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 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

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 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

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 Thank you for joining us today.

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 All right.

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 Our focus, Lord, comes to you because what you have done for each independent life here.

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 Our focus is directed toward who you are and what you are.

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 Thank you for blessing us, watching over us, and loving us so much.

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 And we thank you, Father, that we can gather and we can break your word, look at the

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 meaning of things that were bygones and years and thousands of years ago.

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 And yet, in that truth, we see redemption in everywhere we read and everything that we

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 talk about.

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 So, Father, bless us tonight as we break the bread and we trust, Lord, that we will

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 be fed and edified and give you the glory in Jesus' name, everyone said.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Well, before we start tonight, I'm trying a new approach to the general lesson.

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 I usually take the chapter outline and go through it line by line.

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 Tonight, I am just going to hit the highlights when I get to that page, and

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 then we will take the sections that are applicable to information and put them

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 on the page, read through that, give you a little bit more definition, and then talk

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 about that.

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 So, I don't know whether it's going to work or not.

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 I've been thinking about trying to do something different than trying to load you

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 up on the front end because some of the stories that we have gotten into are

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 rather complex, and yet, you need to know the background and the logistics of

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 what's happening in order to get a better perspective.

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 So, tonight, we're talking about Gideon.

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 We're talking about his calling and preparation in Judges 6, 1 through 40.

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 So, instead of going through every one of these lines and giving you that total

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 perspective, I'll just read the red line, and it'll help us understand what's at

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 least going to happen.

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 So, Israel sins if that's nothing new, and the Midianites oppress the Israel, and

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 then God sends an unnamed prophet.

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 We'll never know who he is, but it's unnamed, and he declares the word of the

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 Lord, and that's a word of repentance, and then the angel of the Lord calls Gideon.

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 He sits by a tree and he calls him, and Gideon responds very strangely, and then

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 Gideon tears down Baal's altar as an instruction that was given to him, and the

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 spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon, and then they war, and then Gideon's two signs

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 with the fleece in 36 through 40.

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 So, now, what we'll do, we'll talk a little bit about that summation, you can

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 see that through these scriptures, we see God continually demonstrating his love

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 to us, even when we were wayward or are wayward in our life and in our decisions.

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 Any mends to that?

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 Yes, like a hound dog of heaven, if you remember that sixties declaration, and

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 Gail's shaking her head, yes, so you're dating yourself, and then God's

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 redemptive desire for us is so much greater than our desire for him.

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 That's hard to believe, because in a traditional sense, oh, he's too busy, he's

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 got a lot of things to do, but yet, you know, through the scriptures, if you read

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 him, he cares about everything, he wants to be involved in everything.

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 That's why he says, cast your cares upon me.

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 And God then so craves our fellowship, and that's where we spend time with him,

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 that he will go to great lengths to call us and to bring us out of the sin that

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 we're in, the mire, the muck, the whole thing that we tend to get into when we

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 run our own lives.

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 And then I guess my question is, can anyone here quantify his love for us to

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 the lengths that he will go to redeem us?

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 I don't think we can.

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 We can give descriptions of things in our personal life, which would be different

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 than yours and yours and yours.

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 But to quantify the whole application of what God does is certainly a very

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 difficult thing to undertake.

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 I would say it's impossible.

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 There are many theologians, many books, thousands of pages, and yet it's still

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 not exhaustive in what his relationship is to his people.

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 So let me give you a background of the Midianites.

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 Let's set some perspective.

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 They were not simply an indigenous tribe that Israel failed to remove.

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 They weren't even part of the Promised Land.

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 They were a different nature, and they didn't live in Canaan.

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 And this, again, was not an opposition group, a splinter group trying to get

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 even, trying to come back at Israel.

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 They didn't even live there.

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 They were an external tribe to the southeast of Canaan, and that they

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 invaded seasonally for certain things, and certain things we'll be talking about.

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 And they lived, again, below and right of Israel.

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 The Midianites were not unknown people to Israel.

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 If you think about it, there are certain interesting things that come up.

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 In Exodus 2, 15 through 21, Moses fled Egypt after he was found out, and he

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 wanted to lead a life, bury himself in the desert, and where did he go?

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 He went to the land of Midian, where he married Zipporah, his wife, and he

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 lived there, and then God called him.

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 And then in Numbers 22 through 25, those three chapters, it talks about the

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 Midianites that were involved with Moab in trying to, and attempt, undermine

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 the Israelites through Balaam and through the city of Peor.

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 So there is a context of who they were all in the scripture before this.

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 And then Judges 6, 3, 3, 6 describes a cycle of annual invasion in Israel's land.

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 In other words, they came from the southeast, southwest, invaded the land,

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 and this is what they did.

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 Israel plants, the Midianites arrive, the crops are destroyed and stolen,

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 the livestock is taken.

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 And when you look about harvest, that's where all the calves are born,

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 that's where all the, you know, the fertility is already established,

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 so now they're taking all that wealth, and Israel becomes impoverished again,

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 and again, and again, and then Israel cries out to God for help.

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 That's the cycle that we see.

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 So the Midianites were a terror, and consequently, they goaded the nation

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 Israel into finally asking for repentance and help, of which the Lord gave them.

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 So now this is where we kind of change, so we're going to take one of those

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 topics, verses 1 through 6, and at least read it in an abbreviated form.

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 So Israel does evil in God's sight.

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 He allows the Midian to oppress Israel for seven years.

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 So that whole cycle, every fall that happens, Midians destroy Israel's crops

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 and livestock, and then it becomes, they become greatly impoverished, and they finally,

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 again, cry out to God.

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 So that's what it says in the six verses.

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 So now, if you remember the never-ending cycle of apostasy that Danny talked about

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 in his application a couple weeks ago, he talked about it, and it's the sin cycle,

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 commonly called.

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 It's where Israel sins, and they then are oppressed because the blessing is taken away.

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 They repent, they get deliverance from God, repentance first, then deliverance.

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 Then they have peace, things are good, and then they redo the whole cycle again,

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 and they relapse into where they're not supposed to be.

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 So that's what Danny did.

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 He killed that idea of what that is.

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 So here's a question for you.

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 Why does Israel so quickly relapse into paganism?

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 Why do you think that happens?

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 You know, you look and you read about these things and say,

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 well, my gosh, I don't think I would have done that, and maybe we wouldn't have.

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 Gail, what's your thoughts?

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 Because they don't really fear God.

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 Okay.

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 That's a very broad statement, but that's basically where they're at.

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 Because that leads to disobedience.

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 God is a convenience in their eyes.

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 When it's good, it's good, and when it's bad, it's bad.

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 Any other thoughts?

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 Also, when they see the other nations and they say, I want to be like them.

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 Yes, see the other aspect of it.

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 Well, we want a king, too.

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 Yeah.

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 The thing with Saul.

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 Yeah, they like to let the other nations.

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 So, one, their hearts, two, is what they see in physical, in other tribes.

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 Now, I don't know whether this cord is going to get back there or not.

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 Yeah, it's okay.

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 Number one, I'm a vegan guy.

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 You know what that means?

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 Okay.

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 I'm a vegan guy, and I deal with a lot of hardcore diseases.

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 So, my feeling is when you're eating livestock, you're eating the death.

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 You're eating the death of the mother, you're eating the death of the sister,

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 you're eating the death of the family.

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 That has to affect your brain.

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 Okay, so make that applicable to what you're doing.

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 So, what it is, is why they relapse because they're thinking it's not straight.

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 It's filled with death and harm from killing the animals.

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 So, they're thinking it's not straight.

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 Okay, so...

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 My opinion.

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 Well, that's okay.

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 So, why did they...

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 So, you take a jail.

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 You give me any prison or in jail.

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 You give me 30 days, that prison is going to be mellow.

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 You give me any juvenile delinquent.

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 You give me 30, 60 days, that juvenile will be mellow,

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 which means when you're eating death, it becomes part of who you are,

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 and that's why Israel relaps.

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 Okay.

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 My opinion.

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 All right, that's okay.

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 I guess I eat a lot of death then.

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 I'm a meat eater.

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 So, anyway, that's okay.

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 I mean, that's where we're at.

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 And there is some reconciliation to that thought.

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 But let's take a look a little bit further down the line

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 and see what we got here.

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 All right, you get out of there.

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 All right.

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 So, idolatry, like you were looking and saying,

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 okay, gee, what do they have over here?

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 Offered things that appealed, appealed heart, again,

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 to their desires, their fears, and what?

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 Their longing for control.

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 Those whole common things that we deal with.

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 And what did that manifest itself into?

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 Israel's desires then, an ultimate downfall, were these things.

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 They certainly needed fertility.

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 They wanted fertility.

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 The increase of their families.

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 They wanted rain for their crops.

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 Because, remember, they were all agrarian people.

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 There was no industry going on as such.

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 They wanted healthy animals to reproduce,

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 to give them the meat that they needed.

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 Agricultural prosperity, those that were farmers,

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 had wheat, had grain, had barley,

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 if you remember the sacrifices that were given.

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 So they wanted that.

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 They wanted sexual fertility to increase their families.

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 And they wanted protection from the enemies.

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 This is what they wanted.

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 They didn't think that God could do all that.

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 You know, it's like the old saying.

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 The Lord helps those who help themselves.

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 Remember that old cliche years ago?

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 God, I can do that.

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 I don't need the Lord.

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 Well, sometimes we do.

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 Sometimes we don't know.

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 We always need the Lord.

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 So how is that applicable to us today?

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 What are our desires and ultimate downfall?

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 And you can equate right across the line here.

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 Fertility is marriage, family, acceptance,

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 those things that we all look for.

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 The reign of crops is the financial provision

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 because it was crops, it wasn't money.

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 Then now it's money.

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 So that was an equation.

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 And then the healthy animals,

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 the anxiety about, again, possessions and assets

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 and things that we want to build.

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 And then the agricultural prosperity is our careers,

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 our success, and the business becomes so important

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 and consumed, we are consumed by that

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 that we forget the Lord because we're doing business.

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 Sexual fertility, again, the sexual pleasure

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 and gratification that people are certainly looking for

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 in our society.

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 And then lastly, the protection from our enemies.

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 For us, it's security and control.

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 So you were getting there with what your declaration was.

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 So there's nothing uncommon and nothing new.

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 It just generationally repeats itself time and time again.

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 And of course, God and his sovereignty

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 has given us a plan that repeats itself time

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 and time again for those of us

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 that have accepted the Lord.

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 So let me ask you these questions.

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 Do simple questions lead us to our downfall?

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 And this is where I kind of could go

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 if it wasn't for the Lord.

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 I believe in God, but I'm afraid

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 that he won't answer all my prayers.

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 Or will I be safe in his hands?

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 I don't know whether God will provide this,

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 so I need another way to make sure I get it.

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 And will I have enough money for my retirement?

