the fact that he had enough faith

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:53.740
 to trust God every step.

00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:54.740
 And anyway,

00:27:54.779 --> 00:27:56.140
 a lot of times in your life,

00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:56.779
 as a believer,

00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.120
 you're going to feel that.

00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:00.519
 Where you're not exactly sure

00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:01.339
 what to think about

00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:02.279
 five or six steps

00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:03.319
 down the road in your life.

00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:04.240
 But all you know

00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:05.359
 is I can trust God enough

00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:06.359
 to take the next step.

00:28:07.120 --> 00:28:07.980
 Well, that's good.

00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:10.000
 Keep taking those steps.

00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:11.900
 Keep moving forward.

00:28:13.059 --> 00:28:13.819
 Perhaps you're at one

00:28:13.819 --> 00:28:14.920
 of those moments spiritually

00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:16.779
 where God has stripped you

00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:18.019
 of everything you can possibly

00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:18.980
 trust except Him.

00:28:19.180 --> 00:28:20.519
 You're struggling to live

00:28:20.519 --> 00:28:21.559
 with a confident faith.

00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:22.899
 And you need to let this

00:28:22.899 --> 00:28:24.259
 be an encouragement to you

00:28:24.259 --> 00:28:26.819
 that God intends to strengthen you

00:28:26.819 --> 00:28:30.079
 in the way that He strengthened Gideon.

00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:32.639
 Weak or not,

00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:34.500
 you just need to take

00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:35.720
 the next step forward

00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:37.000
 in obedience to God.

00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:38.940
 You need to persevere

00:28:38.940 --> 00:28:40.419
 through the fear

00:28:40.419 --> 00:28:43.559
 that threatens to freeze you

00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:44.559
 and turn you around.

00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:46.059
 And I know

00:28:46.059 --> 00:28:48.519
 the testimony of the Scripture

00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:52.339
 is that God will meet you there.

00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:54.460
 I want you to look

00:28:54.460 --> 00:28:55.220
 at the next part.

00:28:55.559 --> 00:28:56.200
 Verse 13.

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.119
 What is it that happens

00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.059
 with Gideon once he gets

00:28:58.059 --> 00:28:58.740
 down the hill?

00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:00.299
 When Gideon came,

00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:01.480
 behold, a man was telling

00:29:01.480 --> 00:29:02.579
 a dream to his comrade

00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:03.059
 and said,

00:29:03.139 --> 00:29:04.440
 Behold, I dreamed a dream

00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:04.839
 and behold,

00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:05.940
 a cake of barley bread

00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:06.980
 tumbled into the camp

00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:07.460
 of Midian,

00:29:08.119 --> 00:29:08.960
 came to the tent

00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:09.539
 and struck it

00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:10.299
 so that it fell

00:29:10.299 --> 00:29:11.519
 and turned it upside down

00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:13.259
 so that the tent lay flat.

00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:15.220
 And his comrade answered,

00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:16.259
 This is no other than

00:29:16.259 --> 00:29:17.379
 the sword of Gideon,

00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:18.320
 the son of Joash,

00:29:18.360 --> 00:29:19.040
 a man of Israel.

00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:20.580
 God has given

00:29:20.580 --> 00:29:21.460
 into his hand

00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:23.700
 Midian and all the camp.

00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:26.520
 And as soon as Gideon

00:29:26.520 --> 00:29:27.280
 heard the telling

00:29:27.280 --> 00:29:27.880
 of the dream

00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:28.920
 and its interpretation,

00:29:30.120 --> 00:29:30.960
 he worshipped.

00:29:32.040 --> 00:29:32.940
 And he returned

00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:33.900
 to the camp of Israel

00:29:33.900 --> 00:29:34.280
 and said,

00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:35.060
 Arise,

00:29:35.220 --> 00:29:36.140
 for the Lord

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:37.400
 has given the host

00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:37.980
 of Midian

00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:40.920
 into your hand.

00:29:42.180 --> 00:29:42.940
 Well, let's just walk

00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:43.240
 through this

00:29:43.240 --> 00:29:43.880
 for just a moment.

00:29:44.420 --> 00:29:45.200
 Gideon is hiding

00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:46.680
 outside the Midianite camp.

00:29:47.380 --> 00:29:48.340
 And he overhears

00:29:48.340 --> 00:29:49.000
 a watchman

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:49.400
 in the middle

00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:49.960
 of the night

00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:52.600
 describe a bizarre dream

00:29:52.600 --> 00:29:54.300
 that involved

00:29:54.300 --> 00:29:55.580
 a giant loaf of bread

00:29:55.580 --> 00:29:57.480
 tumbling down the hill.

00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:58.760
 It hit a tent.

00:29:59.020 --> 00:30:00.160
 The tent flipped over

00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:01.160
 and went flat.

00:30:02.560 --> 00:30:03.760
 That's a weird dream.

00:30:04.280 --> 00:30:05.020
 So weird

00:30:05.020 --> 00:30:05.540
 that I don't know

00:30:05.540 --> 00:30:06.460
 that I would share it.

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:08.620
 But this guy shares it.

00:30:09.040 --> 00:30:09.500
 He shares it

00:30:09.500 --> 00:30:10.040
 with his buddy

00:30:10.040 --> 00:30:11.720
 and then his buddy

00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:12.680
 interprets the dream.

00:30:13.960 --> 00:30:14.640
 There's nothing

00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:15.640
 facetious about this

00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:16.020
 at all.

00:30:17.380 --> 00:30:19.100
 There's nothing sarcastic

00:30:19.100 --> 00:30:20.120
 about this interpretation.

00:30:20.600 --> 00:30:20.960
 This is,

00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:22.160
 God is working

00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:23.000
 through these men.

00:30:23.340 --> 00:30:24.200
 This is a legitimate

00:30:24.200 --> 00:30:24.900
 interpretation

00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:26.060
 from the perspective

00:30:26.060 --> 00:30:27.120
 of this watchman.

00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:28.240
 And he says,

00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:30.280
 this has to have

00:30:30.280 --> 00:30:30.860
 something to do

00:30:30.860 --> 00:30:31.420
 with Gideon

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:32.520
 who we heard

00:30:32.520 --> 00:30:32.900
 is up there

00:30:32.900 --> 00:30:33.260
 on the hill

00:30:33.260 --> 00:30:33.880
 with these men.

00:30:35.280 --> 00:30:36.240
 God's going to deliver

00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:37.100
 us into his hand.

00:30:37.360 --> 00:30:38.120
 Now Gideon hears

00:30:38.120 --> 00:30:38.740
 all of this.

00:30:39.120 --> 00:30:39.840
 That's what's interesting

00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:40.260
 about it,

00:30:40.280 --> 00:30:40.640
 isn't it?

00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:43.080
 This was the sign

00:30:43.080 --> 00:30:43.880
 that God had promised.

00:30:44.840 --> 00:30:45.880
 And it did exactly

00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:46.540
 what God said

00:30:46.540 --> 00:30:47.020
 it would do.

00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:48.520
 It strengthened Gideon

00:30:48.520 --> 00:30:49.259
 for the battle.

00:30:50.080 --> 00:30:51.100
 But what exactly

00:30:51.100 --> 00:30:52.460
 is it about the dream

00:30:52.460 --> 00:30:53.860
 that makes the difference

00:30:53.860 --> 00:30:54.400
 for Gideon?

00:30:54.660 --> 00:30:55.240
 What is it?

00:30:56.580 --> 00:30:57.759
 It caused him

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:58.740
 to realize

00:30:58.740 --> 00:31:00.620
 that God

00:31:00.620 --> 00:31:01.400
 had brought upon

00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:02.580
 the Midianites

00:31:02.580 --> 00:31:04.520
 this heightened

00:31:04.520 --> 00:31:06.320
 state of anxiety.

00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:06.439
 anxiety.

