09 Developing Confidence in God

8/2/2019 09 Developing Confidence in God

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DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE IN GODJudges 7:1-15The Frenchman, Emile Coue,lived in the early part of this century.He claims to have discoveredPan almostinfallible method of healing.When you are sickkeep insisting that you are getting better.Literally talk your way out of the illness.Repeat 20 consecutive times, twice daily,the phrase, "Every day, in every way, Iam getting better and better and better."Coue claims that people were healed of hearttrouble, ulcers, bronchitis, club feet,bad nerves, and many other ailments.Believe you are getting better and you will.And often you do.Coue's theory has caught fir6 in our generation.We are the "can do" generation.

Anything is possible if only you have self-confidence.If we believe we can, we can.Convinced of thatathletes psyche themselves up for games.coaches inspire them with pep talks.Sales managers conduct motivation seminars.Preachers instruct peopleto "name it and claim it.""Just say it in prayerand it will happen."Believe and it will be done!Generalsconvince men that they can't lose."Men we can do it! We've got what it takesGet out there and do it!"Someone has said, "Nothing is impossible to t

person who doesn't have to do it."It reminds me of a little ditty,


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"He tackled the thing that couldn't be doneand he found he couldn't do it."Yet it is interesting to see the seeminglymiraculous things people have accomplishedthrough this power of positive thinking.It is instructive to compare this modern mentaliwith the approach God uses to prepare Gideon.The modern method emphasize self-confidence.Believe in yourself.Or at best, have faith in faith.

That is a far different/thing than what Godrequires.He teaches us to have faith in God--to have God-confidence as opposed toself-confidnece.Gary Inrig compare0 what God did through Gideon'army to a football team of Jr. High girlschallenging the Super Bowl champions, anddefeating them 49-0.This has to be one of the greatest upsets inhistor--on the battle field or in thesports arena.But before this rout could be allowed to happen,God had to prepare His team.If we would be used of God, we too must learn thelessons God taught Gideon.He teaches us to deal first with our pride,then with our fears.

1A. GOD FIRST MAKES US FACE OUR PRIDE'1B. Gideon was in a difficult situations.1C. For the 8th consecutive yea gf theMidianites were preparing to raidIsrael at harvest time.They had a very successful strategystripping the land of its produce, arobbing the people of their dignity.They were virtually uncontested.2C. This time was to be different.


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He calls on Gideon to raise an army.It isn't too impressiv6 as armies go.But they are courageous. 32,000 menmake camp across the river from135,000 Midianite soldiers.It isn't much, but it is the bestthey can muster.3C. But God isn't satisfied with that.The army is too bi,for His purposes.It has to be trimmed down to size.The reason is given in Jaidges 7:2"Lest Israel claim glory for itselfsaying, 'My own hand has saved me.'"That's Emile Coue's philosophy,not God's.That's the philosophy that runs rampantthrough our society today.Even as Christians we have a tendency claim the glory for ourselves.Gary inriq makes u s think when he says'"God is not interested inimpgiving His people victory. He isconcerned with teaching us to trustHim. In fact, if our victories makeus self reliant, they are ultimatelymore disastrous than defeat."There is one thing worse than winning.That is winning and thinking I have need for God's grace.Believing "My own hand has saved me.That is one of gip great tragedies of fhuman history.It is a lesson that Israel repeatedlystumbled over.Jeremiah 9:236 "Thus says the LORD: Letnot the wise man glory in his wisdomLet not the mighty man glory in hismight, nor let the rich man glory in


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knows Me, that I am the LORD, exerciing lovingkindness, judgment, andrighteousness in the earth."This principle, above all others, endagers our eternal soul.Ephesians 2:8,9, "For by grace yohave been saved through faith, anthat not of yourselves; it is thegift of God, not of works, lestanyone should boast."It happens over and over again:We trust God and He does wonderfuthings for us.We see growth and progress.Other people see it too, and begicongratulating us, applaudingour efforts.The problem begins when we startto believe them.We start thinking, "I am good!"

