The Underdog’s Secret

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer I what you really see what God might be doing in your life. Maybe you're experiencing the norming reduction right now I want you to be open to the essential + life giving lesson that God is trying to teach you is trying to teach you to lean him that you like with as always, I'm your host Molly minutes and I'm so glad you're back with us today everyone is a leader to someone, even if you don't realize it with your mom or dad or a supervisor at work.

Someone somewhere is looking to you for guidance today. Pastor JD shows us how God can use anyone to accomplish his plan even when we feel stretched and afraid, or even unqualified this series. We've been in from the book of Judges is called broken saviors and we are once again learning some new lessons from Gideon. Remember you can always reach out to us@jeanniegreer.com or give us a call at 866-3352 20. For now, here's Pastor JD with a new message.

He titled the underdog secret Bible just went out about you to come out right now and open them to the book of Judges chapter 7 we are on our second week of this very fascinating and somewhat enigmatic and maybe inspiring figure known as Gideon in our series a broken saviors of the book of Judges is returning their Americans love a good underdog story. Also, I think it's because we see ourselves as the result of an underdog victory against Great Britain but saw this week right. Forgot on a flight from Atlanta. I tweeted out what's the greatest underdog story of all time. When I landed, and check 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 talk about that one. There was of course the miracle US hockey team in 1980 Olympics to be the Soviet Union, such as a bunch of college students, one person even said you marrying Veronica was the greatest underdog story about Timex. I would tend to agree with that. Perhaps the most significant underdog story, at least for us around here would be the 1983 national championship by the cardiac wolf vaccine 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 for the nation's number for the ACC.

They won their free ACC tournament games by a margin of 11 points, not each day by 11 but a total of 11 points. That's bold that they won by one game was decided in overtime.

One was decided by only 1.4 they got the name by the way cardiac pack because every single one of their games they want and the latitude to trail the whole game at the last minute NCAA tournament. The very first game they went against the very lowly Pepperdine University. No offense if you're from Pepperdine but they had to win that one in overtime not only not one time but sue over times and it barely squeaked out a win. 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 scene. There were two future NBA Hall of Famer's team Eliza Juan 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 deed to be the second.

Five. The second string will be ranked baby talk to. I 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 I wanted ever seen a portion of the ugliest shot probably ever recorded in NCAA history, but it missed not just by a little bit it missed by like a foot and 1/2 and I got a 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 VI when they chose an MVP from the tournament that year. They chose a player from Houston, which never happened.

You always choose one from the winning team that shows one from Houston. Anyway, I share that story for two reasons.

Number one 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 they 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 man first encountered Gideon he is cowering in fear and a whole but God turns them into a man of bravery by assuring him of his presence with him. 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 equips you after he calls you she 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 demurrers and so God has to reassure him through 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 know twice as her. Gideon finally gets the courage the guy will give him the victory and that's where we begin a chapter 7 verse one Ben Jaramillo to remember number that's Gideon's nickname. It literally in Hebrew means bail till over the Jaramillo and all the people who were with him. Rose early in camp 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 into their hand. West is Robo server may say 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 of now they get 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 with you and that number is okay you got that night you get even 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 webs 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 laughs the water with his tong is a dog lapse. You shall set by himself. Likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink and the number of those who lapped 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 lapped I will save you and I will give the Midianites into your hand.

Let all the others go every man back to his home to was the symbolism of keeping the ones who lapped like a dog does this prove that God loves dogs more than cats will 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. What you 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 weaken us when God wants to use us. A lot of times he will first weaken us now. 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 that 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 God. Our prayer is that you're constantly reminded that he's always there you're listening to some it lightly to decree or let me remind you about her latest resource created exclusively for arsenic. My family, and his latest honest questions quick answers yesterday tackles big questions with short and concise answers in a kind of responses you can gain when chatting at the coffee shop and a friend, or maybe even a stranger.

We would love to get you this new book right now. Equip yourself with answers to some of life's toughest questions by giving us a call right now fixing 335, 15, 20, or checking out@jeanniegreater.com. Now let's rejoin Pastor JD for the conclusion to today. 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, but you 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 peers 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 is another place on subpar is on the plays. I have failed miserably.

Here's another place you can't depend on me right bosses. 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 at 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 and say man I wish I were more like him. We hang your heads in. But I can't be. But if I brag on my weaknesses in a tell you about what Christ's power has gone through them. The maybe you'll sit out there. You'll say wow. I've 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 combine bread and 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 a lot merely to be like Paul and Bill I 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 got is no greatest asset you 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 and she applies this principle of parenting, excision of the problem with most Christian books on parenting is they essentially imply that if you do steps one through five.

Bigger picture to turn out fine.

But this is how you your kids like you plug in these variables and outcome. These fine kids conscious 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 to 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 understated the end of the day. My hope for my kids should not be in my ability to be a good parent. It's in the mercy of God for them, and God wants you to learn that your most valuable asset. What keeps us from the riches of God's power is not our 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 and you fall in 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 are. 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 solicit me. I want you this weekend to re-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 and 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 ever this little bird got a late start in the missed his friends adored. He left 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 when Lombok comes a cow and the cow drops manure on in the care of the bird think siliceous went from bad to worse, not only do I have to die of freezing to death to 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 begin to shake the 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're in manure. Sometimes it's helpful for you to keep your little sharper 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. Lesson Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China.

God wants you to have something far better than riches and gold that is helpless dependence upon him. God's gonna reduce your armada 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 is is another common thing 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 is a message for us is he a rather odd 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 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 of the whole Bible right what you will what subjectiveness you get this trajectory from strength weaknesses in it that I do business mentor one time tell me anytime the prisons of the business people always do in the form of a graph that goes up, business people, I graph to go up. This graph is not going up. 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 that hearing when I say that Jesus is the son of God. I am in all we see throughout the Gospels receives weakness before Jesus's trial, we find him 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 so we can even carry us across 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 measure of powerlessness and weakness get through that God brings a resurrection. That's how it happens, you humbly obey and weakness often, and God brings power possible you like an underdog today facing personal battles that appear unwinnable media are afraid or discouraged.

But let me encourage you to keep listening to this series from Pastor JD. The biblical principles he shares will help you understand how to rely on God to give you the courage needed to press on to thank you for your support and to help you grow in your faith. This month we have created a new book that helps you tackle some pretty huge question Jenny.

How can you provide answers in just a few pages for each question to question. You know, our goal is not to give the overly deep comprehensive answer, but a quick answer kind of answer you give somebody if you were sitting down for a cup of coffee. Sometimes we even the coach to the posture we take, like, what's the right thing to say here how I perceive what the person is really asking. And so I thought a big part of my own ministry is answering questions. I look at it like removing objections that people have two belief clear the path for belief. I think this resource that I'm excited to share with you can help you do that with other people as well.

If you discover JD grid.com there's a volume 2 that will offer now and I think there's some copies left of volume 1. If you didn't get that one again. Just head on over to JD grid.com and see instructions right one or both of these volumes. We want to invite you to partner with us financially. Our way of thinking Elizabeth by Pastor JD honest question Hollis right now the number is 85 20.

You can also give online@clear.com by Molly Davidson inviting you to join us again tomorrow. We will continue teaching about underdog Gideon Thursday on Senate