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6, we'll be coming back to it, but the title of the sermon this morning is What it takes to do a great work. What it takes to do a great work. And of course Gideon, I think, is somebody who's a great example there's a lot of application that we can learn from this chapter about Gideon that we can apply to our own lives about what it's going to take to do a great work. So keep something there in Judges 6, but if you would turn over to Revelation chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7. So when I say what does it take to do great work, the first thing I want us to understand is what we mean by the word great because oftentimes when we hear the word great we're thinking of something was really great we think of a great meal or a great book or something like that but in the Bible that the Bible uses the word great and it's kind of a different way it's referring to it more in the size of in size in terms of quantity or more so than quality you're turning over to Revelation chapter 7 I'll remind you in John chapter 14 Jesus said verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my father and that's quite the statement that we hear coming out of the mouth of Jesus when he says those that we would do greater works than he did and of course we know that we're never going to exceed the works that Jesus Christ did in terms of the quality I mean I would take God to do the types of works that Jesus Christ did I mean we're never gonna walk on water we're never gonna raise the dead we're never gonna feed thousands with with a few loaves but he did say that we're going to do greater works because when Jesus says that we're going to do greater works he's saying that we're going to do more works than he did we're going to do them in terms of quantity and not quality you're there in Revelation chapter 7 I'll read to you again from Jonah chapter 3 just to kind of drive this point home Bible says and the word of Lord came unto Jonah the second time saying a rise going to Nineveh that great city now if we're familiar with the story of Jonah we know that Nineveh when God is calling it a great city it's not because it's a nice place to visit it's a very wicked place it's a very evil place so when God is saying it's a great city he's saying it's a very big city goes on and says that Jonah rose and went into Nineveh according the word of the Lord now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey now it says three days journey doesn't mean it was three days away from him it means that's how long it would have taken you to actually go across the city of Nineveh it says in verse 4 and Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey and he cried and said yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown so Jonah when he went into Nineveh it was great because it took him he went in at least one day's journey walking on foot and began to preach so we are given a great work but what is the great work what is that that tasks that we're supposed to accomplish well the great work that we're supposed to accomplish today is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the great work that we've been given to do to go out and preach the gospel unto all nations you're there in Revelation chapter 7 look in verse 1 and after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on anything and I saw another angel ascending from the east and having to seal the living God and cried with a loud voice up to the four angels to whom was given to hurt the earth and the sea saying hurt not the sea the earth neither the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the sevens the seal the servants of our God in their foreheads go ahead and jump down to verse 9 and I beheld and lo a great multitude so he's talking about this isn't just really good people he's saying this was a lot of people a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and tongues and people stood before the throne and the lamb and before the lamb and clothed with white robes and Psalms and in their and palms in their hand that's the great work that we're supposed to do we're supposed to add and contribute to that great number that is going to that we see here in Revelation that one that that John is is looking and seeing this great multitude got gathered before the throne of God that's the great work that we've been given to do go and turn over to Luke chapter 7 this is the goal that God has given us to reach all nations all kindreds all tongues with the gospel of Jesus Christ we are to reach all nations you're turning over to Luke chapter 7 I'll read to you from Habakkuk chapter 2 Habakkuk chapter 2 says this for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea God wants the knowledge of his word to go out and cover the earth as the waters as the waters of the sea that's the task that we've been given to do to preach the gospel Luke chapter 7 verse 22 then Jesus answering said unto them go your way and tell John what things you have seen and heard how that the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised to the poor the gospel is preached and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended to me so we see there are lists of some of the great works that Jesus Christ did right some of those wonderful things that he did that some of the things that only he could do those wonderful miracles of healing the blind of causing the lame to walk of cleansing the lepers I mean what great things that he did but notice there I mean these are just wonderful miracles but what's the last thing he mentions in that list to the poor the gospel is preached God puts such an emphasis on preaching the gospel and specifically to the poor that he lists it and all these mighty and wonderful miracles that he did and that's exactly how we're going to accomplish these great works is if we go out and preach the gospel to the poor and when we do that we spiritually in a way we do accomplish some of these other things that Jesus listed here in spiritually speaking when we go out and we preach the gospel to the poor we see that the spiritually blind are made to see their eyes are open the scales fall off and they understand the Word of God when we go out and we preach the gospel to the poor we see that the lame that are out of the way are set on the right