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 That's always the thing,

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 when you finally raise your kids and put them through college

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 and then you start saving for retirement

245
00:15:42,860 --> 00:15:44,460
 and you say, okay, here comes the date,

246
00:15:44,659 --> 00:15:45,519
 getting closer, getting closer.

247
00:15:45,559 --> 00:15:46,200
 Do I have enough money?

248
00:15:46,460 --> 00:15:47,159
 Can I retire?

249
00:15:48,379 --> 00:15:50,200
 It's funny how people think.

250
00:15:50,820 --> 00:15:52,580
 And will I succeed at my career?

251
00:15:54,179 --> 00:15:56,879
 And will I experience the pleasure

252
00:15:56,879 --> 00:15:59,620
 and fulfillment of my desires?

253
00:16:00,519 --> 00:16:02,039
 So those things are questions

254
00:16:02,039 --> 00:16:03,820
 that we could broadly ask ourselves

255
00:16:03,820 --> 00:16:05,940
 that may be trip points for us

256
00:16:05,940 --> 00:16:07,419
 because what does Satan do?

257
00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,279
 Did God say, he talks in our ear?

258
00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:11,980
 Yes, Gail?

259
00:16:13,539 --> 00:16:17,000
 Well, I've been reading this book by John Bevere again,

260
00:16:17,580 --> 00:16:18,679
 the awe of God.

261
00:16:19,740 --> 00:16:23,899
 And he's basically saying that the main thing is

262
00:16:24,580 --> 00:16:27,340
 that we have to trust God and obey him.

263
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,139
 And we have to revere God.

264
00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:33,360
 And we show our reverence for him by being obedient.

265
00:16:34,019 --> 00:16:38,059
 And this is what the Israelites failed to do

266
00:16:38,059 --> 00:16:39,940
 over and over and over, they didn't trust and obey.

267
00:16:40,940 --> 00:16:42,639
 And so they're consequently going

268
00:16:42,639 --> 00:16:44,399
 to keep having this downfall.

269
00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:46,440
 And it even says in James,

270
00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,320
 you don't get what you want because you're asking a miss.

271
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,960
 You're not asking what God wants you to ask for.

272
00:16:55,299 --> 00:16:56,860
 You're asking for your own selfish desires.

273
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,159
 So it starts there, I think, with pride.

274
00:17:00,279 --> 00:17:01,799
 You know, we can go back

275
00:17:01,799 --> 00:17:04,339
 and if any of you remember when we were talking

276
00:17:04,339 --> 00:17:09,519
 about the mapping that I did with Esau and Jacob,

277
00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,779
 the terrible family situations they come from.

278
00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,420
 The mother lied, the brother stalled.

279
00:17:17,039 --> 00:17:18,279
 You know, they didn't treat that child.

280
00:17:18,460 --> 00:17:21,359
 So, you know, that's in the DNA somewhere along the line.

281
00:17:21,740 --> 00:17:22,779
 And all of a sudden you come out,

282
00:17:22,940 --> 00:17:25,240
 oh, no wonder it's the family,

283
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,859
 it's the 12 tribes, it's the 12 sons.

284
00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:29,940
 And so, hence, this is what we have.

285
00:17:29,940 --> 00:17:32,579
 Okay, I think she was first than you.

286
00:17:34,740 --> 00:17:37,980
 Yeah, we don't know what's best for us.

287
00:17:38,700 --> 00:17:42,420
 I married a man and his family was from the main line

288
00:17:42,420 --> 00:17:46,279
 and I really wanted the security and the stability

289
00:17:46,279 --> 00:17:48,279
 and a better life for my children.

290
00:17:49,460 --> 00:17:53,920
 I married him and we backslid in our faith.

291
00:17:54,140 --> 00:17:58,140
 We stopped going to church and we were broke.

292
00:17:58,859 --> 00:18:01,980
 We were desolate and if I hadn't married him

293
00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:05,799
 and made Jesus my husband and put God first,

294
00:18:06,619 --> 00:18:08,759
 we would have been a lot better off

295
00:18:08,759 --> 00:18:10,180
 and spared a lot of pain.

296
00:18:10,839 --> 00:18:13,720
 And we just, God knows what's good for us.

297
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,859
 Like we have little kids and kids,

298
00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,099
 kids would eat dessert morning, noon and night

299
00:18:18,099 --> 00:18:19,000
 if we let them.

300
00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:21,660
 And, you know, we have to,

301
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:23,380
 we know what's good for our kids.

302
00:18:23,539 --> 00:18:25,339
 God's knows what's good for us.

303
00:18:26,059 --> 00:18:27,819
 I'll wrap it up with a joke.

304
00:18:27,819 --> 00:18:31,319
 There was an atheist walking through the woods

305
00:18:31,319 --> 00:18:33,440
 and a bear started chasing him.

306
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:40,180
 And he said, God, God, and the clouds roll back

307
00:18:40,180 --> 00:18:42,440
 and God says, you haven't talked to me in a while.

308
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,099
 What now?

309
00:18:46,340 --> 00:18:49,319
 Convert the bear, make the bear a Christian.

310
00:18:49,819 --> 00:18:51,839
 God's like, are you sure that's what I want?

311
00:18:53,059 --> 00:18:57,079
 Yes, God, make the bear get saved.

312
00:18:57,819 --> 00:19:01,119
 God said, okay, fine, clouds close up.

313
00:19:01,460 --> 00:19:03,579
 The bear stops a foot away from him

314
00:19:03,579 --> 00:19:07,259
 and is totally serene, puts his paws together,

315
00:19:07,859 --> 00:19:09,859
 bows his head and says, dear Lord,

316
00:19:10,140 --> 00:19:11,940
 thank you for the meal I'm about to receive.

317
00:19:12,859 --> 00:19:15,440
 Yeah, right, that's good, that's good.

318
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:16,440
 All right.

319
00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,579
 Actually, the third one reminded me of,

320
00:19:19,779 --> 00:19:21,259
 I don't know whether God will provide

321
00:19:21,259 --> 00:19:22,859
 so I'll go another way.

322
00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:24,599
 And it reminds me of King Asa.

323
00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:26,400
 Asa was really leaning on God.

324
00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,380
 And then he went to another ally to help him in war.

325
00:19:30,779 --> 00:19:32,160
 And God said, why did you go to him

326
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:33,240
 when you could've came to me?

327
00:19:33,519 --> 00:19:36,059
 And then he got sick and went to a doctor.

328
00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,180
 He says, you could've came to me.

329
00:19:38,599 --> 00:19:39,900
 Like, it reminded me of that.

330
00:19:40,079 --> 00:19:41,339
 Like, why did you go another way?

331
00:19:42,180 --> 00:19:45,180
 And he lost his way just in those two things.

332
00:19:45,279 --> 00:19:45,900
 He was fine.

333
00:19:46,420 --> 00:19:47,359
 Why did he do it?

334
00:19:48,599 --> 00:19:53,880
 There's something about the ability of us decision makers.

335
00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,240
 There's not a pattern in our mind

336
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,119
 that's all the same with every individual.

337
00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,779
 And it's just amazing how some people make choices

338
00:20:00,779 --> 00:20:01,680
 and you look at it and say,

339
00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:03,700
 boy, that was a dumb choice that person made,

340
00:20:03,779 --> 00:20:05,039
 but yet we may turn it around.

341
00:20:05,339 --> 00:20:07,839
 Some of the things that we have done in our experience too,

342
00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:09,920
 we make some dumb choices, that's for sure.

343
00:20:10,539 --> 00:20:13,500
 Okay, so we talked about two things

344
00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:15,839
 which was obedience, and what was your other one, Gail?

345
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:17,640
 Trusting.

346
00:20:17,839 --> 00:20:19,900
 Yes, trusting, okay, that's good.

347
00:20:20,900 --> 00:20:23,099
 All right, let's take a little bit further.

348
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:24,680
 Let's ask the question.

349
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,640
 Have difficult circumstances ever caused you

350
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,200
 to recognize a spiritual problem

351
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,799
 that you had previously overlooked?

352
00:20:37,559 --> 00:20:38,940
 And you can explain that.

353
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:40,920
 In other words, you're going along,

354
00:20:42,260 --> 00:20:45,000
 difficult circumstances, and all of a sudden you realize,

355
00:20:45,579 --> 00:20:48,539
 and now that can be through the mouth of others.

356
00:20:49,259 --> 00:20:51,500
 It can be the conviction of God,

357
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:54,000
 but all of a sudden you realize

358
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,200
 you were in error going the wrong way.

359
00:20:56,940 --> 00:20:57,859
 What's that look like?

360
00:20:58,220 --> 00:20:59,579
 Anybody ever experienced that?

361
00:21:00,579 --> 00:21:02,039
 All right, we see head shaking.

362
00:21:02,619 --> 00:21:03,619
 We'll go to Gail first.

363
00:21:04,420 --> 00:21:05,299
 We have to go to Gail.

364
00:21:05,299 --> 00:21:05,920
 Yeah, that's fine.

365
00:21:08,079 --> 00:21:10,599
 So I'm not gonna go into the big whole long story

366
00:21:10,599 --> 00:21:12,319
 because probably you're familiar with it,

367
00:21:12,339 --> 00:21:14,599
 but several years ago I did something

368
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,039
 that really aggravated my daughter, Sally,

369
00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,160
 because I was just being obedient

370
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,420
 and just doing what God told me to do,

371
00:21:23,060 --> 00:21:25,819
 and then she didn't talk to me forever since then.

372
00:21:27,940 --> 00:21:31,839
 But recently, I was reading another John Bevere book,

373
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,460
 The Bait of Satan, and it was talking about

374
00:21:35,460 --> 00:21:37,900
 how as Christians, we're not to allow ourselves

375
00:21:37,900 --> 00:21:38,740
 to be offended.

376
00:21:39,079 --> 00:21:40,700
 We're supposed to be forgiving,

377
00:21:41,319 --> 00:21:46,960
 and so I realized that I had this whole list of stuff

378
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,259
 against Sally that I hadn't forgiven her for,

379
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,240
 and I was really offended by her attitude towards me,

380
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,539
 and I thought I was justified in being defensive

381
00:21:55,539 --> 00:21:58,140
 and angry with her because of the way she was treating me

382
00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:01,779
 until I read that book and realized,

383
00:22:02,559 --> 00:22:04,819
 I need to be forgiving no matter what she's done.

384
00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:05,460
 I need to forgive.

385
00:22:05,740 --> 00:22:06,519
 Did you forgive her?

386
00:22:06,799 --> 00:22:06,980
 Yes.

387
00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:08,279
 All right, okay.

388
00:22:08,539 --> 00:22:11,859
 Good, long story short, very good, very good.

389
00:22:12,319 --> 00:22:15,380
 You know, those things like Gail was talking about,

390
00:22:15,759 --> 00:22:18,480
 you wanna hold on to them because you're justified.

