WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.280 Amen this morning. 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:02.799 So glad that you're here. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:10.400 I want you to take your Bibles this morning and turn to Judges chapter 6 as we continue the series on stirred. 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:16.079 And I am stirred to be here with you and excited this morning to preach God's word. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:21.280 And as always, in this place, um, I'm honored. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:27.039 Uh Pastor Danny is a great preacher to be on staff with and to be mentored under. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:34.159 And if you looked online, you see that he won a gold championship medal for pickleball. 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:42.560 So I haven't uh haven't quite learned that yet, but you know, I got I'm I'm a work in progress. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:53.200 So uh but be praying for them, they're having a good time, and I want to thank Pastor Dave for filling uh the pulpit last week and doing a great job. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:56.079 And a timely word. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:01.920 Man, it's hard to be asked late in the game to preach, but then to stay right in and with the series. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:04.640 So Dave did a great job and was an encouragement. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:07.120 And uh continue in prayer. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.959 There's been a lot happened in a couple of weeks with the church, and so just continue in prayer. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:18.799 We had um, of course, Joe mentioned this morning, be praying for Michaela and their family. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:25.359 Uh, I think Joe will be traveling uh to get out there for the funeral um today or tomorrow. 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:31.920 So just pray for Pastor Joe and uh be with pray for Michaela and the family, and just to be an encouragement. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:38.239 Uh Dwayne Jones is a member here, and uh he lost his granddaughter this past week. 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:48.719 And so Dwayne's here this morning, but man, um it's been tough, and uh, there's still some folks that um aren't quite out of the woods, some folks that are a little bit sick. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:02:02.079 So be in prayer for those in our church, and it can seem like what Joe said there uh man, that's timely because you can get bogged down and feel like man, nothing is going right. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:04.319 Where what is going on, Lord? 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.840 And what we need is right here. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:11.680 We need to be stirred, and that can come in a lot of ways. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:21.599 And I was thinking about that this morning, um, and as I'd been studying, and in August 2004, I went to my very first Christian concert. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:28.479 I was a little late in the game, but in 04 I went to my first concert, and I was hit with a double, right? 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:40.000 They got me twice at this concert, and so I didn't really I knew of the the groups, but when they started playing, first I had the first time live performance of the song Imagine. 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:42.479 So mercy me, y'all know that song. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:47.199 And they hit you with that song, and you're like, you know, gonna fall apart. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:59.680 You felt like you were in heaven, and they got done with that song, and Jeremy Camp came up, and he began to share about what happened in February of 2001. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:11.680 When if you've seen the movie, I still believe his wife at the time, Melissa Lynn of four months, um, had gotten ovarian cancer, and it took her life. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:24.240 And I'm telling you, the whole place that night, instead of a concert and an over-the-top bit, you know, all this feel, suddenly the presence of God was rushed in. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:41.840 And emotion, everyone had tears in their eyes, you could feel chills, and there were people that were moving in this concert with no altar, moving to a place where they just wanted to get as close as they could to that presence of God. 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:46.800 And in my heart, I remember I felt like I was gonna explode. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:52.960 I felt like whatever was going on, and it was just a stirring of the presence of God. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:04:05.439 And a stirring can come through calamity, it can come through good things, you it can come in all kinds of ways, but what I want to submit again this week is that we need to be stirred. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:10.479 Father, we love you, and we ask you, God, to stir this place. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:16.079 God, we know that CCW, this is like holy ground, Lord. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.480 Week after week, people come to know you. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:22.480 Uh weekly, God, there's ministry happening on these grounds. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.040 And God, we know that this is your place. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:29.439 And God, we ask that you would stir it up and stir up our hearts in it. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:31.680 Lord, there's some people here that are tired. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:36.079 There's people that are weary that this week they're going through it, Lord. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.360 They've just gone through it, and we need a touch of you. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:44.720 And so, God, we ask that you would stir our hearts from the message of God this morning. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:46.879 We love you in Jesus' name. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:47.759 Amen. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:05:04.800 In Judges chapter 6, and a couple of weeks ago, I started out and got us to this front portion of the scripture in 6 uh 1 through 6 where it says that the Israelites are being encamped about with the Midianites. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:11.920 The word Midian means strife, and so they have strife and they've been hiding for seven years from the Midianites. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:24.959 The Midianites would come in as soon as it was harvest time, they would take all their things, they would take the women, they would set things on fire, and they were just being devastated for seven years. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:31.279 And as we go through the scripture, that's uh chapter six, verses one through six, I want you to go down to verse eleven. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:50.399 This is kind of where we left off two weeks ago, and it says, Now the angel of the Lord in verse 11 came and sat under the terebinth tree, which was an Ophrah, which belonged to Joash to Abizarite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the wine press in order to hide it from the Midianites. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:55.600 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:01.199 And so we see here Gideon is met with the angel of the Lord. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.600 And I want you to see the first point this morning. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.639 There's doubt from intellectual issues. 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.120 Doubt from intellectual issues. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:15.279 He's met with an angel of the Lord, and Gideon is not quite sure what's happening. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:18.000 And we see that, go down to verse 13. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.160 He says to him, Again, you mighty man of vour, the Lord is with you. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:28.959 And Gideon says to him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened? 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:32.480 And where are all his miracles which our fathers told us about? 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:34.399 Did not the Lord bring us from Egypt? 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:39.040 But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midianites. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.839 And so we see doubt from intellectual issues. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.040 He, letter A, questions God's presence. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:47.920 In that scripture right there, we see it. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.519 He asked a big question. 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:54.000 If the Lord is with us, he says, The Lord is with you. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:04.879 And he says, If if the Lord is with you, you see, he has a misunderstanding, and Israel has a misunderstanding at this point of what God's presence is. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.120 You see, the Midianites don't know where Gideon was. 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.560 He was hiding, but God knew. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:17.279 Even when Gideon was unaware, the eye of God was upon him. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:24.399 Intellectually, he had a knowledge of God, but experientially, Gideon was full of doubt. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.279 He says, If the Lord is with us. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:31.680 Now, this is an Old Testament example of something called a Christophany. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:40.319 A Christophany is when the presence of God in the form of Jesus as a man came in the Old Testament and met with somebody. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.120 Jesus would come face to face with individuals. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:46.399 You've seen it with Abraham, you've seen it with Moses in the burning bush. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:48.240 You see it throughout the Old Testament. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:52.240 And so Jesus comes face to face with Gideon. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:53.680 Listen to this, church. 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:58.240 Gideon is next to Jesus but is oblivious. 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:08.399 May I submit there are many people who have an intellectual understanding of who Jesus is, but they miss it when he's in the room. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:14.000 They need to be stirred to his presence. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:23.439 Help us when the church today can come and sing a song and have a set of worship and totally miss the Jesus of the worship. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:30.399 We can come and be in the presence of God and He can beckon us to an altar and we can totally miss His voice. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:36.799 See, Gideon was face to face with an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.879 And he says, If the Lord is with us, then why? 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.120 He missed it when he was right next to him. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:52.639 Heather and I planned a trip to Delaware one time and to surprise my family. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:57.600 And it was early on when we had moved to Indiana, and so they had no idea we were coming. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:02.879 And we're trying to plan out we were going to get there real late, and uh, we just wanted to have some fun and mess with them. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:17.279 So um as we were driving, we were sort of plotting out how this was gonna go down, and um, so we get there about midnight-ish, and uh before that, we we wanted to scare them, but we wanted to didn't want to scare them too bad. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:17.919 You know what I'm saying? 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:33.360 You get a certain age, you don't want to scare people into a heart attack, but we did want to scare them, and so um we we called her mom and got her mom to call my parents' house, a Texas number to Delaware, so they're like, you know, why would this happen? 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:39.600 So my my mother-in-law calls them, and we say, just call, let it ring, and when they pick up, hang it up. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.399 So she does that, and we say, Do it one more time. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:43.600 So she does it twice. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:10:03.759 So we can see as we pull up, my parents kind of up, the light goes on, and then we sneak up to the door, and uh, there's a window right there, and we bang really hard on the glass window, and you can see inside there, and I I wish I could, I wish you could see the scene from my eyes. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:18.960 But there's my dad, and not much of anything, in the living room, and he's frozen, and we bang, and and he says, Get out of here, and so we bang another time. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:20.399 Dad comes moving forward. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.759 My mom's coming down, and he's like, get away, get away, Patty. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:32.399 And she finally looks through the window and she goes, Oh, it's the kids, the kids are here. 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:41.759 But I remember that situation and that we were right there, but my dad was missing it, right? 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:45.120 We were right there, right near their presence. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:50.720 And I want you to understand, Gideon was face to face with Jesus. 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.480 Jesus telling the Lord is with you, and he said, If the Lord, then show me. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.600 And Scripture says, This church, hear this. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:01.120 It's a strong word. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:08.639 John 10, 26 and 27 says, You believe not because you don't believe because you were not my sheep. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:12.480 My sheep in verse 27 know my voice. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:23.600 So the question I kind of wonder at this point, does Gideon know the Lord more than intellectually, more than the stories that maybe sort of were told, some maybe were missed. 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:25.679 Does he know Jesus? 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:31.519 The only thing I can imagine when we miss him in the room is that we don't know him. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:38.000 We don't know the shepherd, we don't know his voice, he doesn't know us, we don't know him. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:41.120 And so we see that he questions God's presence. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:42.080 Letter B. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:45.279 He goes on and questions God's performance. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:46.879 It becomes a list. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.080 First, he says, if, then he says, Why? 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:52.639 Why has all this happened to us? 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:55.039 If the Lord is with us, then why? 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:04.879 Evidently, he didn't understand Scripture because Judges 2.10, a generation, we learned a few weeks ago, was raised without God. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:14.320 We got from Joshua to the people in Judges, and there's a gap there where a generation was raised without God without being discipled. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:21.200 And so, up to chapter 5, God allowed that cycle of repentance and he would bring a judge. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:30.960 And the last judges in chapter 5 that were allotted were Barak and Deborah, and because of their godly living, there was 40 years of rest. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.320 And so there was 40 years without oppression. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:39.759 There was 40 years of good, but in Judges 6, 1, look at that first line. 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:47.120 It says, Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.159 So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:51.519 This was scriptural. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:55.120 This they would have learned had they been discipled. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:02.000 This they would have learned in Deuteronomy that there was blessings and cursings for certain things. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:08.720 And because they didn't do certain things, God allowed them to have oppression. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:16.960 And so Gideon is questioning this, and it shows his lack of knowledge for Scripture. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:24.960 They would have been told to memorize these scriptures and been taught that these blessings and cursings exist, and he didn't know it. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:30.399 Now, I have a lot of trophies, nothing major growing up. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:39.440 Um have some baseball trophies, some big, great big trophies, some that are broken, bats broke off, soccer stuff broke off. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.679 But I have one trophy that sits in my office. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:44.799 All right, it's very pastoral of me to have this in my office, okay? 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.360 This trophy with the Bible on it, right? 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:48.159 Okay. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:51.679 This trophy came from fifth grade. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.279 And you know what it says? 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:57.919 I look, I'm if I'm gonna be proud of any trophy, I'm not trying to be the braggart. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.360 I've I've heard preachers of God, I'm talking about they were bench pressing and all. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:03.039 Look, I'm not talking about that. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.279 I learned the Bible, okay? 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:09.519 If you want to be proud of something, April 25th through 28th, 1992. 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.080 Most Bible verses memorized award. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:12.799 Okay. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:14.240 Thank you. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:15.440 My wife is gone. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.120 Can you shut him up from that? 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:21.039 But listen, I want to give you a point here. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:25.919 If there's anything that we can boast in, it's the word of God. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:32.480 Gideon had not either been not been discipled, there's a generation that was missing something. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:35.120 He didn't understand scripture. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.759 God has given us the answer, CCW. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.960 And so he says, Why has all this happened? 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:42.320 I don't understand. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:46.240 If the Lord is here, why all this? 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:47.519 Why? 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:49.200 Somebody tell me why. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:54.720 And it's really just a prediction of what text has said. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.320 If you don't do this, then there will be this. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:02.799 And I submit to you, church, maybe for some of us today we kind of get in that way. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:03.919 Why, God? 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:06.080 Why has this happened to me? 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:08.879 And I believe Scripture has an answer. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.639 Well, he doesn't stop with why. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.720 Look at what he asked next, it continues. 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:13.679 And where? 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:15.679 Why has this happened? 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.279 And where are all his miracles which our fathers told us? 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:24.639 We have been oppressed, we've been hiding, we've been pillaged, there's been people after. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:26.720 Where are his miracles? 