The Hornet’s Nest – Part 1 (Part B)

Is a giddy I can't believe you asked this question.

Just look forward to love those words of Paul, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those things which are heavy since I pressed towards the mark prize. The high calling of God and that calling is high is high that it comes from God's high. That is, you can't get it but it's the pursuit of righteousness that makes us threatened to help otherwise. Again, what would get done.

This is what now, Yahweh has forsaken us wrong. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher.

Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now open your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 6 let's join Pastor Rick for part two of this message. The hornets nest there casing armies battalions regiments divisions is what they needed to drive out these awards. He does not come this profit to rally the troops at lease visibly spiritually that is in motion as God is not interested in just one nation fighting another nation because that's what nations do.

He wants his people centered on him and he's not promising a speedy delivery is not comforting their poor little hearts either is rebuking them brings this message of mercy through obedience, no bomb, no appointment to sue them just conviction and about 85 English words. That's his sermon. I'm sure many are Christians. As we was all sermons which is 85 Hz well to answer that you look at the churches that do have their 85 word sermons and you see how they are and I don't think you could stand before a holy and righteous God, and applaud such a thing. Just give me a just a little pinch of God's word. That's all I want just a pinch of God's word. Don't give me a gallon or a 50 gallons drum of it. As Peter said Lord just pour it on me. That's the attitude God wants in verse 10. Also, I said to you I am Yahweh your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but you've not obeyed my voice, there it is. Is this how you treat me, what have I done. Do you remember that was not Micah's message of the be what you deserve this kind of a treatment that gets me what makes people bite the hand that feeds them. Stupidity. That's what does it, it starts out with spiritual stupidity and then it just becomes stupid ingrates tone it down a little bit satellite on the ones I've got all my stuff together all the time.

I do sometimes. I hope you do do.

Sometimes we we can get it together is nothing would work spiritual blindness plays a mean role in the life of people and it starts out as soon as they're able to form thoughts thoughts little top little babies and they grow up to be. These adults they believe some lie and they like it.

May we be very careful about that question is obvious and what do if I have something against somebody. Is it valid in my handling it the right way where my self-righteous and smog and and and just loving to hate them. I hope not. So God says is not of obeyed my voice, and he has done nothing to deserve this fact. The fake gods are treating the people worse except according to the criminality.

So what they suffered was his judgment and his judgment was not his first choice is not God's perfect will that he judge the people he had sent this messenger to say I delivered you from bondage. Why am I having to deal with you like this, but they have not obeyed, blunt, plain, simple message. To this day. It is preached by the righteous. Just like that obey again in less than 85 English words obey. Maybe 85 exactly my voice. That is, of course, the voice of the Lord they had to see their sin before they could enjoy his salvation that alternate this profit is a forerunner of giddy and they don't know Gideon's coming in all God's going to do what the prophet showing up as nameless profit is is big help the turning point. Verse 11. Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat on the terebinth tree which was an offer which belong to Joash the Rabbi is right, while his son Gideon trashed wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites got a good picture the angel of the Lord. That's the good picture. This is Jesus Christ. This is a Kristof and it's an appearance of of God in human form in the Old Testament, and maybe at some point to judges we can lay it out why we are sure of that. We believe it but this Gideon is now on the scene and more more words are given about Gideon than any of the other judges in the book of Judges about 100 versus where is Samson gets about 9695 versus he is Gideon, a man who met God in the Bible. AW torture has a book, men who met God I don't recall if Gideon is one of them is there more than the enclosure laid out it was not his goal to exhaust the list, but here's a man who met God, and then he will eventually stop fearing men by the time we get to the end Gideon.

He is a fool, grown warrior and again I get tired of reading commentators who gang up on him and he such a coward. He is careful he is wise with us will see some of that moment.

Verse 12 will go back to verse 11. Again, the angel of the Lord again that is Christ, and he comes, he sits on the tree could sit what what kind of entrances that why doesn't he just walk up to Gideon's a Gideon I'm here for.

He's just gonna you know he goes and sits out of the tree and the end of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor I did. I love you shouted across told maybe getting is not that far you go to the tree because he's hiding he supposed to be pressing weed on the thrashing field which would be elevated with a breeze can come through both the husk off the grain and the animals could trample it to shake up the break the husk off of the brain and then they would make noise those animals that would draw attention. Plus you being in a higher elevation and the Midianites was is over there addressing the weakest wafer in the do all the work and we go steal it. So he's hiding NEC got Shane doing this, the winepress is were not elevated and they were original and shady places in the communal shading in the sense of the trees were around them and here is verse 12. In the angel of Yahweh. Him and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty men of valor, you could see you in the flesh would say he's lying.

Gideon is not a mighty metabolically certain.

