Success and failure often go together Judges 7.1-8.28 God often works in amazing and faith-strengthening ways. When He does we need to be careful not to take the honour to ourselves

Success and failure often go together May 11 The roots of Israel’s unfaithfulness – 1:1-3:11 May 18 Unusual and unexpected deliverance – 3:12-5:31 May 25 The reluctant leader who eventually trusts God – 6.1-40 June 15 Success and failure often go together – 7.1-8.28 June 22 God is both Saviour and Judge – 8:29-9:56 June 29 Failing to see what God is really like – 10.1-12.15 July 13 The God who does the impossible – 13.1-25 July 20 How can womanising Samson be God’s saviour? – 14.1-16.31 July 27 The depths of Israel’s unfaithfulness – 17.1-21.25

The Judges’ cycle

Gideon

INTRODUCTION The battle belongs to the Lord. Battered by fear, Buoyed by faith Betrayed by success.

The battle belongs to the Lord. 7.7: “I will save you with the 300 men (NIV) God often uses the weak to confound the strong, to demonstrate that power comes from Him, not from human strength.

God often assigns tasks that are beyond our human capacity Joshua 6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March round the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. (NIV)

4 Make seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark 4 Make seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march round the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, make the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.’ (NIV)

Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

God is careful to show that it is He, not us that puts down our enemy. Psalm 90: 12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. (NIV)  1 Kings 13:30-38

God selects which human instruments to use. 1Corinthians 1 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. (NIV)

The battle belongs to the Lord Battered by fear

Battered by fear 7.10: “If you are afraid…” God graciously gives further confirmation. The natural human tendency in the face of the enormity of the task is to fear. The machinery of ‘fear not’ is to focus on the greatness of God rather than on the enormity of the assigned task

Mark 11 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (NIV)

Matthew 14: 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (NIV)

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV) The promises of God speak victory in the face of conflict. Jeremiah 30:10 “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. (NIV) Matthew 28:20b: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

The battle belongs to the Lord Battered by fear

Buoyed by faith 8.4: ‘Gideon and his 300 men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit…’ (NIV) God gives complete victory to those who persevere in trusting him.

The danger of rejoicing too early in conflict The danger of rejoicing too early in conflict. It is not over until it is over. 1Kings 13: 15 So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.” 16 The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. (NIV)

17 I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’” 18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.) (NIV)

In this world you will have tribulation. John 16: 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Pressing on to total victory. Matthew 28:20 And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 24:13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (NIV)

The battle belongs to the Lord Battered by fear Buoyed by faith

Betrayed by victory 8.22-27: Gideon resists the pressure to make him king, but then lets greed lead him into idolatry. (NIV)

Resisting external pressures John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (NIV)

Responding to internal pressures 1John 2: 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (NIV)

Rejecting God Luke 21:34-3534 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. (NIV)

Lessons We Can Learn Like Gideon we all have God given tasks. They may be parenting tasks, work related tasks or spiritual tasks.   To excel, we need more than mere human abilities. Because we do not have them naturally, we may fear. However, God’s word promises us his help. Like Gideon, we need to trust God by faith and strike out believing for success. When we acknowledge our weaknesses, God gives us guidance, strength and success.

Failure sometimes comes after we’ve experienced success. Lessons Failure sometimes comes after we’ve experienced success. When people admire and congratulate us do we allow it to go to our heads?