From Fear to Faith

Rev Gideon Lee

We are going to continue from last week's message. How many of you remember? About Gideon. How God saw his potential. God looks at our potential, what we can be and not what we are. He sees beyond who we are today. 

When we talk about the book of Judges, Gideon is not the hero. God is the hero. When we look at chapter 6 and 7, God is the hero. When we look at the bible, God is the hero, the miracle working God. 

Gideon had his doubts and it's okay to have doubts and a critical mind but not a critical heart. God says come and reason with me. God is calling each one of us. Calling us to be in Gideon's army. God sieved Gideon's army until there was 300. God is wanting us to be one of the 300. He is calling us to arise and shine. 

God has a plan for us. We need to out God's plan into action. His plans may sound ridiculous with just 300 men but the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. There is great power when we seek the Lord. 

Judges 7:9-25

9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” 

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb . They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

We hear the balance of Gideon's exploits. Gideon was afraid. At the eve of the battle Gideon was probably very nervous and cannot sleep. He had every right to be afraid. Look at the odds. 300 people over multitudes of the enemy. Camels that numbers like the sand of the seashore. 

Gideon brought his servant Purah. Why? Some people say to bring him as a shield or for company. He brought Purah because he needed a witness. He went down to the enemy's camp. He probably sneaked in. He heard this person telling about his dream. There is significance in the dream. Barley was very cheap then. It was a cheap and common material. The bible says the loaf of barley came tumbling down and destroyed the camp of the Midianites. This he say must be the sword of Gideon. 

2015, some of you may be fearful.  My children was telling me, dad, tomorrow they are going to school. And parents say? Amen. I don't know how you all feel about children at home. They just eat and eat and eat and parents go broke. Josiah was telling me tomorrow is school. So I said so what, you've been to school many times. He said he forgot half his classmates' name. That was his fear. But I told him it'll all come back once he meet them. 

Let's move from fear to faith. 

God told him to go down to the camp and he received encouragement. Hear from God and have encouragement. No matter what the odds are know that the Lord is with you and you have nothing to be afraid of. Let's move from fear to faith. Let's look beyond all this and start serving. That we will take our position in 2015. I thank you for coming early today. I appreciate it. 

I'm also going to come early. I sometimes preach at the Hokkien service but I'll want to be early too. At least 15 minutes before service and shake your hands. Then when the service starts I'm going to be in the service. 

We had some difficulties at the youth impact and we had like 6 youths. So I told the 6 and encouraged them to bring someone to youth. I also said I'll call someone to come for youth. Lo and behold they listened to their pastor. Yesterday we had 16. I challenged them and said next week bring someone and see if we can hit 30. I want to see our youth grow and not just come but stay. 

Now adults (laughs). How many of you still love your pastor. Can I encourage you to bring someone next week? We have lost that tradition. We used to bring people to church in the past. We all have someone to bring. We can do it. Let's bring someone to church. Not that I want to fill by numbers. But it's a start. 

When we renovate the fourth floor we want a place that can accommodate 400. Amen?

Gideon had the element of surprise. He divided the men into three groups. They had trumpets on their left hand and on their right hand was a torch over a jar. They had no swords. But like I say the weapons were not carnal. Prayer and fasting. Gideon told them to do exactly what he said, in his timing. Not everyone had the trumpet. If you watch the Calvary movies, one man sounds the bugle. Here some had the torch or trumpet. These were the leaders leading 100 or 200. When the Midianites saw 300 torches, they thought it's more than 300 soldiers. They thought that the confusion happened because they thought the 300 were leaders of a bigger army. God gave Gideon the strategy. It was not easy to intimidate them. They were confused and fought one another. 

Let us all learn to blow our trumpet and let our light shine. Everyone of us is called to be a leader in our sphere of influence. Everyone of them took their torch and trumpet and held their position. We need watchmen. On the walls who will sound their trumpet and light their torch and hold their position? And we will see God gives us the victory. The church needs more and more leaders. Be like the soldiers Gideon had. 

Last but not least, Gideon said do as I do. 

He was going to lead by example. I'm going to lead by example. But here's the catch. As I do, so must you. As I follow God I want you to follow me. I am going to lead by example. I want you to come and stand with me. This is not my church. This is our church. We are Tabernacle of Praise. It is a lighthouse. We need to shine brighter in 2015. The keyword is praise. Can our praise be exuberant? I told the youth you cannot praise God with our mouth closed. Some say I worship on the inside but it must show on the outside. Can I tell my wife I love her only on the inside. I have to express my love on the outside. 

God deserves our worship. God says if we don't even the rocks and stones will praise him. We are better than the rocks and stones. 

Finally, wah, you said pastor finish so early. That's because we start on time so we can finish on time.  Let's move from fear to faith. Let's let our light shine and let it shine bright. 

As we see our pastors and leaders do it, can we also say let's do it. Can I tell you a secret? Do you know if you pray for your pastor and leaders, they get better? As you pray God works on them. When we criticise and we complain they get worst. You want your pastor to get better? You want him to preach or administer the church better? Pray for your pastor. I covet your prayers. It's not easy but its a privilege and joy to serve God and the church. God has much in store for TOP.