Step by Step

Pastor John Talcott
Christ's Community Church

Read Part 2

(8/6) I am so glad to have all of you with us today. We are in part three of our message series Divine Direction and we’re going to look at Judges chapters six and seven. In this text, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, giving him direction, but he had to get in line with what God was doing.

Now, he couldn’t see it in that moment or that season, because all he could see was oppression, chaos, and disorder. But just like in the beginning when God said,

"Let there be light,"… there was light" (Genesis 1:3).

And so, when the Lord speaks, when he comes in, when he steps into your chaos, he brings some revelation, some illumination to your situation, and he begins to set things in order. We need that because we want to plan the course of our lives, but the truth is, it’s the Lord who determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

And so, not only is he the light of the world, but he is also the hope of the world. And in our text today, the people of God had been suffering greatly under the oppression of the Midianites because they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. And so, for seven years they ravaged the land, just as it was time to gather the harvest, the Midianites came swarming through the land like a pestilence, devouring the Israelites crops, and leaving the people in poverty. But in the eighth year, God called the most unlikely man to become a great conqueror and the deliverer of his people.

I believe that in many ways, Gideon’s story is our story. Now, I know that there are some of you who have it all together, but for the rest of us that have broken, imperfect, and messed up lives, Gideon is going to be a source of great encouragement. And so, for those of you who need Divine Direction, who have things you need to overcome, who have a hard time accepting yourself for who you are, or maybe believing that God could use you in a significant way, this message is for you.

In fact, I am preaching to myself, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to act like I have it all together, because the truth is that God knew who I was just like he knew who you were when he called you. The Bible says it this way in first Corinthians,

"God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

You see, the truth is that we’ve all had moments when we didn’t feel like we had it in us, moments when we just wanted to give up, and I’m no different than you. I’ve had those Sunday afternoons where I felt completely poured out like Paul, or discouraged like Elijah, just wondering what I am doing here. And so, is it okay if I am real with you, because when we look in the Bible at the people whom God used, none of them were perfect either.

And so, when God called you, he didn’t call you because you were so good, or because you had it all together; but he called you to greater things. In the same way, the Bible says in verse 11,

"The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites" (Judges 6:11).

Gideon came from the least powerful family in his community, he was youngest in his family, and he felt totally and completely inadequate to effectively contribute anything to his people.

In fact, he was in hiding, because he was in occupied territory. And so, he was threshing wheat in a winepress, in a place where nobody would expect him to be threshing wheat. Not only that, but he was surrounded by pagan idolatry, and even his own family had turned away from the worship of the God of Israel. And so, he felt disconnected, unworthy, and was in hiding when suddenly, the angel of the Lord shows up. He says to Gideon,

"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" (Judges 6:12-13).

And that’s a legitimate question, one that many of us have asked from time to time. Gideon recognizes that what was being said about him didn’t line up with the life he was living. And so, he couldn’t understand why the Lord was saying these things to him and he asked,

"Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' (Because) now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian" (Judges 6:13).

And so, Gideon is struggling between his culture and God’s promises, where he lives and where he wants to be, as he is hiding in a winepress and trying to glean a harvest of wheat before it is stolen. And he’s trying to walk by faith and not by sight, but he is wondering, "Why has all this happened to us?"

The Lord turned to him in verse 14 and said,

"Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:14).

"But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together" (Judges 6:15-16).

In other words, the Lord said, "I’m going to use you to destroy the Midianites, and we’re going to do this together." And yet, in spite of God’s promise to be with him and give him the strength he needed, Gideon made excuses, seeing only his limitations and weaknesses.

Maybe you’ve been in that situation where you wondered why God called you, and you’ve made excuses because you fail to see how he could work through you. But instead of reminding God of our limitations, we should remember that God promises us the power, the tools and strength we need. That’s what dawned on Gideon, he recognized he was in the presence of God and he worshiped him for his faithfulness.

"He exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!" But the Lord said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace" (Judges 6:22-24).

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them" (Judges 6:34-35).

