Calling and Courage

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer.

God does not call the brave, brave Nicole. So when he comes because he does not start with what we are starts with what you make us in Christ God when he comes to you does not start with you with the condition you are in God sees you, according to what Christ is going to make you recall survived that made is that not good news likely Greer at the summit church in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina.

As always, I'm your host Molly, but abets we all know that feeling of being asked to lead a group can be a little scary and a bit intimidating, but assures us in his word that he can use anyone to accomplish his purposes even when we feel insecure or unqualified. Thankfully, he's not searching for experts. He's looking for men and women who are willing and obedient. Today we look at the story of Gideon, one of God's mighty warriors of the Old Testament and we see that even he had doubts and struggles as he considered the mantle of leadership being handed to him by God. We know you don't want to miss a single message here on the program so if you're a little behind on any of this teaching through the book of Judges, you can always catch up@jeanniegreer.com but for now grab your Bible take some notes and let's join Pastor Janie as he continues our study with the message he title calling and current day I was perusing some articles chemical was listed out updated list of those common phobias in our culture. The American psychiatric Association doesn't give the official list. What defines a phobia for us, say that something that causes such stress that it interrupts normal life function. Something to cause such stress that enrolls normal life functions.

Of course the usual things list things like arachnophobia which is of course the Bureau of spiders for a phobia of the fear of snakes about the unit would interrupt normal life functions never phobia the fear of death, gloss a phobia. The fear of public speaking. Interestingly, people rank the fear of public speaking is higher than they do. The fear of death, so that means is Jerry Seinfeld often says most people if they had to go to a funeral.

They would rather be the guy in the casket than the one on stage giving the eulogy I was linked to this article, I go to call my interest since I do a little bit of public speaking and it was giving techniques for how you can overcome the fear of public speaking.

This is what it said.

It's a legit article and I quote before you go on stage standstill and feel the ground beneath your feet closer eyes and imagine yourself suspended from the ceiling by a thin thread. Then imagine your made of rubber. Look in the mirror and make horses laugh with your lips.

Why not lab ground ginger floating or just collapsing the ground with a limp doll. You guys ever wonder what I'm doing backstage rebel world here now you know on the list that included a lot more nontraditional fears like to phobia the fear of the number eight. The phobia which is the fear of thousand miles, this one Dora phobia, which is the fear of animal for that's right.

So would you expect to visit I have is about three girls I have the other door phobia which now that one Togo phobia, which is the fear of pregnant women, Jason Gaston. I kid you not, our student pastor swears that he has this like your wife has several kids now would you do whatever members unfollow phobia which is the fear of bellybutton did not specify whether any's rowdies are, the more terrified of it to Iraq to boot, or a phobia which obviously is the fear peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth windbag, a phobia which is the fear of long sermons and on residency want no homophobia number phobia, which is the fear of being without your phone or having it in another room. 50% of people's exhibit extreme anxiety symptoms if they are placed in a room without their phone or the phone is in another room so I know a number of you are exactly like that was like. Check your phone six times already since I got up here. Fear of whatever kind, whether serious or not is a part of life and that many people say that your success in life is in large part determined by how well you learn to manage your fears. CS Lewis said the courage is the least talked about. Of all the Christian virtues, he said, but it is absolutely essential.

All the others. He said because none of the other virtues is channeling Aristotle here, by the way, none of the other virtues are you to be able to persevere and without courage is virtuous in every way, but courage is what gives you the tenacity and the perseverance the press on this thing so were to look at a story today in Judges chapter 6 that explains to you where courage comes from how you get it and how you maintain it. It's our fourth week in the series called broken saviors. Have you got a Bible Judges chapter 6, I would imagine that there are any number of people here that are immobilized by some kind of fear, your life, your normal life function of obedience has been disrupted because of it. Maybe it's a fear about the future you got medical news recently lit. It leaves you uncertain about about what's ahead. And what is coming for your family. Maybe your marriage is not going well at all and you wonder what's my family look like in a year to like in six months, or maybe your kids are making some really poor decisions and you are afraid of what's happening as they grow up and where they are headed. Maybe it is the fear of entering into a new relationship.

I'm not a single people here, the summit church who are they won't quite often hear about once it will not enter into a good relationship because they're scared of commitment for others it is fear that keeps you from ending a relationship that you know is wrong but maybe you are paralyzed by the fear of never being in a relationship and that's what keeps you making these bad decisions about your web because you're just terrified of the idea of being alone is you as you as you go as you go through life will today. In the book of Judges were to see a guy get this was not courageous is not a model but he is somebody that God made into somebody courageous. He made them into a hero and what you're gonna see is that God doesn't reward courage and people God gives courage to people.

