The Sermon Go In The Strength That You Have by David McGee
Aug 21, 2011
Go In The Strength That You Have (36:40)
Referenced Scriptures: Judges 6:1-6; Judges 6:11-18; Judges 6:33-35; Judges 7:1-7; Judges 7:16-22
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Judges 6:1-6
1) The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2) The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
3) So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;
4) and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.
5) For they came up with their cattle and their tents; they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it.
6) Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
Judges 6:11-18
11) The angel of Yahweh came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12) The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor.
13) Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? but now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.
14) Yahweh looked at him, and said, Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent you?
15) He said to him, Oh, Lord, with which shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father‘s house.
16) Yahweh said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.
17) He said to him, If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
18) Please don‘t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you. He said, I will wait until you come again.
Judges 6:33-35
33) Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34) But the Spirit of Yahweh came on Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him.
35) He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
Judges 7:1-7
1) Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2) Yahweh said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
3) Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. There returned of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4) Yahweh said to Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.
5) So he brought down the people to the water: and Yahweh said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.
6) The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
7) Yahweh said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.
Judges 7:16-22
16) He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
17) He said to them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall you do.
18) When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow you the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Yahweh and for Gideon.
19) So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
20) The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they cried, The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.
21) They stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put [them] to flight.
22) They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man‘s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
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The book of Judges chapter six verses one through sixty number of Scriptures never reading today in the book of Judges and the title of the message that is that I have to date about Gideon and selling the strength that you have and I've been quite excited about speaking this, so I pray that it comes off as much as it held off as well as I have anticipated presenting it, so it will illustrate that you have is a child as it was given to Gideon and what were going to do is going to read the setting that that all of this takes place so going to jump through the chapters six and seven of judges and so can anyone read the entire tax, but you can do that on your own, but I wanted to start with judges chapter six beginning at verse one through verse six. Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years. He gave them into the hand of the Midianites because of the power of Midian was two oh two oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves and mountain clients case and stronghold. Also, so we got this enemy coming against Israel. And so, in order to protect themselves. They went into the mountains and caves, and so on. That victory protect themselves. The first three. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops. The millions the appetites and Eastern people invaded the country. They camped in the land and ruin the crop all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel. Neither she nor cattle, nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock in their tents like swarms of locusts, it was impossible to count the men and their camels. They invaded the land to ravage it billions all impoverished fingers alight that they cried out to the Lord for help. There we go to verse eleven through eighteen. The angel of Lord came and sat down under the old people in Opera that belong to generalize the abaci and his right where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to keep it from the Midianites, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to getting, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior, let's start Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us. Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt, but now the Lord has abandoned us and put us under the hand of the meeting. The Lord turned to him and said, calling the strength that you have and say Israel out of the millions hand and I'm not sending you, but Lord Gideon said, how can I save Israel. My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family and the Lord answered, I will be with you and will strike down all the minions together getting reply, if now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering instead of before you and the Lord said, I will wait until you return in verse thirty three. Now all the Midianites and appetites and the other Eastern people join forces and cross over the Jordan camp in the Valley of jazz real than the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blow the trumpet summoned the and resides to follow him, he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling into lines and also until I ushered Zebulun and that the line so that they went on to meet so they went up to meet them. Okay, so we got the opposing forces, leaving the haplotypes in the Navy of Eastern people come together, they crossed the net into the area just rail, get it now calls for the Army saw and the people of Israel to come together, there can have battle and got a chapter seven verse one early in the morning jar droppable. That is to say, Gideon, and all the minicamp in the spring of Hank A-Rod, the Campo Midian was north of them in the Valley nearly the hill of more Lord said to Gideon, you have too many men to deliver Midian into your hands in order that Israel may not ball against me that her own strength is safe. There announced mouth of the people. Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead, so twenty two thousand men laughed while ten thousand remain, but the Lord said to Gideon, there are still too many. Take them down to the water and I will send them from for you there. If I say there is one going to go with you. You shall go but up. I say one shall not go with you. You shall not go so Gideon took them into the water, and there the Lord told him separate those who lap the water with their time, like a dog from those who kneel down to drink three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouth, all the rest got down on their knees to drink and the Lord said to Gideon, with the three hundred men that laugh will I save you and give the millions into your hands, lest all the other men go go. Let all the other men go to his old place. So he dismissed what ten thousand more nine thousand seven hundred sows, got three hundred lap and with those three hundred. We moved to judge after verse sixteen a twenty two by three hundred men into three companies he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all men with partisan side so they all have trumpets. They all have empty jars with a torch inside the jar watch me. He told them all of my league when I get to the edge of the camp do exactly as I do when I went I and all who are with me. Below are trumpets. Then, from all around the camp while yours in shower for the Lord and for Gideon Gideon and the hundred men with each with him reach the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their chocolates broke the charges that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets ends the jars grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in the right hands. The trumpets they were to blow. They shouted the sword of the Lord and for Gideon while each man held his position around the camp, all the minions ran crying out as they play and when the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords, while along along the reading right against the last on an idea of what happened here with Gideon in this the new scenario for the for my message today but it's something that you want to go back and read over and read the entire context of it actually see here where Gideon is installed in Ontario is facing a problem and the overall there is this verse fourteen. It says going. The strength that you have. I go in the strength that you have while for most of us and for it for myself and young, particularly looking at the place that we live but now the surroundings that we live in. We live in the land of not enough in our that we know that this land is not enough contradicts what God wants in our lives. You know, we know that the Scriptures as my grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness. So we know that God is saying that his grace and his strength or their the most of the time I welcome a communism ever told God I don't have what it takes. I don't have enough. I as if accomplishment is this hall that I have the fill-in and I don't have enough to fill in the whole. So if I'm going to do something with my life. I have to find something to fill this hole and I don't have it so my night. Baldwin is to go and get what I need to fill in the hole to fill in this accomplishment in my life. I need more talents or time. I need more strength or knowledge. I need more education I need more of this signing more that but the challenge here that we find with Gideon is go with what you already know the dozen. Meanwhile I should go with what I have. I should put schooling& I cannot would I about fell of what you have is that if we need to go in and to achieve better things more things with our life. We need to not sit back and wait for the board open. I member will wait for something to happen. I remember visiting someone number of years ago and I went to their house and I'm talking to them and, and they were telling me about all the needs that they had and that they were just waiting. They were waiting for a job. I said wow have you having put on applications will now. I said, what have you talk to anybody about getting a job well done out as if you get the paper look for jobs now. So how you second, at one this at all. I believe in God to send sunlight for my door knock on the door and get me a job, I'll allow you what you haven't told anybody what a job you have appointed application out there for a job, you'll have it looking for a job and hearsay called during nothing. I don't think you're going to get one call, but I believe in God, distracted, you have got with what you've got in progress now with what you have and make your applications to the art colleges go and make your applications do your job elevator applications. The further your education is a wee look at this and we say that we need more are reasoning says this if what I had was enough. I would've accomplished what I wanted to do a long time ago if what I am and what I have is enough. I want to build in this whole this whole of need in my life so therefore, since I haven't filled it and I don't have what it takes. That's reasoning is obvious then that there is something lacking, so we stop and ask ourselves the question, what will it take to accomplish God 's best for my life. What will it take to accomplish God 's best of my life. What does God need to do in the and make the impossible possible. What does God need to do to make the impossible possible. What does God need to do to convince me to call in the strength that I have the villain and start filling in the whole that we think I don't sometimes this account is always different ways to approach the strategy Dana Hall, and and and all and it's an insult. The defendant, now it's time to stop digging home job and they resist there is his donkey that fell in the home and they couldn't get it out so they decided to buy it is very the donkey. Some expect the linen. The whole but the donkey was smart enough to know that if he just kept dropping a check in the dirt off that they filled in all, he eventually got out. If you walk around the track and you fall in the same hole fall in the hole that's part of life. You walk around the jack and falling all the second time that day. But after while walking around the same parts of life falling in the same hole becomes an IQ test. Sometimes you think the right thing. There's lots of things they can do with this fall. I bought also found were looking at this whole with Doctor really think way that we shut up and filling. Again are such things that we should be doing it yet. We don't do it because we are lacking something. Let's look at Gideon Gideon was trying to survive. Ginny was trying to survive Community Bank for his family. So in the first chapter six and verses one through six. We have a problem. We have the Midianites, the amortized and the other Eastern people invading the country may have been their fields in the fields of Israel. They camped in their field. What do they do when they camp in the field. They track down the crops they ate across. They took on their livestock, and when they were done when the people left. It was like ever been a horde of locusts through. I just cleaned out everything they came with so many follow up anyone, so these invaders impoverish Israel. These invaders