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:28.480 He's forsaken us. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:33.440 Gideon felt hopeless and abandoned. 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:36.879 If Gideon had a theme song, I think we got it back here. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:38.480 I think it would sound like this. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:40.480 Y'all, listen to this song. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:42.159 Might depress you. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:44.000 Man. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:45.840 Anybody here? 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:47.519 1970s? 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:49.600 Y'all, anybody remember this? 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:51.759 I don't. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:53.039 But listen. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:57.279 It is depressing. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.360 Sometimes I'd like to quit. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:02.480 Nothing fits. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:04.799 Nothing ever seems to fit. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:08.080 Hang it around. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:09.120 Nothing. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:10.879 Nothing to do with frown. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:14.559 Rainy days and Mondays always get. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:16.879 Oh my, we're singing it all together now. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.039 Alright, shut the music, huh? 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:20.799 This went somewhere I didn't want. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:27.679 In 1971, those words went number one on the Billboard charts. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.720 Did everyone just want to be depressed? 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.279 Y'all that from 1971 that were just singing it. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:36.399 Why? 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.919 Nothing fits. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.320 It gets worse. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:42.639 The song gets worse. 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:43.600 Do you know? 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:44.399 Let me ask you this. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:45.120 Do you know anybody? 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.600 This seems like it's their theme song sometimes? 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:49.440 Look, don't call them out. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.360 We're not going there in church. 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.120 But I heard this on like this is Gideon's song right now. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:02.480 Have you ever anybody here have to drive two teenagers to school on a Monday? 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.240 Anyone drive two? 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:11.039 Okay, I have the benefit this school year of driving two teenagers to school on Mondays. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:15.119 And I gotta tell you, it's quite depressing. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.759 Nothing, maybe not as depressing as that. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.240 They don't want to see me, they don't want to talk to me. 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.960 When I when I had Heather all year gets to drive Weston, which is fun. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:35.680 Okay, when you take the eight-year-old to school, he laughs at your jokes, it's a good time, everything's a party, even in the morning, even on Mondays. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:43.599 And so I was thinking about this, and a few weeks ago I came up with the ultimate put-down. 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:49.599 And this is now I know it's the ultimate put down because teenagers don't they don't repeat what a dad says. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:54.960 I'm just gonna tell you, if I say it, it's a dad joke, it's corny, it's cheesy, it's not worth repeating. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:55.680 Am I right? 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:57.279 Okay, look at it, yeah. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:01.039 But they repeat this one, and I said, I can I got it, guys. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:05.759 I said, you know what, the way you're acting, I said, quit being such a Monday. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:08.559 And they were like, what'd he say? 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:11.599 And I heard them repeat it. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.440 I heard Callie or why one of them, why are you being such a Monday, Wyatt? 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.920 And I was like, see, I got him. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:20.559 Why are you being such a Monday? 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.319 This is where Gideon's at. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.559 He's like, if the Lord is with us, why? 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:29.039 Why is all this happening? 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:31.279 And where are all his miracles? 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:35.519 It's perpetually Monday in my life, God. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.000 If you're with us, then why? 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:41.039 Y'all know what Monday's like. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.200 Rainy days and Mondays. 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:45.519 Well, y'all need to go home and get depressed. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:47.279 Just listen to the carpenters. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:48.799 Whew. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:59.680 Gideon issues that he has come from a deeper place than just his intellectual understanding, though. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.640 He has doubt because of the message that was carried. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:08.720 You see, the angel of the Lord says, You mighty man of valor. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:15.680 And so the second point this morning is this that there's doubt from identity issues. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:28.160 If you ask me in teen ministry for the last 15 years, the biggest issue for teenagers today is this, their identity. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.400 And it's a question: who am I going to be? 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:42.240 So, grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, when you sit with your student, I need you to ask them this question: Who are you going to be? 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:45.759 What is the trajectory of your life making you become? 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:47.839 Who are you going to be? 