00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:08.759
 It's reminiscent

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.919
 of the Canaanites

00:31:09.919 --> 00:31:11.899
 back in Joshua,

00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:12.859
 in the book of Joshua.

00:31:13.740 --> 00:31:14.819
 They heard

00:31:14.819 --> 00:31:15.799
 of what God

00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:16.339
 had done

00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:17.059
 for the Israelites

00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:17.679
 and it says

00:31:17.679 --> 00:31:18.579
 that their hearts

00:31:18.579 --> 00:31:20.819
 melted with fear.

00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:23.179
 And God

00:31:23.179 --> 00:31:23.619
 has gone

00:31:23.619 --> 00:31:24.879
 before Gideon

00:31:24.879 --> 00:31:26.099
 and he has caused

00:31:26.099 --> 00:31:27.359
 that same experience

00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:27.879
 to come on

00:31:27.879 --> 00:31:28.519
 the Midianites

00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:29.980
 so that their hearts

00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:30.859
 are melting

00:31:30.859 --> 00:31:31.419
 with fear.

00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:32.539
 From their perspective

00:31:32.539 --> 00:31:33.279
 that may not even

00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:34.419
 be rational.

00:31:34.420 --> 00:31:36.640
 but nonetheless

00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:37.880
 they are operating

00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:38.960
 at a heightened

00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:41.060
 level of anxiety.

00:31:42.300 --> 00:31:43.480
 What Barry Webb

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:43.820
 says,

00:31:43.940 --> 00:31:44.380
 what Gideon

00:31:44.380 --> 00:31:45.100
 finds out

00:31:45.100 --> 00:31:46.120
 is that things

00:31:46.120 --> 00:31:47.240
 are not as they seem

00:31:47.240 --> 00:31:48.800
 because the Midianites

00:31:48.800 --> 00:31:49.860
 too are frightened.

00:31:50.539 --> 00:31:51.140
 In fact,

00:31:51.860 --> 00:31:53.140
 they seem to believe

00:31:53.140 --> 00:31:54.039
 the very thing

00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:55.380
 that Gideon himself

00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:56.519
 has been finding

00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:57.779
 it so hard to believe.

00:31:58.519 --> 00:31:59.120
 That God

00:31:59.120 --> 00:31:59.560
 has given

00:31:59.560 --> 00:32:00.660
 the whole Midianite

00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:01.180
 camp

00:32:01.180 --> 00:32:02.259
 into his hands.

00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:03.380
 And this

00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:04.340
 does something

00:32:04.340 --> 00:32:05.700
 amazing in Gideon.

00:32:06.660 --> 00:32:07.560
 The effects

00:32:07.560 --> 00:32:08.600
 are dramatic.

00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:10.240
 Having this

00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:11.400
 renewed confidence

00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:12.400
 in the Word of God.

00:32:12.760 --> 00:32:13.800
 Gideon's instinct,

00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:14.880
 look at verse 15,

00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:16.420
 is to first

00:32:16.420 --> 00:32:17.260
 worship

00:32:17.260 --> 00:32:19.340
 and then

00:32:19.340 --> 00:32:20.000
 declare

00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:20.760
 his confidence

00:32:20.760 --> 00:32:21.440
 in the Lord

00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:22.860
 to others.

00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:24.500
 Now remember,

00:32:24.620 --> 00:32:25.400
 God's strengthening

00:32:25.400 --> 00:32:26.340
 his servant here.

00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:27.320
 His servant

00:32:27.320 --> 00:32:27.880
 is fearful.

00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:29.260
 And what does God do?

00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:30.360
 He gives him

00:32:30.360 --> 00:32:31.060
 revelation.

00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:33.779
 He opens up

00:32:33.779 --> 00:32:34.960
 his plan

00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:35.980
 for Gideon's

00:32:35.980 --> 00:32:36.700
 understanding.

00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:37.519
 He does it

00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:38.460
 in a unique way.

00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:39.579
 And what's Gideon's

00:32:39.579 --> 00:32:40.179
 first instinct?

00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:41.759
 He worships the Lord

00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:42.419
 in that moment

00:32:42.419 --> 00:32:43.379
 and then he runs

00:32:43.379 --> 00:32:44.279
 back to the camp

00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:45.399
 where his 300 men are

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:46.659
 and look at the confidence

00:32:46.659 --> 00:32:47.379
 that he has.

00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:48.399
 Verse 15,

00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:49.799
 arise,

00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:51.000
 the Lord

00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:51.500
 has given

00:32:51.500 --> 00:32:52.460
 the host of Midian

00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:53.720
 into your hand.

00:32:54.099 --> 00:32:54.599
 The victory

00:32:54.599 --> 00:32:55.579
 has already been

00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:56.339
 won.

00:32:56.639 --> 00:32:57.440
 Let's go

00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:58.279
 get it.

00:32:58.279 --> 00:32:59.920
 We don't see

00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:00.799
 Gideon like that

00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:01.700
 anywhere else

00:33:01.700 --> 00:33:02.660
 in this whole story

00:33:02.660 --> 00:33:04.039
 except here.

00:33:04.779 --> 00:33:05.160
 Why?

00:33:05.899 --> 00:33:06.639
 Because of what

00:33:06.639 --> 00:33:07.279
 God's doing.

00:33:08.879 --> 00:33:09.460
 Now with this

00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:10.139
 in mind,

00:33:10.879 --> 00:33:11.299
 perhaps

00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:13.000
 a good test

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:14.220
 for knowing

00:33:14.220 --> 00:33:14.940
 the nature

00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:16.079
 of your faith

00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:19.139
 is to consider

00:33:19.139 --> 00:33:19.759
 the nature

00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:21.599
 of your personal

00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:22.139
 worship

00:33:22.139 --> 00:33:24.639
 and your public

00:33:24.639 --> 00:33:25.359
 confidence

00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:26.920
 in the Lord

00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:27.279
 God.

00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:30.220
 think about that

00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:30.980
 for just a moment.

00:33:31.660 --> 00:33:31.839
 You say,

00:33:31.879 --> 00:33:32.420
 what is my faith

00:33:32.420 --> 00:33:32.899
 really like?

00:33:33.099 --> 00:33:33.599
 Because sometimes

00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:34.220
 it's hard to figure

00:33:34.220 --> 00:33:34.579
 that out,

00:33:34.619 --> 00:33:35.160
 isn't it?

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:36.579
 But what's your

00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:37.319
 worship like?

00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:40.079
 What's your

00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:41.319
 declared confidence

00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:42.259
 in the Lord like?

00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:45.220
 Do you truly

00:33:45.220 --> 00:33:46.480
 worship from the heart

00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:47.460
 Sunday by Sunday?

00:33:48.139 --> 00:33:49.099
 Are you eager

00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:50.220
 in the gathering

00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:51.160
 of God's people

00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:53.879
 to sing to one another,

00:33:54.379 --> 00:33:55.039
 our sins,

00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:55.759
 they are many,

00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:57.279
 but His mercy

00:33:57.279 --> 00:33:58.039
 is more?

00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:00.259
 If you don't sing

00:34:00.259 --> 00:34:01.299
 that with confidence,

00:34:01.879 --> 00:34:02.379
 then you probably

00:34:02.379 --> 00:34:02.940
 don't have a very

00:34:02.940 --> 00:34:03.660
 strong faith.

00:34:05.500 --> 00:34:06.339
 What about your

00:34:06.339 --> 00:34:07.259
 personal worship?

00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.219
 Do you have any

00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:11.260
 private worship

00:34:11.260 --> 00:34:11.940
 to the Lord?

00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:13.440
 Time in His Word?

00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:14.599
 Time in prayer?

00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:15.980
 Maybe time in song?

00:34:16.420 --> 00:34:17.500
 Time where you are

00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:19.179
 fellowshipping,

00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:21.820
 communing with your God

00:34:21.820 --> 00:34:23.539
 because you believe

00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:23.880
 Him,

00:34:24.660 --> 00:34:25.760
 because you're

00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:26.860
 confident in Him.