Chapter 6 verse one after Deborah, who was the heroine All-Star wonder woman judge from last week. If you remember after she died, the people Israel. That will give what was evil in the side of the Lord and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years whenever the Israelites planted crops the Midianites would come up against them and leave no sustenance in Israel. No sheep or ox or donkey that would come like locusts and numbers of a laid waste to land as they came in there like the IRS they devoured everything in its path.

Not only did they take the crops.

They took the animals and the tools of the people used to produce the crops verse six and Israel was brought very low because of Midian and the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord to make out of the Midianites. The Lord said a prophet to the people of Israel and the prophet said to them, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. I let you know from each of our brought you out of the house of slavery. I drove by your oppressors from before you and get you there land that I said to you.

I am the Lord your God. You shall not fear, but you have not obeyed my voice now stop for a minute. If this is kind of odd, is not.

They cried out to the Lord for deliverance and he said a prophet when asking for teaching they were asking for help. This would be like you being stranded on the side of the road and calling AAA for help, but instead of setting the tow truck they email you a pamphlet on safe driving Israel's problem, however, was not the reason God did. This is their problem was not the Midianites they were their own problem so they were asking for deliverance for what God said to them, as you first need a sermon.

Yes, I want to deliver you.

I want to help you but what you most need is to be delivered from the problem that is you and I would very humbly say to you that there are many of you listening to me that are in that very category this weekend. You're here seeking something from God. You need something from God.

It is not the God I want to give it to you is that what he wants first from you. This in turn the spotlight on your hearts let me be very clear with you.

Not every instance of suffering is in response to disobedience. In fact I would say that most instances are not. God is not always trying to teach you something when you suffer believers often suffer like Jesus did.

Having done nothing wrong but sometimes suffering is someone 1967. The psalmist says. Before I was afflicted I went astray.

But now, after I was afflicted now I obey your word.

There is sometimes a God sends some kind of trouble in your life… The pay us back for Sam, but as we often say to bring us back from our sin.

And I think it's at least worth you asking the question this weekend.

Maybe you came here thinking you needed something from God. When God needs to do it from the spotlight in your heart as it is something in you that is is is walking away from me and at this trouble that you're going through is there to wake you up to what I'm trying to do in your life. Verse 11. Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terrible three at over and so did you look under your seat and see if there even say that. How did the people he hears what happens in verse 11 is the question you should be asking if you're reading this, what happened to the sermon.of the people responded, and repetitive malice. Arminians usually is that as a response in the world cannot. There's a thing God interrupted the sermon with deliverance. He doesn't even wait for response and there is something very important about your relationship with God that you should learn from that. You see, it's not you when I get ourselves into a place where God then comes to us and helps us out. We fix herself before we ever even respond out of the restart of the salvation process but God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us what you got yourself in a conditioning document loved you if that God came to you, he saved you and that he drew you back to himself. So yes, God has a sermon for you this weekend that he is only provided the substance of your deliverance is like a father pursuing a child, I will. The angel takes a seat by this tree and Oprah while Gideon was beating out weed and the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. Now let me tell you a little something about threshing wheat in case you don't do that often in your backyard. In those days the way that you would thresh wheat is you would put it into a on the basket and you would throw it really high up in the air when a breeze was blowing in the breeze will blow away with the light part what they called the shop and the heavy part of the good stuff would fall back down into the basket. The winepress, which is where Gideon was what had been a terrible place to thresh wheat why because the winepress is in this kind of like debit underground.

There's not that much when underground. Why would Gideon choose a winepress as a place to thresh wheat. What tells you is what because he is afraid he is hiding in all, the point is, this is no Jack Bauer.

This is no Chuck Norris.

This is no Nicolas Cage verse 12 the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, the Lord is with you all mighty men of valor. If this were a stage play at this point. Everybody in the audience would've laughed. I mean Gideon is hiding in a hole is like going out to a 4 foot 1130 pound man say what's up big fella. It sounds like mockery. But listen and this is probably the main point today. It's not mockery. Gideon is not called because he is courageous he is courageous.