391
00:22:19,059 --> 00:22:20,140
 And then when God comes along

392
00:22:20,140 --> 00:22:22,460
 and he kinda convicts you, it's, oh my gosh,

393
00:22:22,460 --> 00:22:23,579
 I gotta give that up.

394
00:22:23,940 --> 00:22:25,059
 I don't wanna do that.

395
00:22:25,559 --> 00:22:26,660
 I wanna feel angry.

396
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:28,960
 I wanna, you know, it was unjustified.

397
00:22:29,299 --> 00:22:33,940
 I can remember, I was in business for quite a few years,

398
00:22:34,660 --> 00:22:36,839
 and before I traded my career there

399
00:22:36,839 --> 00:22:39,579
 to a career in education,

400
00:22:40,580 --> 00:22:44,319
 and I had one individual that absconded funds from me,

401
00:22:44,619 --> 00:22:47,980
 and it was about $14 or $1,800.

402
00:22:48,500 --> 00:22:50,980
 It was a federal offense.

403
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:53,799
 And when I found it out,

404
00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,559
 my bookkeeper pointed it out to me,

405
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,480
 and I said, okay, so what do I do?

406
00:23:01,599 --> 00:23:03,819
 So I felt bad, and then I felt angry,

407
00:23:04,740 --> 00:23:07,640
 and then I thought, okay, Lord, what do I do in this?

408
00:23:07,819 --> 00:23:09,319
 And I wanted to get even.

409
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:11,859
 You know, that was the first response,

410
00:23:12,039 --> 00:23:14,019
 but I thought, okay, and this guy's a Christian.

411
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:15,920
 You know, that really makes it worse.

412
00:23:16,460 --> 00:23:19,019
 And so I kind of looked, and I thought,

413
00:23:19,099 --> 00:23:20,559
 okay, Lord, this is not right.

414
00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:22,279
 I don't wanna feel this way.

415
00:23:22,579 --> 00:23:24,980
 So I forgave him, and then fired him.

416
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:28,160
 But it's just one of those things

417
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,140
 you can easily attach onto that thing

418
00:23:30,140 --> 00:23:31,579
 because you feel you're justified.

419
00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:34,119
 You know, he messed over me,

420
00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:37,720
 so I'm gonna do something to him to make him feel bad.

421
00:23:38,819 --> 00:23:43,059
 And it was then, I guess 10 years later,

422
00:23:43,380 --> 00:23:45,640
 was still in business, and I met his wife.

423
00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,559
 They were then divorced later on

424
00:23:47,559 --> 00:23:50,019
 in a trade show out in California.

425
00:23:51,059 --> 00:23:53,200
 And she came to me, and it was unsolicited.

426
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:54,799
 I said, hello, Nadine, how are you,

427
00:23:54,980 --> 00:23:56,240
 da, da, da, you know, small talk.

428
00:23:56,660 --> 00:23:57,619
 And she said, John, she says,

429
00:23:57,839 --> 00:24:00,180
 I wanted you to know that that was not my decision.

430
00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:02,880
 She said, I'm sorry that we ever did that,

431
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:03,599
 and I apologize.

432
00:24:04,019 --> 00:24:06,859
 I said, hey, it's all, I mean, I forgot about it.

433
00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:10,539
 But it was the idea that there was forgiveness to him,

434
00:24:10,539 --> 00:24:14,099
 and then on behalf of her husband or ex-husband,

435
00:24:14,099 --> 00:24:15,619
 and she came up and asked for forgiveness,

436
00:24:15,819 --> 00:24:17,660
 I said, okay, that's a cleanse palette.

437
00:24:17,839 --> 00:24:19,619
 I mean, that finishes the whole thing.

438
00:24:19,980 --> 00:24:21,700
 So, you know, you can keep on those things,

439
00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:23,940
 and I wonder where you would be, and I would be,

440
00:24:23,940 --> 00:24:26,119
 if we kept grabbing ahold of those things.

441
00:24:26,599 --> 00:24:28,900
 After a while, we'll stone our growth in the Lord

442
00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:31,440
 because we're so affixed on those things.

443
00:24:31,819 --> 00:24:35,220
 And isn't it true that the longer you keep affixing

444
00:24:35,220 --> 00:24:38,900
 on these things, the bigger they get,

445
00:24:39,439 --> 00:24:42,259
 and the colder you get in your relationship with the Lord

446
00:24:42,259 --> 00:24:43,839
 because you're so into it.

447
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:45,700
 So, that's good.

448
00:24:46,019 --> 00:24:47,259
 Any other thoughts?

449
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,059
 All right, seven through 10 now.

450
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,279
 God sends an unnamed prophet.

451
00:24:58,220 --> 00:25:02,900
 God reminds Israel that he delivered them from Egypt.

452
00:25:03,039 --> 00:25:04,319
 In other words, this is what I did.

453
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:05,859
 He laid it all out there.

454
00:25:06,779 --> 00:25:09,960
 And he commanded them not to worship

455
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,299
 the Gods of the Amorites, but they failed to obey him.

456
00:25:13,299 --> 00:25:15,059
 So, he made the clarion call,

457
00:25:15,380 --> 00:25:17,140
 and that's what he said to them.

458
00:25:19,380 --> 00:25:24,920
 Now, God's love is not withdrawn from his people

459
00:25:25,759 --> 00:25:28,019
 when they disobey.

460
00:25:28,660 --> 00:25:32,660
 But his blessing and favor can be affected by their,

461
00:25:32,759 --> 00:25:35,640
 and this is back to what Gail said, disobedience.

462
00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:38,380
 You know, there's a whole provision

463
00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:39,599
 that's laid out for you,

464
00:25:39,660 --> 00:25:42,160
 and so when you're not walking in that, what happens?

465
00:25:42,299 --> 00:25:46,420
 Well, you begin to see things that aren't nearly as clear

466
00:25:46,420 --> 00:25:48,839
 as when you were walking with the Lord

467
00:25:48,839 --> 00:25:50,380
 because of this impediment.

468
00:25:50,819 --> 00:25:52,619
 So, God's grace is freely given.

469
00:25:53,980 --> 00:25:55,619
 God loves us the way we are.

470
00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,440
 But God's blessing is often experienced

471
00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,279
 within the boundaries of obedience.

472
00:26:01,259 --> 00:26:05,140
 It's not that it is, if you do this, I'll do that,

473
00:26:05,220 --> 00:26:06,900
 but it is a condition of covenant

474
00:26:07,740 --> 00:26:10,539
 for us to obey him and listen to him.

475
00:26:11,279 --> 00:26:14,380
 And Israel did not lose God's covenant relationship.

476
00:26:15,620 --> 00:26:16,619
 They certainly did not.

477
00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:21,420
 But they lost the enjoyment of his protection and blessing

478
00:26:21,420 --> 00:26:23,400
 because they turned from him,

479
00:26:23,839 --> 00:26:27,359
 and as you would surmise, things got worse

480
00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:30,299
 and they were deprived and they were afraid

481
00:26:31,259 --> 00:26:33,240
 and they didn't have enough to eat.

482
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,420
 Judges 6-11 says God didn't begin

483
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,599
 by telling Israel how to defeat the Midianites.

484
00:26:41,079 --> 00:26:44,140
 What he did first is that he reminded them

485
00:26:44,140 --> 00:26:48,599
 why the Midianites have been allowed to oppress them.

486
00:26:49,039 --> 00:26:50,920
 Look, this is what you did not do.

487
00:26:51,079 --> 00:26:52,779
 This is what has happened now.

488
00:26:53,180 --> 00:26:55,259
 So he lays it all out there, very clear,

489
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,019
 very straightforward, and the fundamental problem

490
00:26:58,019 --> 00:27:01,039
 isn't the military getting over the issue

491
00:27:01,039 --> 00:27:02,859
 of who's gonna fight who, it's what?

492
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:04,900
 It's the spiritual battle.

493
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,119
 That's the issue that God wants to get to.

494
00:27:08,619 --> 00:27:10,640
 So now another question, what is the difference

495
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,960
 between God's love for his people

496
00:27:13,519 --> 00:27:16,660
 and his blessing or favor toward his people?

497
00:27:17,559 --> 00:27:18,440
 What's that look like?

498
00:27:18,799 --> 00:27:20,380
 What's the difference of that?

499
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,220
 We touched on it.

500
00:27:25,140 --> 00:27:28,940
 Between God's love, which is unconditional,

501
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:31,680
 and his favor?

502
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:34,140
 Just rod and staff.

503
00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:35,119
 Pardon?

504
00:27:35,940 --> 00:27:38,579
 It just makes me think of the rod and staff of a shepherd.

505
00:27:39,460 --> 00:27:42,779
 The shepherd doesn't lose his love and care for the sheep,

506
00:27:43,099 --> 00:27:45,519
 but he has the rod to correct them

507
00:27:45,519 --> 00:27:47,460
 and the staff to gently lead them.

508
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,079
 That's just the picture that I see with the question

509
00:27:52,079 --> 00:27:54,420
 is it's not that he has removed his love,

510
00:27:54,500 --> 00:27:57,519
 it's now I have to get the rod out instead of the staff.

511
00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,400
 And it's always we removing ourself

512
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,619
 in the sin of the mind or sin of action

513
00:28:03,619 --> 00:28:06,200
 because he doesn't move, I mean, he's there.

514
00:28:07,779 --> 00:28:09,960
 Yeah, and also it's just like you are with your kids.

515
00:28:10,539 --> 00:28:13,539
 You love your kids, nothing's gonna change that.

516
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:15,259
 But when they misbehave,

517
00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:17,579
 you're not gonna be blessing them with stuff

518
00:28:17,579 --> 00:28:19,299
 because they don't deserve it.

519
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,059
 But it hasn't changed your love for them.

520
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,740
 Isn't it funny how the picture of father and son,

521
00:28:26,740 --> 00:28:30,339
 mother and daughter and family interact

522
00:28:30,339 --> 00:28:32,660
 just like God loves us, it's just identical

523
00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:36,220
 the way creation has been brought about.

524
00:28:36,299 --> 00:28:38,579
 And I see blessing, God says he'll bless you

525
00:28:38,579 --> 00:28:40,720
 and I see obedience with blessing.

526
00:28:40,839 --> 00:28:41,859
 Yeah, that's right.

527
00:28:42,019 --> 00:28:43,759
 That's a good way to look at it almost.

528
00:28:45,180 --> 00:28:47,640
 And that's not a bargaining chip.

529
00:28:48,380 --> 00:28:50,339
 It's that you want to be obedient

530
00:28:50,339 --> 00:28:53,019
 and through obedience he will give you blessing,

531
00:28:53,319 --> 00:28:54,019
 that's for sure.

532
00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:56,720
 All right, yes, Jackie.

533
00:28:57,039 --> 00:28:58,420
 He's got it.

