We saw in Gideon what we often see in ourselves, that our fear handicaps us and handicaps our view of God.

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1 Gideon: Part 2 1 Last week we were introduced to Gideon as the reluctant warrior whose fear had shrunk his image of God and his image of himself. We saw in Gideon what we often see in ourselves, that our fear handicaps us and handicaps our view of God. But just because Gideon is fearful doesn t prevent him from being used by God. Actually God is in the business of using people that are fearful, people that see themselves as less than capable of being used by God, people the world sees as worthless, useless and downright inept; these are the people- people like you and me- that God uses to do great things for the Kingdom. Maybe you ve felt that God could never use you. You don t feel like you have any qualities or gifts that God could use. But still God turns people like you and me into great gifts to the world. Remember that Gideon saw himself as the least in his family from the least tribe of Israel. Gideon was no military genius when God called him, but God doesn t call the equipped, God equips those he calls. But somehow God s words to Gideon, the promise that I will be with you, was enough to take this reluctant warrior and turn him into a valiant warrior. And it all began when Gideon chose obedience to God. I know that many of you have heard God speak a word to you about something that you are to accomplish. Maybe it was not in an audible voice, maybe it was through an inward impression upon your heart, maybe it was that situation where your passion was stirred to action, but you put a lid on it rather than choosing to act. What I want you to hear today is God saying again, I will be with you. That should remind us that with God on our side we can never be defeated! Remember the greeting that God used when he came to Gideon? God called him a mighty warrior. In that greeting God was picturing for Gideon who he could become while he was still fearful. I believe God greets each of us with an image of whom we can become if we will only trust and obey God. What has God pictured for you while you are still afraid? If you will only trust the promise I will be with you, and obey, God can do something special through you. Gideon s call from God was to liberate the people from the hands of the Midianites and in turn lead them out of the cycle of disobedience and unfaithfulness that had put them into this place of oppression. But for Gideon to accomplish this feat he needed to move from fear to faith. He needed to stop seeing himself as he was and see himself as the person God created him to become. And that is what you need to do today; to see yourself as the person God created you to become. And that happens when we live by faith, not by fear! The first step of obedience that Gideon took in moving from fear to faith was to tear down his father s idols. [JUDGES 6:25b-29] Yes, Gideon did it under the

2 Gideon: Part 2 2 cover of darkness, but he did it, he laid aside his fear and acted in faith. And that was the first step from fear to faith. Notice the response of Gideon s father. [Judges 6:30-31] The townspeople, Gideon s own relatives, wanted to lynch him. But Gideon s father said, If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself. Do you see what Gideon s action had on his father? This man who had abandoned God and began worshipping a false idol began to realize that Baal was powerless. If Baal couldn t defend himself against this weak child, then Gideon s father understood that Baal must have been the real wimp! When we act in faith, when we are obedient to God and take the step of faith even when we are afraid; God begins to change the circumstances of our life and in turn the life of those around us. Taking out the family idol was a small step of faith when we see what God was calling Gideon to undertake next. The Midianite army, a force that numbered 135,000 men, had moved into the Promised Land. This was the battle that God had called Gideon to undertake. But Gideon was going to need to exercise more of his faith and he was going to need more than the ten men who helped him take down his father s idols. So Gideon blew the trumpet and sent messengers to assemble the troops. Think about this for a minute. A guy, who was hiding out, a professed coward, is now trying to call others to his side to take on the neighborhood bully. How would you respond? [think long and hard about signing up] Here is one of the effects of moving from fear to faith. Who was Gideon before he toppled his family idols? (A fear-filled coward.) After he stepped out in faith, after he stood up to his family and called them on the carpet about their disobedience to God; something changed in Gideon- changed enough that others saw something different about this man and so when the call went out the people responded. You see I don t think anyone would have come to Gideon s trumpet call if it were not for the step of faith that he had taken. Gideon changed. You and I change, often in ways that are noticeable to others around us when we begin to move from fear to faith, from disobedience to obedience. I think that as Gideon began to come to a realization that God was with him; Gideon also realized that this task was going to require a level of faith that Gideon had yet achieved. So he laid out a fleece before God. Read Judges 6:36-40

