Typical God Victory (Part C)

If you not serving. Is it because you're not available for don't have the ability you have to think through that all of us to another lesson as God doesn't need large numbers to accomplish his purpose. It is a mistake to think the church needs to be what they now call a mega church. I used to think because I've seen a mega church work well. I used to think that was the model. The ideal 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, and now here's Pastor Rick with his study called typical God victory in Judges chapter 7 now God uses believers to prophesy. Unbeknownst to them once he actually spoke to a donkey so that kinda sets the bar pretty high for me that's like the lesson to get to the point and then come and fill it in.

When God cannot rule he decides at times to overrule and that's what we see here and that's what we see when Abimelech had a vision from God. He was an unbeliever. When Joseph's fellow prisoners had their dreams that Joseph interpreted when the Faro had his dream that Joseph interpreted God could given the dreams to Joseph to tell them, but he did not. Joseph interpreted them the witch of Endor inset and Saul's day. Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that Daniel interpreted in the New Testament. Caiaphas prophesied being the high priest is expedient for someone to die for the never one to die for the nation. There was the wife of Pilate had nothing to do it this man. I've had a dream of vision about him so yeah God we overrule whatever he wants to overrule not only gives the unbelievers. The dream begins.

The other one. The interpretation on the spot. Sometimes Daniel had to walk a hobby back.

I get this I pray about this one. I love the Lord, how he does these things when I'm reading it in someone else's. I'm not too happy when it's because I don't know was going to happen. Then I don't know how I'm going to do, but I'm afraid of failing on I got to do much if that's all of God's okay to be afraid to fail is not okay.

Just leave it like that and so you know once God is a lying prophet. You know from first Kings chapter 13 where the man of God is told you, you go preach my word and you come back away this way and don't you stay with anybody a stop to eat anything that was coming back and the other profiteers. He's in town who was bypassed. Incidentally, God had to find a different profit so the lying prophet was bypassed.

He approaches the solid profit and he's not all God gave me a vision is line company and he's eating and the Wally CD cries out the lying prophet cries out with the true probably all going to die. You should not have been here and of course the lion kills him. The true prophet and you shake your head and you say let me not try to put God in a box. Let me operate within the confines that he has surrounded me with through his word. Hopefully that will keep me courageous and not so self-righteous and judgmental. I mean there are times we have to judge a person who's impenitent is judged by their actions we just ratified well. These events God using these false love these unbelievers and backslidden profit does not exonerate them or condone their lifestyle. There still guilty. It just means God can overrule when he is good and ready witch and Endor. Again, one of the great ones were God, just as Yama break this party up and she is see that coming show love that. Anyway, if he if he is not permitted.

Rule in the heart take control when he needs Gideon as he's going through this whole thing is he hears this he now feels, of course, strong God is with him reason why he had to be there in the first place is because he factored God out. He limited God and that fact was factoring him out. We do it. I do it and I wouldn't believe anybody says he never did.

It was a never try to do anything for the Lord you do anything the Lord you going to come into contact with opposition asked the Lord and God in the garden of Gethsemane. Did he face that wouldn't the Lord say he said my soul is troubled before he got to the garden, but unless a grain of wheat dies fall to the ground and dies, it brings with no fruit.

Verse 15 so was when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation that he worship he returned to the camp of Israel and said, arise where Yahweh has delivered the Midian into your hand man.

How can you not love this soon as he realizes this is the Lord taking away my army leaving me with 300 other ways up to, but I'm going with it.

I got it. He catches he worships without part with no hesitation.

This is the Lord of the worships guys like holding up. Thank you whisper because of the century is nearly done, but he worship the Lord and his servant boy is there with him. I guess was Gideon's writings book writing the story tells for him to put you in pursuing story. So again once he had confirmation. He acted worship before war. One of the lessons I can you miss that right. Once you did what you started analyzing me and make it cellular. You can see I sort of thing that what I am saying.

One of the lessons is where this worship we can go forward with war successful workers and warriors first are sincere and solid worshipers now know, if you say what I've seen people who weren't solid and God use them. Yes he uses in's right of them don't you be that one with would you like to be that one would you like to be the one that God used, even though he was going to go upside your head. Later, as he really could use you know when Paul said there were some that preach Christ for selfish gain, but Christ is being preach nonetheless. Would you like to be that one doing selfish preaching. I don't think so. That would be pretty bad for 16th. Then he divided the 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet into every man's hand with empty pictures and tortures inside the pictures. This is so much here that I can look forward to getting to when they actually do this stuff anyway, divided in three groups and three companies of this such a tactic that Abraham used against Kendall Omar of Confederation came down from Mesopotamia and captured lot.