534
00:28:58,740 --> 00:29:00,859
 Our best interest in mind.

535
00:29:01,559 --> 00:29:07,660
 And so, we learn through our choices and all.

536
00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:11,180
 But we always know, we should as a mature Christian

537
00:29:11,180 --> 00:29:12,420
 know that he loves us.

538
00:29:14,139 --> 00:29:18,259
 Well, God can't do everything.

539
00:29:18,460 --> 00:29:22,039
 I was always told in college, in Eastern,

540
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,119
 and I think, well, okay, you're going to theology school

541
00:29:26,119 --> 00:29:27,440
 and this is what your thoughts are?

542
00:29:27,519 --> 00:29:28,200
 Oh my gosh.

543
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:30,180
 So, it's funny to see the reaction

544
00:29:30,180 --> 00:29:31,920
 between the two groups of people.

545
00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:35,440
 All right, God's love is rooted in who he is.

546
00:29:35,599 --> 00:29:36,440
 He is love.

547
00:29:36,779 --> 00:29:40,440
 And his covenant faithfulness is unto us

548
00:29:41,159 --> 00:29:44,279
 while his blessing and favor are related

549
00:29:44,279 --> 00:29:48,460
 to how his people respond to his obedience.

550
00:29:48,759 --> 00:29:50,259
 You said it all, very good.

551
00:29:51,059 --> 00:29:53,539
 And then God's love is not earned by our performance.

552
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:55,059
 We can't earn that.

553
00:29:55,700 --> 00:29:58,359
 And it's not automatically withdrawn when we fail.

554
00:29:58,579 --> 00:30:01,259
 It's as we drift away and as we get consumed

555
00:30:01,259 --> 00:30:04,000
 within ourself that we begin to fail

556
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,980
 and we begin to see things turn different.

557
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,920
 And God's blessing and favor refer more specifically

558
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,859
 to his provision, protection, guidance, success,

559
00:30:16,180 --> 00:30:18,900
 peace, and enjoyment of his presence,

560
00:30:18,900 --> 00:30:21,220
 fulfilling his purposes in our life.

561
00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:23,819
 That's the whole crooks of the thing.

562
00:30:24,299 --> 00:30:25,859
 Do we want God's presence?

563
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,299
 And if so, and you seek him, he will give you

564
00:30:29,299 --> 00:30:31,619
 the things of your desires, of your heart.

565
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,259
 And these things can be affected by disobedience.

566
00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,279
 So we said that, that was very good.

567
00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:43,480
 All right, now, the next series of verses 11 through 24

568
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,480
 is the angel of the Lord calls Gideon.

569
00:30:46,140 --> 00:30:49,160
 So Gideon is secretly threshing the wheat.

570
00:30:50,220 --> 00:30:53,019
 And in some translations it says in a little valley,

571
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:54,900
 others it says in a wine press.

572
00:30:57,099 --> 00:31:00,460
 And he was doing that because he was afraid of the Midianites.

573
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:01,940
 He was stooping down.

574
00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,000
 He's probably doing it night.

575
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,119
 And the angel of the Lord calls to him

576
00:31:07,759 --> 00:31:09,660
 and says, oh mighty man of valor.

577
00:31:11,099 --> 00:31:12,900
 And here this guy's trying to survive

578
00:31:12,900 --> 00:31:16,880
 and somebody says that, oh yeah, right, okay, man of valor.

579
00:31:17,420 --> 00:31:18,440
 And then Gideon questions.

580
00:31:19,539 --> 00:31:22,180
 Why is Israel suffering if God is with them?

581
00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:24,839
 This can't be.

582
00:31:25,619 --> 00:31:30,039
 And then Gideon replied that he only heard,

583
00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,380
 now that's just interesting, he only heard

584
00:31:32,380 --> 00:31:36,279
 of God's miracles that happened long ago.

585
00:31:37,759 --> 00:31:41,339
 You know, it seems so remote when it's put that way.

586
00:31:41,339 --> 00:31:44,980
 When all that we have studied in the Exodus

587
00:31:45,940 --> 00:31:47,759
 and the giving of the temple

588
00:31:47,759 --> 00:31:50,779
 and the rituals that they received

589
00:31:50,779 --> 00:31:52,559
 and God's presence was there.

590
00:31:53,119 --> 00:31:55,140
 And now generations, and here we are,

591
00:31:55,660 --> 00:31:56,900
 he only heard of them.

592
00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,119
 Secondarily, it's sort of cold

593
00:31:59,119 --> 00:32:01,140
 the way it's spelled out there.

594
00:32:03,460 --> 00:32:05,519
 Then God's commissioning Gideon.

595
00:32:06,220 --> 00:32:10,500
 He says to Gideon, go in your might

596
00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:15,900
 for I am giving you power to rescue Israel.

597
00:32:16,299 --> 00:32:18,200
 That's a commission to go

598
00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:23,039
 and an enablement with power to do what he is asked to do.

599
00:32:23,380 --> 00:32:27,079
 So he is equipped by declaration from the angel.

600
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:28,900
 And we're gonna come back to that.

601
00:32:30,559 --> 00:32:33,859
 Gideon doubts God saying this, again,

602
00:32:34,039 --> 00:32:36,519
 my clan is the weakest one in Manassas.

603
00:32:38,460 --> 00:32:40,019
 And everyone else in my family

604
00:32:40,019 --> 00:32:41,519
 is more important than I am.

605
00:32:41,940 --> 00:32:42,579
 I'm a nothing.

606
00:32:43,900 --> 00:32:46,839
 Here I am, underneath the rock, so to speak.

607
00:32:48,259 --> 00:32:49,779
 Gideon views himself as what?

608
00:32:51,619 --> 00:32:54,279
 Hiding and afraid, that's the one thing that we see.

609
00:32:55,220 --> 00:32:56,779
 He doesn't know God's ways.

610
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,440
 He heard of them, but he doesn't know them.

611
00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:05,940
 Do you think that after seeing the parting of the Red Sea

612
00:33:06,820 --> 00:33:10,660
 and the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night

613
00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:11,599
 that you weren't a believer?

614
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,359
 I mean, that would be still impressive,

615
00:33:14,559 --> 00:33:17,779
 but he only heard about it because he didn't experience it.

616
00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:23,099
 He doubts God, and then he focuses on his weakness.

617
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,180
 Ah, I'm at the least of all these things.

618
00:33:26,940 --> 00:33:30,180
 And then he declares his insignificance.

619
00:33:31,420 --> 00:33:33,460
 That's what he feels about himself.

620
00:33:34,460 --> 00:33:36,259
 Now question, in light of that,

621
00:33:37,059 --> 00:33:41,900
 what self-made limitations have you overcome

622
00:33:43,099 --> 00:33:47,460
 since God came into your life and now speaks to you?

623
00:33:47,599 --> 00:33:48,539
 What have you overcome?

624
00:33:51,460 --> 00:33:52,779
 What's that look like?

625
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,519
 What have you gotten victory over?

626
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,680
 What limitations, what self-limitations have you had?

627
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:04,960
 Go ahead.

628
00:34:07,660 --> 00:34:09,440
 I'm sorry, guys, we're not like, what are you?

629
00:34:09,739 --> 00:34:11,260
 I don't know whether I'm gonna reach it.

630
00:34:12,260 --> 00:34:12,880
 There you go.

631
00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,519
 Number one, I'm almost 80 years old, and I rock.

632
00:34:17,940 --> 00:34:19,059
 I've written 30 books.

633
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:21,539
 That's through about God.

634
00:34:22,599 --> 00:34:23,780
 I've written about Chinese medicine

635
00:34:23,780 --> 00:34:25,679
 that explains every part of the body

636
00:34:26,300 --> 00:34:27,239
 and how is God related.

637
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:30,719
 Right now, I'm on a mission to go to

638
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,860
 as many churches as I can,

639
00:34:33,700 --> 00:34:35,260
 and give out green smoothies, God's food.

640
00:34:35,980 --> 00:34:37,519
 My goal is no disease in this world.

641
00:34:38,340 --> 00:34:39,280
 I think that could happen.

642
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,519
 I think God is the ultimate answer

643
00:34:41,519 --> 00:34:44,400
 for pretty much all work disappears.

644
00:34:44,699 --> 00:34:46,059
 All mental illness disappears.

645
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:47,900
 All crime history disappears,

646
00:34:48,079 --> 00:34:49,699
 as long as you have God in your heart.

647
00:34:50,420 --> 00:34:53,420
 Okay, now equate that to your limitation,

648
00:34:53,820 --> 00:34:55,039
 and now you're writing books.

649
00:34:55,480 --> 00:35:00,159
 No limitation, and because of God's commandment,

650
00:35:00,519 --> 00:35:01,860
 he goes, yes, spread the word.

651
00:35:01,860 --> 00:35:03,619
 What do you feel about yourself

652
00:35:03,619 --> 00:35:04,900
 when God started to call me?

653
00:35:05,539 --> 00:35:07,260
 I'm an addict when I don't wanna do it, or?

654
00:35:08,980 --> 00:35:10,239
 I don't know what I felt.

655
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,440
 I just felt I was called upon.

656
00:35:12,820 --> 00:35:13,199
 Okay.

657
00:35:13,659 --> 00:35:15,880
 And then just do it, I don't wanna thank you.

658
00:35:16,219 --> 00:35:19,139
 So you yield it pretty shortly after God called you.

659
00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:20,360
 It took a while.

660
00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:21,579
 Yeah, it all-

661
00:35:21,579 --> 00:35:21,940
 It's been an effort.

662
00:35:22,219 --> 00:35:23,860
 Yes, I understand that.

663
00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:25,000
 Any other thoughts?

664
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,820
 I've always suffered from low self-esteem,

665
00:35:30,740 --> 00:35:35,099
 and I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was little,

666
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,239
 and having a learning disability,

667
00:35:39,099 --> 00:35:41,599
 and I mean, I did graduate from college

668
00:35:41,599 --> 00:35:43,760
 with a three-point range GPA,

669
00:35:44,820 --> 00:35:47,300
 but I still, underneath it all,

670
00:35:47,500 --> 00:35:50,280
 don't think I'm smart enough to get a real job,

671
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,340
 like a good job.

672
00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:56,199
 I've always worked menial jobs,

673
00:35:56,199 --> 00:36:01,840
 and, you know, feel that I've had limitations, so.

674
00:36:02,059 --> 00:36:04,159
 Did you think less of yourself than you should have?

675
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,059
 I've always had a tendency to put myself down,

676
00:36:09,659 --> 00:36:12,599
 even when I didn't know that I was doing it.

677
00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,739
 I've gotten a little better being up in years,

678
00:36:15,900 --> 00:36:19,659
 but I still have that intimidation

679
00:36:20,260 --> 00:36:22,400
 of going into the corporate world.

680
00:36:22,579 --> 00:36:23,659
 Like, it's scary.