3 Gideon: Part 2 3 Notice the first word Gideon says to God, If Gideon is still struggling with the step from fear to faith. Some still take Gideon s fleece as a way to discern God s will. But the fleece was not a positive thing. God had already promised Gideon he was going to save Israel. The fleece was not an expression of trust- it was an expression of immature faith. I don t recommend Gideon s fleece as a way for us to act in faith. The fleece is not really a sign of faith, but God graciously worked with Gideon to keep him moving forward in faith. Meanwhile as Gideon was watching the fleece each morning 32,000 men came to Gideon side to fight the 135,000 Midianites. That s a ratio of 4:1. Not the best odds but Gideon figured that God was with him. After all, Gideon s got faith, right? How about you? Would those odds be enough for you to step out in faith? But God s not ready yet to send Gideon off to war. God tells Gideon to follow the words of Deuteronomy 20:8 and send everyone home who was afraid. So 12,000 men leave and go home, leaving behind 10,000 men. Ok, is anyone s faith growing as the army shrinks? So now the ratio is suddenly 13:1. Do I hear anyone saying its time to go home, time to reconsider this battle? But God told Gideon he still had too many men. So God instructed Gideon to take the men to the water for a drink. [Judges 7:5-7] Anyone feeling more confident now? Now we like to think that the 300 who were selected were the best of the best, but what if I told you they were the least of the least! Notice that they were chosen because they drank water like a dog. Sounds like a rather benign comment, but you need to know something about dogs in Hebrew culture. Dogs were not treated as well as we treat dogs today. Dogs were considered a dirty thing. To be called a dog was a derogatory statement. So the dog lappers were not likely the mighty warriors but actually the socially inept- they were the nerds. In other words God didn t select the Navy seal team to save Israel; God sent in the geek squad. The whole point of winnowing down the numbers was to make clear that the victory that would be won was God s alone. That victory would cause the people to return to God and break the cycle of sin. And the people would stop believing in a little God.

4 Gideon: Part 2 4 Can you imagine yourself in Gideon s place looking at 300 Forest Gumps and thinking to yourself, With this army I m going to win against 135,000? How confident would you be? I think God must have taken pity on Gideon at this point. So God spoke to Gideon and told him and his servant to go down to the camp of the Midianites. As they hunker behind a rock Gideon and his servant overhear a dream that one of the Midianite soldiers is telling. JUDGES 7:13-15 This dream was one more way that God was bolstering Gideon s faith. And isn t that just like God! As we take a step of faith God takes one with us. God never leaves us guessing! So with a ratio of 450:1 Gideon s men, with a trumpet in one hand and a torch inside a jar in the other hand set up around the perimeter of the Midianite camp. On Gideon s signal they blow the trumpets; they brake the jars and set the camp of the Midianites into a frenzy. The Midianites strike each other down and God delivers the rest into Gideon s hand. Gideon went from reluctant warrior to mighty warrior. We are even told in the next chapter that the people wanted to make Gideon the King. (That s something that we ll talk about later in the series, but notice that Gideon wanted the people to remember that God was king of Israel not some human king.) So what does this story of Gideon teach us about how we can move from fear to faith? Faith is the confidence that God is greater than my fears. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 Faith is not the absence of fear; it is the confidence that God is greater than my fears. Faith gives us the confidence us to step out of our fears and obediently follow God. Whatever fear is holding you back today from being the person God sees you as; begins to loose its grip on you when you take a step of faith. Faith is the confidence that God is greater than my resources. Gideon learned with the 300 men that were left that God s ability to accomplish His purposes is not limited by the resources we have at our disposal. The stripping away of the soldiers was not God s way to drive fear into Gideon, but to drive him to faith. So long as we can accomplish something on our, we will be proud of our selfsufficiency. But when we are in way over our heads it reminds us that God is greater than our resources. That is when we walk by faith and leave fear behind.

5 Gideon: Part 2 5 Faith is a matter of trust. Trusting in a God who is bigger and greater than our minds can fathom. So what is God saying to you in the midst of your fear? Who does God believe you to be if you will only replace your fear with faith? God didn t look for the brightest and best when he chose Gideon; but he looked for someone whose fear could be turned into faith through a few simple steps. Be a Gideon, trust in God and obey his voice and you may be surprised what happens through you!