The Underdog's Secret

What you have your Bibles this weekend.

I would invite you to take them out right now and open them to the book of Judges chapter 7 at all of our campuses. We are on our second week of this very fascinating and somewhat enigmatic and maybe inspiring figure known as Gideon in our series, broken saviors of the book of Judges measure turning their Americans love a good underdog story. I thought, I think it's because we see ourselves as the result of an underdog victory against Great Britain. But this week rifle I got on a flight from Atlanta. I tweeted out what's the greatest underdog story of all time.

When I landed and checked my phone again. I had about 3000 responses to that question.

There was of course the usual's Rudy the karate kid's Peabody will reference the greatest movie franchise of all time, the Rocky Balboa story, with the exception of Rocky five. No one ever really need to talk about that when there was of course the miracle US hockey team in the 1980 Olympics to beat the Soviet Union, six was about to college students how one person even said you marrying Veronica was the greatest underdog story about Timex how to Newbury without perhaps the most significant underdog story I lease for us around here would be the 1983 national championship by the cardiac wolf acting led by the late Jimmy Valvano.

If you are not from here.

This is an important piece of North on history that you need to know just appreciate the place where you are going to state 1983 went into the ACC tournament that your ranked number four in the ACC not number four in the nation number for the ACC. They won their free ACC tournament games by a margin of 11 points, not each game by 11 but a total of 11 points. That's all that they won by one game was decided in overtime.

One was decided by only one point.

That's where they got the name by the way, cardiac pack, because every single one of their games they want in the latitude to trail the whole game at the last minute the NCAA tournament. The very first game they went against the very lowly Pepperdine University. No offense if you're from Pepperdine but had to win that one in overtime not only not one of her time but sue over times and it barely squeaked out a win, cut two days later they beat the heavily favored UNLV by a single point scored in the very last minute against great odds. They made it all the way to the championship game where they faced Houston which were the heavy favorites that year to win the whole thing. Their nickname was five slam a JAMA on that team. There were two future NBA Hall of Famer's chemo Liza wine and Clyde Drexler that they had steamrolled. Absolutely everyone that season up to the final game winning by double digits. They were undefeated they were somewhat like Kentucky this year, which you know they say that the the the second five. The second string will be ranked in the AP top 10 will somehow NC state minister stick around during that game 44 seconds left. They got the ball they ended up in this 44 seconds running one of the worst place anyone ever seen a portion of the ugliest shot are probably ever recorded in NCAA history, but it missed not just by a little bit it misspelled like a foot and 1/2 and I got them. Lorenzo Charles caught it like it was a pass and dumped it as time expired, by the way just to underscore how much would upset. This was when the when they chose an MVP from the tournament that year.

They chose a player from Houston which never happens. You always choose one from the winning team. They choose one from Houston. Anyway, I'm not sure that story for two reasons. Number one I just want to give something you NC State fans out there is a rough here.

Number two, number two, I say that because you might be tempted to see the story that were to look at this weekend.

Gideon going up against the Midianites, you might be tempted to read that as an underdog story, but it is so far beyond an underdog story. It's not even funny.

This is not a lesser Army going up against a stronger army. This is the story of a powerless people going up against the mightiest force in the region. This would not be like wake forest taken on do this would be like a JV middle school team taken on Kentucky this year. Okay that's all you need to read this Judges chapter 6 is where we were last week. It was Saul that God had set the Midianites in the Israel to chasten them because of their disobedience, but when Israel cried out in pain. God had compassion on them, and he raised up a deliverer for them a deliver name Gideon will Gideon was not as I explained your typical you wrote when we first encountered Gideon he is cowering in fear and a whole but God turns them into Amana bravery by assuring him of his presence with him and that might've been the most important lesson we learned last week is that God does not call us because were Brady makes brave those he calls.