00:34:28.019 --> 00:34:28.420
 What's your

00:34:28.420 --> 00:34:29.140
 worship like?

00:34:32.220 --> 00:34:33.460
 Do you ever

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:34.559
 find yourself

00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:36.500
 declaring confidence

00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:37.300
 in God

00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:38.880
 to other people?

00:34:40.220 --> 00:34:40.880
 Do you ever

00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:41.640
 urge them

00:34:41.640 --> 00:34:43.340
 to trust

00:34:43.340 --> 00:34:44.360
 and obey the Lord

00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:45.940
 because you found

00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:46.539
 Him yourself

00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:47.320
 to be faithful

00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:48.940
 and worthy

00:34:48.940 --> 00:34:50.380
 of their

00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:51.100
 worship?

00:34:52.720 --> 00:34:53.700
 I think that's

00:34:53.700 --> 00:34:54.600
 a helpful text

00:34:54.600 --> 00:34:56.660
 because the

00:34:56.660 --> 00:34:57.800
 natural result

00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:58.200
 here

00:34:58.200 --> 00:34:59.440
 of God

00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:00.280
 strengthening

00:35:00.280 --> 00:35:01.160
 Gideon

00:35:01.160 --> 00:35:02.539
 through His Word

00:35:02.539 --> 00:35:04.720
 is worship

00:35:04.720 --> 00:35:06.740
 and public

00:35:06.740 --> 00:35:07.740
 praise.

00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:10.600
 Now,

00:35:10.640 --> 00:35:11.160
 God doesn't

00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.940
 reveal all of

00:35:11.940 --> 00:35:12.300
 His plan

00:35:12.300 --> 00:35:12.800
 to us all

00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:13.260
 the time.

00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:15.100
 We know

00:35:15.100 --> 00:35:15.380
 that.

00:35:15.380 --> 00:35:17.000
 And we

00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:17.480
 can't always

00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:18.180
 expect

00:35:18.180 --> 00:35:19.320
 God to do

00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:19.860
 for us

00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:20.340
 what He did

00:35:20.340 --> 00:35:20.900
 for Gideon

00:35:20.900 --> 00:35:21.680
 in this passage

00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:22.200
 as far as

00:35:22.200 --> 00:35:22.579
 just kind of

00:35:22.579 --> 00:35:23.099
 laying it out

00:35:23.099 --> 00:35:23.300
 there,

00:35:23.380 --> 00:35:23.599
 right?

00:35:24.420 --> 00:35:25.119
 He doesn't

00:35:25.119 --> 00:35:25.519
 always do

00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:25.780
 that.

00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:27.599
 But He

00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:28.119
 has made

00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:28.619
 some things

00:35:28.619 --> 00:35:29.340
 very clear

00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:30.360
 through the

00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:30.860
 revelation

00:35:30.860 --> 00:35:31.900
 of His Word,

00:35:33.140 --> 00:35:33.800
 particularly

00:35:33.800 --> 00:35:35.420
 His plan

00:35:35.420 --> 00:35:36.140
 of salvation.

00:35:38.340 --> 00:35:39.039
 If you

00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:39.640
 have eyes

00:35:39.640 --> 00:35:40.240
 to see

00:35:40.240 --> 00:35:41.340
 and ears

00:35:41.340 --> 00:35:41.880
 to hear

00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:42.559
 the gospel

00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:43.200
 of Jesus,

00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:45.460
 your faith

00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:46.019
 in Him

00:35:46.019 --> 00:35:47.799
 will radically

00:35:47.799 --> 00:35:48.779
 transform

00:35:48.779 --> 00:35:49.980
 your worship

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:51.059
 and your

00:35:51.059 --> 00:35:51.699
 evangelism.

00:35:53.379 --> 00:35:54.219
 I'm not

00:35:54.219 --> 00:35:55.359
 talking about

00:35:55.359 --> 00:35:56.079
 those of us

00:35:56.079 --> 00:35:57.279
 who know

00:35:57.279 --> 00:35:58.000
 what the gospel

00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:58.639
 is and that

00:35:58.639 --> 00:35:59.439
 we can tell

00:35:59.439 --> 00:35:59.899
 you what it

00:35:59.899 --> 00:36:00.399
 is or we

00:36:00.399 --> 00:36:02.139
 are familiar

00:36:02.139 --> 00:36:03.099
 enough with

00:36:03.099 --> 00:36:03.899
 the theology

00:36:03.899 --> 00:36:04.559
 of it that

00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:05.359
 we can explain

00:36:05.359 --> 00:36:05.659
 it to you.

00:36:05.699 --> 00:36:05.939
 That's not

00:36:05.939 --> 00:36:06.139
 what I'm

00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:06.679
 talking about.

00:36:06.859 --> 00:36:07.460
 I'm talking

00:36:07.460 --> 00:36:07.960
 about those

00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:08.339
 of you who

00:36:08.339 --> 00:36:08.839
 have ears

00:36:08.839 --> 00:36:09.319
 to hear.

00:36:09.579 --> 00:36:09.899
 You have

00:36:09.899 --> 00:36:10.819
 come to know

00:36:10.819 --> 00:36:11.199
 Christ

00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:11.919
 personally

00:36:11.919 --> 00:36:12.819
 through the

00:36:12.819 --> 00:36:13.199
 gospel.

00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:14.219
 When that

00:36:14.219 --> 00:36:14.759
 happens,

00:36:14.919 --> 00:36:15.599
 your faith

00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:16.259
 in God

00:36:16.259 --> 00:36:17.419
 is strengthened

00:36:17.419 --> 00:36:18.259
 in a way

00:36:18.259 --> 00:36:19.119
 that only

00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:19.739
 God can

00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:20.399
 strengthen it.

00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:21.099
 And when

00:36:21.099 --> 00:36:21.639
 your faith

00:36:21.639 --> 00:36:22.219
 is strengthened

00:36:22.219 --> 00:36:22.679
 in the way

00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:23.199
 that only

00:36:23.199 --> 00:36:23.679
 God can

00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:24.239
 strengthen it,

00:36:24.339 --> 00:36:25.219
 it radically

00:36:25.219 --> 00:36:25.879
 transforms

00:36:25.879 --> 00:36:26.460
 your worship.

00:36:26.819 --> 00:36:27.480
 Your Sunday

00:36:27.480 --> 00:36:28.059
 worship is

00:36:28.059 --> 00:36:28.399
 different.

00:36:29.059 --> 00:36:29.859
 Your desire

00:36:29.859 --> 00:36:30.559
 for private

00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:30.939
 worship

00:36:30.939 --> 00:36:31.679
 day by day

00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:32.439
 is different.

00:36:33.699 --> 00:36:34.819
 Your declaration

00:36:34.819 --> 00:36:35.799
 of confidence

00:36:35.799 --> 00:36:36.379
 in God

00:36:36.379 --> 00:36:37.619
 is different.

00:36:38.419 --> 00:36:39.460
 Your evangelism

00:36:39.460 --> 00:36:40.179
 is different.

00:36:40.379 --> 00:36:40.759
 Why?

00:36:41.120 --> 00:36:41.680
 Because in

00:36:41.680 --> 00:36:42.340
 the revelation

00:36:42.340 --> 00:36:43.240
 of God

00:36:43.240 --> 00:36:43.820
 through His

00:36:43.820 --> 00:36:44.240
 word,

00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:44.820
 you have

00:36:44.820 --> 00:36:45.200
 come to

00:36:45.200 --> 00:36:45.880
 know His

00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:46.220
 Son in

00:36:46.220 --> 00:36:46.720
 the gospel.

00:36:47.140 --> 00:36:47.540
 And God

00:36:47.540 --> 00:36:47.940
 has done

00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:48.420
 this work

00:36:48.420 --> 00:36:48.860
 in you.