681
00:36:25,059 --> 00:36:29,400
 I had an experience during junior high,

682
00:36:30,179 --> 00:36:33,760
 and then in high school, you know,

683
00:36:34,059 --> 00:36:35,719
 again, I don't know how it is today,

684
00:36:35,820 --> 00:36:38,980
 but the guidance counselor always wants to talk with you,

685
00:36:38,980 --> 00:36:41,059
 and ask you about your career,

686
00:36:42,039 --> 00:36:45,559
 and I wasn't particularly a good student in high school.

687
00:36:45,940 --> 00:36:47,440
 All I want to do is race cars

688
00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,719
 and build hot rods and things like that,

689
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,260
 and that was antithetical to what my parents were into.

690
00:36:53,260 --> 00:36:54,400
 They were into church life,

691
00:36:56,179 --> 00:36:57,900
 and the guidance counselor,

692
00:36:58,359 --> 00:37:00,800
 I think it was in 10th or 11th grade,

693
00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:02,559
 called me in and I, you know,

694
00:37:02,579 --> 00:37:04,500
 I don't know whether it was supposed to be a shock or not.

695
00:37:04,639 --> 00:37:04,880
 She said,

696
00:37:04,980 --> 00:37:05,559
 Crouch, he said,

697
00:37:05,659 --> 00:37:06,840
 you're not going to amount to anything.

698
00:37:08,879 --> 00:37:10,619
 And that stuck with me.

699
00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:11,940
 That's terrible, man.

700
00:37:12,059 --> 00:37:13,139
 Yeah, I mean, yeah.

701
00:37:14,019 --> 00:37:15,739
 So it stuck with me, and then,

702
00:37:15,780 --> 00:37:17,539
 okay, this is what I am,

703
00:37:17,599 --> 00:37:18,820
 and this is what I like to do,

704
00:37:18,860 --> 00:37:20,900
 so I did that, and all of a sudden,

705
00:37:20,900 --> 00:37:22,760
 I realized that that's not me,

706
00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,179
 and then I ran away and went into the service,

707
00:37:25,900 --> 00:37:28,000
 and the service paid for my college education,

708
00:37:28,300 --> 00:37:30,880
 and here I am doing what God wants me to do,

709
00:37:31,019 --> 00:37:33,139
 but it's those things when it was like,

710
00:37:33,340 --> 00:37:34,639
 it was sudden.

711
00:37:35,059 --> 00:37:36,139
 I thought everything was cool.

712
00:37:36,619 --> 00:37:36,960
 And she said,

713
00:37:37,099 --> 00:37:38,460
 Crouch, you're not going to amount to anything.

714
00:37:38,679 --> 00:37:39,179
 I said, wow.

715
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,559
 You know, then, like you,

716
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,980
 you kind of, you second-guess yourself and whatever.

717
00:37:46,619 --> 00:37:47,480
 Any other thoughts?

718
00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:49,280
 Any other limitations?

719
00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:54,519
 You know, this is kind of just a minuscule dumb one,

720
00:37:54,639 --> 00:37:56,960
 but I just, thinking over my life,

721
00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:58,519
 when I was a young person,

722
00:37:59,159 --> 00:38:01,639
 you know, I was always someone who was,

723
00:38:02,159 --> 00:38:03,639
 you know, I never wanted to like,

724
00:38:03,639 --> 00:38:06,159
 give my reports at school in front of people,

725
00:38:06,159 --> 00:38:08,820
 and you know, I was very nervous about

726
00:38:08,820 --> 00:38:10,840
 doing anything in front of anyone,

727
00:38:11,739 --> 00:38:12,900
 and it's funny,

728
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:15,320
 but when I think about when the Lord came into my life,

729
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,219
 and I began to start getting an understanding

730
00:38:17,219 --> 00:38:18,679
 of how much he loved me,

731
00:38:18,679 --> 00:38:20,539
 getting in front of people now,

732
00:38:21,039 --> 00:38:22,019
 there's no fear.

733
00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:25,340
 And it's not nerve-wracking.

734
00:38:25,679 --> 00:38:26,539
 It's not anything,

735
00:38:26,639 --> 00:38:27,780
 because it's just like,

736
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,219
 you know, it doesn't matter how bad I feel,

737
00:38:30,420 --> 00:38:31,519
 whatever I'm talking about,

738
00:38:31,739 --> 00:38:33,840
 because, God, you still love me.

739
00:38:34,139 --> 00:38:36,519
 There's only one criticism that I have to her,

740
00:38:36,579 --> 00:38:38,579
 why she didn't put the hat on on Sunday.

741
00:38:39,119 --> 00:38:41,199
 You know, I thought, sure you were going to do that.

742
00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:43,179
 Okay.

743
00:38:43,679 --> 00:38:44,800
 I thought, boy, this is a good,

744
00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:46,340
 she's going to look cool in that hat.

745
00:38:46,559 --> 00:38:47,679
 And then you went through your thing,

746
00:38:47,679 --> 00:38:48,699
 and you walked off with a hat,

747
00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:49,840
 and I said, aww.

748
00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:53,400
 All right, anyone else?

749
00:38:54,119 --> 00:38:56,980
 Any other limitations that have kind of smacked you around,

750
00:38:57,579 --> 00:39:00,039
 and limit you in your thought processes?

751
00:39:01,019 --> 00:39:01,360
 All right.

752
00:39:06,319 --> 00:39:06,880
 Another question.

753
00:39:09,180 --> 00:39:12,820
 What direction, calling, or purpose

754
00:39:12,820 --> 00:39:14,639
 has God revealed to you,

755
00:39:14,639 --> 00:39:17,099
 in spite of these limitations,

756
00:39:17,639 --> 00:39:20,059
 since he came to dwell within you?

757
00:39:21,679 --> 00:39:23,019
 Okay, there's the limitations,

758
00:39:23,659 --> 00:39:25,340
 but now what is he doing in your life,

759
00:39:25,500 --> 00:39:26,860
 in spite of these limitations?

760
00:39:28,860 --> 00:39:30,340
 I don't, you know, I don't,

761
00:39:31,900 --> 00:39:33,739
 I don't mind getting up in front of people,

762
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,820
 but when I first took speech in high school,

763
00:39:37,639 --> 00:39:38,860
 you know, you get up in front of the class,

764
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:40,039
 and you do all these, you know,

765
00:39:40,119 --> 00:39:41,960
 reports onto this, and of that, and whatever,

766
00:39:42,260 --> 00:39:43,679
 and they got more complex,

767
00:39:44,019 --> 00:39:45,480
 the more the semester went on,

768
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,139
 and the subject matter was deeper,

769
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,659
 and you know, I just, great fear and trepidation,

770
00:39:51,039 --> 00:39:53,780
 but you know, and so I've overcome that end of it.

771
00:39:54,219 --> 00:39:57,280
 Any thoughts as far as where you're at,

772
00:39:57,340 --> 00:39:59,519
 what your calling is, in spite of

773
00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:01,539
 what your limitations are,

774
00:40:01,599 --> 00:40:06,019
 what your self-diagnosed limitations are, were?

775
00:40:06,900 --> 00:40:09,980
 All right, okay, we covered it then.

776
00:40:10,940 --> 00:40:12,519
 We'll continue on.

777
00:40:13,420 --> 00:40:14,739
 So you're getting a picture here.

778
00:40:15,260 --> 00:40:17,159
 Oh, woe is me, says Gideon.

779
00:40:18,860 --> 00:40:21,340
 So, verses 25 through 32,

780
00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:26,199
 God commands Gideon to destroy his father's altar to Baal.

781
00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,440
 Gideon obeys, but does it at night because he's afraid.

782
00:40:31,980 --> 00:40:35,579
 The men of the city then want Gideon's head,

783
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,219
 and they want to kill him because of what he did.

784
00:40:39,780 --> 00:40:42,940
 He tore down the Asherah pole,

785
00:40:42,940 --> 00:40:45,059
 and he smashed the idol.

786
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,219
 And then his father, Joash, defends him,

787
00:40:50,219 --> 00:40:51,619
 and I thought that was good,

788
00:40:52,159 --> 00:40:54,659
 saying that if Baal is really a God,

789
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,940
 Baal can defend himself, and he stood up for his son.

790
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:00,519
 I thought that was commendable.

791
00:41:01,300 --> 00:41:04,659
 Then Gideon receives the name Jerabel,

792
00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,320
 meaning essentially, let Baal contend.

793
00:41:09,099 --> 00:41:10,880
 So, that's what now happens.

794
00:41:12,940 --> 00:41:16,219
 So, God first addresses the idolatry.

795
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:19,619
 Okay, we talked about that before he rescues them.

796
00:41:20,519 --> 00:41:22,300
 God cannot move forward for us

797
00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:24,760
 if sin stands in the way of redemption.

798
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:26,900
 We touched on that obedience.

799
00:41:27,699 --> 00:41:29,460
 And then Gideon probably wanted God

800
00:41:29,460 --> 00:41:32,340
 to change his circumstances, like everything else.

801
00:41:33,019 --> 00:41:35,019
 Lord, take me out of these things.

802
00:41:35,820 --> 00:41:36,500
 Deliver me from.

803
00:41:37,519 --> 00:41:39,219
 And probably, as we all know,

804
00:41:39,380 --> 00:41:41,780
 that there is greater blessing and maturity coming

805
00:41:41,780 --> 00:41:43,780
 when we walk through them with God's grace

806
00:41:43,780 --> 00:41:46,739
 than if we would have been delivered from them.

807
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,159
 So, the next point is,

808
00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:54,360
 we often ask God to remove the Midianites from our lives

809
00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:57,719
 while he is asking us to tear down the Baal

810
00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:00,519
 in our own hearts, whatever that may be.

811
00:42:00,820 --> 00:42:02,199
 Only you know what that is.

812
00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:06,599
 God first charged, changed Gideon's allegiance,

813
00:42:07,380 --> 00:42:08,719
 because he was looking at life,

814
00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:09,840
 and this is the way it is,

815
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:11,840
 and oh my God, this is who I am.

816
00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:15,820
 And this altar and wooden pole then becomes a lesson

817
00:42:15,820 --> 00:42:19,099
 about what competes with God

818
00:42:19,099 --> 00:42:21,820
 in our worship and alliance to him.

819
00:42:22,780 --> 00:42:26,539
 And as God has probably revealed to you many times,

820
00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:28,000
 there are certain things.

821
00:42:28,059 --> 00:42:30,780
 It's like I always have used the illustration

822
00:42:30,780 --> 00:42:32,079
 that's not uncommon,

823
00:42:32,519 --> 00:42:34,840
 that God wants to come into your heart,

824
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,059
 but how many rooms of your home are you going to give him?

825
00:42:38,619 --> 00:42:40,039
 One, the living room.

826
00:42:41,019 --> 00:42:43,059
 Well, there's bedrooms and there's a locked basement.