Gideon knows this so it is a lie of course not. God is looking beyond the man in this present status with Simon Peter Christ looked at Peter as I see beyond you and your sin I see you're going to be. I see your capabilities. The capacity to all the Holy Spirit I see what you are becoming because of your involvement with me, God still does it the same way identical to this day he looks at us. He sees beyond the junk and if he didn't. Nobody would would would be called to be called a lot of things but you would be called of the Lord and effective this was the case with Darren with Paul, Rahab and God saw Rahab he knew she was all it is save your soul. Nonetheless, he saved you and he saved me he knew he was getting he was dying for sinners dying for people that do not belong in heaven and that state a change at all, so that we can get in. He opened the door, but you still got to have the blood. Verse 13 Gideon said to him, all my Lord. If Yahweh is with us.

Why, then, has all this happened to us and where are all his mercies, which our fathers told us about things. Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt, but now Yahweh has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Gideon said to him, oh my Lord if the Lord is with us, why one of the you know great words of any language. Why God is notorious for sidestepping the questions to to involve presently know what is really involved, which you need to get enough of it to understand the Gideon. It looked as though God no longer cared for his people. He cared for her father's.

He did miracles for them. With this care for us. Of course the answer is found in verse one for the Bible student. But Gideon didn't have Judges chapter 6 verse one we go back to verse one then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh. So the so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years. That's your answer, Gideon.

You people are in sin. Gideon belong to the remnant that was not part of the idolaters, but he's bombed by this whole thing is life is a mess.

He's ashamed of himself. He hiding the fear of the what if they find me. I said that the deal with this years later with the people. Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save more his ear heavy, that it cannot hear any of the do your sense of separated you what he wasn't talking about the act of sin. He was talking about the immersion in sin that God was, you know you and you are immersed in sin. That's was all over you your your your covered by that not God. The sinners covered by God. That's why we love those verses that tell us you know that there is no temptation of is overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which are able to bear, but with the temptation will make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it because I could not bear my sin if I didn't know he would forgive me.

There's no way I could bear temptation.

If I say all I'm tempted on Don is no forgiveness for me now goddesses admit a way of escape, the Jews in Isaiah's day, they were interested in God. They were into idolatry. Not all of them but the one that he was preaching that word to we have to point that out because you can read Isaiah 59 verses one and doing come away feeling. All I led me got my sense of separated me from God is why Jesus says Paul to the Ephesians.

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses most of us John.

I want one from Ephesians that I can recall it all just pass for now. Either way, if I'm such a man of valor.

Why am I hiding why am I so defeated Christians asked us all the time we get hurt locker. Why in God is notorious for not answering the question just life marches on. You know that something is his truth is marching on it just the cards they grind the grist camping. They just keep rolling no matter what's happening outside the mill is working. God is doing what he is doing and it is up to us to wait and to work while we're waiting on our faith and where all his miracles which our fathers told us about.

St. did not Yahweh bring us up out from Egypt. Of course God is going to counter this with what was my obedience know the child that gets upset at the parent for the parent being the parent to be the parent the child is you give me whatever I want to vinyl like in my protest.

You have to bow down to me and we laugh at that and you kind of just get sick of it to what that's what people do with God the right to let me go through this. So God works pass Gideon's one-sided understanding. He just works past it doesn't rebuke him to suggest Gideon your dumb. He doesn't do that is a Gideon. I can't believe you asked this question, you are why you couldn't do that.

He just looks forward to love those words of Paul, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those things which are ahead, he says, I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God and that calling is high is high that it comes from God is high that if you can't get it but it's the pursuit of righteousness that makes us a threat to hell. Otherwise, again, what would get done. This is what now, Yahweh has forsaken us you're wrong and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites and the consequence of disobedience is that said so. So here's a guy who's theology is all backwards in God's calling them into ministry for him. Is he going to fix Gideon will look back at that day and I need someone tells us the story does not describe sitting there and then what happened.

He preserves the story for us and I don't like how again commentators is trash and by the time we get to the end will cover that we get there, but for now he is a hero of the Bible shows up and then the Hebrews Chapter 11 is one of the great characters of faith. Verse 14 and the Lord turned and said go and this might've yours. You shall save Israel from the hand of the Midian Midianites, not since you so he answers Gideon's question in an unexpected way with a call to action is just conscious going. The strength yes he had a fire in your belly do something with that you been thinking about this Avenue, Gideon see the key key is verse 12. Judges 6 and Yahweh, the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, Yahweh is with you.

That's the key.

The problem the pronouncing him as a man of valor that is the key mean he is means he's already taken all of this under consideration and is going forward. Nonetheless, he does it with us all the time.

Everybody that serves in the church does not deserve to serve that's me included. None of us deserve this.

