What does a tumbling loaf of
bread and 300 lappers have in common. These
are some of the signs that the Lord gave to a man named Gideon.
He looked for a sign and God showed him 300 soldiers.
He wanted more and the Lord showed him a dream of a tumbling loaf of
barley bread, which crushed a tent. How
could these things encourage a man of God to go with the Lord?
Many leaders and followers of the Lord are in a state of indecision.
We don’t know if we will go with the Lord or not.
What will you do? For
everyone who takes a step, another is encouraged and another victory has been
won. Who will be the next to take
the step to win? The avalanche can begin with a single decision.
Who will it be?
Scripture
Text: Judges 7:1 (NIV) Early in
the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring
of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of
Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to
deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me
that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, `Anyone who
trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two
thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon,
"There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will
sift them for you there. If I say, `This one shall go with you,' he shall go;
but if I say, `This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So
Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate
those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel
down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their
mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The LORD said to
Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give
the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own
place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but
kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the
others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that
night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because
I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down
to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying.
Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah
his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the
Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick
as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the
seashore. 13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream.
"I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread
came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that
the tent overturned and collapsed." 14 His friend responded, "This
can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God
has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." 15 When
Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned
to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the
Midianite camp into your hands."
Roll
On!
Will
you go with the Lord? Are you
afraid? Are you scarred? Are you sure? Do
you want to do both? Is it
possible? Do you want a sign?
If you knew the will of God for your life would you do it?
1.
What about the battles? We
are in a war. Our
enemy is the sinful nature, the world, and the devil.
The war is for the lives of people.
Without God we will all perish.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the
full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full
armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
The
war within?
Indecision, skepticism, unbelief, evil influences, and discouragement
are the feelings that must be overcome. What
will you do? Can you do nothing?
Yes, but then you are doing something.
You aren’t involved in the Lord’s work.
This is a call to action and arms for people of the Lord.
The
war without?
Our battles are for the lives and souls of people.
Who will win them? We must
go to war to set the captives free. People
must see the light. Will we shine
the light for folks to see the truth and have a choice in their eternal
destination?
2.
What about the leaders?
Are you sure you want to go with the Lord?
Are you sure the Lord can give you the victory?
The battle isn’t for everyone. Are
you in? Or are you out?
Do you want to know where the church is?
Then you must ask where are the leaders of that church.
When you find out where are the leaders of the church then you will
discover the church.
Who
will step up to be who God is calling you to be?
This is not a picnic but an opportunity to hear the voice of the one
true living God and answer his call. This
is war.
Will
the church be victorious? Will we
go God’s way? If you knew
that the church would be victorious then would you go into battle?
Will the church get into the battle?
Can God’s people ever loose?
3.
What about God?
Will
we go to fight for the Lord with the Lord?
Go into Battle with the Lord. Don’t
run away. See the proof of God.
See His work in creation. His
work in others testimony. See His
work in rising from the dead. See
His work in community. See His
work in you. See He is for real
and He will accomplish His work in you and in others.
Look to the Lord for your courage.
We often take our lead and our courage from people, but the Lord
challenges us to look to Him. A
roll of bread with God is more powerful than a gigantic army without Him. God wants people to see that He is God.
The
Rest of the story:
God gave the victory when the leader and the people followed the
Lord’s direction. Gideon and
his 300 men won the battle with the Lord.
Will we/you? Will you
enlist today to go into battle with the Lord?
This is war.