827
00:42:43,300 --> 00:42:44,639
 I don't want him in there.

828
00:42:45,099 --> 00:42:47,079
 And then after a while, you go along and okay,

829
00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:49,739
 you kind of open the door to the basement.

830
00:42:49,940 --> 00:42:51,579
 Oh, it's all trashy down there.

831
00:42:51,659 --> 00:42:52,519
 Close the door open.

832
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:54,139
 And then he cleans that up,

833
00:42:54,159 --> 00:42:56,380
 and after a while, you have a clean house.

834
00:42:57,340 --> 00:42:58,460
 That's what God wants.

835
00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:02,539
 So, 33 through 35,

836
00:43:02,780 --> 00:43:04,760
 the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon,

837
00:43:05,700 --> 00:43:08,900
 Midian Amalek and the other Eastern peoples

838
00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:13,139
 gather against Israel and they call for a battle.

839
00:43:13,500 --> 00:43:14,699
 So, there's a clarion call.

840
00:43:16,199 --> 00:43:18,239
 The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon.

841
00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:19,539
 Now, isn't that interesting?

842
00:43:20,579 --> 00:43:23,699
 What does this phrase mean, comes upon Gideon?

843
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,579
 Well, I believe it was the Holy Spirit,

844
00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,460
 although it wasn't given at that point in time,

845
00:43:29,460 --> 00:43:32,000
 but the Holy Spirit has ascended on different people

846
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,599
 in the Old Testament and empowers him

847
00:43:34,599 --> 00:43:37,320
 and strengthened him and equipped Gideon

848
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:41,059
 to accomplish something well beyond his natural ability.

849
00:43:41,900 --> 00:43:45,400
 So, there was this inspirational time

850
00:43:46,119 --> 00:43:48,199
 when God through the Holy Spirit came to him.

851
00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:51,780
 It does not mean that Gideon suddenly became

852
00:43:51,780 --> 00:43:54,019
 a different person intellectually or physically.

853
00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:58,559
 As we know, it's still us, but God works through us.

854
00:43:59,260 --> 00:44:01,460
 So, what did Gideon see in all this?

855
00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:04,280
 Gideon saw his inadequacy.

856
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,199
 We could say amen to that sometimes, right?

857
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:08,800
 I mean, you know, Lord, I'm not adequate.

858
00:44:09,460 --> 00:44:10,300
 What did God see?

859
00:44:11,099 --> 00:44:14,539
 Well, God saw his potential through God's power

860
00:44:14,539 --> 00:44:15,860
 coming into his life.

861
00:44:16,639 --> 00:44:19,440
 God looks at us, not what you are, who you are,

862
00:44:19,519 --> 00:44:21,219
 but he looks at the finished product

863
00:44:21,219 --> 00:44:23,639
 or the mature product way down the way.

864
00:44:24,659 --> 00:44:28,480
 Aren't you glad he looks at that and he encourages you

865
00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:31,219
 and he gives you strength to do what he desires you to do?

866
00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:33,840
 Then Gideon focused on who he was.

867
00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:36,179
 We already went through that listing of things,

868
00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:39,599
 whereas God focused on who he would become.

869
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,119
 That's the way God looks at us.

870
00:44:46,099 --> 00:44:48,360
 And then last, Gideon saw his weakness

871
00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:52,179
 and we all deal with that in some fashion or another.

872
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:57,980
 And then God supplied his Holy Spirit to strengthen him,

873
00:44:57,980 --> 00:45:00,699
 to do the work of service that he called him to.

874
00:45:01,519 --> 00:45:03,280
 Okay, question.

875
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:09,280
 How do we move from focusing on our inadequacies

876
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:13,920
 to allowing God to do his transforming work in our life?

877
00:45:14,579 --> 00:45:15,719
 What does that look like?

878
00:45:16,519 --> 00:45:19,539
 How do we move from being stuck,

879
00:45:21,539 --> 00:45:24,980
 not sure of ourself, hiding under a rock,

880
00:45:26,019 --> 00:45:30,699
 thrashing the wheat in the wine pit

881
00:45:31,219 --> 00:45:33,860
 to transformation of ministry?

882
00:45:35,420 --> 00:45:36,380
 What's that look like?

883
00:45:36,579 --> 00:45:37,320
 How does that happen?

884
00:45:42,519 --> 00:45:45,019
 Well, God wants us to focus our attention

885
00:45:45,019 --> 00:45:46,579
 off of ourself and onto him.

886
00:45:47,619 --> 00:45:48,920
 And it's just like Peter,

887
00:45:49,219 --> 00:45:51,340
 when he was walking on the water to Jesus,

888
00:45:51,460 --> 00:45:54,099
 as long as he stayed focused on Jesus, he could walk.

889
00:45:54,779 --> 00:45:56,539
 As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus

890
00:45:56,539 --> 00:45:58,559
 and looked at the circumstances around him,

891
00:45:58,559 --> 00:45:59,679
 he started to sink.

892
00:45:59,980 --> 00:46:01,300
 So it's the same thing with us.

893
00:46:02,639 --> 00:46:04,000
 It comes down to prayer.

894
00:46:04,659 --> 00:46:07,219
 You have to pray because we're all feeling adequate

895
00:46:07,219 --> 00:46:07,980
 in something.

896
00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:10,579
 And I think we need to pray and say,

897
00:46:10,679 --> 00:46:12,960
 God, I trust you and you're gonna fall through

898
00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:14,139
 what you're gonna fall through.

899
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:16,679
 And I'll add to that, pray without ceasing.

900
00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:18,619
 Because sometimes you pray and okay,

901
00:46:19,019 --> 00:46:20,079
 then you forget about it,

902
00:46:20,159 --> 00:46:22,260
 then you go back and then you trust.

903
00:46:22,260 --> 00:46:23,679
 Yeah, sure you do.

904
00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:25,440
 Yeah, trust it.

905
00:46:25,739 --> 00:46:26,119
 Yes, Jenny.

906
00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,260
 I think just having the humility

907
00:46:31,060 --> 00:46:33,380
 to recognize our limitations

908
00:46:34,100 --> 00:46:36,940
 and to ask the Lord to make up the difference

909
00:46:37,460 --> 00:46:39,900
 and to know that we can't do it alone.

910
00:46:41,700 --> 00:46:44,079
 God doesn't call the qualified,

911
00:46:44,699 --> 00:46:46,519
 he qualifies the ones he calls.

912
00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:49,840
 Yeah, he puts the calling first,

913
00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:51,800
 he fills the vessel.

914
00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,099
 Whatever strength you have,

915
00:46:54,199 --> 00:46:57,579
 he then brings you to a level of ability to do that

916
00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:00,079
 and we cannot do it on ourself.

917
00:47:01,659 --> 00:47:01,840
 Yes.

918
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:04,099
 I was just gonna say that I think

919
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,420
 sometimes we forget to repent.

920
00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:08,380
 Yeah.

921
00:47:09,019 --> 00:47:14,360
 And when we see inadequacies in ourselves,

922
00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:19,079
 I think when we realize that we're using them

923
00:47:19,079 --> 00:47:22,139
 as excuses and when we bring it to God

924
00:47:22,139 --> 00:47:24,940
 and we repent for thinking that way about ourselves,

925
00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:30,460
 he has a bigger platform to work, shall we say.

926
00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:32,199
 You will do this.

927
00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:33,219
 Okay, Lord.

928
00:47:33,559 --> 00:47:33,739
 Yeah.

929
00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:37,139
 Yeah, there's a friend of mine in our retirement community.

930
00:47:38,199 --> 00:47:41,539
 He's not a very healthy man and long story short,

931
00:47:41,539 --> 00:47:45,659
 he had to go to the hospital over in Lansdale here

932
00:47:45,659 --> 00:47:48,920
 and I thought, well, you know, I need to visit him

933
00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:50,559
 and then I thought of every excuse.

934
00:47:51,619 --> 00:47:53,639
 You know, today I was telling Ken,

935
00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:55,960
 I had a prayer meeting that I officiated,

936
00:47:56,179 --> 00:47:59,300
 then I spoke at a luncheon and now we have tonight

937
00:47:59,300 --> 00:48:00,639
 and I thought, well, I can't do this.

938
00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:03,699
 And then I passed his wife in the hallway

939
00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:05,800
 and she says, oh, Gene called you,

940
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:07,159
 he's excited about you coming.

941
00:48:07,380 --> 00:48:11,380
 I thought, okay, that's it, so tomorrow I'm going.

942
00:48:11,860 --> 00:48:14,280
 And it's not like I didn't want to,

943
00:48:14,440 --> 00:48:16,280
 but you know, circumstances and you know,

944
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:17,980
 you go, okay, well, maybe if yes,

945
00:48:17,980 --> 00:48:21,780
 but so that's all now taken care of, I'm going.

946
00:48:22,619 --> 00:48:25,440
 And you can ask me Sunday if I was obedient, okay?

947
00:48:26,219 --> 00:48:28,880
 If you put eyes on it, then I know I'll do it, right?

948
00:48:29,900 --> 00:48:30,199
 Okay.

949
00:48:34,519 --> 00:48:36,260
 Acknowledge our inadequacies.

950
00:48:36,739 --> 00:48:38,139
 Lord, I don't have these things,

951
00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:42,179
 I don't have these attributes, but don't dwell on them.

952
00:48:42,579 --> 00:48:44,280
 Acknowledge them, get them out there.

953
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:46,440
 Lord, you're gonna have to fill me

954
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:50,380
 and do something in my life in order for me to do the calling.

955
00:48:51,039 --> 00:48:54,079
 And Paul did not deny his weakness, he brought it to God.

956
00:48:54,820 --> 00:48:58,480
 It's been in the epistles many times.

957
00:48:59,940 --> 00:49:03,139
 Shift your focus from what you can't do

958
00:49:03,139 --> 00:49:04,599
 to what God can do.

959
00:49:05,119 --> 00:49:06,679
 And that's kind of what you said, Jenny.

960
00:49:07,219 --> 00:49:10,119
 Instead of asking, what can I do, which is nothing,

961
00:49:10,820 --> 00:49:14,280
 begin to ask God, what can you do through me?

962
00:49:14,579 --> 00:49:16,239
 And he will fill that in.

963
00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:17,539
 Ah, there we are.

964
00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:20,699
 How are y'all?

965
00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:24,820
 Do you want to take the mic and take over here for us?

966
00:49:25,900 --> 00:49:27,559
 Yeah, no, I'm not wrapped up yet.

967
00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:30,139
 God bless you.

968
00:49:31,099 --> 00:49:34,280
 All right, surrender rather than strive.

969
00:49:34,900 --> 00:49:38,880
 And you know, in traditional church,

970
00:49:39,579 --> 00:49:42,219
 there's a lot of striving that goes on

971
00:49:42,219 --> 00:49:44,320
 to get to attain to.