I told you the guy didn't call you because of something in you, he equips you after he calls you, you might be a person who is timid, you might not have that much courage, you're the very one God wants to use because God makes brave those that he calls what the end of chapter 6 God tells Gideon to go and mount a resistance against the massive marauding and Midianite militia and Gideon true form murders and so God has to reassure him to a couple of tests that we now call the police test the famously stressed God make the washcloth wet when the grounds rhyme in the ground. Brian, whatever you know it and get to do it twice is a Gideon finally gets the courage that God will give him the victory and that's where we begin in chapter 7, verse one. By the way, not hearing something.

There is something all of my voice. I'm a little sick. I will not be hanging out after the service. I would recommend renewing drinking hot tea, because I'm not feeling that well so 77 verse one Ventura Bell to remember number that's Gideon's nickname. It literally in Hebrew means bail tail over the Jara bell and all the people who were with him.

Rose early and encamp inside the spring of her road and the camp of Midian was just north of them first to the Lord said to Gideon, the people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites in their hand lest Israel boast over me saying my own hand has saved me. You ought really to marinate on that verse. It's one of my favorite Old Testament versus the people with you are too many because now they can victory there to say that they did this, you can learn so much about how God works in your life through that statement. Verse three now therefore proclaiming the years of the people saying whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead and 22,000 of Gideon's 32,000 person Army went home and only 10,000 remained. I got a wonder where your whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return. I wonder if Gideon tried to go where in that number is okay.

You know, because I'm not you get enough talk about other people.

Now you might actually make the argument that this may have been a smart move 10,000 brave soldiers, you might argue, are better than 32,000 when two thirds of them are wimps that would've made an underdog story for sure, but what you are going to see next makes absolutely no sense and it's what takes this so far beyond an underdog story. First, for the Lord then said to Gideon, the people are still too many to take him down to the water and everyone who labs the water with his tong as a dog laughs you shall set by himself. Likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink and the number of those who labs putting her hands with her mouth and laughing like a dog was 300 men because does that verse seven the Lord said to Gideon with those 300 men who lack that will save you and I will give the Midianites into your hand and let all the others go every man back to his home to what's the symbolism of keeping the ones who laugh like a dog does this prove that God loves dogs more than cats. First, that doesn't need proving it is inherently obvious in nature. Okay, but no, there is absolutely no symbolism at all.

And what happened is just a random test designed to get rid of 97% of the Army and it worked. I want you to think about this, because it's really important. God intentionally weekend, Gideon's army. There is so much for you to learn about how God works in your life. Through that there is number one when God wants to use us often will first week in arts when God wants to use us. A lot of times he will first weaken us, not God never delights in hurting us. But God wants us to trust him. He wants us to depend on him. According to him, that's the most important thing we can ever learn in life, so God will sometimes reduce the size of our Army so we have no choice but to trust him what he may not reduce the size of our Army. I mean, your health suddenly goes bad.

I you lose your job, or maybe take a reduction in pay. It might even be that your marriage goes through rocky times. I'm not saying that God is the one doing any of those things directly under saying that God's sovereign purpose in allowing them to happen might be teaching you to lean into him like you never have before. Or, here is another statement for you to marinate on give you this but I think it's so important I just saw to write it somewhere and think about it all the time. If dependence is the objective, then weakness becomes an advantage if dependence is the objective the objective the weaknesses can be an advantage. So how can weakness ever be an advantage if it makes you lean into Jesus or the real power is. That's when it becomes an advantage for some of you it was when your husband failed you that you learn that you could reline your heavenly father. It was when you got laid off that you learn that you could trust your heavenly supplier. It's when you were alone and lonely. That's when you learn that God would be the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Weakness can force you to lean in the God and there, and sometimes only there can you learn the four words that will absolutely transform your life.

God is always faithful. Sometimes we say you will never know the God is all you need until he's all you have. You might say that you might sing it with the rest of us, which will never know what here until he's all that you have and you say now I know God is always faithful and that he is all that I need. Here's of the apostle Paul would say it.

