Taking Only What God Gives Us, Part 1

So because we are people called of God because we are people of faith God is going to lead us in ways that are very counterintuitive because he wants to ensure that-my he gets all the glory that was pastor Paul Sheppard and this is destined for victory hello and thanks for stopping by what God gives all of his children certain gifts and he wants us to use them to serve others some time to ask us to step outside your comfort zone to operate in an area of weakness. Consider strength so that when the victory comes, everyone will know that God deserves the glory. That's what the Lord did in the life of Gideon story continues today. Stay right here or visit Pastor Paul.net any time to listen to destined for victory on demand. You can also download and subscribe to the podcast of Pastor Paul.net Google podcast or whatever you get yours now is Pastor Paul. Today's message taking only what God gives us the Judges chapter 7, beginning with verse one early in the morning, Gideon and all his men camped at the spring of the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the heel of Mara the Lord said to Gideon, you have too many men for me to deliver Midian into your hands in order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her snout to the people who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead sold 22,000 men left, while 10,000 remained.

But the Lord said to Gideon, too many men take them down to the water and I will sift them for you. There.

If I say this one shall go with you, he shall go but if I say this one shall not go with you, he shall not go so Gideon took the men down to the water there.

The Lord told him separate those who lack the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneeled down to drink 300 men laughed with bare hands to their mouths all the rest got down on their knees to drink.

The Lord said to Gideon with the 300 that lacked I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go each to his own place will pause right there taking only what God gives us.

I need you to understand something about the God we serve God is not like man that he leads us in ways that are very counterintuitive to us and he has a reason for doing that. The God we serve is a jealous God, he will share his glory with body or anything else.

And so because we are people called of God because we are people of faith. We also learned that our God is going to lead us in ways that are very counterintuitive because he wants to ensure that through your life and mine. He gets all the glory. The reason you are saved is because God wants to get out of your life before he takes you to heaven to spend eternity in his presence as usual on earth to bring a lot of glory to him.

The only way you and I will bring him glory is we learn to fly with him and move with him even though his movements tend to make us very uncomfortable and this text is a case in point. Now look at what's going on. As we noted in earlier messages. There's an alliance that has been formed against Israel.

Only the Midianites but other Eastern peoples have gathered and created the holy alliance in the context of this passage we end up learning that the numbers of men are well over 130,000 more than hundred and 30,000 of the enemies who have gathered against Gideon and Israel. So get that in your mind in excess of 130,000 are gathered in that valley when they look down and see them in some tests of people and chariots and warriors. You can see, not blame but them more than 130,000 of them, but we saw in the last message came upon Gideon and he blew the trumpet summoning God's people of Israel to respond to this call to arms 32,000 men respond out and had to have a mixture of emotions I can well imagine, on the one hand, the affirmation the assurance that comes when people are responsive to our call. How it feels when you call for fold. I need some help, whether you put out some group email or whatever and you express a meal whether what you get on the phone and talk to you put the word around your church, whatever you say is what I mean. Can you help me when you response. We are wired where we just love to be responded to.

We also get deeply disappointed when we responded to. That's why in this world with so many emails, many of us trying right now to get in a position where I can be more responsive through the staff and what have you. I'm trying to respond there so many folks who are speaking via email and what have you trying to be responsive because I know how important it isn't some time to get together. If you try to get my attention respond to working on it. What you know people have to be responded to.

It gives you a sense of dignity and at least tell me some. Even if you can help me call me and say I wish I could help you black you, but how it feels when you don't hear anything you put out this massive call and these jokers respond to can feel pretty bad. We like to be responded to. Imagine it is in the man who's an ROTC man who has any leadership training at all. This is first time going to trumpet summoning people never been a general entrainment having been assigned to help with everything and now God is making a warrior out of him and he's having to follow the lead of the spirit of the Lord of the trumpet, and 32,000 respondents got a feel good, that's great, because when you put out your recall whatever it is you trying to be respond to what you don't get that can be a real strange feeling to you know I'm the first service of this charge. We called the talent is that we need so service because we have announced on the Internet that we don't have a church body to just put out into the world. We don't have a chance and what will you say and hope somebody comes to the first harvest, and we thought well we might want to set it up where we have time for two services. Service you don't know till you know when you finally get response when people are our let you know I'm here which it imagine is all the houses were gathering and what have you brothers showing up was not what you may but on the other hand is practical enough to say okay to draw counties up yet how many we got 32,000, how many is down in the valley now know it would look like is Lisa hundred thousand miles morning at all is more now about one 2130 send the patient and the good feeling to be responded to gets neutralized by reality that although we have 32,000. There are well over 100,000 down there so we are outmanned several times over.