972
00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:47,500
 And if we understand what that's all about,

973
00:49:48,019 --> 00:49:49,639
 we don't have to strive anymore

974
00:49:49,639 --> 00:49:52,280
 because he brings the strength

975
00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:54,699
 through his Holy Spirit to us.

976
00:49:55,539 --> 00:49:58,019
 And then in 12.1, Romans 12.1, it says,

977
00:49:58,539 --> 00:50:03,420
 he calls us to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.

978
00:50:04,539 --> 00:50:07,699
 And then allow God to change things

979
00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:10,099
 from the inside out.

980
00:50:10,900 --> 00:50:14,840
 Romans 12.2, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

981
00:50:14,940 --> 00:50:17,280
 Well, I can't do these things, I don't have that ability.

982
00:50:17,500 --> 00:50:19,059
 No, you don't.

983
00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:23,800
 But inside, God transforms you by the Holy Spirit

984
00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,059
 and gives you the adequacies that you need.

985
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,260
 And then the last, trust the process.

986
00:50:30,679 --> 00:50:31,579
 And this is interesting.

987
00:50:32,219 --> 00:50:35,239
 A piece of clay doesn't become a finished vessel instantly.

988
00:50:36,039 --> 00:50:39,099
 Isaiah 64.8, we are the clay

989
00:50:40,099 --> 00:50:42,139
 and you are the potter, oh God.

990
00:50:42,820 --> 00:50:45,280
 And all of us are the work of your hands.

991
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:47,179
 Let me digress a little bit.

992
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:53,119
 My wife is in ceramics down in one of the community rooms.

993
00:50:53,739 --> 00:50:57,280
 And I never realized what goes into making pottery

994
00:50:57,280 --> 00:50:59,179
 because she's roped me in now

995
00:50:59,179 --> 00:51:01,079
 because she doesn't have the dexterity,

996
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:02,659
 so I have to help her.

997
00:51:03,659 --> 00:51:06,619
 And to be honest with you, I don't like to be there,

998
00:51:06,639 --> 00:51:08,179
 but I help her because I love her.

999
00:51:08,700 --> 00:51:10,360
 But the ceramics, I mean, first,

1000
00:51:11,179 --> 00:51:13,039
 you take the piece of clay

1001
00:51:13,039 --> 00:51:14,960
 and there's this great big marble table.

1002
00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,500
 You literally pound the clay

1003
00:51:18,020 --> 00:51:19,719
 and get the air pockets out of it.

1004
00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:22,159
 And all the resistance and you can make the equation,

1005
00:51:22,340 --> 00:51:23,719
 I'm not gonna go through all that.

1006
00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:27,099
 And then after you're finished kneading it

1007
00:51:27,099 --> 00:51:28,980
 and working it and making it pliable,

1008
00:51:29,539 --> 00:51:31,639
 then you take it over to this mill

1009
00:51:32,300 --> 00:51:35,860
 under a piece of tarpaulin, cloth top and bottom

1010
00:51:35,860 --> 00:51:38,659
 and you roll the clay like you would dough.

1011
00:51:39,679 --> 00:51:40,960
 You know, my gosh, you know.

1012
00:51:41,199 --> 00:51:44,039
 Then you form it in whatever fashion

1013
00:51:44,039 --> 00:51:46,139
 and then maybe it doesn't work well

1014
00:51:46,139 --> 00:51:47,679
 or you wanna change things in your...

1015
00:51:47,679 --> 00:51:49,880
 And I think, you know, this is such a long process.

1016
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:52,059
 You know, I like immediate gratification,

1017
00:51:52,320 --> 00:51:53,420
 something that lasts an hour

1018
00:51:53,420 --> 00:51:54,860
 from the beginning to the completion.

1019
00:51:55,340 --> 00:51:57,119
 But no, this takes weeks to do.

1020
00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:00,260
 And I think, you know, Lord, that's a good example

1021
00:52:00,260 --> 00:52:02,920
 because I understand it takes time

1022
00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:05,820
 to be formulated and readied

1023
00:52:05,820 --> 00:52:08,519
 and made into the vessel of choosing

1024
00:52:08,519 --> 00:52:11,840
 that not what we want, but what he wants.

1025
00:52:12,659 --> 00:52:15,019
 And sometimes we rip that clay off that thing

1026
00:52:15,019 --> 00:52:16,579
 and wanna make ourself into something

1027
00:52:16,579 --> 00:52:18,440
 that we can't just start all over again

1028
00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:21,059
 because what he wants is what he wants.

1029
00:52:21,940 --> 00:52:22,559
 Obedient children.

1030
00:52:23,739 --> 00:52:25,079
 All right, so we get the picture.

1031
00:52:29,380 --> 00:52:30,460
 All right.

1032
00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,360
 Gideon's two signs with the fleece.

1033
00:52:33,940 --> 00:52:37,019
 Gideon asked God for confirmation of his calling.

1034
00:52:37,820 --> 00:52:40,400
 The first request was make the fleece wet

1035
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:41,280
 and the ground dry.

1036
00:52:41,780 --> 00:52:42,880
 I wanna make sure it's you, Lord.

1037
00:52:43,139 --> 00:52:44,239
 And he wasn't sure.

1038
00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:46,320
 So then he says another request,

1039
00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:48,400
 make the fleece dry and the ground wet.

1040
00:52:49,219 --> 00:52:52,679
 And then God patiently, and I use that word,

1041
00:52:54,079 --> 00:52:57,280
 confirms that he will deliver Israel through Gideon.

1042
00:52:57,539 --> 00:52:58,980
 Now let's take a look at that.

1043
00:53:01,740 --> 00:53:05,519
 I would not regard putting out a fleece

1044
00:53:05,519 --> 00:53:09,099
 as a normal way for a Christian to hear from God today.

1045
00:53:10,860 --> 00:53:13,739
 For one thing, Gideon had already received

1046
00:53:13,739 --> 00:53:17,480
 very clear direction in Judges 6.14.

1047
00:53:17,659 --> 00:53:20,380
 Be strong because I am giving you the power.

1048
00:53:21,239 --> 00:53:22,920
 That way we made an asterisk on that.

1049
00:53:23,719 --> 00:53:26,699
 And Judges 6.16, rescue Israel

1050
00:53:26,699 --> 00:53:30,599
 because I am giving, going to help you defeat them.

1051
00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:33,639
 So there was a surety of his commitment to this.

1052
00:53:34,300 --> 00:53:39,980
 Now, rather, the inward voice of the Holy Spirit

1053
00:53:39,980 --> 00:53:41,840
 should be the one that we are listening to.

1054
00:53:43,559 --> 00:53:45,579
 And it has strong biblical support

1055
00:53:45,579 --> 00:53:47,400
 because in Romans 8.14, it says,

1056
00:53:47,559 --> 00:53:49,139
 for as many as are led by the Spirit,

1057
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:52,239
 they are the sons of God, led by the Spirit.

1058
00:53:53,340 --> 00:53:56,320
 Romans 8.16, the Spirit itself bears witness

1059
00:53:56,320 --> 00:53:57,800
 with our spirit, in other words,

1060
00:53:57,900 --> 00:53:59,280
 there's confirmation within.

1061
00:54:01,059 --> 00:54:03,440
 The Holy Spirit's guidance should never be

1062
00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:06,579
 automatically equated with every thought

1063
00:54:06,579 --> 00:54:10,719
 and feeling and impression or inner voice we experience

1064
00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:12,500
 because you probably know a lot of people

1065
00:54:12,500 --> 00:54:13,780
 that have gone off on the deep end.

1066
00:54:13,980 --> 00:54:16,380
 God hears things and they can hear God in a rock

1067
00:54:16,380 --> 00:54:18,860
 and so to speak as things go on.

1068
00:54:19,260 --> 00:54:21,119
 Our emotions can mislead us.

1069
00:54:21,659 --> 00:54:25,059
 We can sincerely believe something is from God

1070
00:54:25,059 --> 00:54:26,699
 when perhaps it's not from God.

1071
00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:28,980
 So let's develop this a little bit more.

1072
00:54:30,039 --> 00:54:32,400
 Why fleeces can become problematic.

1073
00:54:34,739 --> 00:54:38,079
 Suppose I say, God, if I should take this job,

1074
00:54:38,239 --> 00:54:41,059
 let the first car I see tomorrow be red

1075
00:54:41,619 --> 00:54:43,260
 and long behold, the car is red.

1076
00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:45,179
 Goes, oh, God told me.

1077
00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:46,480
 Okay, that's great.

1078
00:54:47,079 --> 00:54:48,920
 The scripture never establishes this

1079
00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:50,800
 as a method of divine guidance.

1080
00:54:51,679 --> 00:54:53,780
 It doesn't say that, but remember,

1081
00:54:53,780 --> 00:54:56,699
 Gideon came from a very weak state.

1082
00:54:57,360 --> 00:54:59,679
 He had to physically see something.

1083
00:55:02,180 --> 00:55:06,880
 The danger is that we can begin to create tests for God

1084
00:55:07,660 --> 00:55:11,960
 rather than leaning and learning on the spirit of God

1085
00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:15,559
 and trusting him and his voice and his leading.

1086
00:55:16,099 --> 00:55:17,500
 That's where he wants us to be.

1087
00:55:17,559 --> 00:55:20,099
 He wants us to be so attuned to him

1088
00:55:20,099 --> 00:55:23,159
 that we hear that still small voice on the inside.

1089
00:55:23,159 --> 00:55:25,099
 Yes, this is what you should do.

1090
00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:27,920
 No, this is what I don't want you to do and so forth

1091
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:31,519
 rather than putting these things such in physical things.

1092
00:55:32,139 --> 00:55:34,219
 And it says in Matthew 4.7,

1093
00:55:34,739 --> 00:55:37,679
 Jesus warned against putting God to the test.

1094
00:55:38,239 --> 00:55:41,420
 So that way of exercising faith

1095
00:55:41,420 --> 00:55:44,599
 is not a healthy relationship with the Lord.

1096
00:55:45,400 --> 00:55:47,880
 Gideon's fleece reveals his lack of maturity

1097
00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:50,059
 and we said that, his lack of faith.

1098
00:55:50,820 --> 00:55:55,079
 It shows that he was continuing in his weakness

1099
00:55:55,980 --> 00:55:58,659
 when he did that, though God showed him

1100
00:55:58,659 --> 00:56:02,300
 in verse 14 and 16 what to do.

1101
00:56:02,400 --> 00:56:04,840
 Yet God accommodated him.

1102
00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:08,239
 How then should we understand God's voice?

1103
00:56:08,599 --> 00:56:09,599
 Well, what's that look like?

1104
00:56:10,260 --> 00:56:12,099
 In a very short form,

1105
00:56:12,739 --> 00:56:16,500
 God primarily reveals himself to us through his word.