Therefore I said, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me brag about your weaknesses. Does that. Here's another place on subpar is not a place I have failed miserably. Here's another place you can't depend on me right also as I share the things I do it gladly. What I might do it out of duty because I know that I'm supposed to. Why would Paul just did his jollies off it Sharon about his weaknesses because it was there he was able to put on display Christ's power and not his own. He see if I sent of your brag on my strengths repulsive appear brag on his strengths. You might sit out there saying man I wish I were more like him. The hanger headset but I can't be.

But if I brag on my weaknesses and I tell you about what Christ's power has gone through them. The maybe you'll sit out there. You'll say wow I got access to what he has access to effective preaching of often told you is just one beggar told a bunch other beggars where they can find bread so maybe the best thing I can help you. Toward that end is to make you understand that I'm a beggar to say it's not that you need to be like merely to be like Paul and to be like Gideon. You just need to understand that role bunch of beggars were found bread and living water to place that is very accessible to you and it is faith in Jesus Christ only show it to you from another place. Peter first Peter 17 says that your faith that is your confidence in God's goodness and grace, your faith is more precious than gold in whatever battle you're in. What is the greatest asset that you have will certainly was in a battle to be mommy that's is no greatest asset you can have in any situation is your confidence in me and the battle to provide for yourself what would be your greatest asset well and Peter say it would've been gold Peter said no that's not your greatest asset.

The greatest asset you can have any situation is never your ability never your provision. It's always your faith in what God's goodness and what he is willing to do Elise Fitzpatrick who is going to be speaking here on couple months with me here, on Mother's Day she wrote a book called give them grace which I would very much commend to you parents but it's a book on parenting and she said you know the problem.

She applies this principle to parenting, excision of the problem with most Christian books on parenting is they essentially imply that if you do steps one through five, then your kids are to turn out fine.

But this is how you your it's like you plug in these variables and outcome. These fine kids tease of the problem with that is twofold. She said number one. The first problem is, God was a perfect parent and the only two humans that he created directly and 1/3 of the angels rebelled against them. She said you really feel like you're going to out technique God, probably not. She said the second problem and the more insidious problem is that this kind of teaching implies, implies or sees me this kind of teaching keeps you from the one thing you most need is apparent and that his hope in the grace of God for your children is not your technique that's going to produce hearts that love God, it's going to be God's mercy and grace and sometimes your strength as a parent can keep you from the hope and the one thing that your kids desperately need. I'm not saying that you don't master the principles apparently most certainly should understand at the end of the day.

My hope for my kids should not be in my ability to be a good parent fits in the mercy of God for them, and God wants you to learn that your most valuable asset asset.

What keeps us from the riches of God's power is not her weaknesses is that we feel like we have her own riches and we don't need God. This is one of the most important spiritual truths. I could ever teach you. Your strengths are more dangerous to you than your weaknesses because your strings keep you from hoping in God's mercy to be saved to be saved to begin the Christian life means you come to a point where you know you can't save yourself and your fault you fall in desperation on the mercy of God, you are utterly unrighteous and you realize that utterly hopeless and he does it all to be used by God. From that point forward means repeating the same process you come to a point where you realize how absolutely impotent you are you following hope on God's mercy. So sometimes God will weaken us to bring us to that point you write it down this way. AW toes or it is doubtful does or says whether whether God can bless a man greatly until he is first hurt him very deeply sometimes to get you to lean into his power.

He hast to reduce your army so he lets you fail to the most growing seasons in my life.