You'll feel great about that and then look at what happens that morning that is spoken of here in Judges 7 that morning there in camp. They are positioned to begin to stress the size okay what is God wants to do to defeat this enemy and before God gives them a strategy he gives them a directive that had to hurt Gideon's very coming up next.

The rest of today's message taking only what God gives us with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California pastor Paul.net is the place to go to hear any recent testing for Victor message on demand.

That's pastor Paul.net while you're there, be sure to visit her online store for some great resources, including books and MP3 messages from Pastor Paul. You can also watch the selected video clips by subscribing to pastor Paul on YouTube for more details and links to all of the social media sites. Be sure to visit pastor Paul.net. Sometimes God will give you a little more resources, more talent, more people to encourage you, but every now and then you give you a little less pastor Paul with rest of today's message taking only what God gives us God said Gideon you have too many people for me to do what I'm planning to do only when we assess a thing you hear somebody say we can't do it with this number of folks know what that means is the application is we need all but when God said I could. What does many folks what he was less you do when you have done your best to gather your resources to face a challenge. They are still not enough. So you think to deal with the challenge, but when God shows up and says, well actually I can do it with this new thing old hoodie will give me more and he says you have too much for me to do what I'm doing what you do when you go to God and say you know I'm grateful that you give me a job. So many people are unemployed, and I'm glad that I'm working.

But this does job really is and pay me enough to get done in my life what I want to do what I need you to give me a better paying job.

I need you to give me additional streams of income and goddesses will actually you about to get a pink slip this week. Gideon tore like this it does is right. You think you can do it because you don't have enough, you can't do it because you have too much Gideon had to be a distraught brother got are you serious God suggests. So what I want to do is called air there on my Gilead.

I want you to stay somewhere where I can hear you will pass the word and tell them that say anyone who troubles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.

That's the instruction call and let folks know Gideon that God said if you're really scared. If you really don't want to do this is okay.

I'm giving out bold discharges. This is just… I am no, not what he said this is not a kink in the past. This is not to shaming them. This is some right which you can use you know God is saying if you read is all right you go home, discharge the watch 22,000 people say in response to that is a guy this will God save you scared you really will do is go it always go to the said doses. Let me translate people said okay, I'm leaving.

Peace be unto you. Here's what I need you to see God is teaching Gideon what he's trying to teach some of us right now that before he walks. The goalie is ordained to work in and through your life. He is going to force do some stripping away some downsizing so mean some subtraction, some reduction and some elimination before God works in your life that he is ordained instead of you saying, you are going to see more goal before you actually some of you he is going to strip away what you're currently depending upon before. Similarly, he is going to say you some mouse to some of your AR 42 Lee. Now I want you to walk with me through this because God is saying to some of us right now we have got to be okay with the subtraction that he has ordained.

It's not comfortable when you don't even feel like you have enough as it is. And God says so what you're holding onto is nothing I can use so you gotta let it go.

God says it's time for you to give out some honorable discharges. Some of also holding onto people jolting them into staying in our lives. You how you know I can always count on you and you owe me, you know, I've always been there for you and some of us aren't recounting to the fulcrum and in them of how loyal we bid and how good we treated you well and all the implication is you all me, but the Lord has given me this word to give to you to let you know it is time for you to bless people as they leave because the leaving is ordained of God.

Now it's not comfortable to do. I promise you it's not comfortable to do when there are people you've gotten used to people you've gotten comfortable with and suddenly God is saying let him go.

Not comfortable, but it's necessary for God to get the glory. He wants to get out of our lives. So here's what you do.

Some of us have to look and realize there are people who are already showing us that their hearts are not there anymore.

It's already there is been responsive like they used to be not enthusiastic about you like they used to be. They just are in a different place. You see it on their face. You see it in there.

You used to get on the second morning you called them and they were picking up talking to you.

Now you go to voicemail used to be responsive on the wood to the taxes and the emails and all that and you'll know you will get a response. Some folk used to see image above greeted each other and like Mary and Elizabeth and you and and something inside of you wonderful fellowship and now you Adam and they look at you but it's not the same.

If you force a hug us all it is is God is saying. I have ordered to leave your stop trying to hold you and take you go get the 22,000 go with an honorable discharge to go much in the first place. I really a whole lot is not what God said.

He said just let him go because his was the respondent told the call was there and they just like I really need responding to the days where men only responded to call the sisters and I don't can be met. So this was the mentally and some of those brothers was, but they went anyway, the boys will go and look like a pop, so I'm going some perhaps their wives put them on all the rest of you brother go out there while you sit watching sports, and also about what happened more than two thirds of the original respondents. Their hearts weren't there they were skating and God looked at him said I can't work with his until it was all right and go home. Jim and I will discharge them go home until their wives. God see you come home in the hands of God.

A little is always more than enough.

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