When Jesus Stops By: Less is More
When Jesus Stops By • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
Today, we will continue look at moments in the Old Testament, [When Jesus Stops By]. The subject of my message is, [Less is More].
I once heard the question asked, “how much is enough?” Someone answered, “Just a little bit more.”
We live in a culture and a country of excess. I have discovered this when I go to the grocery store for Bekah, which is not very often for one reason in particular— there is so much stuff, I do not know what to get.
She sends me for coffee, simple enough, until I realize there is caffeinated, decaf, Folgers, Maxwell House, then there are specialty coffees that cost so much they could feed a small village somewhere!
She sends me for cereal. If she were with me, she would know that we need to eat healthy and she would know what to get. Me, I end up getting two boxes of cocoa pebbles because they were buy one get one free!
I remember when I first moved to Vulcan and we were planning our Sunday School picnic. We needed brats, so I volunteered to pick them up at the store.
Would you believe there are WAY too many brats to pick. So I guessed and brought them home. I watched as disappointment flooded certain faces, I quickly learned there is really only one brat of choice— Johnsonville!
It is easy to THINK that life would be better with fewer options. But is less really more?
One article I read said have less stuff, get more space! Who has ever tried to downsize or get rid of things?
It also wrote to spend less and you will have more money. I should explain that the article was written three years ago, you know, when we could go actually go to the store and spend less money!
The author wrote, less driving equals more walking. Evidently they never lived in Vulcan where it would take 14 hours and 15 minutes to walk to Walmart according to my phone!
These were just a few of the seventeen ways they wrote to minimize and make life less cluttered, because for the author, less is more!
The idea of having less might sound appealing to some and others often want to have more than is necessary, how does this work with our faith?
When it comes to God, it would APPEAR that we would want MORE faith, MORE power, and MORE strength, which is true, but how do we attain them?
What happens when we feel like we have less faith than in the past?
What happens when we feel that we begin to lack in areas in our walk with God?
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
When we feel as though we can’t go forward, that is okay, if we will muster up the faith God has given us, the Lord will come by and help us.
That is what I want us to see in these messages— Jesus wants to stop by.
Over the past few weeks though, we have looked at moments when Jesus stopped by in the Old Testament. He came to help people like:
Abraham
Jacob
Joshua
We know it was Jesus for it wrote that they met the Lord, or the Man, or the Commander of the Lord’s Army.
It couldn’t have been the Father, for no one has seen Him and lived.
It couldn’t have been the Holy Spirit for He does not have a body, we feel Him, but can’t see Him.
But there were some needs so pressing, so urgent, that God moved time and space for Jesus to come, thousands of years before Bethlehem, to meet with people who needed Him.
Today, I want to look at a man in the Old Testament named Gideon. He represents the principles that with God, sometimes less is more.
When we feel like we’re lacking something and we need Him, He will arrive and speak to us to help us!
When do we need to Jesus to stop by? When we are [Lacking Strength], [Lacking Support], and [Lacking Skill]. It is in those moments Jesus stops by and helps see, less is more!
Let’s begin
1. Lacking Strength
1. Lacking Strength
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
Notice, the Angel of the Lord came to Gideon. Remember how Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. Often, this phrase is used to describe God, or more specifically, Jesus.
He came specifically to speak to Gideon and he called him a mighty man of valor.
Anyone who has read Gideon’s life, might agree with this description. In part, we know more about Gideon than any of the other judges, besides Samson.
The truth is, though, Gideon was a very cautious man who almost seemed allergic to risk taking. In fact, we read that he was hiding from the Midianites, threshing wheat.
He lived in a time when Israel was far from God and faced problems from the armies of Midian. In an effort not to get captured or killed, he was keeping out of sight.
Not quite the strong warrior we know him to be. Imagine his shock when the Lord called him a mighty man of valor, or as one version says, “mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
Gideon was skeptical. He looked at everything happening around him and wondered, if God is with us, where are the miracles of our ancestors?
He identified that he and his nation lacked the supernatural strength necessary to defeat their enemies. He went as far as to ask the Lord why He abandoned them and handed them over to the Midianites.
That was a poor interpretation of events on the part of Gideon. It was not GOD who abandoned them, but they abandoned God by serving foreign gods.
In the course of their conversation the Lord shows Gideon that He would use him to save Israel. But Gideon continued to return to his lack of strength.
He claimed that he was from the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. He continued to outline what he lacked. But the Lord shows that with Him, less is more.
Everything Gideon said was true, he lacked everything that people would assume is necessary to do something great for God. BUT God could see what Gideon could not!
After bringing an offering to the Lord, God revealed to Gideon that He would use Him regardless of what strength he lacked. Before the Lord left, Gideon declared:
22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
24 So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Gideon’s lack of strength did not intimidate God. In fact, God gave him more than he could ever imagine. He empowered him to become a rescuer in Israel.
When we lack strength, Jesus stops by to show us that less is actually more!
2. Lacking Support
2. Lacking Support
25 Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;
26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.
It is difficult to put into words how Gideon would have felt seeing the Lord face to face. Surely he wanted to share his experience with his family and friends, but that was next to impossible.
By this point, his family forgot about God and chose to serve Baal. Baal was a Canaanite god. It was believed that he had power over storms and rain.