00:36:49.020 --> 00:36:49.400
 And we

00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:50.140
 see this

00:36:50.140 --> 00:36:50.860
 in seed

00:36:50.860 --> 00:36:51.900
 form with

00:36:51.900 --> 00:36:52.320
 Gideon

00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:52.980
 right here.

00:36:54.260 --> 00:36:54.660
 But God

00:36:54.660 --> 00:36:55.240
 hasn't only

00:36:55.240 --> 00:36:55.840
 revealed His

00:36:55.840 --> 00:36:56.200
 plan of

00:36:56.200 --> 00:36:56.640
 salvation.

00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:57.300
 He's made

00:36:57.300 --> 00:36:57.840
 that abundantly

00:36:57.840 --> 00:36:58.380
 clear to

00:36:58.380 --> 00:36:58.700
 us.

00:36:59.020 --> 00:36:59.440
 But there's

00:36:59.440 --> 00:36:59.780
 a lot of

00:36:59.780 --> 00:37:00.300
 other things

00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:00.580
 in the

00:37:00.580 --> 00:37:00.900
 scriptures

00:37:00.900 --> 00:37:02.020
 that God

00:37:02.020 --> 00:37:02.380
 has made

00:37:02.380 --> 00:37:02.840
 abundantly

00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:03.340
 clear.

00:37:03.820 --> 00:37:04.320
 Things about

00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:04.800
 who He

00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:05.220
 is.

00:37:05.520 --> 00:37:05.980
 Things about

00:37:05.980 --> 00:37:06.460
 how He

00:37:06.460 --> 00:37:07.480
 desires for

00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:07.820
 us to

00:37:07.820 --> 00:37:08.420
 live and

00:37:08.420 --> 00:37:09.760
 glorify Him.

00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:11.300
 And this

00:37:11.300 --> 00:37:11.780
 kind of

00:37:11.780 --> 00:37:12.400
 revelation,

00:37:12.700 --> 00:37:13.160
 we're not

00:37:13.160 --> 00:37:13.520
 talking about

00:37:13.520 --> 00:37:14.140
 subjective

00:37:14.140 --> 00:37:15.000
 revelation that

00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:15.860
 I just wake

00:37:15.860 --> 00:37:16.340
 up one morning

00:37:16.340 --> 00:37:16.720
 and I think,

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:17.480
 well, God

00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:18.020
 has told me

00:37:18.020 --> 00:37:18.340
 this.

00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:19.060
 You can't

00:37:19.060 --> 00:37:19.780
 trust that.

00:37:20.280 --> 00:37:20.900
 We're talking

00:37:20.900 --> 00:37:21.400
 about the

00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:21.980
 written Word

00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:22.580
 of God,

00:37:23.260 --> 00:37:23.960
 our confidence

00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:24.480
 in the

00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:24.860
 scriptures.

00:37:25.659 --> 00:37:26.019
 And what

00:37:26.019 --> 00:37:26.260
 does it

00:37:26.260 --> 00:37:26.740
 tell us?

00:37:27.139 --> 00:37:27.360
 The

00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:28.119
 revelation of

00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:28.400
 the Word

00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:28.840
 of God.

00:37:28.980 --> 00:37:29.320
 It will

00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:29.860
 strengthen

00:37:29.860 --> 00:37:30.679
 your faith

00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:31.960
 to persevere

00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:34.000
 even when

00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:34.980
 faithfulness

00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:36.059
 will cost

00:37:36.059 --> 00:37:36.900
 you everything.

00:37:38.579 --> 00:37:38.880
 Now let's

00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:39.440
 put that

00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:40.440
 in some

00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:41.019
 shoe leather

00:37:41.019 --> 00:37:41.599
 to that for

00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:42.139
 just a moment.

00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:44.240
 When you

00:37:44.240 --> 00:37:44.559
 have a

00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:45.240
 confidence in

00:37:45.240 --> 00:37:45.519
 the Word

00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:46.079
 of God

00:37:46.079 --> 00:37:47.659
 and a

00:37:47.659 --> 00:37:48.380
 confidence in

00:37:48.380 --> 00:37:49.099
 the faithfulness

00:37:49.099 --> 00:37:49.539
 of God,

00:37:49.539 --> 00:37:51.539
 you will

00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:52.259
 stand for

00:37:52.259 --> 00:37:53.119
 His truth

00:37:53.119 --> 00:37:54.079
 culturally

00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.860
 even when

00:37:55.860 --> 00:37:56.460
 the culture

00:37:56.460 --> 00:37:58.000
 is vehemently

00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:58.980
 against you.

00:38:00.139 --> 00:38:01.059
 Whether that

00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:01.920
 be in the

00:38:01.920 --> 00:38:02.440
 hot topic

00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:03.000
 issues of

00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:03.460
 our day

00:38:03.460 --> 00:38:04.239
 with the

00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:05.320
 LGBTQ plus

00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:05.759
 movement,

00:38:06.340 --> 00:38:06.840
 the sexual

00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:07.500
 revolution,

00:38:08.099 --> 00:38:08.840
 whether that

00:38:08.840 --> 00:38:09.239
 be through

00:38:09.239 --> 00:38:09.840
 issues of

00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:10.239
 abortion,

00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:11.360
 whether it

00:38:11.360 --> 00:38:11.739
 be through

00:38:11.739 --> 00:38:12.619
 issues of

00:38:12.619 --> 00:38:13.500
 ethical and

00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:14.460
 moral considerations

00:38:14.460 --> 00:38:14.900
 and other

00:38:14.900 --> 00:38:15.460
 ways of our

00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:15.759
 life,

00:38:16.059 --> 00:38:16.900
 you will

00:38:16.900 --> 00:38:17.460
 stand

00:38:17.460 --> 00:38:18.259
 faithful

00:38:18.260 --> 00:38:20.340
 if you

00:38:20.340 --> 00:38:21.020
 are confident

00:38:21.020 --> 00:38:21.400
 in the

00:38:21.400 --> 00:38:21.900
 faithfulness

00:38:21.900 --> 00:38:22.260
 of God

00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:22.500
 and His

00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:22.780
 Word.

00:38:24.240 --> 00:38:25.040
 Even if it

00:38:25.040 --> 00:38:25.480
 costs you

00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:25.920
 everything,

00:38:26.120 --> 00:38:26.780
 and at some

00:38:26.780 --> 00:38:27.160
 point,

00:38:27.860 --> 00:38:28.380
 it's going to

00:38:28.380 --> 00:38:28.960
 cost us a

00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:29.160
 lot.

00:38:29.860 --> 00:38:30.300
 At some

00:38:30.300 --> 00:38:30.500
 point,

00:38:30.560 --> 00:38:30.820
 it's going to

00:38:30.820 --> 00:38:31.360
 cost us a

00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:31.500
 lot.

00:38:34.560 --> 00:38:35.500
 If faith

00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:37.680
 comes through

00:38:37.680 --> 00:38:38.280
 hearing the

00:38:38.280 --> 00:38:38.600
 Word of

00:38:38.600 --> 00:38:39.060
 Christ,

00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:40.240
 that's what

00:38:40.240 --> 00:38:40.900
 Romans 10

00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:41.980
 17 plainly

00:38:41.980 --> 00:38:42.300
 says.

00:38:42.700 --> 00:38:43.300
 Faith comes

00:38:43.300 --> 00:38:43.820
 by hearing,

00:38:44.240 --> 00:38:44.900
 hearing through

00:38:44.900 --> 00:38:45.400
 the Word of

00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:45.760
 Christ.

00:38:46.140 --> 00:38:46.620
 That is the

00:38:46.620 --> 00:38:46.940
 Bible,

00:38:47.040 --> 00:38:47.340
 that's the

00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:47.700
 Scriptures.