1106
00:56:17,519 --> 00:56:20,139
 The Holy Spirit takes the word,

1107
00:56:20,739 --> 00:56:22,780
 brings it to our conscience.

1108
00:56:23,380 --> 00:56:28,280
 Our consciousness is then learned

1109
00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:30,300
 and trained by the Holy Spirit.

1110
00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:32,480
 We begin to hear God's leading

1111
00:56:32,480 --> 00:56:34,400
 and then we begin to execute.

1112
00:56:35,460 --> 00:56:39,800
 And also wise counsel, which is the church among us

1113
00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:43,980
 and the circumstances that can confirm things.

1114
00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:45,780
 But it's just not this well.

1115
00:56:45,780 --> 00:56:47,019
 We all make the car red.

1116
00:56:47,539 --> 00:56:48,519
 You know, that doesn't work.

1117
00:56:49,300 --> 00:56:51,619
 John 10, 27, my sheep hear my voice

1118
00:56:51,619 --> 00:56:53,780
 and I know them and they will follow me.

1119
00:56:54,739 --> 00:56:58,159
 Don't say, how can I get God to give me a sign?

1120
00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:03,599
 Say this, how can I become so familiar with God's word

1121
00:57:03,599 --> 00:57:06,460
 and so sensitive to his Holy Spirit

1122
00:57:07,039 --> 00:57:10,480
 that the voice inside will begin to speak to me

1123
00:57:10,480 --> 00:57:12,480
 and I will recognize and follow it?

1124
00:57:12,480 --> 00:57:15,460
 Now that is a learned process.

1125
00:57:16,340 --> 00:57:18,179
 That doesn't happen overnight.

1126
00:57:20,260 --> 00:57:23,820
 When you begin to yield and you experience

1127
00:57:24,980 --> 00:57:28,219
 a calling of something that God wants you to do,

1128
00:57:28,380 --> 00:57:29,940
 you get so excited.

1129
00:57:30,539 --> 00:57:32,000
 But that should be the common way

1130
00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:34,599
 when we move through life on a daily basis.

1131
00:57:34,780 --> 00:57:36,960
 That he speaks to us and he guides us

1132
00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:38,099
 and he works with us.

1133
00:57:38,099 --> 00:57:44,920
 And as we become visibly taken with the word of God

1134
00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:47,619
 and let that Holy Spirit work through us

1135
00:57:48,139 --> 00:57:51,400
 and we begin to hear that, that voice becomes something

1136
00:57:51,400 --> 00:57:53,920
 that is very regular in our relationship

1137
00:57:54,460 --> 00:57:56,360
 and very, I wouldn't say loud,

1138
00:57:56,360 --> 00:58:00,059
 but you know it's distinctive between what my emotions are

1139
00:58:00,059 --> 00:58:01,159
 and what God wants.

1140
00:58:01,679 --> 00:58:02,960
 And that's a learned process.

1141
00:58:03,320 --> 00:58:05,940
 If you don't spend time in his presence just waiting,

1142
00:58:05,940 --> 00:58:08,780
 reading God's word and doing it, it ain't gonna work.

1143
00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:11,900
 Okay, five minutes of reading, two minutes of prayer.

1144
00:58:12,039 --> 00:58:12,679
 I'm out the door.

1145
00:58:13,079 --> 00:58:14,139
 It's not gonna really work.

1146
00:58:15,199 --> 00:58:18,420
 God will honor you, but it won't work in the long term.

1147
00:58:18,719 --> 00:58:18,820
 Yes.

1148
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:20,559
 Well you know how you said here

1149
00:58:20,559 --> 00:58:23,460
 that being in his word and all that

1150
00:58:23,460 --> 00:58:25,340
 and I mentioned this a couple weeks ago

1151
00:58:25,340 --> 00:58:26,619
 with the one guy I've mentioned.

1152
00:58:27,179 --> 00:58:28,820
 I told you a while back to Helens.

1153
00:58:28,900 --> 00:58:30,320
 He says we have to look at everything

1154
00:58:30,320 --> 00:58:31,639
 from a divine viewpoint.

1155
00:58:32,480 --> 00:58:35,659
 And also Billy Graham says that we have to look for God

1156
00:58:35,659 --> 00:58:37,800
 in the fingerprints, look for his handiwork

1157
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,940
 in his fingerprints all around us.

1158
00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:41,360
 He's constantly speaking to us

1159
00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:43,280
 and we have to be aware of it.

1160
00:58:43,960 --> 00:58:46,039
 You know what's interesting, along those same lines,

1161
00:58:47,139 --> 00:58:49,860
 our house opens up into a vault sunroom

1162
00:58:49,860 --> 00:58:53,739
 and it has skylights in it and there's a great big view

1163
00:58:53,739 --> 00:58:56,099
 and out that view is nature and birds

1164
00:58:56,099 --> 00:58:57,940
 and we have a lot of flowers.

1165
00:58:58,099 --> 00:59:01,940
 We get hummingbirds and yellowbirds and the whole thing

1166
00:59:01,940 --> 00:59:02,639
 and it's so beautiful.

1167
00:59:03,279 --> 00:59:06,699
 And I have been recently in the last year and a half

1168
00:59:06,699 --> 00:59:11,179
 after we listened to Dutch sheets in the morning, right?

1169
00:59:12,260 --> 00:59:15,340
 Then the bird songs come up and I punch that

1170
00:59:15,340 --> 00:59:17,059
 and we do some devotions with it.

1171
00:59:17,300 --> 00:59:20,400
 And I got so enamored so recently with nature

1172
00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:21,960
 just letting it speak to me.

1173
00:59:22,260 --> 00:59:25,340
 Lord, I mean, and every bird is different in its color.

1174
00:59:26,000 --> 00:59:28,579
 And you know, that's another sign that we can draw upon.

1175
00:59:28,699 --> 00:59:29,960
 I mean, it's soothing to the soul,

1176
00:59:29,960 --> 00:59:33,420
 you know, to the spirit too that you look at these things

1177
00:59:33,420 --> 00:59:34,659
 because that's his creation.

1178
00:59:35,360 --> 00:59:39,000
 You know, it's just another aspect of what he is to you

1179
00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:40,219
 or who he is to you.

1180
00:59:41,320 --> 00:59:42,460
 Yeah, yeah, for sure.

1181
00:59:44,119 --> 00:59:45,460
 Now, don't get me wrong.

1182
00:59:45,559 --> 00:59:47,719
 I'm not gonna go off into a theology of birds.

1183
00:59:48,460 --> 00:59:49,719
 No, that's not gonna happen.

1184
00:59:50,360 --> 00:59:51,340
 No, we're grounded.

1185
00:59:52,659 --> 00:59:53,019
 All right.

1186
00:59:54,320 --> 00:59:54,719
 So.

1187
00:59:58,219 --> 01:00:02,579
 God calls an unlikely and faithful man.

1188
01:00:03,500 --> 01:00:06,000
 He transforms his faith through obedience

1189
01:00:06,000 --> 01:00:08,900
 and uses him to deliver Israel.

1190
01:00:09,619 --> 01:00:12,940
 Not because Gideon is naturally courageous.

1191
01:00:13,760 --> 01:00:14,800
 We covered that.

1192
01:00:15,179 --> 01:00:16,000
 He's anything but.

1193
01:00:16,420 --> 01:00:20,920
 But because God promises surely I will be with you.

1194
01:00:21,539 --> 01:00:23,639
 And that's the story that we give.

1195
01:00:24,319 --> 01:00:26,539
 Then the question becomes to you and I,

1196
01:00:27,059 --> 01:00:30,340
 what am I missing because I am looking at my limitations

1197
01:00:30,340 --> 01:00:32,519
 instead of trusting God's presence?

1198
01:00:33,420 --> 01:00:35,440
 And that's an unanswerable question

1199
01:00:36,199 --> 01:00:38,460
 that I won't ask publicly,

1200
01:00:38,579 --> 01:00:40,719
 but it's what you wanna go home with.

1201
01:00:41,079 --> 01:00:42,579
 What's God saying to you?

1202
01:00:42,880 --> 01:00:43,559
 What is this?

1203
01:00:43,719 --> 01:00:44,440
 What am I missing?

1204
01:00:44,900 --> 01:00:46,000
 What could I be?

1205
01:00:46,340 --> 01:00:47,500
 What could I be doing?

1206
01:00:48,400 --> 01:00:51,800
 Who could I be in a greater sense in his word

1207
01:00:52,519 --> 01:00:53,179
 and strengthen?

1208
01:00:53,579 --> 01:00:55,539
 Because I'm looking at my limitations

1209
01:00:55,539 --> 01:00:58,099
 instead of trusting God's presence.

1210
01:00:58,559 --> 01:01:00,059
 So Lord, we thank you tonight

1211
01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:04,539
 for what you have done in all of our hearts.

1212
01:01:05,219 --> 01:01:06,659
 We thank you for participation.

1213
01:01:06,920 --> 01:01:09,539
 We thank you, Lord, that we can converse about your word.

1214
01:01:10,000 --> 01:01:11,199
 We thank you for the lessons

1215
01:01:11,199 --> 01:01:12,619
 that we can learn from Gideon.

1216
01:01:13,460 --> 01:01:17,760
 Lord, you loved him in spite of his own limitations

1217
01:01:17,760 --> 01:01:18,900
 and you used him.

1218
01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:21,159
 So use everyone here tonight.

1219
01:01:21,800 --> 01:01:24,760
 Let the Holy Spirit dwell strongly within them, Lord.

1220
01:01:25,360 --> 01:01:29,239
 Let them feel your presence and hear your voice, Lord,

1221
01:01:29,260 --> 01:01:30,639
 so they can do your bidding.

1222
01:01:31,599 --> 01:01:33,380
 And Lord, we won't pick and choose

1223
01:01:33,380 --> 01:01:35,119
 those things you want us to do.

1224
01:01:35,380 --> 01:01:39,340
 We will yield to them no matter what the cost, Lord,

1225
01:01:40,199 --> 01:01:43,920
 and the time and the treasure that we have

1226
01:01:44,440 --> 01:01:46,659
 that we would glorify you in Jesus' name.

1227
01:01:46,840 --> 01:01:48,340
 And everyone said, amen.

1228
01:01:49,039 --> 01:01:49,639
 God bless you.

1229
01:01:50,279 --> 01:01:51,280
 Thank you for coming tonight.

1230
01:01:56,099 --> 01:01:58,980
 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church

1231
01:01:58,980 --> 01:02:01,519
 as we praise God and discuss his word.

1232
01:02:02,219 --> 01:02:05,260
 Don't forget to join us for Worship Lives Sunday mornings

1233
01:02:05,260 --> 01:02:07,659
 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.

1234
01:02:08,639 --> 01:02:10,760
 Be blessed and have a great day.

1235
01:02:19,639 --> 01:02:20,280
 Amen.