Abraham had his forces. He divided them in three salted Davis Gilead and David did it against Absalom and here we see, of course, war tactic what they divided 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with empty pictures and tortures inside the pictures for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ. As I translate into New Testament and Old Testament is to deliver the people from the enemies invading the land in the New Testament is the preach the gospel and sees analysis of the season but you gotta be equipped for the work of ministry as serving others. Incidentally, in some form for the making strong the church, the body of Christ, whether it is the local assembly of the universal assembly is both this was going to be a noisy night with these broken pots and loud horns just what men like a lot of drama baffles out of big make it louder as the boys night out here but anyhow he gave them each man a trumpet to blow a jar to break the torch to burn sword to swing. I miss look this is the kind of stuff that pastors want to preach on. Problem is writing it down well enough. You gotta have the spirit lead you to do it, but this message is is that we have through the shofar message to blast in the earthenware that clay pot of vessel to be spent light to shine in the sword to swing New Testament versus Jesus said whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light and what you hear in the ear preach on the housetops blow without the shofar let it out when he says in that section. Matthew 1027 what I tell you in the dark.

We are in the dark until Jesus tells us something to get us out of the dark. That's how it works before Christ.

We know nothing about Christ. We know nothing about the gospel is the one that tells us through his Holy Spirit, albeit in the word and those he's given to the church into the body of Christ fellow disciples. These are the processes we get light.

This vessel was clay pot where the clay pot. Second Corinthians 47 we have this treasure in earthen vessels of the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us with the very thing we started off with God saying you can't get credit for this victory your armies to bed. We are the earthen vessels. The power is through God. How does God get the power out of a seat breaks us. He spends us, uses us he takes us into war with him and has this been said tomorrow parts are broken before him, the more his power is released through us.

Matthew 516 let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven, so I let my light shine is to bring glory to my father in heaven, not to me and that's my torch.

My mind I flaming torch.

Incidentally, these torches are going to be concealed for just a little bit until the command is given is that how the gospel shared you.

You don't just cast pearls before swine. You wait till the Lord says get them boys turns the gospel then is Ephesians 617 and take the helmet of salvation, because without that there's nothing else. Then he says the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God explicitly said so exited pulses. This is my weapon. There are many like it but this one is mine and God does the rest, as he did with Gideon but does more is one of the story.

Verse 17 and he said to them, look at me and do likewise watch and when I come to the edge of the camp.

You should do as I do say is typical leader is saying men this is I wanted done this a layout is method.

I wrestled with this was go forward. Verse 18 when I blow the trumpet I and all who with me then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp and say the sword of the Lord and Gideon the story of Yahweh in Gideon. Really, it's at this point is for the Lord what is happening here.

Gideon heard the interpretation of the dream by the enemy soldier and the enemy soldier said this is the sword of Gideon and Gideon's goal lock onto this and he's going as that's going to be their battle cry, the sword of the Lord and Gideon. He's got a just good, it's deed locks onto these little nicknames and phrases that's I like it. Verse $19 more.

So Gideon and the hundred men. Remember, he divided his 300 men into three groups and the says so Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch just as they had posted the watch and they blew the trumpets and broke the pictures that were in their hands. Well it's about 10 PM so it's dark out when his company arrives 100 to the front hundred on the side a hunter, an aside, forming you around the camp, leaving only an exit out to the north and the centuries had just changed so the not even settled into their post. Yet when the mayhem breaks out perfect timing, but this is what I struggle with is kind of awkward how you do this how you march with a torch with a clay pot over it doesn't go out, blow the horn.

What is up with you doing with this is like a fish riding a bicycle. This is some stuff doesn't work well last time I went to that. I just left it alone this time is Lord, you gotta show me how this is. I put the pictures on unit C Vegas and maybe an artist figure that out.

Nothing. So here's what I have so they're not too far from the battlefield, and it got the torches and they have large clay pots on the put it over the. The torch, but the tilted so the oxygen can get in there and it doesn't snuff and I can feel the flame. I haven't tried this at all, but as his mind that this is that's right because I'm saying that if you can do it as a project we love know our turns out so you put the pot over the torch but you don't hold straight up because I put it out.

You can tilt a little bit, but it's got his big so the space for the air to get in. He specifies in verse 20 it says in their right hands looked out of verse 20 replica come back often to my explanation. Then there were three companies then three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pictures they help the torches and their left hands in the trumpets in their right hands were blowing and they cried the sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.

Now there it is. The sword is in the right hand so that coming up there marching the got the shofar strapped over them and they have their sword on their left side there holding in the left hand the torch with the pot over at the command of Gideon. He blows his show foxes has to happen and you know and synchronize you have time to fumble around so the right hand is free.

They take on shofar. They blow it there holding the torch with the partner left hand. Then after they blow the shofar.

They simply grab the clay pot off the porch by pulling the torch back and smashing into the ground pot to make the noise now.