00:38:48.260 --> 00:38:50.480
 then it is

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:50.900
 through the

00:38:50.900 --> 00:38:52.680
 Scriptures that

00:38:52.680 --> 00:38:53.740
 God intends to

00:38:53.740 --> 00:38:54.500
 strengthen you

00:38:54.500 --> 00:38:56.620
 and produce in

00:38:56.620 --> 00:38:58.000
 you the proper

00:38:58.000 --> 00:38:59.840
 worship and

00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:00.440
 zeal for His

00:39:00.440 --> 00:39:00.760
 glory.

00:39:01.680 --> 00:39:02.040
 You say,

00:39:02.180 --> 00:39:02.360
 you know,

00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:03.180
 I feel a lot

00:39:03.180 --> 00:39:04.140
 like Gideon.

00:39:06.560 --> 00:39:07.360
 I've heard the

00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:08.060
 call of God to

00:39:08.060 --> 00:39:08.580
 salvation.

00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:09.800
 I've got that.

00:39:10.720 --> 00:39:11.440
 But when it

00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:11.960
 comes to the

00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:12.580
 details of my

00:39:12.580 --> 00:39:13.220
 life and my

00:39:13.220 --> 00:39:14.400
 spiritual walk,

00:39:14.900 --> 00:39:15.820
 I struggle.

00:39:15.820 --> 00:39:18.880
 I struggle with

00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:20.320
 confidence in the

00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:20.920
 Lord and I

00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:21.440
 struggle with

00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:22.800
 confidence in what

00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:23.820
 the Bible says and

00:39:23.820 --> 00:39:25.059
 I struggle in all

00:39:25.059 --> 00:39:25.600
 of these ways.

00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:26.640
 And let me just

00:39:26.640 --> 00:39:27.320
 tell you, if we

00:39:27.320 --> 00:39:27.900
 follow this

00:39:27.900 --> 00:39:28.860
 progression the way

00:39:28.860 --> 00:39:29.340
 that the Scripture

00:39:29.340 --> 00:39:30.539
 lies it out, the

00:39:30.539 --> 00:39:32.380
 solution for you is

00:39:32.380 --> 00:39:33.500
 just to go back to

00:39:33.500 --> 00:39:33.920
 the Word.

00:39:35.059 --> 00:39:35.960
 It is in the

00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:37.180
 revelation of God

00:39:37.180 --> 00:39:39.620
 that the Spirit of

00:39:39.620 --> 00:39:40.720
 God does His work

00:39:40.720 --> 00:39:41.039
 in us.

00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:41.840
 That strengthens our

00:39:41.840 --> 00:39:42.640
 faith in a way that

00:39:42.640 --> 00:39:43.539
 we don't understand

00:39:43.539 --> 00:39:44.300
 all the time.

00:39:44.300 --> 00:39:44.920
 That's the thing

00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:45.640
 about this.

00:39:46.220 --> 00:39:47.720
 This is a divine

00:39:47.720 --> 00:39:48.880
 work of God in

00:39:48.880 --> 00:39:49.240
 us.

00:39:50.240 --> 00:39:51.100
 And He has a way

00:39:51.100 --> 00:39:51.760
 that He does it.

00:39:52.360 --> 00:39:53.500
 He does it by His

00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.920
 Spirit through His

00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:55.240
 Word.

00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:57.760
 But it's still His

00:39:57.760 --> 00:39:58.240
 work.

00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:00.880
 So what we need

00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:02.820
 to do is get back

00:40:02.820 --> 00:40:04.640
 to the Word and

00:40:04.640 --> 00:40:05.620
 let the Spirit do

00:40:05.620 --> 00:40:06.400
 the work through

00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:07.300
 the Word and

00:40:07.300 --> 00:40:09.280
 prayer that He has

00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:10.580
 determined to do.

00:40:11.580 --> 00:40:12.660
 And through that

00:40:12.660 --> 00:40:13.440
 commitment I think

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:14.280
 we'll find that

00:40:14.300 --> 00:40:16.420
 God strengthening us

00:40:16.420 --> 00:40:17.039
 in the way that He

00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:17.860
 strengthened Gideon.

00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:20.160
 Third thing God

00:40:20.160 --> 00:40:20.480
 does.

00:40:21.100 --> 00:40:21.860
 First thing He does

00:40:21.860 --> 00:40:22.539
 He reduces the

00:40:22.539 --> 00:40:22.780
 army.

00:40:23.160 --> 00:40:23.860
 Then He strengthens

00:40:23.860 --> 00:40:24.200
 His servant.

00:40:24.340 --> 00:40:25.220
 Third thing, and

00:40:25.220 --> 00:40:26.160
 this is a simple

00:40:26.160 --> 00:40:27.460
 thing, He displays

00:40:27.460 --> 00:40:28.039
 His victory.

00:40:29.220 --> 00:40:30.019
 He displays His

00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:30.240
 victory.

00:40:31.300 --> 00:40:32.060
 So Gideon's got a

00:40:32.060 --> 00:40:33.039
 renewed faith now.

00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:34.980
 He returns to the

00:40:34.980 --> 00:40:35.380
 camp.

00:40:36.060 --> 00:40:37.180
 But he comes back

00:40:37.180 --> 00:40:37.940
 with a completely

00:40:37.940 --> 00:40:39.860
 unconventional plan of

00:40:39.860 --> 00:40:40.240
 attack.

00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:42.959
 He divides the men

00:40:42.959 --> 00:40:43.819
 into three companies.

00:40:44.059 --> 00:40:44.919
 He gave each man a

00:40:44.919 --> 00:40:47.279
 trumpet, a jar, and a

00:40:47.279 --> 00:40:47.639
 torch.

00:40:48.419 --> 00:40:49.299
 Hardly the things you

00:40:49.299 --> 00:40:50.099
 would expect for a

00:40:50.099 --> 00:40:50.979
 battle of this nature.

00:40:51.859 --> 00:40:52.559
 That's what He gives

00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:52.699
 them.

00:40:53.479 --> 00:40:54.219
 And then He just

00:40:54.219 --> 00:40:55.519
 tells them, whatever I

00:40:55.519 --> 00:40:56.659
 do, you do.

00:40:57.139 --> 00:40:57.339
 Okay?

00:40:58.159 --> 00:40:59.000
 Just trust me.

00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:00.779
 Look at verse 19.

00:41:01.500 --> 00:41:02.180
 So Gideon and the

00:41:02.180 --> 00:41:02.940
 hundred men who were

00:41:02.940 --> 00:41:04.060
 with him came to the

00:41:04.060 --> 00:41:04.940
 outskirts of the camp

00:41:04.940 --> 00:41:05.740
 at the beginning of the

00:41:05.740 --> 00:41:07.560
 middle watch when they

00:41:07.560 --> 00:41:08.440
 had just set the watch

00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:09.140
 and they blew the

00:41:09.140 --> 00:41:11.440
 trumpets, smashed the

00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:12.260
 jars that were in their

00:41:12.260 --> 00:41:12.500
 hands.

00:41:12.560 --> 00:41:13.280
 That's Gideon and the

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:13.780
 men with him.

00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:16.240
 Then the three companies

00:41:16.240 --> 00:41:17.080
 blew the trumpets

00:41:17.080 --> 00:41:17.900
 together and they broke

00:41:17.900 --> 00:41:18.340
 the jars.

00:41:18.340 --> 00:41:19.400
 They held in their

00:41:19.400 --> 00:41:20.519
 left hands the torches

00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:21.820
 and in their right hands

00:41:21.820 --> 00:41:22.820
 the trumpets to blow.

00:41:23.420 --> 00:41:24.680
 And they cried out,

00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:26.700
 A sword for the Lord

00:41:26.700 --> 00:41:27.700
 and for Gideon.

00:41:27.699 --> 00:41:30.239
 Then every man stood

00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:30.960
 in his place around

00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:32.139
 the camp and all the

00:41:32.139 --> 00:41:32.699
 army ran.

