IT DOESN’T TAKE A LOT 

         

MATT. 17:19-20 

          Here the disciples of Jesus come to Him after finding that they were incapable of casting a demon out of a young man.  They questioned why Jesus was able to do it but they were not.  Jesus responded that their unbelief was a hinderance.  He then went on to tell them that with only a little faith nothing would be impossible to them.  I don’t know if you have ever seen a mustard seed, but it really is a very tiny seed.  However the people in that day were very familiar with the mustard plant and its seed.  So they were well award of the point Jesus was making.  His point was and still is, when God is involved in the situation, “IT DOESN’T TAKE A LOT” to get the job done.  We have other examples of this in the life of Jesus.  In Matt. 14 Jesus took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed over 5000 people and in Matt. 15 He repeated this miracle by taking 7 loaves and a few fish and feeding over 4000 people.  But we see Jesus as different from us and rightly so.  He is divine and we are only human.  But the power of the Holy Ghost that operated in the life of Christ is available to us as well. And when God, in any form is involved in the situation it does not take a lot to get the job done.  It does not take a lot of money.  It doesn’t take a lot of influence.  It doesn’t take a  lot of resources and not even a lot of people.  Today I want to continue looking at a Bible character that will illustrate this point.

 

JUDGES 6:1, 11-16

          In the last message we talked about Gideon and the Children of Israel.  We saw that the Children of Israel had sinned against God and that God had caused them to be oppressed by the Midianites.  We saw how God called Gideon with the intent of using him to deliver the Israelites.  We talked about how Gideon felt unqualified; how he was afraid and how his fear caused him to Doubt God.  We looked at how God gave Gideon an opportunity to strengthen his faith by pulling down the altar of Baal and seeing God deliver him from the people. 

JUDGES 6:33-40 

There are 3 important points to be seen here.   

First, before acting on the commission of God, wait on the anointing of God.  Though out both the Old and the New Testaments we see that God anointed those he commissioned. 

Second, don’t move without the plan of God.  Gideon had the anointing of God but he did not wait for the plan of God.  Gideon decided to gather him an army.  It is obvious that this was not the plan of God, for most of these were later sent home.  What we think we should do might seem right in the natural, but if God assigns the task, then He has a perfect plan for how it is to be accomplished. 

Third, don’t doubt God.    We talked about this in the last message.  Many time we put out a fleece before God.  We say God if you want this to happen then do this.  We say that we are simply trying to confirm God’s will.  Gideon had no need to confirm God’s will.  God had spoken to him twice (vs. 14, 16).  Gideon had accepted the fact that God was talking to him; he built the altar in verse 24, tore down Baal’s altar  and rebuilt God’s altar in verse 27.  Putting out the fleece was an act of doubt. We must choose to act in faith, trusting what we know God has said to us. 

JUDGES 7:1-3

          In Chapter seven we begin to see the plan of God unfold.  By the time Gideon has finished amassing his army, he has 32000 men.  We do not know exactly how many Midianites there were, but from chapter 8:10 we can estimate a minimum of 135000, 120000 of whom were soldiers.  God looking at Gideon’s army said he had too many men.  He sent home 22,000 fearful.    Imagine Gideon’s panic.  He did not know how many men were in the enemy’s camp but he could surely see that it was more than 10,000.  God knew that   in the heat of battle, the fearful might turn and run, and discourage others from continuing the fight.  Fear is like a ripple on the ocean; with a strong wind and  undercurrent, it becomes a huge wave, growing swiftly as if advances.  The best thing to do is stop the wave before it starts.  God also knew that it did not take 32,000 men to do the task He had in mind. 

Judges 7:4-7

           The remaining 10000 was still too many.   It was easier and quicker to drink water from a stream by getting on your knees, but from this position one would be less attentive and  less prepared for attack.   The 9700 sent back represent those who would not be attentive to the task for self motivated reasons. 

