Sermon Central
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Life Lessons From Gideon
Contributed by John Pierce on Jan 7, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Gideon’s life offers some interesting insights on how we are submit to God’s desires and blessings for our lives.
1. God not interested in your strength or your abilities.
2The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. (NLT)
A. God is interested in your courage.
3Therefore, tell the people, `Whoever is timid or afraid may leave and go home.’ " Twenty-two thousand of them went home, leaving only ten thousand who were willing to fight. (NLT)
1"When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you! 2Before you go into battle, the priest will come forward to speak with the troops. 3He will say, `Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight today! Do not lose heart or panic. 4For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’ 8Then the officers will also say, `Is anyone terrified? If you are, go home before you frighten anyone else.’ (NLT)
B. God is interested in your commitment.
7The LORD told Gideon, "With these three hundred men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home." 8So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the three hundred men with him. (NLT)
2. The results of courage and commitment are victory.
19It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the one hundred men with him reached the outer edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the horns and broke their clay jars. 20Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands and shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran. (NLT)
3. The blessings of courage and commitment are unity.
23Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in the chase after the fleeing army of Midian. 24Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallows of the Jordan River at Beth-barah." And the men of Ephraim did as they were told. (NLT)
If you have a relationship with God, it is God’s desire and expectation that you will follow Him… that you will join Him in what he is doing. When we rely on our own strength and abilities to fight the battles in our lives, we will fail most of the time. But when we have the courage to stand with God, when we commit to His ways, we will experience the victory and blessing that he has for us.
