Life Of imPossibilities Week 2 – Leverage Our Limitations
Read
Judges 7:1-23
7 Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops who were with him, got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’ 3 Now announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So, twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained. 4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot go.” 5 So he brought the troops down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate everyone who laps water with his tongue like a dog. Do the same with everyone who kneels to drink.” 6 The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men, and all the rest of the troops knelt to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.” 8 So Gideon sent all the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred troops, who took the provisions and their rams’ horns. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 That night the Lord said to him, “Get up and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you. 10 But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant. 11 Listen to what they say, and then you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the troops who were in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the people of the east had settled down in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.
13 When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, “Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.” 14 His friend answered, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”
15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel’s camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord has handed the Midianite camp over to you.” 16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each of the men a ram’s horn in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other hand.
17 “Watch me,” he said to them, “and do what I do. When I come to the outpost of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I and everyone with me blow our rams’ horns, you are also to blow your rams’ horns all around the camp. Then you will say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’” 19 Gideon and the hundred men who were with him went to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch after the sentries had been stationed. They blew their rams’ horns and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew their rams’ horns and shattered their pitchers. They held their torches in their left hands and their rams’ horns to blow in their right hands, and they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army began to run, and they cried out as they fled. 22 When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred rams’ horns, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords. They fled to Acacia House in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. 23 Then the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
Summary
Welcome back to week two of our sermon series Life Of imPossibilities. We will be talking about perspective. Our perspective is not the same as God’s perspective. In today’s scripture, we see that God had to change Gideon's perspective. God made us with limitations, we can’t get God’s perspective if we aren’t listening to Him. Gideon planned according to God’s perspective. What are our perspectives on marriage, finances, life in general? Are we seeking His perspective?
This week’s sermon, entitled Leverage Our Limitations, had three points: PERSPECTIVE, PLANNED, and PURSUE. Once we get God’s PERSPECTIVE we can begin to PLAN and then PURSUE what He has for us. Let’s look at our story found in Judges 7:1-23.
Gideon’s PERSPECTIVE on what he was about to do was based on what he had. He had 30,000 troops and that was not enough. God began to do some math, He subtracted troops from Gideon’s army, so He could add to Gideon’s faith. God was showing Gideon, just like He shows us, you can’t rely on yourself, rely on ME. God leverages our limitations for God’s Glory. God created us with limits so that we can understand that He is limitless. A good perspective begins with listening to God
When we gain God’s perspective, it leads us to a posture of worship.
Once Gideon had God’s PERSPECTIVE, he began to PLAN. He was down to 300 men so he divided them into 3 groups of 100 and gave them instructions. Let’s not forget, that before Gideon came up with His plan, God had already assured him of a victory. He prepared a plan based on his new PERSPECTIVE. He went back to the camp and told the men “get up” God has handed our enemy over to us. The instructions were watch me, and do what I do. He prepared them as God had prepared him.
With God’s PERSPECTIVE and an appropriate PLAN, Gideon began to PURSUE. It is in our pursuit of Jesus that we experience His power in our weakness. When we pursue Jesus, God pursues our enemy and prevails. When we take our fears to God, our fears are rightly dealt with as we draw near to Him.
Discussion
Has God ever had to change your PERSPECTIVE? Share
How did His PERSPECTIVE change you? Share
Has His PERSPECTIVE ever led to a change in PLANS? Share
How has God’s PERSPECTIVE changed how you PERSUE things? Share
How has God’s PERSPECTIVE changed how you PURSUE relationships? Share
Announcements
Continue to pray for one another and for future CG Leaders. God has been gracious to allow us to grow in our Community Groups.
We are in week four of our Sunday and Wednesday Night classes, we will be starting a new group of classes soon.
Let’s continue to pray for each other and send prayer requests through our WhatsApp thread. If you are a CG Leader and are not on our WhatsApp thread please contact Meichelle at meichelle.vasquez@bt.church
Pastor Isuaro Medina
Isauro.medina@bt.church
Cell: (956) 984-9380
