The Hornet’s Nest – Part 1 (Part C)

No part of this precious wheat without the animals like a musical ball saw the log chainsaw.

David was considered the least in his father's house. Look what happened. I don't know how a man of God cannot look I just got some ivory tower somewhere, writing poetry, nothing wrong with what he did write poetry actually songs about music all we lost the beat and God in his wisdom knew that had happened like that some options for how we are. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher.

Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Judges chapter 6 as he continues his message.

The hornets nest. I love those words of Paul, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those things which are ahead, he says, I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God and that calling is high is high that it comes from God is high that if you can't get it but it's the pursuit of righteousness that makes us a threat to hell. Otherwise, again, what would get done. He says, but now Yahweh has forsaken us your wrong and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites and the consequence of disobedience. As I've said so. So here's a guy who was theology is all backwards and God's calling them into ministry for him is going to fix Gideon will look back at that day and I need someone tells us the story does not describe sitting there and then what happened. He preserves the story for us and I don't like how again commentators is trash and by the time we get to the end will cover that we get there, but for now, he's a hero of the Bible shows up and then the Hebrews Chapter 11 is one of the great characters of faith. Verse 14 and the Lord turned and said go in this mind of yours. You shall save Israel from the hand of the Midian Midianites, not since you so he answers Gideon's question in an unexpected way with a call to action just conscious going astray. Yes, he had a fire in your belly something with that human thing about this Avenue, Gideon see the key key is verse 12. Judges 6 and Yahweh, the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, Yahweh is with you. That's the key.

The problem the pronouncing him as a man of valor that is the key mean he is means he's already taken all of this under consideration and he's going forward. Nonetheless, he does it with us all the time.

Everybody that serves in the church does not deserve to serve, that's me. Include none of us deserve this. It is not our right to serve it until God makes it our right and he does that by just calling us us and I want you to do this I want you to do that I'll be with you, but I'm so miserable I know.

So does everybody ask all right back to this verse.

I love when he says so the Lord turned to him and said this is you no good again Gideon telling the story. Is this the sort of his you know that conversing with each other.

It's like you know what the Lord is pacing a little bit of something a tires him and he says you shall save Israel from the head of the Midianites have and I sent you that is a direct order is the AAA guy getting Gideon go that's what it comes down to. I want to be the kind of Christian, when God says you just sit right there until I call because he will call verse 16 verse 15 so he said to him, all Lord how can I save Israel.

Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least of my father's house now. Is he trying to weasel out of this.

Was he just telling the troll telling the truth.

I would not want someone to send me an assignment that I did was I felt unqualified for I know what happens when people try to do dangerous work and for not ready they get themselves and others hurt. At least they break up equipment. This farmer was no warrior.

What did he know about Valerie's hiding in the line press. Every Christian should love a Gideon in their own heart and this rights full sentence not destroy just ended up the heart. The Lord said you know what, on second thought, you're right, you know, man of valor, nevermind how could somebody else that would've been a tragedy. Gideon did not have a blind baseless unqualified pride with all emotions yes yes you want to do a fair that will get smacked out of you if you going to serve with integrity and you will still serve effectively with you just may not be as outwardly excited, you learn to say you know what I'm construct this excitement when I get to heaven and you know Mary hit all these things in her heart. What does that mean we live the life to find out what that means to store things in your heart you know him say anything but I see something happening here Moses and Jeremiah were there were others.

They had reservations about entering ministry as I love the quote Moses go find someone else. That's what he told God again. Can you not love that honesty what he know about serving God when he knew we tried. He tried it his way. Couldn't even bury a man in the wilderness without getting in the desert without getting caught. Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh. That's a standard answer that's understandable that people look for this hike, right where your credentials Gideon. What university did you go to is your sheepskin have any fact I flunked out. All I can do is no heartedness to trash this week without the animals I'm doing here is like I'm using a bow saw the log and that of a chainsaw. David was considered the least in his father's house and look what happened. David, I don't know how a man of God cannot love David, I just he's just too real is not in some ivory tower somewhere, writing poetry, nothing wrong with what he did write poetry actually songs about music all we lost the beat and God in his wisdom knew that had to happen because I don't like that song she put how we are splayed 10 songs like one and I have maybe the stroke of genius I just reading Psalms this morning and my devotion time is just saying that you and I would help with the B-2. This was, I probably wouldn't like but it's so much richer with just the words makes me think anyhow. Am I says in verse 15. At the bottom and I am the least of my father's house I might mean he's the youngest or and or I'm an outcast because my dad worships the how and I don't everybody else will running out the bow, but I don't so I'm the proverbial you know redheaded stepchild us used to be said industry that I worked when you felt acute pain getting the short end of the stick. It's very picturesque. Verse 16 and Yahweh said to him, surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man oh man you met in God telling you that what they will anyway. The key, the Lord said to him, that's the key and goes along verse 12 as the numbers don't count to God they do to us in the supposed account to us and if we stop counting the numbers we get in trouble. We leave that to God we we we have to. Jesus gave the parable you need to count the cost of just caressing often the things you got a good idea to think it through the sons of this world. They think it through.