We take the credit that belongs tGod.Our hearts are lifted up with pride':We forget that it was God wbrought us out of Egypt.We think we have done some greatthing for God, when in realityit is He who has done the greathing for us.In order to teach us to trust Him,God introduces His disarmamentprogrdM.He begins reducing our troops.There is a fable about a farmer whotransplanted a brier bush into hirose garden.'

The brier bush said/ "What a fooish man!on't you know I


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The Farmex proceeded to graft rose stalk into the top of thebrier bush.When summer came_ the brier root wtopped by beautiful roses.Brier Bush began bragging about hbeauty.The Farmer saide "Your beauty, olbrier, is not due to what cameout of you, but to what I haveput into you."4C. To ensure that God rather than Gide

gets the glory He reduces the odds from4/1 to 450/1.1D. 32,000 against 135,000 seems badenough.hat's four to one.But when God trimmed the ranks 10,000, making the odds thirteen one, that makes it tough for even thmost confident among us.2D. Yet man is audacious enough to blieve 4/1 odds aren't bad, and 13/1 tolerable.That's how the lottery survives.There are enough suckers out therthat believe they have a chance a3 million to one.But when God reduces the odds of

Gideon's army winning down to 450that was the last straw.Only God could secure the victoryOnly He could get the glory.2B. God carefully selects the men who willcomprise the army.Two criteria determines who makes the finacut.1C. The 300 finalists arechosen first all for their faith.


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once from Mount Gilead.' And twenty-two thousand of the people returned,and ten thousand remained."2D. Gary Inrig suggests the men whoremained were fearless.I doubt that! Certainly Gideonwasn't.If fearlessness were the criterion, Hewould have been the first to leave.vs 10, 11 make that very clear.3D. I'm sure they all felt the emotion offear. Perhaps even a little shakingand trembling came along with it.4D. The context indicates those who weredemoralized and panicked by fear weredismissed.5D. There was a very good reason behind

that.God instruct His people how todraft an army. w-He says in vs03,4, "When you are onthe verge of battle withourenemies; do not let your heartfaint, do not be afraid, and do nottremble or be terrified because ofthem; for the LORD your God is Hewho goes with you against yourenemies to save you."In Deuteronomy 20:4 the "fearful andfainthearted" are discharged, andfor good reason: "lest the heartof his brethren faint like hisheart."Fear and faintheartedness are fatalcommunicable diseases in God'sarmy.Luke 18:1rJesus says, "Men oughtalways to pray and not to faint."To faint is to lack courage, lose


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contagious viruses which striparmies of their power and destroysthe usefulness of good churches.Those infected #ith it need to beexcused without qualification fromservice in the LORD's work.When Gideon saw 2/3 of his army take anhonorable discharge and go home, heno doubt wondered why the other 10,000were still there.Not only is he saddled with a smallarmy, but they are stupid!...or

full of faith!If these men were not afraid before,surely by now they are. ) .But these are men of faith.They had come in answer to God's call.They believed regardless of the oddsGod would prevail.2C. The final 300 were chosen first fortheir faith land then for their fitnessfor the task:1D. God gave the 10,000 remaining men asimple test.'1E. They were to get a drink of water.2E. If they picked up the water intheir hand and lapped it they wereseparated from the others.

3E. If they got down on all fours anddrank like a dog they were assignedto another group and eventuallysent home.2D. It was a secret test`. As far as theyknew they were just getting a drink ofwater.1E. No one realized how significanttheir drinking technique was.2E. They had no idea they were being


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group would be chosen.4E. Did you know God tests you whenyou are least aware of it-'-whenyou least expect it?What you do in those times revealwhat you really are.Character is what you are in thedark when nobody is looking.3D. It was a significant test:1D. The vast majority, 97%,,, demon-strated a very lax attitude towardtheir enemy.2D. Only 3% of 10,000 indicate a real -awarenesslof the enemy and analertness"' to the danger they arefacing.3D. How many Christians are dismallyunaware of Satan's activities, andsound asleep on the job?