impoverished Israel. They created hard times that were on Gideon and his family and on, then the entire nation so because of others because of their scheming and plotting and rating. Israel was in this deep need and get it in his family were impoverished because of others. So what is real to they cried to God for help. So the first thing we have to do is plan to pray and we need to plan to pray, pray to God for help and wisdom and guidance in the situation not think that while you know where we're stuck here and when we got this great problem, and I can't do anything about it. So therefore we are stuck in the cycle of walking around the track and falling into the same hole we need to pray about it. Pray about with the lobby so blindly followed the same hall. Every time we walk around the track waiting to pray for strength and understanding to be able to avert the whole plot holes of our life and some of those bottles were created by other people, as was the situation awareness. Verse eleven. Where was Gideon and I thought we were getting was at verse eleven or the act is a wine press. What was he doing in the winepress threshing grain the adult threshed grain and wine press okay but you probably have a threshing floor was generally up on a hill where are amount aware that where the LA but would put those wind turbines for the for the electricity order they thought them, they put them on a hill. Why, because that's where the wind blows. How do you thresh grain you take the brain and you within the stocks and you withdraw in the air and the wind would come and blow the chap away and we in the grain would fall as it was heavier than the chat while working with why is it doing that he's hiding from the Midianites and the invaders because there are common steel distraint studies in the wine press the wine press is placed in an event yard and is generally where you keep the wine is a whole underground. It is a halt on out of the ground and is like a sister. And it's a whole access the dog out of the stall so that it doesn't leave an end. This is a very used various wine press hiding in the vineyard, or is actually down in the hole here to learn from the way that we are trying to separate the chaff and grain, and there's no wind is a hard job as always they are in hiding, so Gideon, and in this it is in this place of hiding and so I never worked around grain and stop that is a dusty dirty job. I life surviving Columbine, you know, it is called by in which pulled behind a tractor and you put the bags on their and you would have the brain, which amended the bags and innuendos windows before they had those bins in a post at the combine for the bins on a nakedness augured into the truck. Those people were rich. We had these baggy burlap bags and we would will not and with Lamb on this Wilshire and the and it was so dusty and dirty. But you put stuff around your face. You know, and you just like all in with dust and dirt, and when you got off of their Euclid and rain effect. It was it was a mess and eighty five, the bags leverage a certain spot you put the lever and a falloff. We have all the bags. My nephew can later become up with the truck with Jillian is in this thirty wine press found this rain in the air where there's no wind. There's nothing going on is not separating any time from the Midianites is hiding from all these people and what's he doing a saying verse thirteen. What do you say by the thing. But, but, sir, he replied that the Lord is with us, why long as sounded a lot as a side effect. I think they got outside of God is with us. Why is all this happened was where all the miracles that God has abandoned us and he left the demand of the Midianites yelled that if we were really good farmers. We went down this Columbine we went out in London as a longer in the band and I would have to be set here for e-mail all this done and the dirty work and I will company at all this week and I can rejoice on the now how does God respond to Gideon were fourteen zero spot Lord turned everything going. The strength of Jack go on the strength that you have been saved Israel. I'm sending you get you want God to do something and the answer to get into prior is the God once again interviews on the other is a quote that I never reading years ago this week are part of the answer to every present, we pray. We are part of the answer to every private, we pray now here's a question. Does our ability to see in the snake to the idea that we can help meet that need. Does our ability to see that there is a need spin to the idea that we can be a part of the answer to that the doesn't mean that we have to fix it all. It's all up on you and I do, and world hunger it out. There's a hunger. We see it, but is there a a part of us that can help meet the needs of those who are hungry. Maybe in our own area on community if we are moved by world hunger are we part of that being able to see you need and meet that need to seek God is our source. It can use others, we can use us. So what do we see when we look in the mirror we see possibilities are we like Gideon verse fifteen. What is getting insane is as well. My family background, where not, that were not the best tribunal of all the bunch and my family. Of course I'm the least of my family. So if you take my tribe were not the best of the tribes, and if you take me and my abilities. I am the least of all the ones in my family. I believe that everyone so generated by basically saying I can go on the strength that I have because I have the I found the strength that I have on this visit here and complain and hear the Lord can find nobody else but what makes a difference for Gideon what makes the difference for us for sixteen I will be with you and I will strike down all the Midianites together. I will be with you. I will be with you state that the majority in any group is you and God. The majority in your life as you and God deciding factor is you and how that God 's word influences who you are so I will be with you. The Bible tells us was the Bible tell us that we that he will never leave us nor forsake the Bible says the Scriptures tell us, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Paul says that so God is telling us that you are not alone in this. I will be with you and you and I together will accomplish the task. It's not you alone go off and do you think God in the weekends and I fail God to guide the hallway near, and while neither can we send them complain about it all. This is a dusty dirty job. We should hire it out. One common misunderstanding is the idea that God 's guidance will come to us out of the blue again. Sometimes we think that that God is just going to operate it out. It is over the head will someone take this offering plate and come up behind me when I'm not looking in hit me over the head with it. You did know that you said that victory to anxious for that one, but the idea is that we think that guidance is for the guidance of God is not a dish shall I like that there would be walking down the round walking through life, and all