path when we go out and preach the gospel the poor we see that the spiritual lepers are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ when we preach the gospel we accomplish the great work that God has sent us out to do the spiritual death they hear the Word of God preached to them and they get saved so we see that our great work is to preach the the gospel to all nations to add to that great throng in heaven and it's no small task that God has given us to accomplish it's not something that's going to be done easily or quickly it's something that's going to take some some concerted effort on our part and that's what I want to preach to you about this morning what it takes to do a great work go ahead turn back to Judges chapter 6 so I very quickly just want to go through some points and we can look at this example of Gideon because Gideon was somebody who accomplished a great work I mean he delivered the children of Israel at a time when they were being oppressed and I think there's some things in the story that we could apply to our own lives that are gonna help us as people as individuals in a church to accomplish a great work for God the first thing I want us to notice in Judges chapter 6 is that great works are often done in difficult circumstances great works are going to be accomplished in difficult circumstances when God gave us the great work to go out and preach the gospel to every creature he didn't say it was going to be easy he didn't say you'll no man will resist you everybody's going to be on your side it's just going to be smooth sailing and we know that to be the case but the the mission still stands we are to accomplish it if you're there in verse chapter 6 Judges chapter 6 look at verse 2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds so we see first of all how difficult their circumstances with their being so oppressed that they're beginning to hide they're beginning to draw back they're going into the caves they're going into these mountains and they're hiding they're not resisting the enemy they're not standing up they're not being bold and that's what we see taking place in our own country today and even in our world we see that the enemy is growing stronger I mean the world is getting more wicked every day and what's happening God's people preachers in the pulpit are drawing back they're beginning to go into the cave they're beginning to go into the mountain and God's people are becoming less and less bold if we're going to accomplish a great work for God we're going to do it in the face of difficult circumstances the wicked are going unchallenged it's becoming difficult to take that stand but it's one that we must take nonetheless look at verse 3 Bible says and it was so when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up in the Amalekites and the children of the east even they came up against them and they camped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth to thou camest and a Geza and left no sustenance for Israel neither sheep nor ox nor ass where they came up with their cattle's and their tents and they came as grasshoppers for multitude for they and their camels were without number and they entered into the land to destroy it so when they came in there we see that there was a great multitude of them it wasn't just some small group that says they came up as grasshoppers upon the earth that means that there was just so many of them as it says they were without multitude you could not number these people and that's kind of the way we are today if we're going to accomplish a great work we have to understand we're living in a time when there's more work to do than ever there's more people to be reached with the gospel than there's ever been before in history and can we say with a certainty that we have all the resources we need to accomplish that task or don't we sometimes feel like maybe we're a little short-handed when we see you know our Baptist brethren drawing back canceling the soul winning times replacing the soul winning time scaling back the soul winning we're short-handed the odds are stacked against us to accomplish this great task but we must accomplish it nonetheless you'll notice there in verse 6 it says an Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites and the children of Israel cried under the Lord they were impoverished their resources were very limited they didn't have a lot to work with and that's where we find ourselves today that we have limited resources limited people to account accomplish a great work how are we going to do it we have to understand first of all that great works are done in difficult circumstances now how did they end up that way we have to remember that this was all the consequence of Israel's disobedience it says in verse 1 and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midianites I mean God was so displeased with these people that he turned them over and that's kind of what we see happening in our world our world is just continually casting off the Word of God going away from God going against the Word of God hating God's people not wanting to have anything to do with attacking ridiculing mocking the Word of God and we see that we're being delivered over and our world is being delivered more and more over to the devil we have as a nation cast off Christianity and embraced evil so we see that great works if we're going to accomplish them they're going to be accomplished in the face of difficult circumstances the commandment was not being obeyed and today the work of preaching the gospel to all nations it's not being accomplished I mean thank God for faithful word that's doing the best that it can and other churches like us that are have a mindset and a will to go out and accomplish this work but it's not happening we need more people to get on board this mission must be accomplished it was going to be doing it's going to be done when we face up to the difficult circumstances that were in but not only that we have to understand that great works are done when we own up to our own shortcomings we say you know what we have failed there is a great work that is going undone we are failing as a people you see that there's that saying that we've we've heard either the the gospel has lost its power or the gospel isn't being preached why is it today that so many people are going