As a result of God's call God is not describing him as he is God is describing him as how you will be. You see, God does not call the brave. He makes brave the call and so when he comes dies. He does not start with what we are starts with what he intends to make us sing right God sees what you will be. That gives confidence that when you accomplish your listening to Summit life with pastor Jeannie clear will return to her teaching in just a moment, you know, when faced with difficult questions, only to be able to give a reason for the hope we have in Jesus by tackling some of these difficult questions in our newest resource. We hope to equip you with answers that make sense and overly complicated and honest questions quick answers real interest questions like what is an idol and ask for success in our thanks for your gift to the ministry right now to give us a call at 866-335-5220 or checking out@jeanniegreer.com now to get back to her teaching hears God when he comes to you does not start with you in the condition you are in God sees you, according to what Christ is going to make you any calls you by that name. Is that not good news. It is because when God came to you what he found you you were in a mess. You wanted total mass of God described you as we were, you would not have wanted to have heard that God came to you and he spoke a word of your life.

That word was in the resurrection of Christ and this is not what you are is what you will be doing says to a man in the whole get out mighty men of valor, verse 13, the Gideon said to him to question someone please sir the Lord is really with us why that is all this happened us now based on what you know from the text already.

That's a very wrongheaded question is has God left the people know the people of God save questions even more confusing know where God are all your wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us will first of all Gideon, there's an angel sitting in front of you. I think I would qualify as a wonderful be. But look at specifically God's answer verse 14 the Lord turned to him and said no and this might have yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian do not. I think you got answer the Gideon is where all my wonderful deeds.

Gideon why I'm about to do them through you see, we often look to heaven. We asked God where are you, and God turns around on us and says you are to be the work of God, you are to be my work in this generation. By the way who is this angel is speaking to Gideon Bible trivia to see if you read it viciously sources the contradictions.

For example, the angel talks about God and third person and he is called an angel universe 14 Gideon addresses the angel directly of God and he was not corrected. This is a mystery all through the Hebrew Bible, they really couldn't figure this out but it made sense up to the coming of Jesus. This is what theologians call a Chris stop and me, Christophe, and he which is a pre-incarnate a before baby Jesus appearance of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus said this makes total sense because Jesus talk about God, and the third person but Jesus was himself God. This is simply Jesus sought out before he appears in the womb of Mary to verse 15 Gideon said to Jesus, please, Lord, how can I save Israel the whole market plan is the weakest in Manasseh and Annalisa my father's house and I'm I'm cowering in a hole for crying out loud. Verse 16 the Lord said to him, but I will be with you but I will be with you. This is God's one line answered everything on Alonso, but in the story.

That's the phrase everything you need is in that statement. I will be with you and you will strike the Midianites as one man. In other words, to take out this massive Midianite Army is that this is one puny little guy. Verse 17 Gideon said to him, if now I have found favor in your eyes, which is kind of a petulant question. Is it because then angel is sitting there having a conversation. I think you can conclude he's on favorite.

As I but nonetheless show me a sign that you speak with me to the angel tells Gideon to go prepare some food and get inputs on the table means it takes a staffing of the birth of the flames. The angel disappears and Gideon says okay and unconvinced for the moment.

Verse 25 that night. The Lord says to him, pulled on the altar of bail that your father has another was Gideon. We gotta start this right in your own house go build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold there so Gideon took 10 of his servants and did what the Lord had commanded him because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day. The little coward dinner by night. Again, this is no William Wallace that God doesn't criticize Gideon for this because the God. Obedience is more important than bravado. Gideon obeyed the next morning everybody gets up and says what happened to our God miss my said Gideon that we saw Mao last night and said let's kill Gideon verse 31, but Joash was Gideon's father said all who stood against Gideon. If Dale really is a God want you a bail fight for himself. Verse 32. Therefore, on that day. Gideon was called Jeremy L that is to say, let bail defend himself because Gideon had broken down his altar again. Don't miss the humor here.

This small cowardly guy gets the nickname bail tail liver is essentially how you read that in Hebrew. Well after this, verse 33, the Midianites launch a massive assault on Israel at which point angel God reappears to Gideon and tells him to mount a resistance against this assault and Gideon says okay God again.

How can I be sure you're going to do this and then Gideon comes up with his own brilliant idea. I'm gonna put this animal skin. This fleece out on the ground if you're really with me in the morning. Let the ground be Drive… Please be soaking wet. Verse 38 and it was so we arose early the next morning and squeeze the police he run and not due from the fleece to fill a bowl of water for Gideon so wait a minute waiting to God that was way too easy. What I meant to say.

I meant to say was let the ground the wet and the fleece be Drive that would be a real miracle, verse 40, and God did so, that night and only the fleece was dry and all the ground there was due the famous fleece test. This concept has been more abused and more twisted than just about anything else in the Bible, including by me. People come up with these litmus test to determine of God is really in something, so you just a little while but that's not really the point what's going on here.

God trying to give you a way to make decisions will come back to that… Ask, it was good to it in order.