of a sudden it got hit over the head, and it always been become clear to us doesn't work that way. Austin God 's work in the circumstances that we are in, to give us the insight that we need to handle the difficulties that we are facing, and that he is going to give us strength in the wisdom and guidance. We need right where we are at. God is not going to take us someplace else is going to take us is going to be with us where we are at to go to grow on from here. What if right now, what if the present circumstances. What if the current people. The good and the bad and the ugly. Those are those of those who are robbing us those who are taking on taking what does not belong to them. Those who leave nothing. They are like the locus in our life, and they place you would need him. I love how, and that this is exactly where we need to be. Why, because God wants me. God wants us unite to deal with for Israel and for Gideon. The miracle is not in the removal of the enemy. The miracle is not in the removal removal of the enemy. The miracle is and how the God move through Gideon to accomplish their see it isn't necessarily the outcome that is as it is as important as how that God arrives that that and how they can I arrived in working on the gone awry that working for you and I for Israel and get in the miracle is in how that he is working through him, and he gave Jenny and this wonderful advice bowel and the strength that you have. You mean I don't need something more. I don't need. I don't need other talents. I don't need other abilities. I don't need other people go in the strength that you have began begin the process with what you have brought us telling us apply what you know. Take the word of God, that you know. Take what God has already placed in your life and in your and your mind and in your heart and all within so whatever. But whenever we live in this land is not enough. We wanted greater revelation. While what revelation do we need that receipt that you will never be alone while Revelation do we need that God will never leave us nor forsake us, with God nothing is impossible. What greater revelation to we need God is for Gideon and for us. God is accelerating the abilities that we possess God is accelerating the abilities that we possess the angel of the Lord is coming to Gideon and is telling him I'm with you I was doing this and me. While Dennis together and where any content that became given the wine press and that's why in this winepress which is not the place for threshing grain you have some roadblocks gave roadblocks where the day care my family when I go off to war, he doubts that all that God has for him at it as if God 's comedies made a mistake and of course he feels inadequate to the task below sounds like us sound like you and I when you look at the tasks that are before we feel adequate. You feel that it's not that their other their other obstacles you know a wise person is able to understand whether I can see what the problems are and see what the difficulties are, and but also the wise person who is wise in the spirit and in the understanding of God sees how the God can work in their life and it goes through a step-by-step process got been getting any child listed with questions H NHI a challenge getting his questions and may again focus on pins America conclusions so we do not need to destroy something in order to move on from. We need to grow on from where we are at knowing that God is the one who blesses, and who has been ability to take his word and inspiring to our hearts and minds can we visualize the benefits of what God wants to do. We visualize the benefits of what God wants to do in our life that is not all a bed of roses, but there is a way in which God 's work. Working through us, bringing his word and our life together so that they are able to accomplish the purpose young to save that of FM 's land being free from the invaders. They can say the crop. The big well-being, even by his own children in his own family. They can see the benefits of the livestock not being slaughtered and taken off to other countries understand that your weakness is something that is part of our life, but it is not the defining moment of our life. Imagine again being told you I feel ready to go to war you know there is invading armies are so many people. You can't even count them so. I want you to get rid of twenty thousand low gay in of while you say so. God out and about ten thousand left in getting you got too many you need and you need to thin them out well God. It only got these people there's so many of them. We can't even count them, and you want me to get rid in ten thousand, while maybe five thousand okay this one. I want you to do. Gideon that there are those who will get down on their knees and drink from the water and there are those who will take their hand and bring the water up there mouth the ones to bring the water to the mouth of the ones you keep up ten thousand people, three hundred brought the water to them out. I think getting what a pervert the other one wise guy doing this because God wants us to know that is not only about us. It's about how that God will work through and if it if we defeated the enemy with thirty thousand people. We would say while you know, look what I did. God is trying to teach us that he is at work in our life, and he wants to show us and proved to us last experience what our faith in him can do so wisely and do deduct three hundred people and a verse seven says, God declared, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, so, God, and so here is three hundred men and a promise I will give these people in your now God doesn't tell Gideon at this point how is the Dylan. He just says he got dealt with three hundred RA I now that I've got three hundred highly edited. I've got a plan. L how they go out. It must know that sometimes we have to take steps forward before the plan is revealed weekend we can be on the board on the ship while the doctor we can turn the wheel. All we want, and the ship doesn't move. Nor does the direction change, but as the ship is in motion. The turning of the wheel. The writer turning in the writer has an influence on where it ends up, and as we go out as we are going about our life and believing and praying and asking God for help. It is as we take our next steps. And as we depend, grow our dependency upon God, exchange, and so what happens with Gideon Dalen the strength that you have and what is he doing is taking three hundred soldiers. What are the three hundred soldiers. Okay, now here's the plan. I want you to take three hundred hundred galaxy a one hundred on the other side and outer on the day. Put all these people behind you, in which a jail is you want to get in-flight getting flights have your torch in the job. Nobody knows nobody can see it and you have your trumpets saw when you're all in place again command everybody breaks the jar. All that the torch and blow the trumpet, got three hundred people now one of the things of this military strategists for every charge is a hundred