I think about you Christians in certain places. It just missions, for example, you look at how much they struggle it can help us is gotta be a better way to this going off. I just have my thoughts today thinking about you. I would like to help somebody we think missions I think we could have some military tactics that were proven effective of the Lord would bless it be a little bit better than just rushing into some things anyway is a lot of missions it doesn't work is flat out some do, some do not. Verse 17 I noticed from you, the thought of 20 or 30 people hitting the floor in shock because we want things to work just doesn't mean they will work life. This too loaded with reality. That's what you want to escape. That's what we like entertainment. In fact, what's his dance for 17 and he said to him, if you now if now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk to me.

I love this man is not in the Bible like we did at the funeral, the just shall live by faith.

You know the Jews across assignment, no sign shall be given an example that is just working.

He's heard the stories that God delivers his people. He doesn't see the deliverance now is being called to fight the Midianites you have to show me all the more Matt was he supposed to say okay so be careful that we do not rush into something and find ourselves caught in disasters, unqualified souls, giving a bad testimony that happens often. Moses did not ask for a sign he got them.

I can't do that and he no got to put your hand in you and your robe. He pulls out his left wrist to put your rot on the ground and turned to her. You know God was. You know I'm working with this people. Second Corinthians, Paul says not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God that does not mean that if you are mindful of your insufficiency that got us going automatically now. Bless you as you have fulfilled the awareness of insufficiency work that way you can be mindful that you are insufficient and just be insufficient to be mindful of it and God use you as a whole bunch of things that goes on in this world to combat sin. We were singing when there's no more sin when the Saints go marching in. I would love to be the one that gets to take a chainsaw to the curse new in the curse shall be no more. As we were singing. When the curse shall be no more. I like to take a hand grenade, a chainsaw of this I spit on hated so much good messes up everything is such a real adversary is not a movie. Of course still be bigger fish to fry them venting my vengeance on such ugly thing and creationists sin and the curse verse 18 no one prove that you are believers, that you hate sin just hated me. You may come walk around scraping an alkali eight said I hate but yet you know when you're in that zone. We are conscious of these things and so your surroundings are blocked out. You are fully aware of your disdain for that monster.

The curse verse 18 do not depart from here. I pray until I come to you and bring out my offspring and set it before you and he said I will wait you come back hello this is raising so let's go back to verse 18. Then he said, have now. I found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk to me, you, the angel of the Lord do not depart from here. I pray verse 18 until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you any said all way to come back Jack I you just did. Gideon is treating this as it's a spiritual issue. He says I'm going to make an offering.

I'm going to make this into a sacrifice for you. First Corinthians to five that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. He is aware that this is a spiritual thing. When Paul says that is don't think about the carnal things. Think about the spiritual things in a carnal environment.

Gideon's own family. They had their altar. Gideon wants one, and that idle altar of his father was in direct defiance of the first and second commandment in all of the character of God, and Gideon knew that that's what he knew the stories about God delivering the people. Verse 19.

So Gideon went in and prepare a young goat and unleavened bread from the E father flower the meat. He put in a basket and he put the broth in a pot and he brought them to him under the terebinth tree and presented them this is that this is amazing. We think he has rented a refrigerator, stuck it in the microwave in two minutes he's back outside with the meal. That's not what happened. This E father flower I'm told is about 20 pounds of flour is a lot of goodies you can make a flower is making a meal that could last the family for a few days. This would take the animal to go the young goat, wait a minute, the Midianites, it gobbling up all the food in the pasture land and yet he's sacrificing this.

Maybe he sang the better the angel of the Lord. Get up in the Midianites, so it probably took him about an hour to kill the dress to prepare to bake our remakes. This the unleavened cakes.

But here's the beautiful part of me that part to me is wonderful as when I got me good. He's a cow when I'm not doing any of that Gideon I run to his defense. But here's the beautiful part God waited for him to return and then he receive the offering.

He brought fire onto the rock coming. God is just wait wait you want to do that for me. I wait a lot of work must go into serving God a lot of work she can serve effectively.

If laziness is not a virtue. You got to hurt. How many times in preparing for messages I just want to go run away.

Go take a long walk on the beach just to something. But I'm only up to verse 10 got 30 more to go grind because that's what it takes and the fear, the fear of not being prepared. I have nightmares.

I wake up in the hope is in the pulpit.

I had nothing prepare we should be that way it not all the time. You two must appear we should have some passion that makes us grind verse 20 the angel of God said to him, take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock and pour out the broth and he did so not love that the angel takes charge. This is how I wanted done and Gideon says I and he gets it done just like that the angel of the Lord.