Three all came from failure. One was a failure and so but I will try to do one was a failure in a very key relationship and one was a failure. Encourage a failure in character, and I look back and I see that it was during those times that God forced me to lean into him and filled me with his power instead of my own. So listen to me. I want you this weekend to read think what God might be doing in your life. Maybe your experience even army reduction right now and I want you to be open to the essential lesson the life giving lesson that God is trying to teach you in it. He's trying to teach you to lean into him as I was thinking through this. This week I was reminded of a story that I told you before, but I could not remember how long it's been since I've told you I feel like it's been about two years it might've been six weeks. I don't know what all kinds run together, so I hope that you haven't heard this recently but was the story of told you of the little bird that was flying south for the winter bluebird member. This little bird got a late start and the Eaton missed his friends adored. He laughed and so because he got a late start and got colder than he was planning for and on the way in the air. His wings froze and he crash landed in there he is on the cold ground with his wings froze and thinking great. Now I'm going to freeze to death with a long bot comes a cow and the cow drops manure on in the care of the bird thinks… Went from bad to worse, not only do I have to die of freezing to death.

I got die with the stench of manure in my nostrils. But the manure was warm and the manure thought his wings and the wing in the little birds that I can use my wings down.

He got excited to get shaky manure, often to begin chirping, saying in that attracted a cat who came by and ate him and I told you that there are three essential lessons for you to learn from that story.

Lesson number one not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy number two. Not everyone who digs you out as your friend. Lesson number three. When you are in manure. Sometimes it's helpful for you to keep your little trooper shut because God might be doing something amazing at that very moment's lesson number four is cats are evil.

Okay, that's Hudson Taylor says it this way. Listen, Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China. God wants you to have something far better than riches and gold and that is helpless dependence upon him, and if God can reduce your army to teach you that then you will call it a blessing.

The second thing that God is trying to teach us of the reduction of Gideon's army and this is another common theme we looked at in Judges number two God would send salvation, not the human mind he would send salvation to the weakness of humble obedience. This is also something I've explained to you, but not only is each story in the book of Judges, teaching us a lesson. The book of Judges as a whole has a message for us is you rather I and counterintuitive trajectory has been established in the book of Judges, the book of Judges. I explained opens up with Joshua who was a mighty general in charge of a strong Israelite army were right on his heels.

We have Ehud who is a left-handed crippled leader and then following him. You have Deborah who is a female judge who teams up with the other heroine of the story John L who was a housewife, essentially with a frying pan. After that, you have Gideon's army. God wills down the 300 you see if Gideon had known him with 32,000 we might be tempted to put him in the category of Joshua.

But God doesn't want that happening. God wants us going from strength to weakness.

So at the end of the book of Judges were to encounter Samson and Samson to fight all by himself.

The Israelite army is not even that I help and member to come in the very next book 1st Samuel to a guy named David. He was a scrawny little shepherd boy who writes poems and ends up defeating the giant Goliath.

While the all the Israelite army stands on the sidelines in fear and just watches and that is pointing us to the most important point in old Bible write what you will what subjectiveness you get is the trajectory from strength weaknesses in it. I do business mentor one time tell me anytime to present stuff to business people always do in the form of a graph that goes up business people like grass to go up. This graph is not going out. The graph is going down. Why are we seeing a reduction from strength to weakness and.

Here's why.

Because the main point of the Bible is a God not to send salvation into the world to a king who conquers the world's armies by superior army he's going to send salvation by one who would lay down his life in service and humility and obedience to time and time again in Jesus's life we are confronted with the weakness of Jesus, hear me when I say that Jesus is the son of God and all we see throughout the Gospels receives weakness before Jesus's trial, we find them. Washing the disciples feet.

The activity of the lowest of the lowest of servants during Jesus trial is maligned not spit upon, seemingly unable to defend himself. He so weak he can even carry his cross to the place of crucifixion. The other prisoners and to be able to Jesus and so we can even do that Jesus will die with his hand stretched out the ultimate picture of powerlessness and weakness.

Yet through that God brings a resurrection. So that's how it happens, you humbly obey and weakness often, and God brings power. It's the same for you.

You faithfully obey and weakness.

You keep sharing Christ with the people that are throwing it in your face you keep parenting your child. You keep praying you refuse to give up praying for your lost son, you endure the scorn and the pain of injustice without getting retribution and you feel weak because you want to get retribution and you could get retribution but you refuse to and you sit there and suffer in weakness and God sends a miracle. God does not send his miracles the human mind.