It is not our right to serve it until God makes it our right and he does that by just calling us to say I want you to do this I want you to do that I'll be with you, but I'm so miserable I know. So does everybody ask all right back to this verse. I love when he says so the Lord turned to him and said this is you no good again Gideon telling the story. Is this the sort of is, you know they're conversing with each other. It's like you know what the Lord is pacing a little bit of something. He turns him and he says and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites have and I sent you that is a direct order is the AAA guy get a Gideon goal. That's what it comes down to. I want to be the kind of Christian that when God says you just sit right there until I call because he will call for 60 verse 15 so he said to him, all Lord how can I save Israel. Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least of my father's house now. Is he trying to weasel out of this. Was he just telling the crowd. These are telling the truth.

I would not want someone to send me an assignment that I did was I felt unqualified for I know what happens when people try to do dangerous work and for not ready they get themselves and others hurt. At least they break up equipment.

This farmer was no warrior what he knew about Valerie's hiding in the line press. Every Christian should love a Gideon in their own heart and this rights full sense not destroy just ended up the heart of the Lord said you know what, on second thought, you're right, you know, man of valor, nevermind I could somebody else that would've been a tragedy. Gideon did not have a blind baseless unqualified pride with all emotional. Yes, yes you want to do a fair that will get smacked out of you if you go to serve with integrity and you will still serve effectively with you just may not be as outwardly excited, you learn to say you know what I'm construct this excitement when I get to heaven and you know Mary hit all these things in her heart. What does that mean we live the life to find out what that means to store things in your heart you don't say anything but I see something happening here Moses and Jeremiah were there were others. They had reservations about entering ministry is I love the quote Moses go find someone else. That's what he told God again. Can you not love that honesty what did he know about serving God when he knew he tried he tried it his way. Couldn't even bury a man in the wilderness were getting in the desert without getting caught. Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh.

That's a standard answer that's understandable that people look for this hike, right where your credentials Gideon. What university did you go to with your sheepskin have any fact I flunked out. All I can do is no heartedness to trash this week without the animals I'm doing it here is like a musica both saw the log and that of a chainsaw.

David was considered the least in his father's house and look what happened. David, I don't know how Amanda God cannot love David, I just he's just too real is not in some ivory tower somewhere, writing poetry, nothing wrong with what he did write poetry actually Psalms out music just bold. We lost the beat and God in his wisdom knew that had to happen because I don't like that song sheet for how we are displayed 10 songs like one and I have maybe at the stroke of genius.

I just reading Psalms this morning and my devotion time is just saying that not one with the beat to this was, I probably wouldn't like but it's so much richer with just the words makes me think anyhow.

Am I says in verse 15. At the bottom and I am the least of my father's house I might mean he's the youngest or and or I'm an outcast because my dad worships how and I don't everybody else will running out the bow, but I don't so I'm the proverbial you know redheaded stepchild is used to be said industry that I worked when you feel that you pink getting the short end of the stick. It's very picturesque. Verse 16 and Yahweh said to him, surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man oh man you met in God telling you that what they will anyway. The key, the Lord said to him, that's the key and goes along verse 12 as the numbers don't count to God they do to us in the supposed account to us and if we stop counting the numbers we get in trouble. We leave that to God we we we have to.

Jesus gave the parable you need to count the cost of just caressing often the things you got a good idea to think it through the sons of this world.

They think it through. I think about you Christians in certain places.

It just missions, for example, you look at how much the struggle he can help us is gotta be a better way to this going off. I just have my thoughts today thinking about you.

I would like to help somebody we think missions I think we could have some military tactics that proven effective. The Lord would bless it be a little bit better than just rushing in the some things anyway is a lot of missions it doesn't work is flat out some do, some do not. Verse 17 I noticed from you, the thought of 20 or 30 people hitting the floor in shock because we want things to work just that doesn't mean they will work life. This too loaded with reality. That's where you want to escape.

That's what we like entertainment. In fact, what's his stance. Verse 17 and he said to him, if you now if now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk to me.

I love this man is not even the Bible is likely to have the feel the just shall live by faith.

You know the Jews across assignment, no sign shall be given example that is just working. He's heard the stories that God delivers his people. He doesn't see the deliverance. Now he's being called to fight the Midianites you show me love them or Matt was he supposed to say okay so be careful that we do not rush into something and find ourselves caught in disasters, unqualified souls, giving a bad testimony that happens often. Moses did not ask for a sign he got them. I can't do that and he no got to put you hand in your robe. He pulls out as leverage to put your rot on the ground and turned to her. You know God was the norm working with this people.

Second Corinthians, Paul says not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God that does not mean that if you are mindful of your insufficiency that got us going for the matter. Bless you as you have fulfilled the awareness of insufficiency work that way you can be mindful that your insufficient and just be in sufficient move.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

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