Sunday – December 8, 2013 “When Less is More” Judges 6:36-7:23

Sunday – December 8, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

When Less is More Judges 6 verse 36 to 7 verse 23 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.


Word On Worship – Sunday – December 8, 2013 Download / Print

Judges 6:36-38
Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.”

Now let’s be honest with one another. Isn’t Gideon’s unbelief something that is familiar to all of us who have come to trust in Jesus as our Savior? We believe in the Lord Jesus, and we know that we are eternally saved, safe and secure in His keeping. We believe that God’s purpose is to proclaim the good news of the gospel throughout the entire world. We believe that God is going to bring many to faith. We even believe that God may bring revival to our country, and perhaps even to our neighborhood. But we have our doubts when we consider the possibility that God intends to accomplish these great things through us. God may use a Billy Graham but surely He will not use me in any significant way! That is what this test is all about. Gideon wants God to confirm His promise to achieve Israel’s deliverance through him.

It seems to me that in this “test,” there is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that Gideon is reluctant to take God at His word. He knew what God had said; he just didn’t quite believe it. The good news is that Gideon is not proud, arrogant, or confident in his own abilities. Gideon is scared to death and clinging desperately to God. That is a far better place to be than confident in one’s own abilities. Or is it? Our culture says otherwise, and so many Christians think otherwise. Much like the secular world, we think that those most likely to succeed are the ones who have great intellect and healthy self-esteem, are good looking and aggressive. In God’s world, it is the weak and helpless He uses to achieve His purposes. Or, putting the matter in the terms of our sermon title: “Less is More.”

God’s deliverance comes to men because they are desperately helpless to save themselves. That was true of the Israelites of old. It was not because those who were needy did something great to win God’s favor; it was because God is gracious to those who cry out for His help. This is still true today. Everyone is a sinner, in bondage to sin and unable to save themselves. In His great mercy, God sent the Perfect Deliverer, Jesus Christ. He came to save those who were helpless and hopeless. Just as Gideon was not intended to get the glory for the deliverance of his fellow-Israelites, but only God, so it is only God who should get the glory for our salvation, not us. Have you acknowledged your bondage to sin and your helpless state? Have you cried out to Jesus for the salvation He alone can give? If you have, give Him the glory He alone deserves.

 

 

What do you think?