What can we learn about courage and calling from the story.

What can we learn about courage and confidence to remedy five things number one we learn that God does not call the Brady makes Ray McCall when God comes to you. He never starts with what you are. You start with what he intends to make you a Christ. So he looks at a man cowering in a hole and he says men of valor, stand up when you see God do this all to the Bible, he comes to Moses, who is a speech impediment and he stutters all the time God says I want to make you the greatest order your estate in front of Pharaoh and the organist will be talking about your teaching 3000 years later and Moses is, but I can hardly put three sentences together.

I got that I will be your mouth.

Maybe the clearest example is Abraham, the father of our faith when God comes to him when he's in his 80s. He has no children. Use sterile and God says to him you are going to be a father of many nations that was so humorous. It was remarkable. That's why Sarah laughed but God says in the book of Romans Romans four that Abraham was the father of our faith because he believed what God said, even when there was no evidence to back it up.

We believe that God calls into existence the things that do not yet exist. When you come to God in faith you believe things not based on what they are in you, but what God has declared them to be. You believe that just like God. Paul says, declared to Jesus in his body in the grave that it was alive and it became alive. You believe what God has said about you and you believe it when God says you were going to be righteous you were going to be a safe you're going to be a man of valor that though you are not that in yourself.

God is going to make you that in Christ he's going to overturn the law of death in you and make you alive.

The question becomes will you believe him. Is he, because Satan also will speak to you, but he's good do it in a different way. Satan is the one who start with who you are and what you've done and defined you by that, by the way, he says true things to you. He whispers to you.

Your failure you're a coward your reject and then he lines up a bunch evidence that is true. To prove those things. That's why he's called the accuser of the brethren because he before God and before you will just remind you of what you've done what you are. But God comes a you and he speaks a louder word and he says no you are a safe you are righteous you are my beloved. You are a mighty metabolic you say, God, I'm none of those things that God says I know but you will be you are not you tell the difference between the Holy Spirit's voice in Satan's voice Satan start with who you are, what you gonna beat you up for the Holy Spirit will also point out your Sam but he will start with a declaration of what is making you in Christ and he will grow you up into that Satan will constantly remind you of what you are and defined you by the Holy Spirit will start with what God has court has made you in Christ it was that this is what you will be in this is how you will grow. I told you before that my worst parenting moment on I think came when I was Miyamoto's daughter is 11. I was six years old, she's always been a little tented to try new things and when I would get frustrated because he moved to fair to anyone around the rides.

What you we would know she would want to you know go like body surfing with many others that we want to skydive I just all kinds of frustrated things and when she was six and my second daughter was for their run. The back of my car and I was done on the road.

I was telling her about something about a good day I'm going to Disney World Houston by the Dumbo ride I just never Herbie and goodness look at her being like oh no, no, and I'm not that I'm scared. I so look back at her and I'm like my sweetheart. You have got to overcome this fear of try new things because if not, you're going to struggle through you know you did your all you have your stuff in your life. My daughter drops her head. She says under daddy. Sometimes I think I'm just a big scaredy-cat in my finest printable method that's exactly right. And if you don't change your noggin to go anywhere in life and my four-year-old daughter look like I'll be just a moment to assume affordable daughter looking over at her and she says no Karis, you are not a scaredy-cat. You are my big sister. My daughter is the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I am the voice of Satan. See, that is exactly what God does. Satan does any comes to you is Satan start to true statements about what you God and use that to define who you are but what God does in the gospel is, he declares a louder word and he says the things that do not get exist. He speaks about them as if they do, by faith, you become those things. So God says to you, righteous God says to you, living one God says to you, mighty men of valor, and you become those things God does not call the Brady mix bravely called her.

Here's another way of saying that God does not call the web the equipped encouragement.

All of us who are sincere about following Jesus powerful teaching from Judges chapter 6 here on Senate life.

If you missed any portion of today's message, or if you'd like to listen again, you can easily access this program@judygreer.com. We have a brand-new Takeaway resource this month that pairs perfectly with this teaching series. We've created a second volume of the book called honest questions quick answers you might remember when we offered volume 1, two years ago, but this is a new resource by Pastor JD and it is full of new questions and answers like how important is correct doctrine. Can you lose your salvation and how can I trust Christian.

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Thanks for your financial get $35 or more to support his ministry for a small additional donation. We also have volume 1 available for the first time. Be sure to ask about it when you call five T-20 eight 663-3524. Give online career.com Molly Witt event inviting you to join us again tomorrow when Pastor JD here continues our study about getting in and calling Tuesday on Senate life