to hell why is it that so many people are not going to be reached the gospel is because the gospel is lost its power no it's because it's not being preached because they're not being sent that's why the commandment is not being obeyed they're not harkening we under the voice of the Lord and obeying that commandment to go out and to preach the gospel to every creature so we're gonna have to own up to our own shortcomings you know maybe in our personal life maybe our soul winning has grown cold then we've grown a little slack you know in other churches in the nation that have they need to own up to the fact that they're not soul winning and they need to start soul winning again and make that they get back to the first works and their first love look at verse 7 when we own up God will start to work for us I believe if if people would would start to own up to the fact that we've cast off soul winning that we're not accomplishing the work and they would recognize that and start to get involved then God would begin to work Bible says in verse 7 when the children of Israel cried in the Lord because of the many nights that the Lord sent a prophet under the children of Israel and so we see that when they said hey you know it's gotten so bad they began to cry out they began to understand the dire circumstances that they were in that they've been disobedient to the commandment of God they're going to cry out and God didn't leave him hanging he sent somebody who says Bible says that he sent a prophet under the children of Israel and what was the message that he told them he have not obeyed my voice see we need God God might send us a prophet in our life God might send some prophets into this country that are go out and say hey you have not obeyed the commandment to go out and preach the gospel they're not gonna go out there and tell them hey everything's fine everything's okay that's not what this prophet did when he showed up he said hey this is your fault you guys are the ones that are slipping you guys need to work on this you see it often takes a preacher to bring us to that place where we're gonna own up to our own shortcomings and we should always be thankful for a preacher who fulfills this God-given duty and that's what it is whenever the preacher gets on our sin or or tries to motivate us to do more it's not because he's trying to pick on us it's because that's what he's supposed to do because that's what it takes often for people to get right with God is the preaching of the Word of God that's why they're commanded in Isaiah cry aloud and spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins so we're gonna accomplish great works we have to understand they're gonna be done in difficult circumstances they're gonna be done when we own up to our own shortcomings and work on them they're going to be done when we are provoked by the man of God and the preaching the Word of God to do what we need to do not only that but we need to understand if we're going to accomplish a great work this great work of preaching the gospel to all nations it's likely going to be done by unlikely people it's going to be accomplished by unlikely people look at verse 11 and there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was an Oprah that pertained into Joash the Abbeys right and the son Gideon and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Indianites and the angel of the Lord's appeared unto him and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valor now if you're paying attention when the scripture was read did did Gideon strike you as a man of valor as a mighty man of valor I mean the whole story of Gideon you know in verses in chapter 6 and 7 we see him just you know first of all he's hiding he's there hiding Gideon was not boldly defying the enemy when we found him here it says in verse 11 that he threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites he's not out there and saying you know what I don't care what these Midianites do I'm gonna thresh my wheat wherever I want you know he was he was hiding and then we see it also in the story that how often he needed God to encourage him to give him a sign he needed like three signs you know if you read on in chapter 7 God had to keep encouraging say I'm with you I'm with you so when we read about Gideon he doesn't seem like the type of guy that we would look at and say this is the guy that's gonna accomplish the task if we're going to accomplish a great work for God we have to understand it's going to be accomplished by unlikely people and if you're sitting in this room and thinking you know what it's not gonna be me you're probably the guy that God wants to use you're thinking hey you know I don't know what I could do for the Lord well it's what the Lord could do through you that really matters and that's what we're gonna see here Bible says in 1st Corinthians 1 for ye see your calling brethren how not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called we're not I'm not preaching to the high and mighty in here in terms of the world I'm not preaching to you know the senators and most of them wouldn't be allowed in church right they'd probably be kicked out for being fornicators and adulterers and drunks but we don't see the world's you know Ivy League educators coming in here and sitting down to hear the preaching of the Word of God we see normal people we're just trying to thresh some wheat we're just trying to make a living we're just trying to raise their family that's the people that's the salt of the earth that God is going to use to accomplish a great work and that's why we need to understand also that great works begin with an individual they begin with an individual I mean of course it's gonna take many people to accomplish this great work it's gonna take a church churches people that are just you know on fire for God but it always starts with one person it's be going to begin with you you're going to have to determine in your heart that you are going to do what you can to accomplish this great work that we've been given to do notice again there in verse 11 and there came an angel of the Lord and sat on an oak which was an ophrah that pertained unto Joash the abbeys right the son and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites and the angel Lord appeared unto him and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valor