He sends them through faith and humble obedience.

Here's another bird story for you.

Still to this nothing there's been a while though it's the woodpecker who the faithful woodpecker just A. The telephone pole that that that that that that that not doing anything to make a noise right make a little tiny hole in there and also that get struck with lightning split the tree into the little woodpecker like factors like dang go flies often goes and gets his buddies and brings her back, says there she is, boys look at what I did woodpecker to do that will try to win the battle, make a small indentation and our only biggest holidays in the bowl, God sent the lightning.

That's a picture of what God does is you and I faithfully obey. It's not her abilities as a parent is not my ability to provide it's not my ability as a preacher sent up here how to safely obeying God since the lightning bolt because that's always how it works. He saves not the human power but humble obedience will God finally gets Gideon's army down to the size that he needs it. Verse nine.

That same night. The Lord said to him, arise Gideon go down against the camp drive given in the year and but if you are afraid. That's a given. Go down to the camp with your your servant first so Gideon takes. And they sneak down to the Midianite camp many nights along the valley like locusts in abundance, their camels will outnumber like the sandals on the seashore, imagine adding to so much that you can count them. Verse 13 Gideon sneaks into the camp. Behold, as he comes close to attend.

He overhears a man telling a dream to his comrade and the man says behold I dreamed a dream, and behold a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the 10 struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat in his comrade answered. This is none other than the sword of Gideon. God has given into his hand, Midian, and all our camp now. Do not miss the humor the picture of Gideon is not of the spear. It's not of a hurricane. It's not even about her old rock. He is a tumbling piece of bread. What team chooses that further mascot where the biscuits you like this biscuit flattens a mighty tent now. Not much of a camper and if you do a piece of bread in a tent. I set up it might fall down, but not for a soldier in Gideon recognizes in this, that God is reassuring him no insulting him reassuring them first 15 as soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation. He worshiped the return to the camp of Israel, and set arise arise for the Lord is given a host of Midian and our hands. The third thing we learn from this story is God patiently deals with faltering faith. This is a very sweet lesson to me. I find it really comforting in this story that God takes such time and such patients to reassure Gideon. You see, we often picture God is this one sitting up in the heavens saying if you don't have absolute confidence in me all the time that I will reject you. But that's not what you see here is now you see a God who is taking time to cultivate faith in God.

He was sympathetic with fear and doubt reminded me of the men who came to Jesus in Mark nine with a very sick son and says to Jesus what has to be considered blasphemy. He says to Jesus, Jesus, my son is very sick. If you're able could you do something I would expect Jesus to respond with.

If I'm able do you know who I am. Jesus doesn't say that he said everything is possible.

One who believes he gives him a very tender invitation to believe and how does the man respond to Jesus's invitation, the masses, Lord, I believe kind of help my unbelief. In other words I'm 6040 on this God my many 46 generally know I was sure what is Jesus a back to them if I had been Jesus I would've said a double mended minded man is unstable in all his ways want to go home and rest of Scripture and come back when you're ready to go all in. That's what I would've said thankfully I'm not Jesus. Jesus says what he does. Anything is healed the boy. What you see in their is God's okay with you down God's okay with you coming to him with your questions. He knows your fear is okay with you asking them if you doubt here this week and listen to me. It's so gay it's okay, God's not scare your questions just ask them. Ask God to reveal his faithless, playful to see you got is tender and he's compassionate with developing your faith but you also gotta consider point number four and that is that at some point you're going to have to take the risk.

Think for a minute about what's going on in the same teens afraid and some to reassure Gideon God tells Gideon to go down into the Midianite camp at night. If I had been Gideon out of said God I'm not sure if this came through or not, but I'm afraid I'm afraid I don't want to be sneaking down into the Midianite sleeping chambers at night. Can we do the fleece test again thought of athletes right here right now turn our back on the tan and maybe can fold up an origami structure, and I know that you're really with me.wow, that's what I would've asked for, why did God make Gideon go down into the camp in the place of danger, to get reassurance is to teach us this lesson that if you want God to develop your faith.