4D. These two armies are campedapproximately 5 to 6 miles apart.The Israelites on the south sideof the well of Harod.The Midianites just to the northof it.Each side is monitoring the move-ments of the other.5D. Moving to the edge of the wateris a good way to expose yourselfto the enemy.While drinking from an open streamyou are always in danger ofbeing ambushed.6D. I Peter 5:7,8 puts these tworequirements of spiritual warfareside by side:v 7 "Casting all your care upon Himfor He cares for you."


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your adversary the devil walksabout like a roaring lionseeking whom he may devour."That is fitness!7D. In II Corinthians 2:1ffPauladvises the Church to take decisiveaction "lest Satan should takeadvantage of us, for we are notignorant of his devices."8D. He admonishes the Ephesians,'"Put on the whole armor of God thatyou may be able to stand against

the wiles of the devil."9D. In recent years young parentsirhavebeen alerted to the danger ofleaving children alone.Parents go to great lengths toteach their children to recog-nize danger and avoid strangers.10D. God is Just as concerned that Hisspiritual children be alert to thespiritual dangers lurking allaround us, and that we be preparedto ward off any attacker.11D. Yet only a small number of rbelievers are actually alertpenoughto avoid defeat at the hands of theenemy.

2A. GOD ALSO DEALS WITH OUR FEARS1B. God again appears to Gideon in v 9."Arise, go down to the camp for I havedelivered it into your hand.But if you are afraid..."2B. He then tells Gideon what to do if heafraidnd Gideon doesn't hesitate todo it. That's the tip off. He's afraid!vs 10, 11 God sends him on a missionto strengthen his faith and


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place in a Midianite tent.vs 13, 14 a soldier is telling his dream tohis companion, "To my surprise, a loaf ofbarley bread tumbled into the camp...itcame to a tent and struck it so that itfell and overturned, and the tentcollapsed."His companion immediately saw themeaning, "This is nothing else but thesword of Gideon...for into his hand Godhas delivered Midian and the whole camp."3B. Overhearing this conversation Gideonrealizes as never before, This is not justa battle between 300 Israelites and 135,000Midianites.It is God's fight.God is doing battle with the Midianites.His 300 are just channels for God to use.4B. I love what happens next.In v 15 "He worshiped!"

1C. He has just learned the greatest lessonof his life.2C. As theology translates into life, herecognizes the full reality of God'sgreatness.victory doesn't depend on numericalsuperiority, but on the sovereignty ofGod.4C. Dan. 11:32 "The people who know theirGod shall be strong, and carry out greatexploits."I wonder if 3% of our congregation could standwith Gideon's men. Trusting in God not to benot to be demoralized by fear of terrorized intopanic by the enemy, standing vigilant and alertready to do battle with the enemy.

Would you stand with me, saying, "Lord, I wantto be used to bring glory and honor to you.


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Developing God-ConfidenceJudges 7:1-14IntroductionSelf-confidence and the "Can Do" generationSelf-confidence vs God-confidenceTo develop "God-confidence" we must deal with both our prideand our fear.1A. God deals with our pride. Judges 7:1-81B. The situation1C. The dilemma (8th consecutive year of invasion) 6:12C. The difference (God calls Gideon to meet thechallenge) 6:12-143C. The dissatisfaction (Gideon's army is too big)7:1,21D. God's purpose (not to give victory but toteach trust)2D. Something worse than winning (becoming self-reliant) Jer. 9:234C. The disarmament 7:3-6

The purpose: to insure that God gets the glory2B. The selection1C. Men chosen for the faith v 31D. Not panicked by fear Duet. 20:1-4,82D. Able to pray rather than faint Luke 18:12C. Men chosen for their fitness for the task vs 4-61D. A simple test2D. A secret test3D. A significant testTwo requirements of spiritual warfare

I Peter 5:7,8 Faith and vigilanceII Corinthians 2:112A. God deals with our fears Judges 7:9-141B. God's response to Gideon's fear(strengthens the fearful heart) v 10, 112B. Gideon's response to God's faithfulness v 151C. He bows in worship2C. He prepares for warConclusion

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09 Developing Confidence in God