people, but not so tonight for every torch is only a person in a drop. So when the people in the Midianites in the Eastern people who have invaded whenever they see three hundred charges three hundred times one hundred is thirty thousand three hundred thirty two zero thirty thousand right on the mathematicians help me out here, they got thirty thousand people surrounding and attacking and what happens to the camp. The candidates all this arrangement, Turner sort on each other. They start killing each other and they're running out taking off in what was the check what was the command to Gideon Gaal and the strength that you have in our lives. It is God who likes up our life, the light of Christ is our faith. The clay pitcher is the humanness that we have and when we are broken before God with the need of the difficulties that we face. We take our need for God in prayer. It's saying that God, I can't do this in myself. I am broken before you let the light of Christ shine in the trumpet that I sound is my faith in God, and declaring God is a go to work in my life, and God has told me to go and the strength that I have. And as I go. He will leave me and guide me his word will become my strength, his spirit will become what inspires me his spirit and his wisdom of his work will give me direction and we will see the hand of God will upon my life and change the circumstances and change the surroundings as I know, and the strength that I have. Amen, amen, that the challenge of videoThe book of Judges chapter six verses one through sixty number of Scriptures never reading today in the book of Judges and the title of the message that is that I have to date about Gideon and selling the strength that you have and I've been quite excited about speaking this, so I pray that it comes off as much as it held off as well as I have anticipated presenting it, so it will illustrate that you have is a child as it was given to Gideon and what were going to do is going to read the setting that that all of this takes place so going to jump through the chapters six and seven of judges and so can anyone read the entire tax, but you can do that on your own, but I wanted to start with judges chapter six beginning at verse one through verse six. Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years. He gave them into the hand of the Midianites because of the power of Midian was two oh two oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves and mountain clients case and stronghold. Also, so we got this enemy coming against Israel. And so, in order to protect themselves. They went into the mountains and caves, and so on. That victory protect themselves. The first three. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops. The millions the appetites and Eastern people invaded the country. They camped in the land and ruin the crop all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel. Neither she nor cattle, nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock in their tents like swarms of locusts, it was impossible to count the men and their camels. They invaded the land to ravage it billions all impoverished fingers alight that they cried out to the Lord for help. There we go to verse eleven through eighteen. The angel of Lord came and sat down under the old people in Opera that belong to generalize the abaci and his right where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to keep it from the Midianites, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to getting, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior, let's start Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us. Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt, but now the Lord has abandoned us and put us under the hand of the meeting. The Lord turned to him and said, calling the strength that you have and say Israel out of the millions hand and I'm not sending you, but Lord Gideon said, how can I save Israel. My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family and the Lord answered, I will be with you and will strike down all the minions together getting reply, if now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering instead of before you and the Lord said, I will wait until you return in verse thirty three. Now all the Midianites and appetites and the other Eastern people join forces and cross over the Jordan camp in the Valley of jazz real than the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blow the trumpet summoned the and resides to follow him, he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling into lines and also until I ushered Zebulun and that the line so that they went on to meet so they went up to meet them. Okay, so we got the opposing forces, leaving the haplotypes in the Navy of Eastern people come together, they crossed the net into the area just rail, get it now calls for the Army saw and the people of Israel to come together, there can have battle and got a chapter seven verse one early in the morning jar droppable. That is to say, Gideon, and all the minicamp in the spring of Hank A-Rod, the Campo Midian was north of them in the Valley nearly the hill of more Lord said to Gideon, you have too many men to deliver Midian into your hands in order that Israel may not ball against me that her own strength is safe. There announced mouth of the people. Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead, so twenty two thousand men laughed while ten thousand remain, but the Lord said to Gideon, there are still too many. Take them down to the water and I will send them from for you there. If I say there is one going to go with you. You shall go but up. I say one shall not go with you. You shall not go so Gideon took them into the water, and there the Lord told him separate those who lap the water with their time, like a dog from those who kneel down to drink three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouth, all the rest got down on their knees to drink and the Lord said to Gideon, with the three hundred men that laugh will I save you and give the millions into your hands, lest all the other men go go. Let all the other men go to his old place. So he dismissed what ten thousand more nine thousand seven hundred sows, got three hundred lap and with those three hundred. We moved to judge after verse sixteen a twenty two by three hundred men into three companies he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all men with partisan side so they all have trumpets. They all have empty jars with a torch inside the jar watch me. He told them all of my league when I get to the edge of the camp do exactly as I do when I went I and all who are with me. Below are trumpets. Then, from all around the camp while yours in shower for the Lord and for Gideon Gideon and the hundred men with each with him reach the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their chocolates broke the charges that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets ends the jars grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in the right