When God was finished pruning Gideon’s army there were only 300 men left (a 98% reduction).  God intended to wipe out a swarm of Midianites with a meager army of 300.  From 32000 to 300.  God does not need large numbers.  He only needs those whom He has qualified for the task. 

Judges 7:9-15 - Realizing that the task to Gideon appeared great and that Gideon was fearful, God wanted him to understand and be assured that God was fighting for him.  The victory was already won before Gideon even went to battle.  When we stand against the enemy, to do the will of God, we can be assured that the victory is ours.  We need only to present ourselves for battle, prepared and equipped by God.  God put a fear in Gideon’s enemies before Gideon even arrived.  (Matt 8:28-29 -Art though come to torment us before the time-- cast in herd of pigs). 

Judges 7:16-25 

          When we are doing a work for God it is important that we follow the plan of God.  God will take a few people, properly positioned and equipped by God to bring about His purpose.  We might wonder about the equipment God chooses and the timing of His plan, but even our wondering  it is important that we realize that all equipment is important and should be properly used and that God’s timing is perfect.

          There are 5 things they were instructed to do. 

1.  Hide the torches in pitchers.  Why? So that the enemy would not see them approaching. Now the light of the Gospel we are not to hide.  But God has hidden some treasures in us.  Treasures that he intends to expose to the enemy in due time.  Satan does not know everything about me.  He may know events that have occurred.  he may even know how the old Pam might have reacted to certain stimuli.  But he does not know the work that God has done in me, or what my response might be.  He does not know how God intends to use me and what parts of my life God intends to use and for what purpose.   God has fixed some things and now they are hidden treasures at His disposal. 

2.  Surround the enemy.  Attack from all sides.  This confuses the enemy.  This is a tactic that the enemy uses against us.  He rarely attacks only one area of our lives at a time.  Many churches only preach salvation.  But we must address salvation, healing, deliverance from oppression and possession.  We must address prosperity, financial and spiritual.  I John 3:8 says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil.  As directed by God, the Church must address every work of the enemy and be willing to assist Jesus in destroying it.         

3.  Sound the trumpet.  Take the offensive, attack the enemy.  So often as Christians we assume a defensive posture with the enemy.  We appear to be content with holding the ground that we currently possess.  We fail to put him on the defensive.  We need to make the enemy struggle to protect his own camp (Chess - always be attacking a piece that is more valuable than the piece you stand to lose)  We need to be attacking more.  But many times we only initiate an attack when forced to.  We don’t take the offense because we value what we may lose more than what we will gain.  (friendship more than a soul, image more than deliverance, etc) 

4.  Remember the battle cry.  Though in the interpretation of the dream it was the sword of Gideon alone, Gideon knew that the battle was really God.  It was the sword of the Lord, used by Gideon.  We often say that the battle is not ours but it is the Lord’s, then we fight like it is our battle.   Whatever part in this war that God has instructed us to participate in, we must still remember that we are simply volunteer soldiers.  The strategy is God’s and weapons are tools that He has instructed us to use.  No matter what part we play, our battle cry must always be “For the Glory of our Lord and the Building of His Kingdom”. 

5.  Break the pitcher.  When the pitcher was broken the flames of the torch ignite into bright flames.  In order for the light to be seen, the pitcher had to be sacrificed.  If the hidden treasure that God has placed in each of us is to come forth, we must be willing to be broken.  The bright light of the image of Christ can not clearly be seen through the mulch and mire left by our past  lives.  We must choose to submit every crevice, every thought, every action to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit, so that the light of Jesus can shine forth and be seen in us. 

In following this strategy, Gideon and his men never lad to lift a sword.  The enemy defeated themselves.  Like Gideon, when God ask us to do something, the task might seem to be too great, but we need only to submit to Him, act in spite of our fears, use the equipment He provides in the appropriate manner and time, trust Him and follow His game plan.  God did with 300 choice men, what Gideon feared could not be done with 32000 men.  When we are anointed by God, following the plan of God, without doubting God, it doesn’t take a lot to get the task done.