It means that you gotta take some steps of faith of your own. You see, here's how it works. Here's how faith works. God reveals a little you take a step God reveals a little more you take another step, the way Scripture says this is drawing near to God and he will draw near to you a picture if you will to men on the stage behind me. Each one at opposite sides. It's as if one takes a step and then the other one takes a step that's how God developed a faith. That's not to imply that you work your way to God all that it same as this is how God develops faith you draw near to him and he draws near to you or Scripture in another place, says that your word God is a lamp to my feet. I've always thought that verse was a little odd because I don't want a lamp for my feet on the spotlight. I want to see with the B end of this road guess is you'll get headlight you get a lamp you enough for the next step. But you take that step and I'll show you the next step. You see, that means that if you're here this weekend waiting on God to answer all of your questions before you will follow him.

You're never going to get there, what God does is he gives you enough to take a step and then you take the next step in any reveals a little more and then you take the next step in God cultivate your faith as you know, you need to take that step. Some of you, what is that mean for some of you that means you need to begin to read your Bible reading with the person who invited you this week. What I mean is you guys read the Bible and you come by once a week and you talk about what you learned, that would be your step of faith.

Maybe need to become a regular member of your regular attender here as you asked these questions take a step of talking your campus pastor maybe come in and talking to me. God develops her faith by making us take faith risk of our own. We've all heard of the little birther little bird story person teach their young to fly by pushing them out of the nest. We will know now I know the first time when I would hear that as a kid I would always think about it from the perspective of the little bird little bird like mom like mom knows the burden fly. Mom knows the birds never to fly Bill, she gets a middle place where he has to do that. That's what God is doing with you is inviting you to take the steps of faith, so Gideon divides the men and the three companies of the hundred each. He gives each man a trumpets jar and a torch.

What is the one of things missing from that list about a sword slingshot and RPG. Whatever. But none of that. He tells each of them in light your torch and put it in a jar and align the valley wall all around the Midianites up on the mountain when I blow my trumpet each of you were going to blow your trumpet and then you're gonna smash your jar and raise your torch with a weighted verse 19 into the beginning of the middle watch that's coming important after they just set the watch three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars they held in their left hands. The torches in the right hands.

They blew the trumpets and they cried out a sword for the Lord and for Gideon.

The irony is, nobody has a sword verse 21. Every man stood in his place around the camp and all the Army ran all the Midianites cried out and fled the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the Army. Here's how this works.

Usually a torch and a trumpet signified an entire battalion you got 300 torches and 300 trumpets around the Valley, the smashing of the jars. Think about what that would've sounded like what it sounds like the clash of hundreds of thousands or maybe tens of thousands of swords be raised at once.

Right now you've got what looks like 300 battalions. The sound of tens of thousands of swords you got the trumpets and on top of all bats. The middle watch means it's about 3 AM. The first watch of soldiers. 1/3 of the Army has been out watching there, back in their dead tired way to get some sleep second watch is just gotten up there all groggy and deferred watch is fast asleep. You wake up to the sound of swords and trumpets in this fearful scene and on top of a lot. Now you got an army marching back in your camp, you'll realize in the dark that your army generally pulls out their swords or to fight me all kill each other.