00:41:33.539 --> 00:41:34.460
 They cried out and

00:41:34.460 --> 00:41:35.219
 fled and when they

00:41:35.219 --> 00:41:36.359
 blew the three hundred

00:41:36.359 --> 00:41:37.599
 trumpets the Lord set

00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:38.799
 every man's sword

00:41:38.799 --> 00:41:39.980
 against his comrade

00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:41.480
 and against all the

00:41:41.480 --> 00:41:42.759
 army and the army

00:41:42.759 --> 00:41:44.039
 fled.

00:41:44.779 --> 00:41:45.739
 This is amazing.

00:41:48.739 --> 00:41:49.299
 Amazing.

00:41:52.099 --> 00:41:54.039
 Ironically, the men

00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:55.539
 yell, a sword for the

00:41:55.539 --> 00:41:56.699
 Lord and for Gideon.

00:41:57.699 --> 00:41:59.359
 While none of them are

00:41:59.359 --> 00:42:00.279
 said to have actually

00:42:00.279 --> 00:42:00.939
 had a sword.

00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:03.500
 We don't even know if

00:42:03.500 --> 00:42:04.559
 they had weaponry at

00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:05.039
 this point.

00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:07.279
 The only weapons that

00:42:07.279 --> 00:42:08.000
 are mentioned in the

00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:09.719
 text were in the hands

00:42:09.719 --> 00:42:10.559
 of the Midianites.

00:42:12.599 --> 00:42:13.939
 Not only are they in a

00:42:13.939 --> 00:42:14.699
 heightened state of

00:42:14.699 --> 00:42:16.679
 anxiety, it's the

00:42:16.679 --> 00:42:17.439
 middle of the night and

00:42:17.439 --> 00:42:18.139
 they're all asleep.

00:42:18.739 --> 00:42:19.639
 Now you know what

00:42:19.639 --> 00:42:20.319
 that's like.

00:42:21.239 --> 00:42:22.339
 This morning, Ashlyn

00:42:22.339 --> 00:42:23.099
 had told me last night

00:42:23.099 --> 00:42:23.839
 I want to ride with you

00:42:23.839 --> 00:42:25.019
 to go to the school

00:42:25.019 --> 00:42:26.319
 tomorrow morning.

00:42:26.399 --> 00:42:26.939
 I said, okay, I'll

00:42:26.940 --> 00:42:27.519
 come wake you up.

00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:28.800
 So this morning,

00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:29.619
 whatever time it was,

00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:30.820
 I went into the

00:42:30.820 --> 00:42:32.240
 girl's room and Ashlyn

00:42:32.240 --> 00:42:32.900
 was still asleep and

00:42:32.900 --> 00:42:33.960
 she was sleeping soundly.

00:42:34.320 --> 00:42:35.519
 And I just nudged her a

00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:36.659
 little bit and I said,

00:42:36.700 --> 00:42:37.380
 Ashlyn, it's time to

00:42:37.380 --> 00:42:37.740
 get up.

00:42:37.900 --> 00:42:39.059
 And the expression that

00:42:39.059 --> 00:42:39.940
 I got in that moment

00:42:39.940 --> 00:42:40.639
 was, what?

00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:41.079
 What?

00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:44.719
 Now she reacts that way

00:42:44.719 --> 00:42:45.619
 because she's in a deep

00:42:45.619 --> 00:42:46.339
 sleep and she's just

00:42:46.339 --> 00:42:47.199
 been awakened and when

00:42:47.199 --> 00:42:48.239
 you're awakened in a deep

00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:49.379
 sleep by somebody else

00:42:49.379 --> 00:42:50.719
 intentionally, you don't

00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:51.719
 exactly know where you

00:42:51.719 --> 00:42:52.619
 are or what you're doing

00:42:52.619 --> 00:42:53.119
 and it's a little

00:42:53.119 --> 00:42:53.819
 frightening in that

00:42:53.819 --> 00:42:54.139
 moment.

00:42:54.319 --> 00:42:55.920
 Now take that and apply

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:56.940
 it to someone who's just

00:42:56.940 --> 00:42:57.839
 definitely afraid of

00:42:57.839 --> 00:42:58.579
 everything in their life

00:42:58.579 --> 00:42:59.079
 at that moment.

00:43:00.339 --> 00:43:01.239
 They're afraid that at

00:43:01.239 --> 00:43:03.319
 any moment, Gideon and

00:43:03.319 --> 00:43:04.000
 this army is going to

00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:04.539
 come down and they're

00:43:04.539 --> 00:43:05.219
 going to kill us all.

00:43:05.299 --> 00:43:06.139
 And now all of a sudden,

00:43:06.139 --> 00:43:07.799
 all that they hear are

00:43:07.799 --> 00:43:09.639
 trumpets blowing and men

00:43:09.639 --> 00:43:11.239
 screaming and they look

00:43:11.239 --> 00:43:12.139
 out and they just see

00:43:12.139 --> 00:43:13.480
 they're encircled by

00:43:13.480 --> 00:43:16.339
 torches and they're just

00:43:16.339 --> 00:43:17.000
 trying to figure out

00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:17.539
 what's going on.

00:43:17.579 --> 00:43:19.299
 It's dark and what do

00:43:19.299 --> 00:43:19.739
 they do?

00:43:20.259 --> 00:43:20.960
 It tells us.

00:43:21.219 --> 00:43:23.339
 Look at verse 22.

00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:25.719
 When they blew the 300

00:43:25.719 --> 00:43:28.219
 trumpets, the Lord set

00:43:28.219 --> 00:43:29.920
 every man's sword against

00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:31.139
 his comrade and against

00:43:31.139 --> 00:43:32.599
 the army and the army

00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:32.980
 fled.

00:43:32.980 --> 00:43:35.780
 God had gone before

00:43:35.780 --> 00:43:37.380
 Gideon to create in the

00:43:37.380 --> 00:43:38.699
 enemy a sense of fear

00:43:38.699 --> 00:43:40.440
 and confusion that led

00:43:40.440 --> 00:43:41.639
 to their self-destruction.

00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:43.000
 They killed each other.

00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:45.320
 Gideon and his men, they

00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:45.840
 didn't have to do

00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:46.219
 anything.

00:43:47.420 --> 00:43:48.079
 You know what they got

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:48.460
 to do?

00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:50.659
 They got to stand on the

00:43:50.659 --> 00:43:52.699
 outskirts of the camp and

00:43:52.699 --> 00:43:55.639
 watch God do God's work.

00:43:56.380 --> 00:43:57.659
 That's what they got to do.

00:43:58.800 --> 00:44:00.179
 And why did they get to do

00:44:00.179 --> 00:44:00.460
 that?

00:44:01.300 --> 00:44:02.420
 Because they were just

00:44:02.420 --> 00:44:03.599
 faithful enough.

00:44:05.700 --> 00:44:07.099
 They were just faithful

00:44:07.099 --> 00:44:10.180
 enough to take the next

00:44:10.180 --> 00:44:12.700
 step and go down the hill

00:44:12.700 --> 00:44:14.619
 and do the thing that

00:44:14.619 --> 00:44:15.559
 Gideon said to do.

00:44:16.740 --> 00:44:17.960
 And because of their

00:44:17.960 --> 00:44:19.760
 faithfulness, what they got

00:44:19.760 --> 00:44:22.159
 to see on display was not

00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:22.920
 their power.

00:44:23.680 --> 00:44:25.079
 They got to see God's

00:44:25.079 --> 00:44:25.380
 power.

00:44:27.220 --> 00:44:29.200
 Now, do you see how little

00:44:29.200 --> 00:44:30.420
 this had to do with Gideon

00:44:30.420 --> 00:44:31.360
 and his 300 men?

00:44:33.980 --> 00:44:35.220
 This is God all the way

00:44:35.220 --> 00:44:35.460
 through.

00:44:37.639 --> 00:44:38.760
 God calls the man.

00:44:40.039 --> 00:44:41.280
 God gathers the army.