I got the torch and Marianne and their right hand is free to draw this sword wall settled you have any commentaries I had to go through to find out they had no idea what was happening to. I look like I'm patting myself on the back. Yes, this is the voice of satisfaction did the Lord. To me, of course, we have to do that because it's right but I have a little weasel and me to fire swords and a leader.

That's what it took. Maybe you can disprove my theory or my view and I would appreciate if you kept to yourself. Verse 20 we just read where Gideon picks up the words of the Midianite century, again, to be read bottom of verse 20 the sort of Yahweh and of Gideon. This is nothing more than the sort of Gideon any guide. Love that. He said that's my battle cry. That's exactly what I'm going to hit him with his listening and verse 21, and every man stood in this place all around the camp and the whole Army ran and cried, cried out and fled. So is three divisions have given the illusion that this is a massive force with this noise in torches and everybody sleeping in and are ready for this and his panic sweeps over the camp of the Midianites.

I mean it's hundred thousand B over 100,000 people do is contagious is a domino effect are all panicking. The commanders are not putting their troops in formation and former net forming a perimeter fight whatever is coming is not with it. It's every man for himself. It's so dark out they can't see who's so for the structuring sores on each other.

Verse 22 when the 300 blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp in the Army fled to Beth Acacia toward zero as far as the border of a bill methyl law by have us you can find those places.

If you rent a bicycle in Israel and get an award because no one else found anyway the sprawling over this giant now the just trying to get home however many miles it's going to take them and the Midianites are accidentally killing one another in the panic in the confusion, the chaos verse 23 and the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh and pursued the Midianites will now sons coming up words getting getting out of messengers are probably being dispatched. These who were now dismissed are being recalled to the battlefield you would say I would say why didn't God just leave them in the camp while the genius of it is probably that these people were spread out. Now Nesta coming onto the into the theater of battle.

There, coming right up with a need to be to intercept the fleeing army because God is saying these people need to be killed so they don't come back next year. That's the deliverance. When people aren't fit to live. God execute judgment like this is the story of Noah's flood story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verse 24 then Gideon sent messages throughout the mountains of Ephraim. Now Ephraim is being called come down against the Midianites and sees from them. The watering place as far as Beth borrow in the Jordan and all the men of you from gathered together and sees the watering place as far as Beth borrow and the Jordan so Gideon says troops on the run going to be parched dehydrated cut off corporate.

That's where they going to go that's what were going to find them. He just this ingenious is wonderful. Zebulon is not mentioned but Ephraim is I don't know if that's just you know why that is very strategic of Gideon the cup to the water routes.

Verse 25. Then they captured the two princes of the Midianites or Evans Arab.

They killed or ebb at the rock of Horeb and Zia. They killed at the winepress of zip not very creative stuff they pursued Midian and brought the heads of all ribbons. The Arab Gideon on the other side of the Jordan, there is this in their mad cover my land like this now. Now we've we've got the upper hand in this chapter to Ephraim. The honor is given of capturing and slaying these two princes of the Midianites people. This was quite a decisive battle, so much so that it's find his way in the Psalms and Isaiah brings it up twice and have saved us hundreds of years later. So it's a remarkable victory for the people of the started out with the farmer hiding in the winepress, and he ends up a victorious general typical of God, to exalt the lowly. In time of need. One of the other lessons that comes out of this is when God wants to use somebody. It's not their ability. He's after is there availability and this is something that so many don't get if people that can do things that just will make themselves available. Granted, some cannot. But many times a person is available, but they won't make themselves felt they won't stop doing what the softballs are whatever, maybe somebody stunned and I'm not singling you out softballs better than soccer. So you have a better excuse. But anyway just so in just trying to make sure we understand only you can be the judge of this really God of course knows best. If you're not serving. Is it because you're not available or don't have the ability you have to think think through that all of us do. Another lesson is, God doesn't need large numbers to accomplish his purposes.

It is a mistake to think the church needs to be what they now call a mega church. I used to think because I've seen a mega church work well.

I used to think that was the model.

The ideal well that is if God blesses that church with that, but unfortunately there are a lot of mega churches that really are just mega disasters Texas Joe Alston, you know that's a mega church and is no gospel preached there and it's a tragedy.

So especially gifted leaders as God made them know of course not. He wants get leaders that are called and responded that: they can be gifted and if you're not, he will gift them with what they need to have in the leaders have to learn to be satisfied with a lot that they have been given as we learned in the book of Joshua and not walk around wondering why they do not have a bigger share. So if the leader is depending on all of the following is depending on education or skill or experience.

Those things have their place but they better be depending on God first and way up in front, not a close second. And so God abandons those who don't need him, and he looks for the one will handle the following is some of that was Sampson. Sampson got to a point where he thought he could play games with sacred things paid dearly for the 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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