hands. The trumpets they were to blow. They shouted the sword of the Lord and for Gideon while each man held his position around the camp, all the minions ran crying out as they play and when the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords, while along along the reading right against the last on an idea of what happened here with Gideon in this the new scenario for the for my message today but it's something that you want to go back and read over and read the entire context of it actually see here where Gideon is installed in Ontario is facing a problem and the overall there is this verse fourteen. It says going. The strength that you have. I go in the strength that you have while for most of us and for it for myself and young, particularly looking at the place that we live but now the surroundings that we live in. We live in the land of not enough in our that we know that this land is not enough contradicts what God wants in our lives. You know, we know that the Scriptures as my grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness. So we know that God is saying that his grace and his strength or their the most of the time I welcome a communism ever told God I don't have what it takes. I don't have enough. I as if accomplishment is this hall that I have the fill-in and I don't have enough to fill in the whole. So if I'm going to do something with my life. I have to find something to fill this hole and I don't have it so my night. Baldwin is to go and get what I need to fill in the hole to fill in this accomplishment in my life. I need more talents or time. I need more strength or knowledge. I need more education I need more of this signing more that but the challenge here that we find with Gideon is go with what you already know the dozen. Meanwhile I should go with what I have. I should put schooling& I cannot would I about fell of what you have is that if we need to go in and to achieve better things more things with our life. We need to not sit back and wait for the board open. I member will wait for something to happen. I remember visiting someone number of years ago and I went to their house and I'm talking to them and, and they were telling me about all the needs that they had and that they were just waiting. They were waiting for a job. I said wow have you having put on applications will now. I said, what have you talk to anybody about getting a job well done out as if you get the paper look for jobs now. So how you second, at one this at all. I believe in God to send sunlight for my door knock on the door and get me a job, I'll allow you what you haven't told anybody what a job you have appointed application out there for a job, you'll have it looking for a job and hearsay called during nothing. I don't think you're going to get one call, but I believe in God, distracted, you have got with what you've got in progress now with what you have and make your applications to the art colleges go and make your applications do your job elevator applications. The further your education is a wee look at this and we say that we need more are reasoning says this if what I had was enough. I would've accomplished what I wanted to do a long time ago if what I am and what I have is enough. I want to build in this whole this whole of need in my life so therefore, since I haven't filled it and I don't have what it takes. That's reasoning is obvious then that there is something lacking, so we stop and ask ourselves the question, what will it take to accomplish God 's best for my life. What will it take to accomplish God 's best of my life. What does God need to do in the and make the impossible possible. What does God need to do to make the impossible possible. What does God need to do to convince me to call in the strength that I have the villain and start filling in the whole that we think I don't sometimes this account is always different ways to approach the strategy Dana Hall, and and and all and it's an insult. The defendant, now it's time to stop digging home job and they resist there is his donkey that fell in the home and they couldn't get it out so they decided to buy it is very the donkey. Some expect the linen. The whole but the donkey was smart enough to know that if he just kept dropping a check in the dirt off that they filled in all, he eventually got out. If you walk around the track and you fall in the same hole fall in the hole that's part of life. You walk around the jack and falling all the second time that day. But after while walking around the same parts of life falling in the same hole becomes an IQ test. Sometimes you think the right thing. There's lots of things they can do with this fall. I bought also found were looking at this whole with Doctor really think way that we shut up and filling. Again are such things that we should be doing it yet. We don't do it because we are lacking something. Let's look at Gideon Gideon was trying to survive. Ginny was trying to survive Community Bank for his family. So in the first chapter six and verses one through six. We have a problem. We have the Midianites, the amortized and the other Eastern people invading the country may have been their fields in the fields of Israel. They camped in their field. What do they do when they camp in the field. They track down the crops they ate across. They took on their livestock, and when they were done when the people left. It was like ever been a horde of locusts through. I just cleaned out everything they came with so many follow up anyone, so these invaders impoverish Israel. These invaders impoverished Israel. They created hard times that were on Gideon and his family and on, then the entire nation so because of others because of their scheming and plotting and rating. Israel was in this deep need and get it in his family were impoverished because of others. So what is real to they cried to God for help. So the first thing we have to do is plan to pray and we need to plan to pray, pray to God for help and wisdom and guidance in the situation not think that while you know where we're stuck here and when we got this great problem, and I can't do anything about it. So therefore we are stuck in the cycle of walking around the track and falling into the same hole we need to pray about it. Pray about with the lobby so blindly followed the same hall. Every time we walk around the track waiting to pray for strength and understanding to be able to avert the whole plot holes of our life and some of those bottles were created by other people, as was the situation awareness. Verse eleven. Where was Gideon and I thought we were getting was at verse eleven or the act is a wine press. What was he doing in the winepress threshing grain the adult threshed grain and wine press okay but you probably have a threshing floor was generally up on a hill where are amount aware that where the LA but would put those wind turbines for the for the electricity order they thought them, they put them on a hill. Why, because that's where the wind blows. How do you thresh grain you take the