00:44:42.320 --> 00:44:44.260
 God reduces the army and he

00:44:44.260 --> 00:44:45.000
 does it his way.

00:44:46.059 --> 00:44:47.539
 Then he strengthens his man.

00:44:48.619 --> 00:44:49.900
 He gives him a plan.

00:44:51.039 --> 00:44:52.440
 He goes before him in the

00:44:52.440 --> 00:44:53.480
 plan and he does the work

00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:54.980
 just so that his man can see

00:44:54.980 --> 00:44:55.440
 it happen.

00:44:56.360 --> 00:44:57.659
 That's amazing.

00:44:59.340 --> 00:45:00.400
 They were definitely

00:45:00.400 --> 00:45:01.780
 instruments in the hand of

00:45:01.780 --> 00:45:01.980
 God.

00:45:02.059 --> 00:45:03.740
 That is undoubted.

00:45:04.740 --> 00:45:06.599
 And the Lord was gracious to

00:45:06.599 --> 00:45:08.199
 use them in his work.

00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:09.340
 That's for sure.

00:45:10.340 --> 00:45:11.659
 But their simple faithfulness

00:45:12.400 --> 00:45:13.860
 allowed them to stand on the

00:45:13.860 --> 00:45:16.659
 outside and just watch God

00:45:16.659 --> 00:45:17.539
 work.

00:45:17.539 --> 00:45:21.340
 They were participants in God's

00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:24.300
 work so that they might see

00:45:24.300 --> 00:45:27.460
 that it is indeed God's work

00:45:27.460 --> 00:45:30.159
 and give him glory.

00:45:32.659 --> 00:45:34.380
 Now, I think this is an important

00:45:34.380 --> 00:45:35.840
 takeaway for Christians here.

00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:39.700
 God doesn't need us.

00:45:40.940 --> 00:45:41.980
 We're thinking, we may be

00:45:41.980 --> 00:45:43.660
 thinking about salvation and the

00:45:43.660 --> 00:45:44.880
 gospel and we can make those

00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:45.700
 applications too.

00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:47.160
 But primarily we're thinking as

00:45:47.160 --> 00:45:48.900
 Christians, the work that God

00:45:48.900 --> 00:45:49.780
 has called us to do in

00:45:49.780 --> 00:45:51.360
 evangelism and raising our kids,

00:45:51.740 --> 00:45:53.800
 perhaps in just everyday

00:45:53.800 --> 00:45:56.660
 faithfulness, we know that God

00:45:56.660 --> 00:45:58.220
 doesn't need us to do his work.

00:45:59.680 --> 00:46:01.579
 But he is pleased to use us in

00:46:01.579 --> 00:46:02.059
 his work.

00:46:03.420 --> 00:46:04.800
 And he does use us.

00:46:05.840 --> 00:46:09.079
 And in the process of that work,

00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:11.620
 it's easy to be gripped by fear

00:46:11.620 --> 00:46:12.280
 and anxiety.

00:46:13.280 --> 00:46:15.079
 That will be a common occurrence

00:46:15.079 --> 00:46:16.519
 in our lives until the day that

00:46:16.519 --> 00:46:16.920
 we die.

00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:20.680
 But when we're faithful to trust

00:46:20.680 --> 00:46:23.740
 and obey the Lord, we are blessed

00:46:23.740 --> 00:46:26.100
 to witness him do the work that

00:46:26.100 --> 00:46:26.940
 only he can do.

00:46:27.840 --> 00:46:30.680
 Because in the end, the battle is

00:46:30.680 --> 00:46:31.320
 the Lord's.

00:46:32.380 --> 00:46:33.860
 And so is the glory.

00:46:33.860 --> 00:46:36.620
 We can apply this in a lot of

00:46:36.620 --> 00:46:37.000
 different ways.

00:46:37.220 --> 00:46:38.640
 Think about it as a parent.

00:46:39.160 --> 00:46:42.539
 How fearful of a prospect is it

00:46:42.539 --> 00:46:44.860
 to be responsible for other human

00:46:44.860 --> 00:46:45.240
 beings?

00:46:47.200 --> 00:46:48.380
 Not only physically.

00:46:50.039 --> 00:46:51.480
 In fact, that might be the easier

00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:51.800
 part.

00:46:53.519 --> 00:46:55.480
 How daunting of a task is it, Andy,

00:46:55.680 --> 00:46:58.200
 to wake up every day knowing that

00:46:58.200 --> 00:46:59.860
 your responsibility is to raise

00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:01.260
 these kids in the discipline and

00:47:01.260 --> 00:47:02.320
 the admonition of the Lord.

00:47:03.660 --> 00:47:04.780
 Which means that you're going to

00:47:04.780 --> 00:47:05.980
 yourself have to be disciplined

00:47:05.980 --> 00:47:07.599
 in the truth of God and the

00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:08.519
 admonition of the Lord.

00:47:09.640 --> 00:47:10.680
 And then you're going to have to be

00:47:10.680 --> 00:47:11.920
 strong enough in that discipline

00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:13.200
 to actually communicate it to

00:47:13.200 --> 00:47:14.320
 others in a way that's helpful

00:47:14.320 --> 00:47:15.579
 and it's consistent and it's

00:47:15.579 --> 00:47:16.480
 faithful and truthful.

00:47:16.480 --> 00:47:20.340
 And those of us with kids know that

00:47:20.340 --> 00:47:21.440
 we can get to the end of that and

00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:22.599
 we can say this is an impossible

00:47:22.599 --> 00:47:23.019
 task.

00:47:24.380 --> 00:47:25.780
 And we can be gripped by fear in

00:47:25.780 --> 00:47:26.019
 that.

00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:27.659
 Is anything ever going to happen

00:47:27.659 --> 00:47:28.340
 with my kid?

00:47:29.699 --> 00:47:31.019
 What's the Lord going to do here?

00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:32.199
 Can he do anything here?

00:47:33.260 --> 00:47:34.539
 And really what the Lord's calling

00:47:34.539 --> 00:47:35.659
 us to is faithfulness.

00:47:36.619 --> 00:47:39.760
 Because you can't do the work that

00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:40.519
 only he can do.

00:47:40.519 --> 00:47:43.059
 And he's calling you to be

00:47:43.059 --> 00:47:45.199
 faithful and if you will be

00:47:45.199 --> 00:47:45.840
 faithful.

00:47:47.579 --> 00:47:48.380
 Not perfect.

00:47:49.219 --> 00:47:49.619
 Faithful.

00:47:52.019 --> 00:47:53.360
 Typically he's going to let you

00:47:53.360 --> 00:47:55.900
 watch him work.

00:47:58.239 --> 00:47:59.800
 That work may not always happen in

00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:00.800
 the way that you envision.

00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:02.420
 It may be a work that he's doing

00:48:02.420 --> 00:48:02.739
 in you.

00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:03.860
 Maybe even more than what he's

00:48:03.860 --> 00:48:05.420
 doing in the people that you care

00:48:05.420 --> 00:48:05.659
 for.

00:48:06.539 --> 00:48:08.159
 But you will be able to see him

00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:09.840
 work when you're faithful.

00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:11.960
 That's just one category.

00:48:12.280 --> 00:48:13.300
 We can think about this in our

00:48:13.300 --> 00:48:14.179
 evangelism, can't we?

00:48:14.980 --> 00:48:16.340
 You've got people in your life,

00:48:16.440 --> 00:48:17.340
 John, that you're trying to win

00:48:17.340 --> 00:48:18.900
 to the Lord and some of the

00:48:18.900 --> 00:48:19.679
 things that you're doing with

00:48:19.679 --> 00:48:20.019
 media.

00:48:21.219 --> 00:48:22.159
 You can get to the end of that.

00:48:22.460 --> 00:48:24.119
 I can testify to this personally

00:48:24.119 --> 00:48:26.219
 as a pastor who's pastored for

00:48:26.219 --> 00:48:27.920
 four years preaching the gospel

00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:28.300
 the best.