The end but the end of a battle we all live happily ever after several Midianites by mimicking me point out something here about not stretching too much here, but let me point out some and I think it's really awesome that that's teaching us what is number five. God can turn weakness itself into strength usually cool about the situation to me.never tells Gideon how to do this. Gideon seems to come up with that plan of his own cowardly noggin. Yet it was his weakness that forced him into that ingenuity. God's reduction of Gideon's army forced him to come up with a new plan I want and it was a better plan because that plan resulted in victory without a single Israelite casualty not one is getting a goal of 32,000. Even if you got the victory. Some of what it died. Now he does it in a way that fixes the whole thing and nobody dies Gideon's weakness actually became the source of his strength often in weakness, God will reorganize not just one part of your life will reorganize the whole thing will turn that weakness into one of the greatest blessings in your life. Example take this out of appearance, put it in the rehearing the story one time of a man who is all your three kids with his oldest daughter turned 13 he began to get very concerned about her because like many parents are fearful of his daughter started to hang out with the wrong crowd, and I she started to walk around his board sullen look on her face all the time and she said the church look bored and cheap at home. She just you, distance herself from her parents, she started to date this boy that was bad news. He was like two years older than ours 15 years old and and and she started to dress in a just in a way that humans are dressing and dart work part make up and crystal golf and everything in it.we want to see from his little girl triggers the pastor he surpassed with everything right we've always been there we've always come to church, we come to church.

You know were pretty regular here in and I just want to stand it anymore.

I told my daughter was given arguments and the pastor said well if you let me be really bold with you in this moment. I want to tell you that the problem is that your families a spectator church. I guess you guys are here a lot. All you do is sit on the sidelines and not about the ministry all the problem is that the world that your daughter lives in us telling her a better story than you were telling her the world is giving her adventure. You're just basically presenting God as somebody who lectures her on the weekend and the world is more enticing to her.

He says if you win your daughter's heart, in part, you have to tell a better story to the dad he makes sense to him. So he goes home just a little research he gets his family involved in the church and ministry.

They volunteer and they get involved in a local ministry and he also adopts and oversees orphanages, their project he takes his family says to his three kids were going to own this as ours, so I need some ideas what we can do the kids begin to contribute ideas and they begin, executors, ideas, the guy says that in the next few months. His daughter even begin to give some ideas and begin the lead out on her own but had said over the next 18 months. I watched the most remarkable thing happened without me commenting on the these things, they all disappeared. She said she begin to change her wardrobe. She broke up with the boy.

She began to bring a Bible and a notebook to church and it all came because we got the sidelines and got into ministry now. Why do I share that with you. He had a weakness with his daughter. But God use that to transform his entire family and get them off the sidelines and into the game which now effective herd affected everybody you realize that in certain situations what God is doing with you is you want point to transform your whole life you might be here because you need God's help with X, Y, and Z and gotchas. You know what I want to help with X, Y, and Z but got to go back with a through X, Y, and Z.

When you go back to beginning and I need to go to work. They are maybe what you came in for this week is not what God wants to do in your life.

Maybe he wants to turn that point weakness into something that will transform your entire life. Here's number six, the final one that Gideon teaches us success is joining Jesus wherever he is, Gideon's life teaches that I would summarize Gideon's life in one statement, showing Jesus where he is because it is better to be with Jesus before the most impossible odds and have the odds in your favor and be without Jesus. Christian maturity listen Christian maturity is when you learn to say, I'll go anywhere with Jesus and I would not want to be anywhere with any size army at my back without a mature Christian knows you see that Jesus plus nothing equals everything in a mature Christian knows that Jesus or everything without Jesus equals nothing mature Christian says in Christ. I give up all that I have risen price of 40 got all that I need to. The question is not what I prefer. The question is not what I feel capable for the question is simply what is Jesus one for me is where he is is what I want to be my God shows up to me and the judges chapter 6 of my life and I'm afraid I don't want this. I'll go where you are because where you are is where success is as you define success. The question for the mature Christian is only God, where do you want me out as want to be with you Hudson Taylor the missionary again, who opened up China said it this way. I love it all God's giants, all of them have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on God being with them. That's it. Hudson Taylor says there's three stages. Any work that God does in the world impossible difficult done. You are in a situation some of you were you are up against what feels like it is impossible and that is divinely ordained. Do you want to see God begin to work in your life if you go from impossible to done to get yourself a posture of weakness and confess your need of God begin to obey him and go where he is. That's the whole point. That's what he's been trying to teach you from the very beginning of your life. Success is joining them about the putter. Right there in St. Augustine's the story of Gideon, but unfortunately I cannot Gideon story does not end well you see your to see that the end of his life. Gideon gets proud his power and success goes to his head. He starts reading his own press releases. He starts using this position for personal vendettas. He makes an idol commemorating his victories in the Israelite start to worship that I'll to hear that story you cannot come back next week but for right now I just want to say something that really pertains to what we talked about today. The danger the danger in your life is never a Midianite army of any kind.

