Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Conscientiousness
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Agreeableness
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Tones
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Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
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Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
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Anger
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I. The Situation
Summary:
The Israelites were starving as a result.
After Deborah, the fourth judge of Israel died.
The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord so the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for 7 years.
The Midianites were cruel to the Israelites to the point where the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in mountains, caves and strongholds.
When the Israelites planted their crop, the Midianites would come down, attack Israel and camp and destroy all their crops and cattle.
The Israelites were starving as a result.
Application:
I believe there are some people here that remembered when life was going well and living for God was manageable/doable.
But then life happens and our spiritual routine/discipline takes a hit.
Before we know it, we find ourselves in a place where we never thought we would be in:
Spiritually hungry.
Feeling like God has deserted us.
Frustrated.
Angry.
Praying but thinking God isn’t listening.
Just when you think you are moving forward, you are knocked back even farther.
The Israelites were following what was said in
.
They would behave and follow the Lord as long as there was a judge over them.
But as soon as the judge died, they went back to their corrupt ways and went even further than before.
The Lord helped them when they cried out to the Lord for help.
Are you in a similar place this morning?
Whatever situation you find yourself in, you are done.
Ready to give up.
You have tried everything that you can think of, even the things you think worked the last time.
Can I encourage you this morning to stop blaming God for your situation, take responsibility for it and ask Him for help!
II.
The Lord’s Answer
Judges
To the people (7-10)
The Lord is the one who brought you out of Egypt, rescued you from the Egyptians and others, drove out the inhabitants of the land they were given, and told you not to worship the God of the Amorites which is what you are doing.
To Gideon (11-12)
The angel of the Lord addresses Gideon as a mighty hero; man of valor.
This is a total contradiction of how Gideon views himself.
Application:
Many times we don’t want to cry out to the Lord because we don’t want to hear what He has to say.
The people cry out to God and the Lord answers by reminding them who He is, what He has done for them and how they have failed to uphold their covenant with the Lord.
It is their fault for being in the situation they are in.
Many times we are quick to blame God for a situation we put ourself in, rather than listen to why we are in the situation to begin with.
The angel of the Lord talks to Gideon and addresses him as a mighty hero; man of valor.
This is a total contradiction of how Gideon views himself.
Just like Gideon, how many times are we slow to go to the Lord because we don’t see ourselves as He sees us?
I see myself as: God sees me as:
Unforgivable Forgiven ()
Unlovable Loved ()
Worthless Chosen (; )
Weak Strong ( )
Alone Never Alone (; )
III. Gideon’s Response
Judges
Judges
He questions whether God is with them (v 13)
God says He is sending him; in other words, He is with him
He questions God choosing him (v 15)
God tells him plainly that He will be with Gideon and it won’t be more than he can handle
He asks for a sign (v 17-18)
The angel burns up the offering from the rock (vv 20-21)
Gideon:
Asks for forgiveness (v 22)
Builds an altar named the Lord is Peace (v 24)
Obeys the Lord in tearing down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole and replacing it with an altar to the Lord and burning the second bull on it with the pole as fuel.
(vv.
25-27)
Took ten men (27a)
Did it at night because afraid of other members of father’s household and the people of the town.
(27b)
Application:
The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm god—he is usually depicted holding a lightning bolt—who defeated enemies and produced crops.
An Asherah pole was a sacred pole (sometimes carved and sometimes not) or a tree planted by the “high places” where pagan worshipers sacrificed.
Asherah was one of the names given for a fertility goddess in the region.
Asherah’s consorts varied, depending on the cultic beliefs of the people—sometimes Asherah was said to consort with the Canaanite creator-god, El; or with the god of fertility, Ba’al; or, horrifically, with the Lord God Himself.
Certainly, as a fertility goddess, those who worshiped Asherah were also often involved in sexual practices prohibited by the God of Israel.
Gideon shows the mindset of the Israelites at this time by questioning whether God is with them.
God answers by saying He is sending Gideon.
Gideon then questions why God chooses him, again, because of the way he views himself.
God tells Gideon as plainly as He could that He will be with Gideon and it won’t be more than he can handle.
When we come to Christ, we need to start viewing ourselves and our identity through Jesus Christ.
Stop seeing yourself as you have always done.
Start believing what the Lord says about you and what He can do through you!
Your past doesn’t define you.
Your job doesn’t define you.
Your position doesn’t define you.
Your family doesn’t define you.
(parents, siblings, spouse, kids, extended family, etc.)
Your bank account doesn’t define you.
What you have or don’t have doesn’t define you.
What God says about you and what Jesus Christ did for you defines who you are!
And when you understand that, you can walk in it and do what God calls you to do! Just as God told Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal and Asherah pole, God is calling us to tear down altars in our life and to put the Lord in His rightful place: as Number One.
IV.
Gideon’s New Name
Jerub-baal which means “let Baal defend himself”
A result of breaking down the altar of Baal.
He got his new name AFTER doing what the Lord called him to do (walking in his calling).
Application:
Just as Gideon received a new name as a result of what God did through him, we also have a new name when we decide to walk in the calling God has given to us!
Conqueror
Overcomer
Child of God
Royal priest
Holy nation
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