People would sacrifice to him and perform ungodly and immoral acts in his temple hoping that Baal would make their crops more fertile.
Gideon’s dad was one of those deceived by the demonic powers of Baal. So imagine how he felt when he was instructed by God to destroy the altar to Baal.
Knowing his family would not understand, he chose to do it in the night. Everyone went to bed with an altar to Baal and they awoke with an altar to God.
The men of the town were livid. They did not support Gideon’s decision. Finally, his dad spoke up telling the town to let Baal defend himself and not to persecute Gideon.
When we truly take a stand for God, we will often lack support of those who are not interested in serving the Lord or doing what He wants.
In those moments we have a choice to make, will we disappoint people and follow God, or will we follow people and disappoint God?
Even though Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal at night, he still did what the Lord told him to do. Lacking support of people around him made him a prime candidate for God to us.
He had less support from his family, but more support from God.
How do we know?
People were livid with Gideon, but everyone’s attention shifted to the Jezreel Vally, for the Midianites were coming close to staring another battle.
At that moment, Gideon had the RIGHT support from haven.
34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
The Holy Spirit came upon him, clothing him with power as he blew the ram’s horn calling the men of his community to war.
Why would they all follow Gideon?
He was the type of person who hid from the enemies and did the right thing under the cloak of darkness. He lacked strength and support.
But everything changed when the Holy Spirit came upon him. God gave him the supernatural support he needed.
If Gideon needed the Holy Spirit, we too need the Holy Spirit. There is an irresistible quality about the Holy Spirit. He along can enable us to do what is humanly impossible!
Whereas Gideon lacked strength and support, Jesus stopped by to show him that less is more!
3. Lacking Skill
3. Lacking Skill
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”
What a turn of events for a man who lacked skill and support. The enemy comes in close and people began looking for a leader who was filled with the Holy spirit.
Let me take a pause right here and declare this truth. We believe in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work. I have been around people in my life who have:
misunderstood
questioned
mocked
doubted
the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But I have also noticed when they need a miracle or someone to touch God, they will often look to a church that still believes God heals, delivers, and sets free through the power of the Spirit.
That was the case for Gideon. When the enemy began to attack they wanted someone who knew how to touch heaven.
It is time to battle and 32,000 men are ready to go, that is until God instructs Gideon to let those who are afraid to go home. 22,000 left, leaving 10,000.
Still, God told him that was too many. He set up a peculiar test, those who drink water with their face in the spring can go home. Only keep those who cup the water with their hands and lap it like a dog.
9,700 men put their face in the water and 300 lapped like a dog. Now, the army is 300 men strong going against the Midianites.
Talk about lacking. These men might have been skilled warriors, but on paper their skill would never have matched an army of thousands.
That night someone had a dream and another interpreted. The meaning of the dream was that God was going to give the Midianites into the hand of Gideon.
15 And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
That was enough for him. He divided the troops into three groups of 100 men each. They blew the trumpets and advanced into battle. Panic and fear covered the Midianites.
They began to run for their lives. They lost all sense, and actually began to turn on each other. Gideon and his army of 300 watched as their enemies began to fight against themselves.
Gideon and his 300 might not have had much skill, but they did have God on their side. And God can do more through people who know they lack the skill, but trust Him, than through people who have all the answers!
Gideon lacked strength, support, and skill, but Jesus stopped by to show him that less is more!
Close:
Jesus stopped by to help Gideon and today He is here to stop by and help us.
None of us has had the same task as Gideon. As far as I know, I have yet to meet a Midianite. But I am sure that all of us can identify with what Gideon lacked.
Who has ever lacked strength?
Who has ever lacked support?
Who has ever lacked skill?
We can all attest to feeling insufficient in these areas. What then do we do?
If the enemy had his way, we would look at what we lack and assume it disqualifies us from all God has for us. But the truth is, when we lack it is the perfect opportunity for Jesus to stop by and show us that less is more!
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
When we feel that we lack and do not have what we need, that is the time to begin to bless the Lord and praise Him. That is the moment to magnify Him and trust Him.
Why?
Because we might have less, but God is ALWAYS more than enough!
So we can seek the Lord.
He sends His angels to guard us and defend us.
We taste and see that He is good.
We hold onto the promise that THOSE WHO FEAR HIM WILL HAVE ALL THEY NEED
WE TRUST THAT THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM WILL LACK NO GOOD THING!
We must do as the Apostle Paul instructed:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We might lack, but God can see what we cannot see. So we trust in the unseen. We trust that He is more than able to get us through our afflictions and problems.
For when we:
lack forgiveness, He is more than able to forgive
lack healing, He is more than able to heal
lack power, He is more than able baptize in the Holy Spirit
lack strength, He is more than able to strengthen
lack purpose, He is more than able to direct
lack encouragement, He is more than able to encourage
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
It is not about what we DO NOT HAVE. It is that we serve the ONE who:
owns the cattle on a thousands hills
makes us more than counquerors
overcame death hell and the grave
will come back to get us soon
In a world overcome with excess, we can come to Christ, with what little we have, and He will show us, it is not about what we lack, but what He will give us!
So let’s come like Gideon, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to empower us, so that we can be and do all He calls us to be and do!