I love this because the Lord never calls you to do anything that he doesn’t also empower you to do. And so, early in the morning, Gideon and his army went as far as the spring of Harod. The army of Midian was camped north of them, down in the valley beside the hill of Moreh. And once again the Lord came to Gideon and said,

"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, 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" (Judges 7:2-3).

And so, Gideon had started with 32,000 men. He gave permission for those who were afraid to fight to leave and 22,000 men left. But there were still too many men, and so the Lord said,

"Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there" (Judges 7:4).

So, Gideon took the men down to the water and there the Lord told him,

"Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink" (Judges 7:5-6).

And so, this was a very simple test, the Lord said, "Separate those who kneel, putting their faces down to the water, from those who scoop the water up in their hands." And so, the Lord separated out 300 men who kept their heads up, remaining alert, bringing the water up to their mouths in their hands.

"The Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands" (Judges 7:7).

The remaining 9,700 reckless men were discharged along with the 22,000 fearful men, leaving Gideon with just a small battalion of 300 warriors, in order that no one in Israel would boast that it was their own strength that saved them. And the Lord reassured Gideon that with just those 300 men he would save him and give the Midianites into his hands.

I wonder where are those 300 mighty warriors who are able to worship, watch, and pray? Anybody in this place? You see, God doesn’t need an army, he just needs 300 who are self-controlled and alert. Just 300 who know that their enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

In our text today, the Lord separated Gideon’s army based on their ability to be courageous, trusting the Lord, and drinking while keeping their eyes on their surroundings. In other words, getting what they needed, but at the same time remaining alert and prepared to fight.

Last week, we talked about focus, looking to the Lord over and above the enemy, and trusting the Lord to fight our battles. I believe that here in our text today the Lord chose those 300 warriors based on their ability to do just that. But I’ll be honest with you, I often wonder why God didn’t send me home with the other 9,700 men? In fact, I’m not even sure how I made it through the first cut, because I’m not even comfortable speaking in front of people, and so maybe he should’ve sent me home with the 22,000 fearful men. But what I realize is that the Lord doesn’t look at the things man looks at, the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

And so, I think God called me and kept me, he didn’t send me home with the others, because I had the faith to believe that his grace was sufficient for me and that his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, he wants to use you when you feel unworthy, because when God uses you in your weakness, you’ll never try to take credit for the victory. And so, there is a purpose, a method in all of this, and we simply need to trust God in the process. "That’s why," like the apostle Paul said,

"For Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).

But some of you have been in a holding pattern, God promised you victory, but you have allowed the enemy to hold you hostage. And so, my prayer is that as God’s word sinks into your heart that you will have the courage to step out in faith, taking delight in your weaknesses, knowing that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Now, Gideon was hiding, threshing wheat in a wine press, when God called him. He didn’t look like a mighty warrior, he wasn’t acting like one, he didn’t demonstrate it, he certainly wasn’t operating in it, but everything was about to change. Because in verse 15, his new identity begins to manifest itself, as Gideon talking like a seasoned military leader, tells the 300 soldiers,

"Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands." "Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside" (Judges 7:15-16).

And so, he takes this army handpicked by the Lord and he arms them for battle. Not with machine guns and hand grenades because, "We do not wage war as the world does" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). But he arms his men with trumpets, empty jars, and torches.

Now, I want you to recognize that he doesn’t understand any of this, but God is directing his steps. Those words that God had spoken over him have begun to transform him, because what God says is going to be. And yet there are a few of you today who are struggling to believe what He said about you. But the truth is that even if you see something else, what God says will always stand in spite of what you see.

You see, if God is for us, who can be against us? In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And the Lord has declared,

"You’re going to be the head and not the tail… Always at the top and never at the bottom… (Deuteronomy 28:13).

But the truth is, many of us spend all of our time battling within ourselves, because this warfare is going on in our minds. And so, we find ourselves struggling, stumbling, easily swayed by the lies of the devil when he tells us, "You can’t do it, you’ll never be, or you’ll never become." And we begin to believe what the enemy said over God’s declaration that,

"The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

And so, I wonder where are those 300 mighty men and women? Those of you, that will stand in agreement with God, believing what he said.

