Sermon Central
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Gideon And The Israelites
Contributed by Brett Wilson on Nov 11, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Gideon and the Israelites were afraid and faced with difficulty. They placed their trust in God in hope that he would bring them comfort.
Introduction:
-Judges: The first 300 years in the promised land after the death of Joshua
-The Midianites, Amalekites, and the Arabians went into the land in large numbers for 7 years
-That caused Israel to hid in caves and to make hidden pits for their grain
-They were in the promised land, they were hiding in caves because the enemies were destroying everything that they couldn’t take back with them
-God’s people were beaten down and depressed
-Satan tries to do the very same thing to us as Christians
-God called a man named Gideon to deliver his people. He did this with the help of only 300 men.
I. Gideon and the Israelites were Afraid
-He was given the job to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites
-That was a hard task to accomplish
-He lacked confidence
-He was to go against the children of Israel because they believed in Baal
-He was to destroy his fathers altar to Baal, and he did it at night
-Gideon went and gathered together people from the tribes of Asher, Manasseh, Zebulun, and Naphtali to help fight against the Midianites.
-God ordered to make the but to test his faith, and Gideon was told to tell them if they were afraid or fearful to return home and 22,000 men left
-vs.17 he asks for a sign, showed doubt
-They were faced with a problem that caused them to be afraid and depressed, without hope
-Most of us have a fear for what God has called us to do: teach, preach, witness, or even love others
-"When a man is defeated by life it is always due, ultimately, to the fact that he is suffering from a spirit of fear...The Spirit of fear is the real, the ultimate cause of all failure in life, and of all unhappiness." Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
-We all have problems, situations, obstacles in our life that we are afraid of, maybe we are afraid of the problems that Satan may throw our way
-People fear things because they don’t trust in God
-There are two side to fear
-Choosing to overcome it like Gideon
-Running from it like the 22,000 men
II.They Relied on the Power of God
-We see that he trusted God because he obeyed him by tearing down altars and reducing the army
-He knew God’s power through the places and situations God had already delivered them from
-All God wanted Gideon to do was to trust him and let him take care of everything
-Gideon humbled himself, knowing he couldn’t do it alone
-God wants us to rely on him for everything
-He is all-powerful yet loving and merciful to hlep us get rid of our fears
-God wants us to live a bold life, and we can only do that be relying on God
-We are not self-sufficient, God is the only one
-"Without God, God cannot be known." Irenaeus
-We need to rely on God for everything, for our fears and problems
III. God Brought Comfort to Their Fears
-God is the solution to every problem
-"Jesus went without comfort so he could send us the Comforter"-Edith Schaeffer
-Comfort: To console in time of grief or fear: to make someone feel better, to help
-The presence of God, knowing he is there is what brings comfort
-Luke 8:22-25 The disciples were afraid on the boat in the midst of a storm, but God’s presence gave them comfort.
-God brought the comfort as well as the victoy
-They returned to a state of peace and comfort now that the enemy was defeated.
-God loves us so much that he desires to see us at peace
Conclusion
-There maybe things in yourlife that you fear and are scared of, but don’t run from them
-Just rely on God, give your problems to him and he will bring comfort
-Don’t let your life be controlled by your fears, live a bold life for Christian