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:51.839 And so Gideon has this identity issue. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:53.200 Who am I? 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:59.680 You see, God says, You mighty man of valor, and I want you to look at verse 14. 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:02.720 He says, Who? 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.640 If, why, where? 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:13.440 Then the Lord turned to him and said, Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.279 Have I not sent you? 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:18.559 He says, Go in this might. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:21.119 And Gideon's like, What might? 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:23.039 The angel showed up. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:25.759 Now don't miss the weight of this. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.759 This is powerful when you think about it. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:30.079 The weight of Gideon and his struggle. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.640 Where did the angel of the Lord show up? 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:38.559 Gideon wasn't preaching, Gideon wasn't out pounding. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:40.240 The Midianites were coming at him. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.839 Gideon was hiding in a winepress. 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:47.680 Not a good place for winnowing wheat. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:48.240 Okay? 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:52.880 In a wine press, a place with grapes where you'd be smashed. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:21:00.880 He was hiding down in a winepress instead of out in an open field where you would normally be threshing wheat. 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:14.079 He was threshing, hiding, and the angel of the Lord came to him in the midst of his struggle, in the midst of hiding, in the midst of a hard place, he says, You mighty man of valor, I'm going to use you. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.920 In the midst of his fears, the angel of the Lord shows up. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:18.880 Don't miss that. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:25.359 That God comes and he sees what you will be, not where you are. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:29.839 Gideon is hidden in fear, lost in doubt. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:32.880 And Gideon can only see where he is. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:35.680 Don't miss this church. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:42.480 Somebody today, you might not be where you want to be, but God's got plans for where you will be. 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:47.599 You might not be where you want to be, but God has plans for where you will be. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:51.039 And so God sees the end of Gideon's story. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.519 Gideon can't see it right now. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:56.880 Gideon's lost in his fear and his doubt. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:59.759 Maybe all you can see, church, is your last problem. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.759 Maybe all you can think on right now is your latest failure. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.920 And God sees you. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:12.240 God sees you with some more Bible study in you. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.599 God sees you with a little more discipleship in you. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:19.039 God sees that word grabbing your heart. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:20.319 That small group. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:23.200 God sees you when you say yes to him. 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:29.119 God sees you with a lot of worship experiences and bolstered faith. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:33.680 And he says, You might not see it, but I can see it. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.640 And Gideon was in that place. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:39.279 He said, mighty man of valor. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:41.920 What might? 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:43.519 What might? 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:47.519 And he says, with my might. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:48.799 Because I'm with you. 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:50.880 See, Gideon has an identity issue. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:53.279 He says, I don't even know who I am. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.839 Who you say I am, I can't see it. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:00.559 Because I've got doubt and I've got fears and I got real struggles. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:08.720 And I think, church, if we take a look for a moment at what God really thinks about us, it would help bolster our faith. 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:11.759 I want to tell you three things about how God sees you. 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.799 Number one, I am God created. 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:15.440 Say that. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:17.039 I am God created. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.079 That was terrible. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:22.799 Say it with me this time. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:24.400 I am God created. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.279 That was better. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.079 I did better. 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:26.880 I don't know about you. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:33.599 Genesis 2.7 says, And the Lord God formed, and out of the dust of the ground he created man and woman. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:35.039 We are God created. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:38.720 We are a creation of a great creator. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:46.880 Jeremiah 18 says, it's like a potter with the clay that he molds us and makes us and fashions us. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:54.000 And something might mar us, but he gets his hands back in and molds us and uses life to continue to make us. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:56.160 We are a creation of God. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:00.079 The second thing that we are, we are God like. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.759 Say, well, that Pastor Rick, what do you mean? 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:04.720 What are you saying? 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:09.039 Genesis 1.27 says, so God created man in his own image. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.920 We are the image-bearer of God. 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:13.519 So we are like him. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:16.799 There's nothing else in all creation that is like God. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:24.079 It doesn't say, and then God made the stars, and they are in the image of God, or God made the animals, or God made the planets. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:29.519 A lot of things reflect his glory and his power, but we reflect his image. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:32.960 And so I am God created, I am God like. 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:42.000 And if you look, and I want you to take a moment, and I think we need to look at this, turn to Psalms chapter 139 for just a second. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:43.359 We'll come back. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:46.720 I'm God created, I am God like. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:51.759 Somebody here this morning needs to hear this. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.759 I am God known. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:56.319 We're God known. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:03.920 If Gideon would have understood this, Psalms 139, 14, and then we're going to skip over the 17. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:12.240 You know this scripture, you've seen it, but it says, I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.440 Let that hit you for a second. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.920 Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:22.319 Go down to verse 17. 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:26.640 How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:28.880 How great is the sum of them. 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:33.440 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:36.400 I am God known. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:43.599 Listen to me, there have been 107 billion people in this universe, but there's only one you. 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:51.200 There's been 107 thumbprint, 107 billion thumbprints times two. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:53.839 But there's only been one of yours or two of yours. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:55.680 There's only been one you. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:04.480 It's ludicrous to think that people believe in the process of evolution to me, right? 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:10.559 If I had something to throw right now, like to me, you know, the Big Bang Theory, right? 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:13.200 That happened and turned into Tracy. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.160 Look, how does that work? 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:25.039 How do people believe that the most complex cells filling our body and all that God had to do, it's a design. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:27.599 There's nothing like you. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:28.799 Nothing. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.799 And so when God created you, this is awesome. 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:41.359 If you look through the beginning pages of scripture in Genesis, at the end of every day, God said, and He created it, and that was the end of the day, and it was good. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:43.200 And created and the end of it, and this was good. 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:48.400 But when He created you, He said, And it was very good. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:50.960 He said, We are very good. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:54.480 He says, Beautifully and wonderfully made. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:09.599 So if I could look at Gideon in his eyes, or I can look at you in your eyes right now, I would want you to understand that you were designed and made on purpose, with a purpose. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:11.440 This is how God sees you. 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.640 He said, You're very good. 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:15.680 Hi-fi the person next to you and say, very good. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:17.599 Very good. 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:24.880 So if you're very good, church, help me with a question. 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:27.599 We used to have this on our youth room wall. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:31.039 Who or what makes you doubt? 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:35.680 Who or what makes you doubt? 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:42.559 If God says you're wonderful, why are we letting someone else's opinion steal your joy? 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:45.759 Help me with that, church. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:53.119 If God says He made you wonderfully, why is negativity stealing our joy? 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:58.559 Why is somebody else's opinion causing me to doubt who God made me to be? 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:09.759 James says this that men will bless God and curse man with the same tongue. 00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:11.200 Listen to me. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:13.599 You are not a mistake. 00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:19.359 You are not the grand summation of your worst choices. 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:23.039 You are not somebody's opinion. 00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:26.160 You are not a failure. 00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:28.799 You are beautiful and wonderful. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:36.720 And to doubt that church, listen, to doubt the product is to insult the manufacturer of it. 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:39.039 Can I get an amen from somebody? 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:44.160 Ladies today, hear me. 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:51.759 And if I was sitting here, standing here before teenage girls, I would say this, but I think enough has been enough for ladies. 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:53.839 Look, there's a lot of ladies here. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.880 You've had some absenteeism in your life. 00:28:57.200 --> 00:29:01.599 You've had a lot of voices speaking to you about what beauty is supposed to be. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:08.880 You've had a lot of things in media and in culture saying things to you, and you've had some poor fathering. 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:11.680 Not everybody, thank God for good dads. 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:17.279 But I'm gonna say this: listen, there's a God who looks down at you like a little daughter. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:25.279 He says, You are beautiful and wonderful, and you're not the product of their mistakes. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:33.119 You didn't deserve that, and I'll give you much greater if you'll focus on me as daddy. 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:35.920 And there's been some men here, guys. 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:43.119