WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.719 And it's Memorial Day. 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.360 Happy Memorial Day. 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:06.160 I always like to congratulate people who come to church on Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.599 Always feels I just like to know that there's other people with me when I show up. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:10.160 That's nice. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:12.000 And so, congratulations, good for you. 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.400 We'll put some extra credit in the church role. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:17.760 We don't really have a church role, but if we did, I'll give you a little extra credit. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:18.320 Great job. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:21.039 And what we do want to say is we do want to remember. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.839 We want to remember people who have served in our military, armed forces. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:29.199 We sit here on a legacy. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:36.000 We sit here on a legacy of sacrifice of people who have fought and earned and continue to fight and defend our liberty. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:44.479 And so if that is you, if you did that, or you're a family member and you had a family member who did that, we just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.560 And we want to pause and we want to pray. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:51.600 This is a prayer taken out of the book of common prayer that many churches will be praying this morning. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:58.560 So let's let's pray together, um thinking about Memorial Day, and those of us around us that have served for our own liberty. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.079 Let's pray together. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:12.799 O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:22.400 Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:27.280 This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:28.400 Amen. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:32.239 So we are continuing in the book of Judges. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:38.400 This morning, as we're in Judges 7, it's an incredibly helpful story to us. 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:48.000 In some ways, we're gonna read it here, a lot of us, and it can kind of feel like really challenging or awful news to a certain extent, but it's actually how faith and breakthrough work in life. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:52.879 And because of that, it's actually really, really good news, although it's gonna be challenging to many of us. 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:59.200 Our scripture reading, uh jumping off, there's two kind of large chunks of reading that we need to do to make our way through this chapter. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:03.040 Uh the first one is Judges 7, 2 through 8. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:15.439 The Lord said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, My own hand has saved me. 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:24.639 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:30.639 Then twenty two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:34.800 And the Lord said to Gideon, The people are still too many. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:47.599 Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and any one of whom I say to you, this one shall go with you, shall go with you, and anyone whom I say to you, this one shall not go with you, shall not go. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:57.120 So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, Everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.599 Likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:05.680 And the number of those who lapped put their hands to their mouths was three hundred men. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:08.879 But all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:19.360 And the Lord said to Gideon, With the three hundred men who lapped, I will save you, and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go, every man to his home. 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:31.439 So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets, and he sent all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men, and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.520 The word of the Lord. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:34.879 Thanks be to God. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.400 So growing up, my favorite tennis player was Andre Agassi. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.919 I don't know if you remember Andre Agassi. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:41.439 Here's a picture of Andre Agassiz. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:45.680 So this was like early 90s, 1990, and he came up. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:46.879 This was this was cool. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:48.159 Okay, can we just say that? 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.479 If you remember it, this was really cool. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:54.479 I think I had his shoes, I think I had a couple of his shirts. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:04:10.319 This was, he came on the scene about he was like 18, 19 years old, and he came on the scene of being a professional tennis player into like a really stuffy tennis environment and culture, and he broke out, he was like the rebel, and he wore black and neon colors. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.319 He I mean he was he was so cool. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:13.599 I mean, he had it going on. 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:18.560 So one day he shows up, Cannon, he was he was Canon was one of his big sponsors. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:27.199 He shows up to a commercial shoot with Cannon, and he gets there and he shows up and he sits down and they dress him and they tell him what to say. 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:33.040 And the the line is, and maybe you remember it because this has become sort of an iconic advertising campaign. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:42.000 I mean, to the point that Michael Scott quotes it in off the office, season two, episode four, just in case you're wondering if you're not familiar with that. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:43.600 Image is everything. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:44.319 Do you remember that? 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:45.199 Image is everything. 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:46.240 Or maybe you've heard it, right? 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.199 Like it's become just something that we say over and over again. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.439 And he was the image, Agassiz. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:55.600 He was the image of like young, successful, cool. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:56.800 I mean, he had it going on. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.560 I mean, he he was the guy. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:00.959 He ran around celebrities, he married a model. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:02.639 I mean, like he had it. 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:04.399 One problem, he wasn't happy. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:06.959 Big problem in the whole equation of things, right? 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:08.639 And his hair's falling out. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:09.839 That's the other problem. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:12.639 And that was a big deal because he had that beautiful, right? 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:13.839 You saw that beautiful hair. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:16.000 He had that beautiful long hair. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:21.360 And every morning he was he was waking up and like more hair was on the pillow. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:25.120 Like he says it was like his identity was laying on the pillow. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:25.839 Anyone? 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.519 You lost your hair, you know about that, right? 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:28.879 I got a little spot right here. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:30.160 I'm just kind of watching it. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.920 I'm telling you guys, y'all don't see it because I'm so tall, so I'm gonna make it a little bit longer. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:35.680 But I know, I know. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:38.319 So he begins to wear a toupee. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.439 He wears a toupee, he wears a weave, he gets all this going on. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:42.959 Nobody, nobody knows. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.879 And it's the night before the 1990 French Open. 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:50.240 He's in the shower and the weave starts to come out. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:51.519 Right? 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:57.759 And he's about to be on global television, one of the biggest, biggest tournaments in the entire world. 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:01.120 So he and his brother frantically try to like pin it back together. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.399 They get a bandana, they try to get it tied, just perfect. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.680 And here's what Agassiz writes in his autobiography, Open. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:19.279 Of course I could have played without my hair piece, but what would all the journalists have written if they knew that all the time I was wearing, really wearing a wig? 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:26.959 During the warming up training before I before played, I prayed, not for victory, but that my hair piece would not fall off. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.319 With each leap, I imagine it falling to the sand. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:41.759 I imagine it millions of spectators move closer to their TV sets, their eyes widening, and in dozens of dialects and languages ask how Andre Agassi's hair has fallen from his head. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:44.560 So of course he lost the match. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.360 Like to a guy that he should have wiped off the court. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:54.160 And then afterward, after losing the match, his wife suggests to him, why don't you shave it? 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:55.439 Just shave your head. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:57.439 Just be done with it. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:06.639 And so he takes a few days to sort of like contemplate this like possibility of going from long hair, images, everything, and being done with it. 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:08.240 Here's what he says. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.759 It was like suggesting I should have all my teeth out. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:18.079 Nevertheless, I thought for a few days about it, about the agonies that caused me, the hypocrisy and lies. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:20.480 Okay, then he goes on, he shaves it. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:25.279 Here's what he says: A stranger stood before me in the mirror and smiled. 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:33.439 My wig was like a chain, and the ridiculously long strands and three colors like an iron ball which hung on it. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.680 So what he's talking about, that's such a perfect imagery for this passage. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:44.639 I mean, we wouldn't always like put these side by side, but it really is because it's speaking about embracing our weakness. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:50.399 See, pretending to be strong all the time, like needing the 32,000 men. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:53.920 Pretending to think that that's going to be the way forward. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:56.240 That's exhausting. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.759 Like pretending to be strong is exhausting because you're not always strong. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:01.040 That's why. 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:02.959 Our bodies are failing. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:04.480 We are getting older. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.040 If you're really young, you will get older. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.040 We're not morally perfect. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:11.120 Our motives are not always pure. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:12.720 We don't always have it together. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:13.680 Here's the good news. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:14.560 That's a lot of bad news. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:15.360 Here's the good news. 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:21.120 The good news is the Bible is not obsessed with like really strong put-together people. 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:23.680 And that's incredibly good news. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:28.160 God actually calls us to face and feel and confess our weaknesses. 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.000 I mean, let's just review Judges 6. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:31.360 Last week, Judges 6. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:35.600 Judges 6, 2 through 6 is about Israel's total helplessness. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:38.639 Judges 6, 15 is about Israel's obscurity. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:40.320 Now the hero comes in. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:41.600 Here's the hero. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:42.720 Gideon. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.080 Judges 6, 27. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:45.759 It's about Gideon's fear. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:52.879 Judges 6, 26 through 40 is just overall about Gideon's need for additional encouragement after being called. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:59.039 So our first point is this God draws us toward our weakness to welcome and change us in his strength. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.039 See that's the way that there's breakthrough. 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.879 The way that there's breakthrough is in facing feeling and confessing weakness. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:14.480 Judges 7 begins with Gideon's gathered together 32,000 men to fight a battle against these Midianites who've been stealing. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:17.440 Remember last week we talked about they've been stealing their food, raiding their land. 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:18.639 So he has called together. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.720 He's got 32,000 men at the spring of Herod. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.960 So you'd be feeling pretty good about yourself. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:26.320 Be feeling pretty good. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:26.799 Not bad. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:28.399 32,000. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:38.639 See, this is also the difference between like religion and gospel being played out right here because religion says you have 32,000 men, now go and fight the battle all by yourself. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:41.360 Pat yourself on the back, God will love you. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:50.159 Gospel says, no, no, no, God comes down the mountain into your weakness, into your 300 men, and fights the battle for you. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.480 And that's the story we get. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:55.440 And that's what God is trying to tell in this story. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:56.480 Right? 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:58.639 I mean, can you imagine? 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.200 You're sitting there with 32,000 men. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:07.200 And then the story is that God cuts it down to 10,000 men? 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:09.519 I mean, in one moment? 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:17.600 I mean, can you imagine the words that are starting to come out of your mouth in that moment that now you have to go into a battle with less resources? 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:20.720 I mean, just fill in the blank for what your battle is. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:22.000 I don't know what your battle is. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.080 It's the thing that feels impossible. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:25.200 That's what it is. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.279 Just the thing that feels overwhelming. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:29.840 The thing that feels so exhausting. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:32.080 The part of you that's so condemning. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:36.320 Go into that with enough resources, you're feeling pretty good. 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:39.279 Now let's just get rid of those resources down to 10,000 men. 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:40.720 I mean, come on. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:41.360 Like, why? 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.360 Now let's just cut it to 300 men. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:45.039 I don't even know what the percentage is on that. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:46.080 Like, I think it's less than 1%. 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:47.120 I didn't do the math. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:48.080 It's horrible, right? 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:50.080 Like, like, what a cut. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.879 Like, I want increase to go into something difficult, not decrease. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:57.360 And God is in this situation decreasing. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.759 The reason is that, like, he's on a mission within a mission. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.039 And this leads us into the next point. 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.440 In our weakness, we are opened. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.120 And here's the mission within the mission. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.039 This is what this story is really about. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:16.159 In our weakness, we are open to God's strength and peace beyond our resources. 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:25.519 The point of facing and feeling, confessing our weaknesses, our sin, our shame, our woundedness, dealing with all of that. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:29.360 The point of that is to be in greater relationship with the Heavenly Father. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:33.120 Now you can pretend to be strong for a really long period of time. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:39.120 Some of us can do it for 20 years, some of you are going to do it for 40 years, but there's going to be a point where you burn out and break down. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.360 And now you'll have to face your weakness. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.000 And that's where you need a relationship with the Heavenly Father. 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:47.919 You needed it a whole time, but that's going to be the point where you finally break. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:52.799 In the 14th century, a lady named Julian, she lived in Norwich, England. 00:11:52.879 --> 00:12:01.440 So at the time, 14th century, this was the Hundred Years' War was going on, the black plague, black death pandemic had come through. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:05.440 One third of the population of her town died. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:07.759 Okay, let's just think about our last year. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:08.960 Not even close. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:13.360 Okay, like this was COVID without hospitals and without modern science. 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:16.639 A third of the people she knew died. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:23.279 Just take out a third of all the people you know, your family, your friends, your community, your neighborhood, a third gone. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:36.080 And here's what she writes This vision of the cross was shown me to teach me as I understand it that it is necessary for everyone to feel in this way. 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:42.159 Sometimes to be comforted, and sometimes to feel failure and be left to oneself. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:52.080 God wants us to know that He keeps us equally safe in joy and in sorrow and loves us as much in sorrow as in joy. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.840 And see, that's freedom. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.559 That's the reality of the world, and that's freedom. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:01.200 If God only loves us in joy, that's not a lot of freedom because there's a lot of days that aren't that. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:07.679 But if we are as safe in sorrow as in joy, that's an incredible freedom that God is always with us. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.919 Now remember, Jesus said, right? 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:12.960 He said that he came for sinners, for the weak. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:20.480 Not because there are weak people who need Jesus, and then there's strong people who don't need Jesus. 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.000 That's not why he said that. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.240 He said that because there are people who realize there are weak. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:31.519 And then there's those who are still pretending they're strong. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:34.879 Remember Paul, he's talking about his weakness. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:35.440 Remember this? 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:38.240 I think we I think I referenced it last week, 2 Corinthians 12, 9. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:39.200 He talks about his weakness. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:41.039 He can't just give he can't get rid of this weakness. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:42.159 It just stays there, right? 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:44.559 Like the impossibility thing in your life right now, right? 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:46.240 That thing you just thought about. 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:48.159 It just doesn't go away. 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:50.240 And here's how God responds to him. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:55.919 And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:57.600 Therefore I will boast. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.600 This is how Paul responds to that truth. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:06.080 Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:11.039 So that word boast means to glorify or rejoice. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:14.000 So he's gonna rejoice in his weakness. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:15.840 That's crazy, right? 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.039 Like that's crazy. 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:22.879 That's the thing we ignore, stuff down, don't pay attention to, cover up, cope, whatever. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.840 But now Paul says, I'm gonna rejoice in it. 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:29.679 Here's how Scotty Smith worded it this week on his prayer blog. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:32.799 Boasting and weakness is freedom. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:36.639 Posing and pretending are slavery. 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:40.879 Humility is the way up, and pride is the way down. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:48.559 See, the more we come alive to Jesus' full sufficiency for us, the more aware we can become of our weakness. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:56.240 And the more we can face our weakness, the more alive we can be to the love of God, and that's where we have breakthrough. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:04.080 So God's not calling us into weakness and confession of sin to deal with all this, to make us utterly miserable. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:07.840 He's calling us into this because we are already weak. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:17.600 And by getting past performance and posing and pretending and moving into humility, this is the way of the cross, it's the way of faith, and it is the way of breakthrough and freedom. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:20.720 Here's the next chunk of scripture for us to read. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:22.879 Judges 7, 9 through 15. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:29.279 That same night the Lord said to him, Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:41.919 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Pura, your servant, and you shall hear what they say, and afterwards your hand shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:47.440 Then he went down with Pura his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:57.759 And the Midianites, the Malachites, 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. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:04.799 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade, and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:16.879 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. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:23.679 And his comrade answered, This is no other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the man of Israel. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.639 God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.480 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:36.080 He returned to the camp of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:45.600 So if we catch verse 10 at the beginning of that passage, what I love about that is it says, But God, the Lord says to Gideon, but if you're afraid. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:49.120 I actually love that because it's like he knows Gideon at this point. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.039 Like he knows us at this point, but if you're afraid, it's like saying, Of course you're afraid. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.000 You're gonna be afraid. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:56.960 So I gotta stay in this relationship with you. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.759 It's not like you're just gonna march and battle and conquer all these battles. 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:03.919 I'm gonna be with you in this, giving you encouragement all along the way. 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:08.319 God moves into Gideon's fear to create courage. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:26.480 So for me, I think the gospel application for me, at least this week, what came to me is like as we move toward our weakness, and maybe that's when you feel anxious or moody, it could you could be feeling lonely or despondent or numb, guilty. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:27.839 I mean, all these things. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.799 These feelings of weaknesses in us. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:35.519 We can ask, Lord, what am I afraid of? 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.480 What do I need to surrender? 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:43.599 So that would include what I need to confess. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.759 And then you can play, Lord, Lord, help me. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:47.039 Help me trust. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.599 See, I I love the question that starts with what am I afraid of? 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:57.519 Because we're told that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.400 Okay, we're also told that we're called to be people of love in the world. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:08.240 And then we know that there's no fear and love, and then we're told that God is love. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:17.279 So knowing all of that, like what's true and good, a good question is probably like, what am I afraid of? 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:22.960 Like, what can that reveal if I'm willing to go into that question? 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:28.880 Now, Gideon, he divides the 300 men into three parts. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:34.880 Each man is given a trumpet and a jar with a torch in it. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:43.920 They encircle the camp, and then on his call signal, they blow their trumpets, they smash their jars, and they yell out for the Lord and for Gideon. 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:45.599 So this is how they battle. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.960 This is how they battle. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.599 Just utterly ridiculous, really, if you think about it. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:52.559 One hand's a trumpet, one hand's a torch. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.400 No swords. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.680 I mean, nothing of real warfare at all. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:02.400 And all of Midian is thrown into chaos and they flee. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:04.319 I mean, it doesn't make sense. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:06.160 It doesn't make sense. 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:07.359 And that's the point. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:09.200 Actually, the point was that it wouldn't make sense. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.359 We were told that at the very beginning of the chapter. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.960 Like, that's why it went from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300, right? 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:22.319 Is because the Lord was saying, hey, I want to make sure you understand when you go through a battle and you make it through. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:23.920 Like, I am with you. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:26.880 It's that I am with you, that I am your strength. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:32.240 Like, you need to know this, Israel needs to know this, we need to know this today. 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:38.400 To close us, we think about verse 15 that Gideon's response was worship. 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:45.920 Point number three is this our response to God's faithfulness is gratitude and worship. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:49.759 Last Sunday, Phil Mickelson won the PGA championship. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.559 Anybody watched Phil win the PGA championship? 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.279 It was kind of a big deal. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:54.799 None of you watched it, apparently it's just me. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:55.039 Okay. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:55.440 Anybody? 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:57.440 Okay, a few of you, thank you. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:59.119 We can participate in that. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.839 He's the oldest person to have ever won a major golf tournament. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:04.880 That's why it was a big deal. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:08.160 Even if you don't care about golf and you think it's super boring or whatever, I get it. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:09.440 You know, it's a little slow. 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:11.680 You've got to be willing to take a nap during it at some point. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:15.200 That's part of the process of watching golf, is taking a nap. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:20.799 So he's coming down the back nine, him and Brooks Kepka. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:23.920 Kepka's young, good looking, fit. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.200 Like you're worrying about Phil. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:29.839 A couple times Phil's walking up a hill and you're kind of like, uh, and but he like made it up. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.839 And like Kepka has like a hurt knee, and you're still not worried about him, right? 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:34.720 That's what's going on here. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:39.279 And they're going back and forth all the way, the back nine, and you're not quite sure. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:44.960 And then sure enough, Phil hits like just a great approach shot onto the 18th green. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.240 He has the two-putt to win. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.920 Very clear, this is done. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:49.119 This is over. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:57.519 And the the fairway was just lined with people, just lined up with a crowd of people, and they just loved this. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:58.720 They went nuts. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:04.960 I mean, here's a picture because as soon as he hit the approach shot, it just the fairway filled with people. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.319 That's him coming out of the crowd. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.160 At one point, he was surrounded. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:13.759 They loved this unthinkable moment happened, the old guy winning, right? 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.359 And they surrounded him. 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:16.000 They couldn't believe. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:17.759 I mean, on some level, this was worship. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.559 This was a guy that was untouchable, right? 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:22.240 You can't get around Phil. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:24.319 He flies on private jets. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:25.920 And I did a deep dive, okay? 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:27.599 He had a Gulf Stream 5. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.400 He just sold it because he partners with VistaJet. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.880 Okay, I deep dove into his jet ownership. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:34.880 That's where I went this week. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:38.480 So he surrounded, people just, they can't believe this. 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:40.960 I mean, they are hands are up, they're worshiping. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:41.839 They can't believe it. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.519 One moron tries to hug him. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:44.720 Did y'all see that? 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:48.559 One moron thinks they that he can touch Phil. 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:56.240 And he goes in for a hug, and out of nowhere, a cop, just out of nowhere, this cop just tackles him, just takes him, takes him out. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:57.119 Totally up. 00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:00.079 And this is the difference between Phil and God. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:03.359 This is the point. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.000 There's many differences. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:07.279 This is one. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.920 Now, Phil went on to Tuput. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:11.759 He got his trophy. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.799 He's polite. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:14.400 He always thumbs up, right? 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:15.200 That's what he does. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:17.119 Because that way you don't have to really talk to anybody. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.119 Just thumbs up all the way around the course. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:20.160 Just thumbs up. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:21.519 That's what he does. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:27.039 And then he can let a cop, moron tries to hug you, you don't have to hug him back. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:30.160 Let the cop just shed away, just keep walking, thumbs up. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:35.039 That's what Phil does all the way up to the green, two-putt, get your trophy, get on your jet, and fly back to California. 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:35.359 Right? 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:36.319 That's what Phil does. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:37.359 Nothing against Phil? 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.640 He's just a golfer. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:48.480 But that is not what we see in somebody like Jesus, who stops for the weak, who speaks to the weak. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:54.880 Every time a child, a prostitute, attacks a collector. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:05.039 Somebody who does who just doesn't have anything, who's in need, who's going into a battle and can't, doesn't have the ability, doesn't have the resources. 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:07.599 Jesus' response is a stop. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:14.960 And those people, all those people's response to that sort of love and acceptance is gratitude worship. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.200 Because he didn't pass them by. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:30.400 See, we're the frantic people, like on that fairway, like just looking for something to worship, like we'll worship Phil, worship our job, worship other people's, you know, affirmation of us, we'll worship anything. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:33.680 And we're just looking for somebody to accept us. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:39.119 Now the good news is, the good news is we don't have to look for all these kind of pretending ways of acceptance. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:44.319 We actually have a deliverer, God Himself, who comes to us, who's faithful to us. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.720 Yeah, we are Gideon. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.839 We're more weak than we imagine. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:53.519 We we keep returning into fear over and over again. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:58.960 But what we see in this story is God being faithful to Gideon and to his people. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:02.720 That Gideon and we are more loved than we could ever dare to dream. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:05.279 And we know that in the cross of Christ. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:06.559 We know it securely. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:10.799 Jesus shows up into our weakness, he does not pass us by. 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:12.240 Let's pray together. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.720 God, thank you for this good news. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:19.920 That we are reminded this morning again that your gospel is enough. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:22.799 And that we can trust in it. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:32.559 We have many fears that drive many of our behaviors that are sin, many of our behaviors that are coping. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:36.160 And for all of that, we are we confess. 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:37.359 We confess. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:39.200 We surrender. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:46.400 We ask that your Holy Spirit in us would reveal even more the weakness that is in us, that we might know your strength. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:49.599 We know we are created beautiful in your image. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:55.759 And we know at the same time that we do not experience that in fullness because of our own sin. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:01.039 And our hope and our faith is in your faithfulness to us. 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:07.039 That you just keep coming back and you pursue us greater than we are prone to wander. 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:10.880 Give us gratitude and give us increased worship. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:15.039 That you are worthy of our hearts, that you are worthy of our lives. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.799 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:17.759 Amen.