and Gideon said unto him oh my lord if thou be with us see Gideon's like what do you mean me if thou be with us but God uses an individual why then is all this befallen us and we're all his miracles which our fathers told us and he goes on and he angel says in verse 14 the Lord looked on him and said go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the head in the Midianites have not I sent thee you see God it wants to send you the individual to go out and accomplish this great work because it takes a group of people it takes an individual to make up that group to do their part to contribute to accomplishing this great work he says in 16 and Lord send him surely I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man revival this accomplishing a great work this revival often begins the heart of one person and it spreads to others and I think about this movement that we're in this new IFB movement whatever we want to call it the soul-winning movement this revival that's taking place in churches of that we associate with that believe like we do that want to accomplish this great work that's kind of how it started didn't it started with one person who just wanted to preach the whole counsel the Word of God and and go soul-winning and revive the old paths and now we're just seeing more and more people jumping on board I mean I was I came up about trying to keep up with all the preaching that's going on just a few years ago I mean you could keep up with all the great preaching right you know it take you like 60 hours a week to listen to every sermon that comes out every week from all these great churches I mean the movie it's just growing and it's not just growing with just people who just want to warm a queue it's growing with people who want to do their part as an individual and go out and preach the gospel and accomplish this great work so we see that if we're gonna accomplish a great work it's gonna be done in difficult circumstances it's gonna be done when we own up to our own shortcomings it's gonna be done what it's gonna be accomplished by unlikely people it's gonna be accomplished by individuals but not only that a great work will require sacrifice in the face of uncertainty if we're going to accomplish a great work we might not always be sure about how about it being accomplished might say I don't know how we're gonna do something look at Gideon how many times he had to be reassured he was uncertain but God still accomplished it through him and it required sacrifice on his part you look there in verse 17 Gideon says and he said to him if now I have found grace and I sight then show me a sign that thou talkest with me do not part not hand so I bring until I pray thee until I come unto thee and bring forth thy present and said before thee and he said I will Terry until thou come again and he goes on and says in verse verse 19 and Gideon went in and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour the flesh he put in a pot in a basket and he put the broth in a pot and brought it out unto him unto him under the oak and presented it so he goes and he gets this food ready now it's real interesting that God actually gives us these specific measurements he says it was an ephah of flour that's what he made these cakes out of you have to remember what the circumstances they were in great Israel is greatly impoverished they don't have a lot of resources and he goes out and he gets an ephah now how much is an ephah if we were to you know I googled it it says it's 20 dry quarts now there'd be about 20 dry quarts of flour that's how much it would have been or 15 pounds you know for us Americans that's a lot of flour I mean I used to I used to work as a pizza cook and I would make the dough every day 15 pounds is a lot I mean I don't know what we're getting got where he got this but he gave something didn't he and says he gave a whole kid I mean go out and order you know a rack of lamb that's enough for one guy well most guys right but he gave a whole kid to one man the Bible says that an Omer is the tenth part of an ephah and if recall when God fed the children of Israel in the wilderness he gave an Omer for every man so he gave an at least enough for 10 men to eat the point I'm trying to make here is that when Gideon wanted God to work on his behalf when he wanted to know God was with him to accomplish this work requires sacrifice I mean God it wasn't just like don't worry about it you got it and didn't ask anything of them he said hey I want to I want to test God I want to put something out there and see if God's with me and it required him to dig it a little deeper and maybe giving something that he wasn't entirely sure he was able to give you see doing a great work it may cost you something you don't seem think you can afford or spare you might say you know people that want to move to a great church they don't know how am I gonna get there you know I can't afford it and they have all these words are people who want to go out and start a church they think man how you know all the money and everything like that how we ever gonna get this accomplished they have to understand something that that might just be God allowing you to see if you maybe give a little bit more than you think you can that he might be able to bless you and when we do that when we're willing to dig down a little deeper and say you know I'm willing to sacrifice my time to go out soul-winning I'm willing to sacrifice my time to start a soul-winning group or soul winning time I'm gonna sacrifice my time to learn the scriptures and go out and accomplish this great work and how to preach the gospel I'm gonna go out with somebody and learn what it takes to do this great work it might cost you some time that you don't think you have I mean we're all busy in here we're all living lives we all have jobs and families and things that need to get done we have responsibilities but that doesn't mean we can just let the work of God go undone but I want you to notice something is that when you are willing to give God when you're willing to sacrifice you get God's attention he pays attention he sees that in Mark the Bible says in Mark chapter 12 and Jesus sat over against the Treasury and beheld how the people cast in the Treasury and many that were rich cast and much and there came a certain important widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing and he called him his disciples and saith unto them verily I say unto you this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the Treasury for they did cast in of their abundance but she of her want did cast in all that she had even reliving now that's a great story about somebody giving more you know giving all that they have but what I find really great is that it was Jesus who beheld her when we sacrifice we're not just getting you know anybody's attention we're getting God's attention and that's what Gideon had to understand that it was God that was sending him it was God that was going to be with him and he made that sacrifice he had that assurance that it was God that was with him we make that sacrifice and we see God come through what an assurance that we have that we can do the work that he's given us to do when we know that God is on our side it's worth the sacrifice if it gets God's attention so we see that it might require some sacrifice to accomplish the great work of God it might be happy something that's done in difficult circumstances not only that but if we're going to accomplish a great work of God this great work that God has given us to do we have to understand that's going to require attention to detail God wants things done in a specific way he doesn't just all willy-nilly just hey you know I want this done just do it however you want I mean think about you know the thrust is preaching the gospel going out and preach the gospel every creature you know that's done door to door door to door door to door two by two day in day out that's how God wants it done God has a program in place that we see in the scriptures of how we're going to accomplish this the soul winning and today that's what we see so many people casting off and replacing with some other thing you know they get the bus route in or they get the prison ministry and I'm fine with that if that's what you want to do but don't let it take the place of God's program of doing what God has told us to do God wants it done in a specific way look at verse 25 and it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him take thy father's young bullock even the second bullock of second years old and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath and cut down the grove that is by it now he very specifically tells him take thy father's young bullock he didn't say go down to you know rent a bullock you know and get up when he old bullock will do he said no take thy father's bullock take the second bullet of seven years now I don't know maybe there's some deeper meaning in scripture that that's representative of something that we could study out but I think just on the surface we could see that God wanted him to take a very specific animal to begin to do his work and God wants us to do it the same thing he wants us to pay attention to doing things the way he wants them done if we're going to accomplish a great work we're going to have to pay attention to the details of the way God wants it done that's not to say that the Lord doesn't allow some liberties when we carry out his commandments God wants us to go out and preach the gospel every creature and he wanted Gideon here to take a very specific animal do a very specific task but notice what Gideon did there in verse 27 then Gideon took ten men of his servants did he say take ten men no but he took him and it says and he did as the Lord had said unto him and so it was that because he feared his father's household the men of the city that he could not do it by day that he did it by night so he says I'll go and do this I'll go get the second bullet can do as the Lord has told me to do but I'm gonna take ten men with me and I'm going to do it at night so there are some liberties that we can have I mean God has told us to go out and preach the gospel every creature and we need to go door by door and make sure you know we get the second bullet right and do it the way God has told us pay attention to the specifics but that doesn't mean we can't you know harness the power of the internet that doesn't mean we can't make the documentaries that doesn't mean we can't hold the soul-winning marathons and do these other things on top of that to help accomplish this task so God does allow us some liberties now the last point I want us to understand you know first of all God wants a great work done and it's going to be done in the face of difficult circumstances it's going to be done by people who don't you know unlikely people who probably don't think that they could do it kind of like a Gideon it's going to be done through sacrifice and but it's always going to be done in the power of the Lord every great work this great work if we're going to reach the world with the gospel it's going to be done in the power of the Lord it's not gonna be done by our own strength it's not gonna be doing by our own light it's gonna be by his spirit look at Judges chapter 6 verse 33 judges chapter 6 verse 33 then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together and went over and pitched in the valley of Jezreel sounds pretty daunting sounds like Israel's got you know some real trouble brewing and coming their way I love verse 34 but and the world thinks we got him on the run the world thinks that they're backing up God's people the world thinks that everyone's just casting off and that that Christianity is just gonna go extinct and wouldn't be the first time people have thought that but the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon it doesn't say but Gideon didn't say but Gideon had enough but Gideon got fed up but Gideon you know finally worked up enough courage and strength to go out and do what he needed to get done it says the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon if we're going to accomplish a great work for God it's because the Spirit of Lord is going to come upon us and we're gonna do it in his might and his work and that's what's gonna give us that's what the world doesn't understand that we're not you know just doing it in our strength we're doing with God on our side but I want us to notice that even then God sometimes has to kind of get the ball rolling like he did with Gideon had to give him those few signs look at Judges chapter 7 of course this is what God has