00:48:28.380 --> 00:48:29.119
 I know how to do it.

00:48:29.259 --> 00:48:30.559
 Sunday by Sunday seems very

00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:32.639
 little conversion as a result of

00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:32.860
 that.

00:48:33.900 --> 00:48:35.300
 I think that I don't know what to

00:48:35.300 --> 00:48:35.539
 do.

00:48:36.759 --> 00:48:38.360
 Like this is an impossible task.

00:48:38.360 --> 00:48:39.139
 It feels like those in your

00:48:39.139 --> 00:48:41.079
 talk sometimes with just our

00:48:41.079 --> 00:48:41.519
 evangelism.

00:48:41.659 --> 00:48:43.819
 But we're not called to provide

00:48:43.819 --> 00:48:44.239
 fruit.

00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:45.759
 We're called to be faithful.

00:48:46.519 --> 00:48:49.339
 And when we're faithful, God will

00:48:49.339 --> 00:48:51.400
 let us see his work accomplished

00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:51.980
 before us.

00:48:52.019 --> 00:48:53.500
 Because at the end of the day, the

00:48:53.500 --> 00:48:55.359
 battle is his and so is the glory.

00:48:55.719 --> 00:48:57.879
 And maybe the failures and the

00:48:57.879 --> 00:48:59.659
 weaknesses you feel now as a

00:48:59.659 --> 00:49:01.319
 Christian and in the things that

00:49:01.319 --> 00:49:02.599
 God has called you to be as a

00:49:02.599 --> 00:49:04.579
 Christian, maybe those failures are

00:49:04.579 --> 00:49:06.619
 there because God's having to strip

00:49:06.619 --> 00:49:08.299
 the pride away from your life so

00:49:08.299 --> 00:49:09.500
 that you will actually give him

00:49:09.500 --> 00:49:10.000
 some glory.

00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:13.239
 We could say there are a lot of

00:49:13.239 --> 00:49:13.619
 other ways.

00:49:13.900 --> 00:49:14.539
 We'll leave it there.

00:49:16.360 --> 00:49:18.579
 I said in the beginning that this

00:49:18.579 --> 00:49:20.340
 event was not about God's fight

00:49:20.340 --> 00:49:21.159
 against Midian.

00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:23.699
 It was his fight against bell

00:49:23.699 --> 00:49:25.980
 worship among his people.

00:49:27.579 --> 00:49:30.819
 And the Midianite coalition was

00:49:30.819 --> 00:49:32.739
 God's instrument of judgment against

00:49:32.739 --> 00:49:33.699
 Israel's idolatry.

00:49:33.779 --> 00:49:34.699
 That's what's interesting about

00:49:34.699 --> 00:49:35.099
 this, right?

00:49:36.619 --> 00:49:38.559
 God has to provide salvation for

00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:41.019
 his people, but what is he saving

00:49:41.019 --> 00:49:41.500
 them from?

00:49:43.039 --> 00:49:44.679
 He's saving them from himself.

00:49:46.819 --> 00:49:50.139
 And in his initiative, he raises up

00:49:50.139 --> 00:49:53.279
 a deliverer and empowers them to do

00:49:53.279 --> 00:49:53.479
 it.

00:49:54.939 --> 00:49:58.239
 Now, it's not very hard to draw the

00:49:58.239 --> 00:49:59.719
 gospel implications there, right?

00:50:01.019 --> 00:50:02.479
 We talk about salvation.

00:50:02.739 --> 00:50:04.500
 What is it that God is saving us

00:50:04.500 --> 00:50:04.719
 from?

00:50:05.639 --> 00:50:09.979
 He's saving us from himself, from his

00:50:09.979 --> 00:50:12.199
 justice and his wrath.

00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:17.599
 And then he takes the initiative by

00:50:17.599 --> 00:50:21.679
 sending his son to die on a cross, to

00:50:21.679 --> 00:50:23.599
 live the life that we were meant to

00:50:23.599 --> 00:50:25.279
 live and die the death that we deserve

00:50:25.279 --> 00:50:28.779
 to die in order that he might provide

00:50:28.780 --> 00:50:30.540
 salvation for us.

00:50:30.540 --> 00:50:30.880
 It's amazing.

00:50:31.920 --> 00:50:32.880
 It's amazing.

00:50:34.140 --> 00:50:37.460
 He proved his steadfast love by raising

00:50:37.460 --> 00:50:39.240
 up a deliverer for his people in

00:50:39.240 --> 00:50:40.220
 Judges chapter 7.

00:50:40.780 --> 00:50:42.800
 And then he demanded that they repent of

00:50:42.800 --> 00:50:45.540
 their idolatry and turn back to him.

00:50:46.060 --> 00:50:48.260
 And if they were to do that, they would

00:50:48.260 --> 00:50:49.780
 receive the blessing of his covenant.

00:50:49.780 --> 00:50:54.019
 Well, it all ultimately points us to Jesus.

00:50:56.160 --> 00:50:58.780
 God has displayed his steadfast love for

00:50:58.780 --> 00:51:01.560
 us in the person and work of Christ.

00:51:02.560 --> 00:51:06.019
 And he demands that we repent of our

00:51:06.019 --> 00:51:09.540
 idolatry and that we turn to him through

00:51:09.540 --> 00:51:11.280
 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:15.320
 And anyone who does that will receive the

00:51:15.320 --> 00:51:16.620
 blessings of his covenant.

00:51:17.620 --> 00:51:22.860
 Forgiveness, eternal life, reconciliation

00:51:22.860 --> 00:51:24.240
 with your creator.

00:51:27.180 --> 00:51:29.160
 And why wouldn't you want that?

00:51:30.280 --> 00:51:32.240
 The Savior's already been provided.

00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:39.440
 God says, believe and turn and the

00:51:39.440 --> 00:51:40.540
 blessings will be yours.

00:51:41.280 --> 00:51:43.019
 This story helps us understand that.

00:51:43.440 --> 00:51:45.060
 If not for any other reason, by just

00:51:45.060 --> 00:51:46.380
 pointing us forward to it.

00:51:47.620 --> 00:51:48.320
 Let's pray.

00:51:53.820 --> 00:51:56.100
 As I pray here and as your heads are bowed

00:51:56.100 --> 00:51:56.780
 where you are.

00:52:03.860 --> 00:52:05.840
 Acknowledge that at this point in our

00:52:05.840 --> 00:52:08.700
 service, Sunday by Sunday, I don't do a

00:52:08.699 --> 00:52:11.799
 great job of calling us to respond.

00:52:13.939 --> 00:52:15.899
 But a response to the word of God is

00:52:15.899 --> 00:52:17.639
 necessary anytime we come to it.

00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:22.579
 We don't respond to God if he has spoken.

00:52:24.039 --> 00:52:27.480
 We respond to God because he has spoken

00:52:27.480 --> 00:52:28.939
 in his word.

00:52:28.940 --> 00:52:35.980
 And whether it be through confession of sin or the

00:52:35.980 --> 00:52:41.119
 consecration of your life in a renewed sense of faith and

00:52:41.119 --> 00:52:45.619
 commitment of serving the Lord faithfully or maybe it's praise or

00:52:45.619 --> 00:52:47.380
 whatever it may be.

00:52:47.880 --> 00:52:51.940
 Faithfulness in this moment for each one of us is to properly

00:52:51.940 --> 00:52:53.800
 respond to God's word.

00:52:53.800 --> 00:53:01.000
 So as I pray, I want to encourage you not to waste the moment that

00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:06.240
 there in your seat respond to the Lord and to his word, to his

00:53:06.240 --> 00:53:08.200
 gospel, to his truth.

00:53:08.199 --> 00:53:11.159
 Let's pray together.

00:53:11.159 --> 00:53:11.199
 Let's pray together.