https://linktr.ee/thisismynewlife

Pericope: Judges 6: 13 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied,

“but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where

are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they

said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord

has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.

Sermon Title: I Can’t Lose With The Stuff I Use!

Sermon Text: Judges 6: 13 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon

replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to

us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about

when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But

now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of

Midian.”

Game Plan 1: Obedience: The Power of obedience

Judges 7:2-8 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many

men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would

boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now

announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn

back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left,

while ten thousand remained. 4 But the Lord said to Gideon,

“There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I

will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with

you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he

shall not go.” 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There

the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their

tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6

Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like

dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The Lord

said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will

save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the

others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home

but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and

trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in

the valley

Game Plan 2: Faith: Face down fear with faith.

Judges 7:9-15 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get

up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into

your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp

with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying.

Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and

Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The

Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had

settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more

be counted than the sand on the seashore.

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I

had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came

tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force

that the tent overturned and collapsed.” 14 His friend responded,

“This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of

Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole

camp into his hands.” 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its

interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the

camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the

Midianite camp into your hands.”

Game Plan 3: Unity: Unity in diversity.

Judges 7:16-22 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three

companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all

of them, with torches inside. 17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow

my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from

all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for

Gideon.’” 19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the

edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after

they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke

the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew

the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their

left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were

to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21

While each man held his position around the camp, all the

Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 22 When the three hundred

trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp

to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth

Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near

Tabbath.,

Game Plan 4: Timing: Trusting God’s timing.

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the

camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had

changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars

that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the

trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left

hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to

blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21

While each man held his position around the camp, all the

Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 22 When the three hundred

trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp

to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth

Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near

Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh

were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.

Game Plan 5: Celebrate Faithfulness: God’s faithfulness.

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and

your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of

Midian.” 23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will

my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24 And he said,

“I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from

your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the

Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) 25 They answered, “We’ll be

glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of

them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the

gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, [a] not

counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments

worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their

camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he

placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by

worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his

family.

Application:

1. Run the Play!

2. Stick with the Game Plan!

3. Celebrate Your Victory!