already whittled down Gideon's forces to 300 men and he's setting them against this great host and it says in verse 7 in Judges 7 and the Lord said unto Gideon buy 300 men that lapped will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hand and let all the other people go every man into his place so the people took victuals in their hand and their trumpets and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent and retained those 300 men and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley and it came to pass the same night that Lord said unto him arise get thee down unto the host for I have delivered it into thine hand so again he's kind of hey it's time to go he's getting the ball rolling he's trying to get Gideon to go but if thou fear to go down go down with furah thy servant down to the host and thou shalt hear what they say and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host so they go down there and if you remember in verse 13 and when Gideon came was come behold there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and said behold I dreamed a dream and lo a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came unto a tent and smote it that it fell and overturned it and the tent lay long and his fellow answered and said this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash a man of Israel for into his hand God hath delivered Midian and all the host I mean imagine being Gideon in that circumstance maybe you're still after everything that God has done he still needs to give you this one last sign I mean how many more things would you have to see really when you go down there you hear this perfect stranger use your name and say hey God has delivered us into Gideon's hand I mean that's God working and that's where that's where we are I mean we have God's promises we have God's assurance I mean we saw in Revelation right where that great host does appear in heaven the work does get done you know the the knowledge of the Lord will be as as the waters of the sea upon the face of the earth it's going to happen there will be a group of people that reach all nations why not us verse 15 and so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream the interpretation that thereof that he worshipped and returned unto the hand of Israel and said arise for the Lord hath delivered in your hand the host of Midian God had to get the ball rolling but once it got going Gideon was ready to go you know this kind of reminds me of the silent partner the guy who kind of goes out he's not quite sure that he's ready to you know take on the Midian at the door you know and God says well just go with so-and-so he'll show you how it's done you'll you'll hear him talk and maybe it'll embolden you a little bit you know the silent partner goes out I can I've gone out with people I remember a guy up in Portland out with and we had a hard day and I I don't think we got anybody saved up to the last day and then like a family of four got saved and I walked out and I was feeling pretty good and I looked over at my silent partner and that guy was on cloud nine and you know what five years later that guy is leading soul-winning marathons that guy is leading the charge he's like Gideon he kind of went out wasn't sure you know I had his partner with him and he heard something he said man I want to do that that's the way it is with us you know and if you're sitting in here and you've never been so winning I really encourage you to get out and do it and that's the work that we're here to do and you're sitting in a church that's filled with with people who can teach you how to go soul-winning and we've seen God do great things already in this church we've seen God just saved just thousands and should we just rest on our laurels and say well we're doing so much already that's enough it should embolden us to do even more we should be even further emboldened say let's do more for God let's not stop let's not say oh we've done so much already I think it's enough let's just coast now let's try to do more see if we do what God has told us to do he will do what he has promised to do look at verse 16 judges 7 verse 16 and he divided the three men the 300 men into three companies to put the trumpet in every man's hand with the empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers and he said to them look on me and do you and do likewise and behold when I come to the outside of the camp it shall be as I do so shall ye do when I blow it with the trumpet I then all that are with me then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of the camp and say the sword of the Lord and of Gideon so Gideon and the 300 men that were with him came on the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch and they but newly set the watch and they blew the trumpets and break the pitchers that were in their hands and the 300 companies blew the trumpets and break the pitchers and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with all and they cried the sword of the Lord and of Gideon now I want to I'm going to show us something here but why why start there why do you go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 see I think this is like a really good illustration of going soul-winning of accomplishing the great work that we've been given to do he says Gideon told look I want you to blow the trumpet I mean think about what God's doing there's some symbolism here he's sending them a grinch this great host not with catapults and crossbows you know and and swords and Spears and arrows I'm sure they had some of those things but when they first went out there God was getting the ball rolling and he wanted to show that he was on their side what he sent him out with send him out with a pitcher like a clay pot and a lamp and that was it not exactly what you think the first thing you grab when you're gonna go to go to war where's mom's face you know you might get one guy if you're lucky but he tells them first of all to blow the trumpets you know if we're gonna accomplish a great work for the Lord we're gonna have to make ourselves known we're gonna have to go out there and declare the gospel of Jesus Christ we're gonna have to go out there and lift up our voices we're gonna preach the whole counsel of God we're gonna have to let everybody know that we're here and go out and blow the trumpet they wanted first of all let them know hey we're here we're here to do something you're turning to second Corinthians chapter 4 the Bible says in Matthew 10 it is enough for the disciple to be at as his master and the servant of as his Lord if they have called the master of the house be Elzebub how much more should they call them of his household fear them not therefore for there's nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be made known what I tell you in darkness that speak ye in light and that what you hear in the ear that preach ye upon the housetops that's God telling us that's Jesus telling us to blow the trumpet to make the word of God known and to not fear the masses not to fear the Midianites and fear them not which kill the body but are not which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul so he says first of all to go ahead and blow the trumpet right notice the next thing they're supposed to do was break the pitchers break the pitchers right they had those lamps under the pitcher they were to break them and that would show the light you know if we're gonna accomplish this great work we cannot put the light under a bushel we cannot hide the gospel we're going to have to let it shine the Bible says in second Corinthians chapter 4 look at verse 1 therefore seeing we had this ministry as we received mercy we faint not but ever announced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God verse 3 but if our gospel be hid it is hindered there that a loss you know if you want to go out to battle you want to be part of a church that's going to do something you want to be part of you know Gideon's army you can't just sit there with the the vase over your over your candle you can't hide the gospel it's good you can't let it remain hid verse 4 and whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them we preached on ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake verse 5 for God who commanded the light to shine it's not an option this light must shine he commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and the face of Jesus Christ but we have this treasure in earthen vessels we're like that lamp under that picture we're that earthen vessel and if we want to just keep our mouths closed and we want to just let our hearts grow calloused and grow cold to the work of God that picture will never get broken and some people they need to smash that picture this morning and let the light shine that's how we're gonna accomplish a great work for God that's how we're gonna put the enemy on their heels God has given us the light of his spirit in the earthen vessels of our hearts and we have to be willing to break those in order for the light to shine Jesus said unto his disciples if any man come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross it's gonna take sacrifice it's gonna take you having to you know maybe be broken a little bit maybe have your pride taken now maybe get humbled for whosoever will save his life shall lose and whosoever lose his life for my sake shall find it Paul said I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved himself who loved me and gave himself for me you're there not if you're still in judges chapter 7 judges chapter 7 if we're going to accomplish a great work for God it's going to be done in the face of uncertain circumstances in the face of difficult circumstances gonna be face of having to make sacrifices that we might not know that we're ready to be made to be done by unlikely people but it's gonna be done and the power of God when we allow when we understand all that and we sober up to these facts we can see we have seen and will continue to see a great work accomplished for God Bible says in verse judges chapter 7 verse 21 and they stood every man in his place round about the camp and all the hosts ran and cried and fled and the three hundred blew the trumpets and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow even throughout all the hosts I mean Gideon just by faith goes out and does this and then he doesn't even have to lift a finger God just does it all for him that's the way it was with us if we'll break the pitchers if we'll blow the trumpet if we'll go out and do as God has commanded us and just preach the gospel he'll spirit will take over every time I go soul-winning it just amazes me that I can say hey you know you know for sure you're gonna if you die today you go to heaven they say I don't know and you go can I show you every time someone says yes I'm just like wow that's amazing and then when that person hears just the just a plain gospel preached on them they get saved it's amazing it's amazing to see God just just work that's what Gideon got to see right he got to see God just work in this camp in the Midianites every man just freaking out and turning his sword on his neighbor and running and just being over some lights and a trumpet and that's but that's what we do we go out we in the power of God that's the point I'm trying to make if we're going to accomplish it we do it in the power of God and God will work on our behalf and not only that look at verse 23 and the men of Israel gather themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher and out of all of Manasseh and pursued after the Midianites see if we set out by faith and start to do the work that God has commanded us to do other people are gonna join in that pursuit it wasn't just Gideon at the end there it started out with 300 but other people joined in didn't they if we have faith and set out to do the work others will join us but we have to step out by faith if we're going to accomplish a great work it's going to be done in difficult circumstances it's going to be done by unlinked likely people it's going to require sacrifice it's going to be done in the power of the Lord but it's going to be done by individuals it's going to be done by you let's pray let me father again thank you for the Bible thank you for the example of Gideon Lord and we pray that you just help us to have the faith that he had that we would trust you and know that you are on our side now we could see you continue to a great work through us as individuals and as a church that we might do the task that you have given us to do which is to go out and to preach the gospel to every creature we love you we thank you in Christ's name amen