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Just a Few Good Men
Judges 6-
Chapter 5 ends with these
words: "And the land had rest
forty years."
Chapter 6 begins:
"And the children of
The cycle continues for
God's chosen nation. It's the
same old story.
Rebellion -
Retribution - Repentance - Restoration
Rebellion led to
retribution, repentance would lead to restoration.
When
God used the wicked
Midianites to judge His people.
V. 5 says they were like grasshoppers in number.
Imagine a field full of
grasshoppers jumping around.
What if you were told to count them.
There would be no way.
We should shake in our
boots when we see the parallels w/ global terrorism.
They are innumerable and jumping around and impossible to defeat.
Terrorism isn't our
greatest threat, as great as it is.
And it's not N. Korea,
In the Bible God often
uses one wicked nation to judge another.
Our Christian founded
nation has come a long way. We
have freedom of religion but many are trying to twist that into freedom FROM
religion. And we need to
remember which religion we were founded upon.
George Washington: While just government protects all in their religious rights, true religion affords to government its surest support.
(Source: George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), Vol. XXX, p. 432 n., from his address to the Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in North America, October 9, 1789.)
Thomas Jefferson: "The reason that Christianity is the best friend of Government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart."
http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Christianity_is_the_best_friend_of_government
http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/jeffintr.html
Can you imagine seeing
such quotes in a public school textbook?
John Adams:
"The highest glory of the American
Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of
civil government with the principles of Christianity."
http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/forsakenroots.html
John Quincy Adams: "It is no slight testimonial, both to the merit and worth of Christianity, that in all ages since its promulgation the great mass of those who have risen to eminence by their profound wisdom and integrity have recognized and reverenced Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of the living God."
http://www.errantskeptics.org/Quotes_by_Presidents.htm
Benjamin Franklin: God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?"
There are many more
quotes, but suffice it to say that when Americans turn their backs on
Christianity they turn their backs on
In Judges 6 God's people
are so ravaged by the Midianites that they are hiding in dens and caves.
In v. 7 they cry out to God to for mercy and God gives them...
Gideon.
Here's 4 principles from the life of Gideon that can help us all:
You and I are in a battle
spiritually, it's a fight, not a frolic; a war, not a waltz; it's a warzone,
not some tiptoe thru the tulips.
God just needs a few good
men.
1.
The Principle of Encounter.
v. 11, 14
Gideon has a word from the Lord.
v. 22-24a
He was an ordinary man, not a prophet, preacher, priest, or a king.
He was radically changed by this encounter.
He used to be afraid.
How do we know? Because he
threshed wheat at the winepress.
The winepress was at the bottom of the hill so you could carry the
grapes downhill. The wheat
threshing took place at the top of the hill so the wind would drive away the
chaff. Gideon is hiding at the
bottom doing the work of the top.
He's hunkered in the bunker!
The end of v. 11 says he's hiding from the Midianites.
But fear turned to faith
after his encounter with the Lord.
His eyes turned from his enemies to the Lord.
We all must turn our eyes
from our foes to our Father! We
can live our lives looking at the terrorists or the political imbeciles in
"The man that fears God
can face any foe."
ill.--the 12 spies of
ill.--when most looked at
Goliath and said "He's too big to hit" David said, "He's too big to miss!"
"Turn your eyes upon
Jesus..."
2.
The Principle of Courage.
v. 12
"valour"
7:1-3
Gideon raised up an army of 32,000.
And God says, it's too many!
The Midianites were innumberable!
But God says no, I just need a few good men.
I'll get the glory when I do more with less!
God will share anything with us except His glory.
22,000 were afraid and
left. Now there's 10,000
remaining. God doesn't use the
fearful. He hasn't given us the
spirit of fear.
Proverbs 29:25
25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his
trust in the Lord shall be safe.
1 John 4:18
18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Soldiers of the cross have
courage and aren't afraid to take a stand.
366 times the Bible says
be not afraid, one for every day, even in leap year!
Some should be serving but
are afraid...
[teaching / witnessing /
driving a bus / tithing]
Some are afraid to trust God.
In the parable of the
talents the bad servant said he didn't invest his talent because "I was
afraid."
Fear and sin are linked.
In Eden Adam said he hid himself from God because he was afraid.
But if God be for us, who
can be against us?!
encounter, courage...
3.
The Principle of Wisdom.
Courage needs to be
balanced with wisdom.
7:4-7
Still too many? Gideon
has got to sweating it now!
The first purging was of
the fearful...this one is of the foolish.
There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity.
ill.--should we not lock
our doors because we trust the Lord?
God told the cowards to go
home, and now He tells the careless to leave as well.
It was just a little test, and they failed it.
4.
The Principle of Strength.
7:9-14
God told Gideon to lurk in the shadows of the enemy camp and see what
he can learn.
In this dream we see God
doing something extraordinary thru someone who is very ordinary.
It was not Gideon's strength, but God's thru him.
v. 15-21
What a powerful victory story!
300 vs. a multitude w/ no weapons.
A trumpet in one hand, a torch covered w/ a pitcher in the other
hand.
·
The trumpet
stands for boldness - its sound announced that we're here and not backing
down. It's time for Christians
in
·
The clay
pitcher stands for brokenness - God has placed His treasure in earthen
vessels but we must be broken before Him.
·
The torch
stands for brightness - "Let your light so shine before men that they may
see your good works..."
Now is the time for
Christians to get bold, broken, and bright...and we could take
It only takes a few good
people to do this and with God's help we can have victory as we hold high
the sword of the Lord!
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