That is, to distinguish him from all the created angels. The angel of the Lord is the uncreated messenger of God, the messenger which who is of course the uncreated son comes from the father. He is always been. He always will be. Verse 21 then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread and fire rose out of the rock and consume the meat in the unleavened bread in the angel of the Lord departed out of the sight of it takes is thinking of buying and fire comes out the rock and Gideon's jaw dropped uses the rock as an altar. Hebrews 1310 we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat the writer of Hebrews is saying if you consider yourself a Christian, you have no right going to the temple making a blood sacrifice of anything because we have an altar and it is Jesus Christ.

He is also the offering is the complete package of God for us. Moses brought water from the rock with the angel brings fire. What a glorious moment Gideon was impressed. His impressive old-time who let me make it offering really sees this happened nice though this faith is not, you know, overturning the day unity. That's how life is right you have this great experience with God and you think you've got it when you meet with something else and not as sure.

All of a sudden fire from the staff. That's the first side of the fleece of Gideon with the do in the morning and the day that that whole thing is the second sign and then there's the dream of the body, local time, and forward to getting to also not this evening.

Verse 22 then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of Yahweh. So Gideon said alas all ads are not Yahweh, old Lord, Yahweh, for I have seen the angel of the Lord face-to-face nice. You haven't figured this out please be processing it at. That's what I should say he's processing this is where was I Gideon perceived he saw the Lord face-to-face. The Jews believed if you saw God face to face that she would die. There's an element of truth in that, but not just an element in a serious element. Exodus 33 they get this from Moses God. When Moses said now therefore, I have found grace in your site show me now your way, that I may know you wanted to see God gossip.

You can look at Delhi juvenile passed by which you cannot see my face.

Exodus 20 not for Exodus 33 verse 20 but you cannot see my face for no man shall see me and live God saying to Moses, I am going to let a for me pass by but you can't see it head on. You only get as I passed by. This is the foundation for Gideon's fear that he saw the angel of the Lord face-to-face and he's alive to set the right about to tell us magnificent. This whole thing to see God when no other father of Samson, he too will see God. He gets a little emotional to his wife Esther. Well, if you know their work that way, you'd be dead. She hotel and will give that judge is 13 verse 23 then Yahweh said to him, peace PDU do not fear you shall not die. See, he knew that Gideon's processing is a daughter and I saw the Lord face-to-face out long before I finally longer for the sticks in and the Lord he sees departed, so he must've spoken it or imparted the word to me the way he gets it that details not given what he says to him, you shall not die, don't.

Don't worry about this. That's how we would say it's okay so right. He says peace be to use the shalom.

Don't worry about cello means so much more than just peace. It is coming from whoever it's coming from, gives it life and coming from the angel of the Lord is everything. And Paul writes with Romans five, we have peace with God. Big coming from a Jew like Paul. That's that's a big statement for us. Verse. So next time you get in trouble with yourself and the sin you understand.

God is not looking to do. You win. He saw you he saw you plan that sin committed long before you were born so much. God knows get that now verse 24 so Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and called it Yahweh. Shalom to this date is still an offer of advice is of the Abba is writes by is writes that's close is going to get these inspired he sees God is been that interact nice is loaded. Well, if you serve as if you're in the music ministry. Maybe you not in the mood to sing. Maybe you can find songs to sing. Maybe you cannot sing them with the passion that you know they're worthy of being of receiving. You need inspiration sometimes doesn't come what you do that you forced march just keep going. Let God to let God take neurosis. Let the chips fall where they may.

We say we are with the Lord. That is honor that his duty that is serving where others can't. You press toward the mark. You press toward the mark. Gideon now wanted to increase the sacrifice as he sees these into this even more is anything too hard for Yahweh. God asked Abraham in Genesis 18 of course Jesus answered that with God nothing is impossible. Joe discovered that he said God could do anything he realized that standing before the Lord as I know that you can do anything. Job 42 verse two. Jeremiah admitted there was nothing too hard for God when you when you get a thought that even God can't fix this, that Satan now there's truth to it sometime and have to be careful because we if we behave as though God is obligated to do something to overturn something he's not what he can and all I need to do is find out what my role is in relationship to the Lord at any given time. Jesus told his disciples with God all things are possible, but not all things are feasible. There are other people involved to. I may suppose one day you know you you you want to. You wanted to bring. Maybe somebody else has an event that day that doesn't need to be canceled is very important that I might be preaching somewhere outside and got a solid castle so I'm just fun give you a silly example of when we pray we have to remember their own. Paul testified I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me, because before he gets to that verse. He talks about how he knows how to board B range.

He knows that he fully knows how to suffer hunger move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there and encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that work just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today.

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