brain and you within the stocks and you withdraw in the air and the wind would come and blow the chap away and we in the grain would fall as it was heavier than the chat while working with why is it doing that he's hiding from the Midianites and the invaders because there are common steel distraint studies in the wine press the wine press is placed in an event yard and is generally where you keep the wine is a whole underground. It is a halt on out of the ground and is like a sister. And it's a whole access the dog out of the stall so that it doesn't leave an end. This is a very used various wine press hiding in the vineyard, or is actually down in the hole here to learn from the way that we are trying to separate the chaff and grain, and there's no wind is a hard job as always they are in hiding, so Gideon, and in this it is in this place of hiding and so I never worked around grain and stop that is a dusty dirty job. I life surviving Columbine, you know, it is called by in which pulled behind a tractor and you put the bags on their and you would have the brain, which amended the bags and innuendos windows before they had those bins in a post at the combine for the bins on a nakedness augured into the truck. Those people were rich. We had these baggy burlap bags and we would will not and with Lamb on this Wilshire and the and it was so dusty and dirty. But you put stuff around your face. You know, and you just like all in with dust and dirt, and when you got off of their Euclid and rain effect. It was it was a mess and eighty five, the bags leverage a certain spot you put the lever and a falloff. We have all the bags. My nephew can later become up with the truck with Jillian is in this thirty wine press found this rain in the air where there's no wind. There's nothing going on is not separating any time from the Midianites is hiding from all these people and what's he doing a saying verse thirteen. What do you say by the thing. But, but, sir, he replied that the Lord is with us, why long as sounded a lot as a side effect. I think they got outside of God is with us. Why is all this happened was where all the miracles that God has abandoned us and he left the demand of the Midianites yelled that if we were really good farmers. We went down this Columbine we went out in London as a longer in the band and I would have to be set here for e-mail all this done and the dirty work and I will company at all this week and I can rejoice on the now how does God respond to Gideon were fourteen zero spot Lord turned everything going. The strength of Jack go on the strength that you have been saved Israel. I'm sending you get you want God to do something and the answer to get into prior is the God once again interviews on the other is a quote that I never reading years ago this week are part of the answer to every present, we pray. We are part of the answer to every private, we pray now here's a question. Does our ability to see in the snake to the idea that we can help meet that need. Does our ability to see that there is a need spin to the idea that we can be a part of the answer to that the doesn't mean that we have to fix it all. It's all up on you and I do, and world hunger it out. There's a hunger. We see it, but is there a a part of us that can help meet the needs of those who are hungry. Maybe in our own area on community if we are moved by world hunger are we part of that being able to see you need and meet that need to seek God is our source. It can use others, we can use us. So what do we see when we look in the mirror we see possibilities are we like Gideon verse fifteen. What is getting insane is as well. My family background, where not, that were not the best tribunal of all the bunch and my family. Of course I'm the least of my family. So if you take my tribe were not the best of the tribes, and if you take me and my abilities. I am the least of all the ones in my family. I believe that everyone so generated by basically saying I can go on the strength that I have because I have the I found the strength that I have on this visit here and complain and hear the Lord can find nobody else but what makes a difference for Gideon what makes the difference for us for sixteen I will be with you and I will strike down all the Midianites together. I will be with you. I will be with you state that the majority in any group is you and God. The majority in your life as you and God deciding factor is you and how that God 's word influences who you are so I will be with you. The Bible tells us was the Bible tell us that we that he will never leave us nor forsake the Bible says the Scriptures tell us, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Paul says that so God is telling us that you are not alone in this. I will be with you and you and I together will accomplish the task. It's not you alone go off and do you think God in the weekends and I fail God to guide the hallway near, and while neither can we send them complain about it all. This is a dusty dirty job. We should hire it out. One common misunderstanding is the idea that God 's guidance will come to us out of the blue again. Sometimes we think that that God is just going to operate it out. It is over the head will someone take this offering plate and come up behind me when I'm not looking in hit me over the head with it. You did know that you said that victory to anxious for that one, but the idea is that we think that guidance is for the guidance of God is not a dish shall I like that there would be walking down the round walking through life, and all of a sudden it got hit over the head, and it always been become clear to us doesn't work that way. Austin God 's work in the circumstances that we are in, to give us the insight that we need to handle the difficulties that we are facing, and that he is going to give us strength in the wisdom and guidance. We need right where we are at. God is not going to take us someplace else is going to take us is going to be with us where we are at to go to grow on from here. What if right now, what if the present circumstances. What if the current people. The good and the bad and the ugly. Those are those of those who are robbing us those who are taking on taking what does not belong to them. Those who leave nothing. They are like the locus in our life, and they place you would need him. I love how, and that this is exactly where we need to be. Why, because God wants me. God wants us unite to deal with for Israel and for Gideon. The miracle is not in the removal of the enemy. The miracle is not in the removal removal of the enemy. The miracle is and how the God move through Gideon to accomplish their see it isn't necessarily the outcome that is as it is as important as how that God arrives that that and how they can I arrived in working on the gone awry that working for you and I for Israel and get in the miracle is in how that he is working through him, and he gave Jenny and this wonderful advice bowel and the strength that you have. You mean I don't need something more. I don't need. I