Identity (2)
Identity • Sermon • Submitted
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This is our last Sunday with Gideon, but I believe it’s one of the most important Sundays and it Starts with two words in our text this morning.
Arise and Go.
The best laid plans go Awry
There are usually two types of people in this world. Those who plan and those who don’t. Those who don’t plan often fail because as the great saying goes those who fail to plan plan to fail. But then there are those who plan. Those people who spend countless hours weighing pros and cons, worry about what ifs, and try to have an answer for every possible question that could arise.
In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.
I am a firm believer that plans are essential. The bible tells us that a man plans his steps, but God orders his path. This tell us that we are supposed to make plans, but be open to God changing them.
But no matter than plan at some point you need to Arise and Go. At some point we have transition from talking to doing. Though out this series we talked about identity and healing. We talked about How God views us despite how we view ourselves. We also learned that God has a plan for each and every one of us even if you don’t believe you are worthy of that plan.
But at some point you have to take action. No plan made by man is perfect. Every plan will fail to a certain extent, but there isn’t shame in failing there is shame in staying down. You see each of us have false beliefs in our lives or lies that we believe about ourself that we can’t seem to let go of. But God is calling us into freedom.
That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.
But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.
And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp.
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
So God calls Gideon into battle. He prepared him for this battle. We can see Gideon growing in faith as the journey toward war grew closer with each step. We can see Gideon gain confidence in being who God called and quipped him to be. But here’s what I notice.
God tells Gideon to arise and Go into war. Knowing the fear still in Gideon’s heart God is prepared to address this as well. But understand Satan is going to try to use every avenue to defeat you that he can. Even in reassurance Gideon is faces fear. Notice: the firs thing Gideon sees isn’t God, but rather the numerous enemies he is fighting against. I am more than sure part of him wanted to turn away before receiving the reassurance God wanted to give him.
You’re ascending into the camp of those who you were supposed to defeat and you can’t even count them there are so many. I can imagine the fear that would have gripped Gideon, but this is how awesome God is because Gideon may have seen the number of people, but we are blessed to see the size of the miracle.
When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”
And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”
We were just told that there were so many people they couldn’t be numbered. Hav you ever lost someone in a store when it was busy. Prior to glorious cell phones we used to have to walk around and search for people. It could take hours. I remember one time a group of friends split up and stated we would meet back when we were done. We went our sperate ways, but when we came to meet no one was there. We walked for what seemed like years, and couldn’t find them. We resorted to yelling, and going to the service desk to have them paged and it was there we finally met back up.
Gideon didn’t know what or who he was even looking for and upon entering the camp he happened to cross the two people he was meant to overhear just at the time the conversation got to the good part.
On top of that God had already planned on Gideon’s doubt before Gideon even doubted. The dream was given this man the night before Gideon was to hear it.
There are going to be many things that will attempt to stop you on the journey of fulfilling your calling and becoming who Christ made you to be. There will be times when all you feel like doing is giving up. There may be times when the only door available to you seems to lead away from where God was taking you, but If you press through God gives you ways to strengthen your faith.
The reality is there was a time where I knew there were demons in my closet I couldn’t never defeat. So I got used to them. I painted their faces, put them in pretty dresses and attempted to live with them, but no matter how you dress up your failures, insecurities, or lies you believe about yourself their still going to be ugly and they are still going to be holding you back.
No one would have blammed Gideon for walking away. Yeah they may have made fun of him, but really in their heart no one could blame him. I understand for most of us change is difficult. Staying the same is always the easier option, but isn’t always the healthier option.
So it says
As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.”
Gideon’s response when hearing this is worship. It’s human nature to desire to take credit for themselves. Hey did you hear—they are afraid of me and my sword. He could have left out the part about God, but often times we can ruin amazing callings by going at it alone. We must remember where our victory comes from. We must remember who the battle belongs to. The word says the victory is the Lord’s and the Battle belongs to the Lord. We may be used in the story, but the author of that story is God.
Likewise it isn’t up to you to make sure everything is going to work out. It’s up to you to remain faithful in all that you do. It’s up to you to press into His word.
But you know what I find humorous. The Midionite army was afraid of Gideon’s sword, but God had Gideon us horns and torches.What you have may look ridiculous to those around you, but it’s exactly what God needs at that moment. A willing heart and the tools he gave you to win the battle.