The danger is you losing the posture of weakness.

That's the only danger for the Christian.

The only danger that can destroy your life the only one is not. Sickness is not poverty, it's not losing your job.

It's not even your marriage breaking up the danger that will destroy your life is for you to get proud and lose your sense of dependence upon God. Christians more often than not will pass the test of adversity, but they will most often fail the test of prosperity when you get strong when you begin to think yourself. I have all that I need. That's when you fall apart. Never forget where you were when God found you never forget the grace he showed to you and how much you noted that grace is young, talking to some of you that are not depended on God one point in your life you were because he broke you and you got depended on God, but you can't remember the last time you had a meaningful conversation with God. The reason you don't pray the reason you don't cling to God daily 3G don't get up in the first impulse is I've got to talk to my heavenly father is because you're not depended on you gotten puffed up with what God's provision has been God's provision has turned into a curse to you, your dangers, never the Midianites, it's your heart. God helps the week is the strong who become independent that leave him. That's what will destroy you. You need to be aware that after the greatest spiritual victories you can slide right back down into the hole from whence you came, Christianity begins with the statement. I'm not righteous enough to save myself. I'm utterly hopeless. I'm utterly unrighteous Lord Jesus, you have to do it all. It continues every step from that point forward with the statement, God, I'm utterly impotent to do what you want me to do. I need your power for every good thing in my life. Every good thing to ask you to spend a few moments with the Holy Spirit on this.

What's he saying where have you gotten proud where's he breaking you down. Want to bow your heads all over campus is what you think through this was about heads when I bow your heads when I have you bow your heads, and I give you words.

I'm not trying to. I don't know what Holy Spirit say to you some of the try to guess your buddy send some to you totally different, more important, what I'm saying. But as God brought you will point weakness this weekend. Is that what he saying is right now is saying to you. I want you to know. Listen, I'll be your security. I'll be your ever faithful companion. I'll be your justification of your glory. I will be the lifter of your ad you gotten proud that you will got Sadie was my son, my daughter wake-up, though many do something drastic. Get back in the posture of dependence before I do something drastic maybe never begun this journey maybe never realize how hopeless you are without God. Listen with your heads about their two things that you can never overcome sin and death, curse of sin, you could not escape the power of death. You could not break so Jesus did both of those things for you to suffer the curse of your sin in your place. You shattered the power of death in your life by raising from the dead to be saved to be saved to begin this journey means that you confess your inability to save yourself from sin and death, and you acknowledge that he alone is able to do it and you receive it like a gift. Have you ever receive that for yourself. Would you like to would you like to then you can voice a prayer to Jesus. That sounds like this is not magic words were that they come from your are Jesus will hear them. Jesus, Jesus, I confess I cannot save myself. You must doing, I give my whole life to you Jesus I confess I cannot save myself. You alone can do it my whole life to you in church for a long time. You never really begun a relationship with Jesus and today is the day that you will because right now you're saying that to him from your heart. I cannot save myself to remain seated at your campus what you remain in a posture prayer in which let the Holy Spirit work in your heart. Just a minute and our worship teams. All of our campuses are going to come there to lead us in the taking of the Lord's table. What a beautiful picture of our inability how God provided we had nothing so heads value just let the Holy Spirit work on you for a few moments and worship teams