don't need other talents. I don't need other abilities. I don't need other people go in the strength that you have began begin the process with what you have brought us telling us apply what you know. Take the word of God, that you know. Take what God has already placed in your life and in your and your mind and in your heart and all within so whatever. But whenever we live in this land is not enough. We wanted greater revelation. While what revelation do we need that receipt that you will never be alone while Revelation do we need that God will never leave us nor forsake us, with God nothing is impossible. What greater revelation to we need God is for Gideon and for us. God is accelerating the abilities that we possess God is accelerating the abilities that we possess the angel of the Lord is coming to Gideon and is telling him I'm with you I was doing this and me. While Dennis together and where any content that became given the wine press and that's why in this winepress which is not the place for threshing grain you have some roadblocks gave roadblocks where the day care my family when I go off to war, he doubts that all that God has for him at it as if God 's comedies made a mistake and of course he feels inadequate to the task below sounds like us sound like you and I when you look at the tasks that are before we feel adequate. You feel that it's not that their other their other obstacles you know a wise person is able to understand whether I can see what the problems are and see what the difficulties are, and but also the wise person who is wise in the spirit and in the understanding of God sees how the God can work in their life and it goes through a step-by-step process got been getting any child listed with questions H NHI a challenge getting his questions and may again focus on pins America conclusions so we do not need to destroy something in order to move on from. We need to grow on from where we are at knowing that God is the one who blesses, and who has been ability to take his word and inspiring to our hearts and minds can we visualize the benefits of what God wants to do. We visualize the benefits of what God wants to do in our life that is not all a bed of roses, but there is a way in which God 's work. Working through us, bringing his word and our life together so that they are able to accomplish the purpose young to save that of FM 's land being free from the invaders. They can say the crop. The big well-being, even by his own children in his own family. They can see the benefits of the livestock not being slaughtered and taken off to other countries understand that your weakness is something that is part of our life, but it is not the defining moment of our life. Imagine again being told you I feel ready to go to war you know there is invading armies are so many people. You can't even count them so. I want you to get rid of twenty thousand low gay in of while you say so. God out and about ten thousand left in getting you got too many you need and you need to thin them out well God. It only got these people there's so many of them. We can't even count them, and you want me to get rid in ten thousand, while maybe five thousand okay this one. I want you to do. Gideon that there are those who will get down on their knees and drink from the water and there are those who will take their hand and bring the water up there mouth the ones to bring the water to the mouth of the ones you keep up ten thousand people, three hundred brought the water to them out. I think getting what a pervert the other one wise guy doing this because God wants us to know that is not only about us. It's about how that God will work through and if it if we defeated the enemy with thirty thousand people. We would say while you know, look what I did. God is trying to teach us that he is at work in our life, and he wants to show us and proved to us last experience what our faith in him can do so wisely and do deduct three hundred people and a verse seven says, God declared, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, so, God, and so here is three hundred men and a promise I will give these people in your now God doesn't tell Gideon at this point how is the Dylan. He just says he got dealt with three hundred RA I now that I've got three hundred highly edited. I've got a plan. L how they go out. It must know that sometimes we have to take steps forward before the plan is revealed weekend we can be on the board on the ship while the doctor we can turn the wheel. All we want, and the ship doesn't move. Nor does the direction change, but as the ship is in motion. The turning of the wheel. The writer turning in the writer has an influence on where it ends up, and as we go out as we are going about our life and believing and praying and asking God for help. It is as we take our next steps. And as we depend, grow our dependency upon God, exchange, and so what happens with Gideon Dalen the strength that you have and what is he doing is taking three hundred soldiers. What are the three hundred soldiers. Okay, now here's the plan. I want you to take three hundred hundred galaxy a one hundred on the other side and outer on the day. Put all these people behind you, in which a jail is you want to get in-flight getting flights have your torch in the job. Nobody knows nobody can see it and you have your trumpets saw when you're all in place again command everybody breaks the jar. All that the torch and blow the trumpet, got three hundred people now one of the things of this military strategists for every charge is a hundred people, but not so tonight for every torch is only a person in a drop. So when the people in the Midianites in the Eastern people who have invaded whenever they see three hundred charges three hundred times one hundred is thirty thousand three hundred thirty two zero thirty thousand right on the mathematicians help me out here, they got thirty thousand people surrounding and attacking and what happens to the camp. The candidates all this arrangement, Turner sort on each other. They start killing each other and they're running out taking off in what was the check what was the command to Gideon Gaal and the strength that you have in our lives. It is God who likes up our life, the light of Christ is our faith. The clay pitcher is the humanness that we have and when we are broken before God with the need of the difficulties that we face. We take our need for God in prayer. It's saying that God, I can't do this in myself. I am broken before you let the light of Christ shine in the trumpet that I sound is my faith in God, and declaring God is a go to work in my life, and God has told me to go and the strength that I have. And as I go. He will leave me and guide me his word will become my strength, his spirit will become what inspires me his spirit and his wisdom of his work will give me direction and we will see the hand of God will upon my life and change the circumstances and change the surroundings as I know, and the strength that I have. Amen, amen, that the challenge of video