Gideon
That's Not What I Remember • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 views"God calls us not as we are but as we are being made"
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Hail, Gideon Mighty Warrior
Hail, Gideon Mighty Warrior
As an identical twin, growing up I would constantly be called by the wrong name. My brother and I just learned to deal with it. I remember one time Troy and his now wife, Abby were dating and a friend of hers saw Autumn and I in a local big box store. It almost ended Troy’s relationship. Even our parents struggled. For most of our young and late teen years, we became accustomed to “hey twin” We were constantly misnamed and just learned to answer to whatever name was used whether it was the right one or not.
Context:
The people Israel 1210 B.C.E.
Ashkelon, Yezer is followed by the symbol of a City State ruled by kings. The symbol following Israel is for “a people”
Repeated phrase“in those days Israel had no king”
Israel was under constant threat and oppression from the Midianite Army.
The Midianites would come in at the time of the harvest and steal the Israelite resources and then burn anything that they could not carry.
Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress.
He was hiding in it and hiding his work.
Gideon receives a greeting of being a great warrior but he is in fear of the Midianites. Sure God called him by the wrong name?
God does not call us as we are but as he is making us!
The band “The Who” 1978 single, most know for the question “who are you?”
Gideon, was of the smallest tribe of Manasseh, they were weakest and he was “the least” in his family.
Let me get this straight. God calls you by a divine messenger and the response is “nope, too weak” “too insignificant” “too invisible”
But who is Gideon, really?
Gideon calls God out!
he reproves God by basically saying :God is not with me because God is not with his people.
God has been absent in the land by handing Israel over to the Midianites.
This response is likely why Gideon has been selected by God. There exists an inward courage. There has to be to speak to God and remind God of past promise and power that is absent now.
7. Chutzpah
Extreme nerve or brazenness.
The Chutzpah tradition of arguing with God as exemplified by Abraham over plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses over who was responsible for the Israelites miraculous exodus from Egypt at Mt. Sinai, and even Elijah when sent to the king. -Reformed Judaism
It comes from a culture of dignity and self worth in which all created persons are made in the image of God.
Gideon calls God out but doesn’t confess Israel’s sin nor his own. For not being confident he certainly is confident.
Build an altar and worship Yahweh
Build an altar and worship Yahweh
God orders Gideon to tear down the altar to baal and to cut down the asherah pole.
Gideon waits until night and removes the idolatrous worship places.
Gideon builds a new altar. An altar to Yahweh. God is moving back in and crushing any other worship that will get in the way. This is covenant. Exodus 20:22-26.
The altar is an intersection of the divine realm and the temporal or earthly. This building of a new altar reestablishes the covenant between God and Israel.
I Need a Sign
I Need a Sign
God is ready, Gideon is called but there is just one more thing. Who else hears a song from Train in their heads?
Self doubt is a healthy thing. It keeps us humble. is it I? Or do I just want it to be me? Gideon does a faithful act and asks God to beyond a doubt affirm that this is God’s will for Gideon.
God is patient and affirming even amidst our doubt.
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
The fleece. A blanket, something that covers us. Wet or dry God give me a sign.
“True humility is a kind of self-annihilation; and this is the centre of all virtues.”- John Wesley
Sometimes we need Caller ID.
God’s call in our lives begins with Jesus and acceptance of his grace, mercy, and making him Lord of our lives.
We can be called to a lifetime of service, a season, or a task.
God’s call takes into account your stupidity.
God’s call brings the gifts you will need to succeed.
God’s call is his promise for his continued peace and presence while the work is being accomplished.
Assurance and deliverance
Assurance and deliverance
God is not looking for our power only our presence.
God provides the power and we show up.
Paul complained about the thorn in his flesh and God’s response: 1 Corinthians 12:9 “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,”
For God is not glorified by our power, no in our weakness he is powerful. 1 Corinthians 12:26–29 “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?”
Gideon the mighty warrior was about what God would do with Gideon. God was his power and might.
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
The God of Gideon is the same God of Jesus Christ. God chooses weakness to accomplish. Gideon led the Israelites with 300 warriors. A pathetic number to win a battle but it wasn’t about their numbers and combined strength it was trusting God to show up!
Gideon accuses God of letting the Israelites down but God reveals he never lets us down. We may wander away but he remains!
God stands poised to call on us like he did of Gideon.
In the book The Next Methodism, Ryan Danker writes “We do not serve an intellectual idea, we serve a living God who will encounter us and change us. The clarion call of the early Wesleyan movement included the promise that no matter who you are, God is reaching out to you, and will meet you and make you whole.”
Romans 8:31–39“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ,
God didn’t call Gideon by mistake. God didn’t get his name wrong. God called what he knew was going appear. The weakest and smallest, most insignificant of Israel was to be uplifted, changed, and transformed. Gideon was not going to be hiding in a wine press. Gideon met the enemy on the battle field. With horn, fire, and a war cry, God brought those 300 to a miraculous, future changing victory. God revealed his power to the enemy. God has revealed that same power in Christ. the enemy thrives and thirsts for power and authority in this world. He seeks to kill, devour, and destroy but he has been defeated.