You see, God didn’t base his declaration of Gideon on what he saw at that moment, but he spoke prophetically. This is our God who said,

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come" (Isaiah 46:10).

In other words, our God speaks from eternity past, he declared where Gideon would end up and not where he currently was. In the same way, he speaks to you from eternity past, he doesn’t speak from time, he’s not moved by where you are today, because he knows where you’re going to be in eternity.

I believe God is looking for a few good men and women who will begin to train their minds to see what God has said. Those who will study his word, declaring his word, and owning the task of getting God’s enemies out of the way. You see, those who believe are warriors, we’re taking over territory, we’re not asking permission, we don’t have time to take sides, because we’re going to go wherever he tells us to go.

You see, the Lord is looking for 300 that will get in position, that will move out and surround the enemy, believing that if God said it, we can do it. And Gideon said, "Watch me."

He told them, "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon" (Judges 7:17-18).

"Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard" (Judges 7:19).

"They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" (Judges 7:19-20).

Have you ever been sound asleep when you were awakened by the sound of something breaking? And suddenly, you’re wide-awake, but you’re confused because you were sleeping.

Well, the Bible says, in the middle of the night they were awakened by the sound of something breaking. Confused, they got up, they saw fire surrounding them, they heard a trumpet sound, and it caused confusion. Meanwhile, the 300 held their position around the camp as…

"All the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled" (Judges 7:21).

And so, they’d been sleeping and when they heard the sound of breaking all around the camp it confused them so badly that they panicked. But then the Bible says,

"When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords" (Judges 7:22).

I am believing that God is about to release a sound and as you declare his Word, it’s going to send confusion into the camp of your enemy, and instead of attacking you the enemy is going to turn on each other.

Some of you, like Gideon, have experienced the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It could be something really big or something seemingly insignificant, but no matter what it is, every time the Spirit of God prompts you it is important, because God doesn’t give us details. Instead, he leads us step-by-step just as David said,

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalms 119:105).

In other words, God’s word is not a spotlight shining into the future, it is a light for our path today.

Gideon knew that he’d been called a mighty warrior, that he’d been called to deliver his people from the Midianites, but he didn’t understand the details. He asked for a sign, he wanted the details, because we always want details. We want to know steps four, five, and six, but God is not going to show us steps four, five, and six, until we take steps one, two, and three.

We want to plan the course of our lives, but the Bible says it’s the Lord who determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9). That’s why we’re supposed to walk by faith and not by sight. And when we do, the Lord says, "I will show you the next step,

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go" (Psalms 32:8).

Gideon was compelled by the Spirit of God, he wrestled with doubts and uncertainty, but God was breaking things off of him that were holding him back. And I love the symbolism of Gideon’s army breaking the jars, because the jar is made of clay, and the Lord said,

"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand" (Jeremiah 18:6).

And so, like Gideon, you are in the Lord’s hand, and he wants you to break, letting go of your plans, your will, and your strength. Not resisting, not saying to the potter, "What are you making?" (Isaiah 45:9). But being willing to live with a little uncertainty every now and then, being willing to break the jar, waving the torch, and blowing the trumpet, because it’s only then that you’ll be living by faith and not by sight.

And so, this is our battle cry, this is our warfare, it starts with the sound, then there is something that is seen, and it’s followed by another sound. That is our worship, it’s a shout of praise, because we’re in warfare mode. There was a breaking, a waving of your torch, as Jesus said,

"Let your light shine" (Matthew 5:16).

And so, you want to wave your torch, wave your testimony, letting your light shine, because this is our warfare. And we want to make a sound, because that’s our battle cry, we want to bring praise and glory to our Father in heaven.

This is our divine direction, we know this is where he is leading us, because wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, we’re doing it all for the glory of Jesus, bringing praise to our Father in heaven. And so, we don’t really need to worry so much about the future as we need to be obedient today. When we are obedient today, doing exactly what God wants us to do, step-by-step we make our plans, and the Lord determines our steps.

Read Part 4

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott