Tearing Down Idols: The Call to Ordinary Faith

• The Necessity of Prioritizing God 00:25:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that God must be the number one priority in life to receive His favor, using King Asa's failure as a negative example.
• National Decline and Idolatry 00:26:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor draws a parallel between the decline of historical nations like Rome due to internal moral failure and the current state of Israel and America, attributing their struggles to turning away from God.
• Divine Discipline and Rescue 00:29:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that God allowed Israel's enemies to oppress them for seven years as discipline for their sin, but also highlights God's faithfulness in sending a prophet and eventually a deliverer.
• God's Equipping of the Unworthy 00:31:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses Gideon's story to illustrate that despite feelings of inadequacy or past failures, God equips those He calls to do His work.
• Divine Calling and Equipping 00:34:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that when God calls a person to work, He provides the necessary equipment and ability, using Gideon as an example of someone who doubted but was equipped.
• Divine Protection and Signs 00:35:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes how God provided a sign (fire consuming the offering) to confirm His presence and call, and later protected Gideon by preventing the townspeople from waking up during the destruction of idols.
• Idolatry and Compromise 00:44:28 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that failing to cast down idols leads to comfort and compromise, citing the townspeople who had changed their hearts and viewed evil as good.
• Persecution for Righteousness 00:46:52 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor notes that doing good often invites destruction from those with sin in their own lives, highlighting the townspeople's anger toward Gideon for destroying their idols.
• Baal Worship Characteristics 00:48:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor characterizes Baal worship as being centered on pleasure, sensual idolatry, and provisions, contrasting it with the true God.
• Opposition to Righteousness 00:46:54 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that doing good often invites destruction from those with sin in their own lives who want to tear others down.
• Idolatry and Pleasure 00:48:26 ▶️ 📄
  > Baal worship is described as being about pleasure, sensual idolatry, and provisions, including child sacrifice, which modern society mirrors through pornography and abortion.
• The Psychology of Idolatry 00:49:55 ▶️ 📄
  > Using a psychologist's quote, the pastor describes 'playgrounds' as areas of immediate satisfaction that people defend with anger when challenged.
• Divine Vindication 00:55:15 ▶️ 📄
  > God takes care of those who step out in faith and do right, even when facing opposition, as demonstrated by Joash defending Gideon.
• Faith and Doubt 01:01:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that faith must overcome doubt, citing Gideon's journey from an ordinary man to a commander through obedience.
• Opposition to Truth 01:02:28 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that standing for the truth and tearing down idols will inevitably lead to opposition from others who are attached to their own idols.
• Internal vs. External Opposition 01:03:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies the biggest opposition believers face as their own lies and doubt, rather than external forces, encouraging them to trust God despite feelings of unworthiness.
• Tearing Down Idols 01:03:50 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines 'tearing down idols' as rejecting worldly influences like singers and actors, and prioritizing God's voice over cultural compromises.
• Compromise in Society 01:05:52 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the lack of compromise in past decades with current societal issues, urging listeners not to get caught up in compromising with the idols of this world.

• Sermon Illustration 00:23:15 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the biblical story of Barzillai, who provided for David's army during their lowest point, illustrating how God sends help in times of need.
• Sermon Illustration 00:24:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes King Asa, who initially led Israel back to God but later 'got slack' on the Lord during times of peace, leading to his downfall and serving as a warning against losing priority of God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:26:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor cites the historical decline of Rome, attributing its fall not to external enemies but to internal moral decay, greed, and corruption, drawing a parallel to modern America's potential decline.
• Sermon Illustration 00:29:10 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor details the seven-year oppression of Israel by the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern foreigners, who destroyed crops and wells, illustrating the severity of God's discipline for idolatry.
• Sermon Illustration 00:30:58 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor narrates the calling of Gideon, an 'ordinary man' from a lowly family who doubted his ability, to illustrate that God calls and equips the unfit for His service.
• Sermon Illustration 00:33:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the biblical narrative of Gideon: his initial doubt, the angel's confirmation via fire consuming the offering, Gideon tearing down Baal's altar and Asherah pole in the middle of the night without being detected by his father or the town, and the subsequent morning confrontation where the townspeople demand Gideon's death for destroying their idols.
• Sermon Illustration 00:49:55 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references a psychologist's statement that the hardest addiction to break involves people's 'inner child' and their 'playgrounds,' which provide immediate satisfaction and enticement.
• Sermon Illustration 00:51:40 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the biblical account of Joash defending his son Gideon against a hostile crowd, challenging Baal to plead for himself if he is truly a god, resulting in Gideon being named Jerubbaal.
• Sermon Illustration 01:01:07 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical story of Gideon, noting how an ordinary man from a despised community led his people to victory against enemies who tried to attack during a time of revival, illustrating that God uses obedient individuals despite their ordinary status.

• Pastoral Charge 00:41:38 ▶️ 📄
  > Remove sinful idols from their lives and prioritize the true God.
• Pastoral Charge 00:44:54 ▶️ 📄
  > Wake up spiritually and acknowledge the existence of only one true God.
• Pastoral Charge 01:06:20 ▶️ 📄
  > Listen for God's voice and call.
• Pastoral Charge 01:06:20 ▶️ 📄
  > Step out in faith, trusting God despite doubts.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:00] You rejoice in me. You formed us in your very likeness, so I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
[00:00:07] Lord, if you delight in me and call me beautiful, then what could that possibly say about the God of creation?
[00:00:15] What is this? This vastness? This unexplainable, untamable creation that expanses so much farther than the eye can see?
[00:00:37] Holy Father, your details I cannot perceive Cause every part is immeasurably complex Beyond my conceivable belief Living waters flow beneath my feet The heavens above sing praise unto the King Magnificent impressions of your fingerprints
[00:00:57] Hold more beauty than I could ask, think or imagine Your spirit has enriched the woodlands And your hands have molded mountains I see the evidence of an indescribable God in close encounters.
[00:01:13] I'm surrounded by the wild and free, astounded by the skies and trees.
[00:01:20] The more I study the sunrise, I feel the sun's light abound in me.
[00:01:26] Lord, I'm in awe.
[00:01:28] Perhaps the most perplexing is this fluorescent creation, which is in essence infinite and is still not as intricate as me.
[00:01:37] how fantastic is it to be the Lord of creations masterpiece you rejoice in me you formed us in your very likeness so I am fearfully and wonderfully made Lord if you delight in me and call me beautiful then what could that possibly
[00:01:54] say about the God of creation is this this vastness this unexplainable untameable creation that expanses so much further than the eye can see. Holy Father, your details I cannot see, because every part is immeasurably complex
[00:02:27] beyond my conceivable belief. Living waters flow beneath my feet. The heavens above sing praise unto the King. Magnificent impressions of your fingerprints hold more beauty than i could ask think or imagine your spirit has enriched the
[00:02:46] woodlands and your hands have molded mountains i see the evidence of an indescribable god in close encounters i'm surrounded by the wild and free astounded by the skies and trees the more i study the sunrise i feel the sun's light abound in me lord i'm in awe perhaps the most
[00:03:10] perplexing is this fluorescent creation which is in essence infinite and is still not as intricate as me how fantastic is it to be the lord of creation's masterpiece you rejoice in me you formed us in your very likeness so i am fearfully and wonderfully made lord if you delight in me
[00:03:32] and call me beautiful then what could that possibly say about the god of creation is this this vastness this unexplainable untameable creation that expanses so much farther than the eye can see holy father your details i cannot see because every part is
[00:04:07] immeasurably complex beyond my conceivable belief living waters flow beneath my feet the heavens above sing praise unto the king magnificent impressions of your fingerprints hold more beauty than i could ask think or imagine your spirit has enriched the woodlands and your
[00:04:29] hands have molded mountains. I see the evidence of an indescribable God in close encounters.
[00:04:37] I'm surrounded by the wild and free, astounded by the skies and trees. The more I study the sunrise, I feel the sun's light abound in me. Lord, I'm in awe. Perhaps the most perplexing is this fluorescent
[00:04:54] creation which is in essence infinite and is still not as intricate as me how fantastic is it to be the lord of creation's masterpiece you rejoice in me you've formed us in your very lightness
[00:05:09] so i am fearfully and wonderfully made lord if you delight in me and call me beautiful then what

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:05:16] could that possibly say about the god of creation all right we welcome you to service this morning at The Wave here in Statesville at 135 Village Point Drive.
[00:05:35] We are thankful for those who listen through Facebook, watch us live, and those who listen on 92.9, the radio station.
[00:05:43] We always welcome you to join us here in the house of God, but we're thankful for those who've made it in this morning, and we've come just to worship the Lord. Amen?
[00:05:51] Amen. Let's go ahead and stand up.
[00:05:54] We're going to go to the Lord in prayer and just thank Him for all that He's done, all His blessings that He's given us and that we are still walking in His favor.
[00:06:01] Amen?
[00:06:02] Heavenly Father, we just come to You this morning.
[00:06:05] Lord, we thank You for Your presence that's here in this place, Lord.
[00:06:08] God, Your Word tells us that where two or three are gathered in Your name, that You are in the midst.
[00:06:13] And we thank You that You are in the midst here this morning.
[00:06:16] God, we thank You that You are hearing all the petitions that have been made before You this morning, God.
[00:06:21] Lord, we pray for those that are sick, those that need healing, God.
[00:06:24] Lord, those that need strength, Lord, for their bodies, Lord, we ask that you just be with them. God, Lord, we pray for our nation, Lord. God, we ask, Lord, that as elections are coming up, God, Lord, that you would just move,
[00:06:34] God, put your hand over our nation, God, and give us mercy and grace one more time, Lord.
[00:06:39] God, we ask that you just give wisdom and knowledge, Lord, to all those, Lord, that are running, God, Lord, and to those that vote, Lord, we just thank you, God, Lord, that we're trusting you, God, and believe in you for our nation's turnaround. Lord, we pray for the service this
[00:06:53] morning God as the word comes forth God that it would not just fall in our ears but God it would go into our hearts Lord that we may walk it out and live it before you God and before this world
[00:07:02] we thank you and praise you this morning God we give you glory and honor for all that you're doing God for all that you're going to do Lord thank you and we praise you and we give you glory and
[00:07:11] honor in Jesus name and let the church say amen let's worship the Lord this morning take up our

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:07:16] tithes and offerings and just celebrate him amen but thou lord yes good to be back in the house of

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:22:37] lord thank you for being here we've got some out this morning let's pray for them and those that are sick and body let's pray for healing for their body and lord the season knows all things but we
[00:22:49] are so thankful that you chose to be in the house of the lord today and i want to continue in our message this morning the ordinary becoming the extraordinary and i want to continue with that
[00:23:03] thought process if you'll just bear with me for a few minutes and i pray that something will be said that will resonate in our hearts and our minds and knowing that you and i may be the
[00:23:15] ordinary but we can do extraordinary things for the lord you know my message i started out with barzell barzella who stepped up and he provided for david and his army all that they needed to
[00:23:32] go into the last part of the war that they was in and the army was in their lowest place and it was like a they they were on their last foot and yet god sent someone there to help them and provide
[00:23:47] everything that they needed and then the last few weeks we talked about King Asher and Asher was a king that had made a choice that he was going to return to the Lord regardless of what his family
[00:24:02] and his grandfathers and great-grandfathers had done he was going to bring everybody back to the Lord and he was going to make a conscious decision to lead the people back to the Lord and and and
[00:24:14] he started off good remember the story he started off firm and he started with that foundation but then as the years of peace came along if the as the years of peace come along and there was no
[00:24:27] wars and no problems the asia probably he's just started getting slack on the lord it's the way you can read the scripture and we find out that he was started out being an ordinary person that
[00:24:39] could have made a decision not to follow God but he became extraordinary to do the will of God lead the people of Israel back into the worship of our God and then he started to fall back and
[00:24:52] backslide on God and then we seen as as he lost priority of God putting God first place let me tell you in this age that we live in God has got to be first in our lives and and I hope if there's
[00:25:06] anything that we've learned this year is if we want the favor of God upon our lives then we've got to put God as number one priority number one of anything that we go through anything we want
[00:25:19] or desire is always going to be God and you know that's where Asia failed he he got slack on God and Lord help us none of us that we would get slack on God but today I want to talk about another
[00:25:32] person that was an ordinary man and yet god used him to be the extraordinary i'm going to talk to us about gideon and most of us have heard the story of gideon so just bear with me as we continue in
[00:25:48] this series and history reveals that over time over time this is just since the beginning of time in recorded history there have been 16 great nations that rose to power and then fell not because they were overcome by other nations but because it started from inward and they
[00:26:11] destroyed themselves by their inward doings and their struggles were not overthrown by people just coming to take them over it was come from themselves for example Rome declined and become declining more in their morals and their national identity their greed and sexual perversion their
[00:26:34] power struggles and internal cooperation of corruption excuse me brought the mighty nation to its knees. So it wasn't other people fighting them. It was the people themselves that started falling and failing God and remembering to put God where God belongs. And that is first
[00:26:55] priority. And when we take our eyes off God, there's going to be a decline. And out of the history, but 16 nations, this is happening. I would not be afraid to say that America is in this same position right now.
[00:27:11] We are declining within ourselves and we're going to become our own worst enemy.
[00:27:16] But that's another subject for another time.
[00:27:19] But while we see that Israel at this point had returned to statehood now, Israel has had a lot of times of up and downs.
[00:27:31] They have had times when they've went for God and there's times they've failed God and went against God.
[00:27:36] And we see time and time again, God has picked the Israel up and the Israel has went down.
[00:27:44] Let me tell you, we can't throw stones this morning because there's many times me and you have been up and sometimes we've been down.
[00:27:52] There's been times we praise God and there's times that we give up on God.
[00:27:57] Let me tell you this morning, if you want God's approval, if you want to prosper, if you want His anointing, if you want His favor, listen, we've got to keep God first on the priority list.
[00:28:12] But we see what's happening today in Israel.
[00:28:15] So many nations are fighting against Israel.
[00:28:18] This is nothing new.
[00:28:20] We've seen it all through history.
[00:28:21] And today, what are we wanting to do?
[00:28:24] They're wanting Israel to fail once again.
[00:28:29] But listen, God has said, there shall be no other gods before me.
[00:28:34] And in this time of judges, we find that Israel has fallen once again.
[00:28:40] What have they done?
[00:28:41] They went back to the idol worship.
[00:28:43] They went to the perversions of that land and that time of those other nations around them.
[00:28:49] And God has called once again and says, thou shalt not have no other God before me.
[00:28:54] And what has Israel done?
[00:28:56] They failed God.
[00:28:57] But in this message today, Judges 6, tells us that Israel had done evil in the sight of God.
[00:29:06] And God had allowed the Mennonites to overtake them.
[00:29:10] And for seven years they have been in constant battle with the Mennonites, the Amulites, and other eastern foreigners who come to destroy them.
[00:29:21] Now what did they do?
[00:29:22] Not only did they fight them in battle, at this particular time, they were destroying their crop fields.
[00:29:29] They were causing issues where they were stopping up their whales, and they could not have anything to eat.
[00:29:36] So their enemy was not only fighting them in battle, but they was playing some games too to try to destroy them from the inside.
[00:29:46] The discipline came through, God allowed their discipline to come against them because of the sin that they had done.
[00:29:57] God allowed their enemies to overtake them.
[00:30:01] It was so severe and so bad.
[00:30:04] Finally, after seven years, the Israelites says, We've had enough. We've got to cry out to God.
[00:30:11] And God sends them a prophet to remind them how true God had always been to them.
[00:30:18] God has always come to the rescue of Israel.
[00:30:22] And the prophet tells them, listen, I want you to know in verses 8 through 10, which we're not going to read, but you can go back and read them, God has never forsaken Israel.
[00:30:32] Well, let me encourage you this morning, God has never forsaken you.
[00:30:36] As a child of God, you can count on God being there.
[00:30:39] Now we may fail him, we may let him down But God never has let us down So the Lord hears the cries of Israel once again And he sends a messenger to a man that was just an ordinary man
[00:30:58] And he opens his eyes and there is a man named Gideon And right before him is an angel of the Lord shining brightly there right in front of him and it tells us in Judges 11 through 14 that Gideon's name actually means
[00:31:18] cutter cutter of the trees and he belonged to a family that was not high up on Israel's list he was one of the outcasts if you will and he saw himself as unfit to do God's service
[00:31:36] Now listen, the devil will often tell us that we're unfit for God's service But let me tell you, if you've been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ He will equip you to do what he's called you to do
[00:31:49] So during this conversation that Gideon is having with this angel He comes to find out in verses 14 and 16 That he's actually talking to the Lord himself And he has come as an angel to talk to him
[00:32:06] and to describe to him what he wanted him to do.
[00:32:10] Now as the angel is telling him, Gideon, this is what needs to be taking place.
[00:32:16] Gideon is sitting there questioning himself.
[00:32:20] He's filled with doubts.
[00:32:22] He says, is God really telling me this?
[00:32:25] Is God really speaking to me?
[00:32:27] Is God really wanting me to do this thing he's asked me to do?
[00:32:32] I want to ask you this morning have you questioned God when God has called you to do a work for him have you questioned God is that really you God are you here am I hearing you correctly
[00:32:46] hear Gideon saying okay this angel of the Lord is telling me I've got this great job that I've got to do but I just don't know I come from the low life family my family line means nothing
[00:32:59] how can I do such a thing that God has asked or the angel has said god has asked me to do but here gideon is starting to ponder this and he questions his ability he he questions whether or not this is really true i want to
[00:33:16] tell you something there have been times when god has asked us to do something and we hesitated because we wasn't sure we were able to do it so gideon he's full of doubts he's questioning his
[00:33:33] ability he's questioning everything that this angel has told him to do but we see later on in this chapter that he tacks on the task that he's been asked to do and he does it and he does it
[00:33:47] before the lord and he tells the lord yes i've done this thing for you getting a needed proof positive proof that it was in fact God calling him to do this great thing listen God's going to call you
[00:34:07] to do a work for him everyone has a job in God's kingdom but are we listening to the call do we want to doubt our ability do we want to doubt who we are do we want to think God am I able
[00:34:21] to do such a task Lord you see my past because of my past, can I do this?
[00:34:27] I'm telling you, if God is calling you to do a work, He's going to equip you to do the work in which He's called you to do.
[00:34:36] We find out that Gideon was given the task of leading a military force against the Minions.
[00:34:44] And Gideon asked the angel of the Lord to stay.
[00:34:48] I want you to stay here.
[00:34:50] I want to make sure this is not a figment of my imagination.
[00:34:53] I want you to stay here and make sure that I'm just not seeing something that I don't know what is.
[00:35:00] I'm going to go over here, and I'm going to cook you some food.
[00:35:03] Do you remember the story?
[00:35:05] And he says, I'm going to make you a meal, and we're going to sit down and talk about this.
[00:35:10] But what he done, he went, and Gideon leaves the angel.
[00:35:13] He goes to prepare a meal, and Gideon returns, and there's the angel, and he's still sat there.
[00:35:20] And he says, here's the food that I've prepared.
[00:35:22] We're going to eat.
[00:35:23] And then verses 19 and 20 says that God gave him a sign.
[00:35:29] So Gideon brings the food for the angel and he sets it down because the angel hasn't went anywhere because he still wants Gideon to get his calling.
[00:35:37] He wants him to understand.
[00:35:39] And the angel of the Lord touched the meat and he touched the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff that was in his hand.
[00:35:47] And what happened? Do you remember?
[00:35:49] Fire consumed it up.
[00:35:51] It consumed all of it.
[00:35:53] And the angel of the Lord disappeared just like that in verse 21.
[00:35:58] So Gideon realizes, hey, this wasn't a figment of my imagination.
[00:36:02] This wasn't something I dreamed up.
[00:36:05] This is reality.
[00:36:06] An angel of the Lord, which we find out is the Lord himself, has come down to talk to me, to call me to do something for him.
[00:36:17] Well, when the angel disappeared, the food was burning.
[00:36:23] And Gideon realizes that he's talked to the Lord himself.
[00:36:29] The Lord has called him.
[00:36:32] He decides that he's going to build an altar right there.
[00:36:36] And he named it, The Lord is Peace.
[00:36:39] As in verses 22 and 24.
[00:36:42] Because he had seen God and did not die.
[00:36:47] He was amazed at that.
[00:36:48] Because he had, it came to him.
[00:36:50] God has actually himself not sent an angel but it has been God himself that has come down to you to call you into this purpose so here in his hometown he starts this journey do you think
[00:37:06] his confidence is built up just a little bit I would say that it is but do you think there might be a little bit of fear in him yes there was sometimes when God is calling us to do a work
[00:37:21] for him is uncomfortable we're not really sure of ourselves we we really don't know it and we're a little bit uneasy about it but let me tell you be assured when God has called you into a work
[00:37:35] when he's called you into a field when he's called you to witness to other people and lead others to him he's going to give you what you need and that is what he give to Gideon here in his own hometown
[00:37:50] Gideon knows that his own people have turned from God and they've built an idol to the idol of the God Baal and Asherah Asherah an Asherah pole is a sacred wooden pole or a tree used in the ancient
[00:38:12] Canaanite and Israelites context to honor the God as Asherah often associated with fertility and natural worship.
[00:38:22] So here these things, these ungodly things have been put up and structured up in his hometown.
[00:38:31] And he's looking at them and the Lord has told him what he's got to do.
[00:38:37] Even though he was afraid, he knew that God had called him for a service.
[00:38:44] And Gideon went to where these idols, these altars were and he tore down the altar to Baal and he cut down the Asherah pole even though he was scared to be doing it.
[00:38:59] Think about this.
[00:39:00] The whole village was around him.
[00:39:02] The tribes was around him.
[00:39:04] They could hear what he was doing or that he thought they could.
[00:39:10] And he took a bull that belonged to the community.
[00:39:13] He took that bull that was seven years old and he sacrificed it on a new altar to the true and living God.
[00:39:23] So what I find amazing is he goes into this temple, this place of worship, and he starts tearing down their idols.
[00:39:34] Now in Gideon's mind, I'm sure he's thinking, as he hit the hammer, as he pushed it down, as he tumbled the structures down, I'm sure in his mind he's wondering, somebody's going to come.
[00:39:46] Somebody's going to come and get me.
[00:39:48] They're going to hear me.
[00:39:49] But you know what's amazing?
[00:39:51] That he demolished all those two great big idols to these false gods, which you would think would take tools and would have to be pushing and shoving to bring it down.
[00:40:05] It would have to be some smashing going around.
[00:40:09] And think about it.
[00:40:10] It was made of wood and rock and all these elaborate things.
[00:40:14] and he's demolishing these idols in the middle of the night and they would have to have heard it.
[00:40:26] But here's another way God proved that he was still God.
[00:40:32] Nobody woke up.
[00:40:34] Nobody ran to the center of the town or wherever these idols must have been at.
[00:40:41] Nobody said, I hear a sound.
[00:40:44] Well, let's go see what's going on.
[00:40:46] See, that is another way to say God was with Gideon.
[00:40:51] Maybe he closed the ears of the townspeople so the work could be finished completely.
[00:40:57] He might have even stopped the sound altogether from reaching the town.
[00:41:02] But think about this.
[00:41:04] His own father did not even know what he had done.
[00:41:08] Did he see his son and see what his son was doing?
[00:41:12] Did he simply say, son, what are you going and doing tonight?
[00:41:16] No, none of it.
[00:41:18] We don't know, but the evidence is God was in the destruction of the false idols.
[00:41:24] God was wanting them tore down.
[00:41:27] Let me tell you this morning, God is wanting false idols in our own life cast down.
[00:41:33] The things that we put before God, we want to have an extraordinary life.
[00:41:38] Let me tell you, we've got to get rid of the sin, the sinful idols that we hold dear and put the true and living God where he belongs.
[00:41:49] Gideon's faith in the Lord had won because we know that he destroyed it.
[00:41:56] He destroyed everything.
[00:41:57] And Gideon's faith in the Lord had won out over his fear of his father, his fear of the people that was in the village.
[00:42:07] And he grabbed some people.
[00:42:09] He took about seven people with him.
[00:42:11] And they tore down the false idols.
[00:42:16] Listen, they didn't wake up when they heard the commotion.
[00:42:20] They didn't hear when the crashing of the idols went down.
[00:42:24] But when they woke up and they started to go for their morning worship, what did they find?
[00:42:30] They found that everything had been destroyed.
[00:42:32] Everything tore down.
[00:42:34] And what?
[00:42:35] There is the cow.
[00:42:37] The one that the whole village maybe had paid for.
[00:42:39] the one that they was fattening up, so to speak, the one that they was waiting to go and offer up to their false god, laying there on a new altar made.
[00:42:53] And this one was for the true and living God.
[00:42:56] In verses 28 it says, And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, And the grove was cut down that was by it.
[00:43:16] And the second bullock was offered unto the altar that was built.
[00:43:23] And they said one to another, who hath done this thing?
[00:43:27] And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.
[00:43:35] Now in the morning when the men of the town got up, there was an altar demolished.
[00:43:42] and the Asher pole has been cut down and the second bull is sacrificed but it's on the new altar.
[00:43:50] And the town people got up and saw the altar that to their idol was destroyed and instead of it was an altar to the true and living God in its place.
[00:44:01] And they became enraged.
[00:44:04] Who in the world would have tore this altar down to our God, Baal?
[00:44:10] Who would have tore this altar down?
[00:44:13] And that meant to the people there was a traitor among them.
[00:44:17] Someone who didn't believe like them anymore.
[00:44:19] Now wait a minute.
[00:44:20] They used to believe in the true and living God.
[00:44:23] And now they don't.
[00:44:25] And they've changed.
[00:44:26] Their heart has changed.
[00:44:28] Do you know what happens when we don't immediately cast down the idols in our lives?
[00:44:33] We get comfortable and we compromise.
[00:44:36] And here they've compromised.
[00:44:38] not only their faith but the true and living God and yet their lives they've seen what was evil as good are we not living in a timeline when we're seeing things that are evil but yet people
[00:44:54] say they're good we're living in the same time period we've got to wake up and understand there is only one true and living God hallelujah and not only was the altar destroyed but there was some meats
[00:45:11] watering on the new altar to God some says wait a minute that's our bull that we've been saving that was the bull that we was going to dedicate to our God and the town says
[00:45:24] this is really bad not only has the idols been torn down but he's used our bull that we bought to use to our God for his God whatever was left on an altar, whatever was left on that altar of the bull, the town wanted to know who had
[00:45:46] done it. There was a lot of questions that morning and I always going to find out. Can you imagine the busy bodies and the gossipers all about it? Let me tell you what's happened.
[00:45:58] You got to go and see what's happened down here. Somebody has went in and tore down our altar somebody's come in and tore down our idols we gotta find out who that person was and what happened one of Gideon's own of the seven men that went with him that night
[00:46:17] to destroy all those false gods one of them sold him out and told it was Gideon and you need to go and check out Gideon because he's the son of Joash and he's the one that done this and and so the men
[00:46:32] in the city went to Joash and said I want you to bring your son out here. Your son Gideon who tried to destroy and did destroy our idols to our God. We want to know who
[00:46:46] cut down the grove. We want to know who's destroyed this.
[00:46:50] Bring him out.
[00:46:52] Isn't it the way it is today?
[00:46:54] If you do good people want to destroy you. If they've got sin in their own life they want to tear you down to make sure they look good let me tell you God is calling us he's calling us to tear down the idols of our
[00:47:09] lives the idols of this world and put him on first place in the life and the people wanted a death sentence they want Gideon and everyone that was in his group to be killed immediately they wanted
[00:47:25] them to be torn down and you know what when you look at the Torah when you look at the Old Testament God had given Gideon every right to tear down the altars to Baal worship.
[00:47:37] He had commanded them in Exodus and in Deuteronomy to kill and to get rid of anyone who worshipped Baal.
[00:47:44] And he had the right to stone anybody who was involved in that kind of worship according to Deuteronomy 13.
[00:47:51] But you know what?
[00:47:52] God didn't include that in his instructions to Gideon when he came and gave him the directions.
[00:47:59] Think about that.
[00:48:00] So why was the death sentence for doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord among God's people?
[00:48:07] Why did God's people, the ones that have come to their rescue time and time again, why were they so mad?
[00:48:16] They knew the Torah.
[00:48:17] They knew the Word of God.
[00:48:19] And yet they was angry with someone that tore down their idols.
[00:48:24] Let me tell you something.
[00:48:26] Bell worship is all about pleasure and sensual idolatry.
[00:48:29] The worship of Baal and Astria were on provisions level.
[00:48:35] All kinds of provisions.
[00:48:38] Perversions that went on.
[00:48:40] And one of the things that they did that time is child sacrifice.
[00:48:46] And all of this was going on.
[00:48:48] And they were the ones sinning, yet they wanted to kill the one who was correcting it.
[00:48:54] Listen, it's extremely appearing to people just like that today.
[00:48:59] Pornography, prostitution And all kinds of moral weaknesses In our nation And do you know what We are a nation that kills our children Do you know what that is We're sacrificing our children Just as they did in the Old Testament
[00:49:16] Listen You might say Bell worship is alive and well in our country I believe it is More than it ever has before I believe we are a nation that is forgetting God slowly but surely.
[00:49:32] Listen, they were angry because Gideon tore down their playground.
[00:49:38] He had eliminated their reasoning and their excuse for doing their acts of immoral wickedness.
[00:49:48] A psychologist once said that the hardest addiction to break involves people's inner child.
[00:49:55] People still have their playgrounds.
[00:49:59] Things in their life that satisfies them And brings them enticement and enjoyment for just a moment The playgrounds are the areas in their life That give them the most immediate satisfaction And when somebody comes to tear that down
[00:50:17] When somebody says that's a sin You shouldn't do that It comes with anger and rage And they'll do anything to try to destroy you The name of Jesus calls out to a person's behavior and it will reveal the sin in their lives.
[00:50:36] God was revealing the sin of Israel and the sin in their lives.
[00:50:42] But when you and I must understand, God wants to reveal our own sins.
[00:50:48] He wants to clean us up from our immorality.
[00:50:52] He wants to make us His and closer to Him.
[00:50:56] Believers are met with the same anger today when somebody stands against their immoral programs.
[00:51:05] You wonder why so many Christians are, well, let me take that back.
[00:51:09] You wonder why so many so-called Christians get angry when their sins are called out?
[00:51:16] Do you know why?
[00:51:17] Because they're not worshiping the true and living God.
[00:51:20] So many people think, I can do my pleasure.
[00:51:23] I can do my fun.
[00:51:25] And I can do whatever thrills me.
[00:51:28] And nothing's ever going to be said about it.
[00:51:30] But let me tell you, God is keeping a record.
[00:51:33] And sooner or later, He's going to come.
[00:51:35] And He's going to tear down the idols in our lives.
[00:51:40] And there came a righteous rebuke in verses 31 and 32.
[00:51:50] Okay, so here's daddy.
[00:51:52] And people are knocking on his door and saying, send your son out to us.
[00:51:57] We know what your son has done.
[00:51:59] he's tore up our playground. He's tore up our party place. He's interfered in our stuff. Now, I want you, we want you to send him out because we're going to take care of him.
[00:52:11] And here comes daddy to, now think about this. Daddy, he's the one, he's been in that bell worship too. He's been doing the things he shouldn't have done. But yet here's what he says. And he comes to the door and he says, and Joash said unto all that stood against him,
[00:52:27] will you plead for Baal will you save him he that plead for him let him be put to death with less yet in the morning if he be a God let him plead for himself
[00:52:41] because he has cast down his altar therefore on that day he called Jerubabbel saying let Baal plead against him because he hath thrown down his own altar but Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him and says,
[00:53:03] do you mean you're going to stand up for Baal?
[00:53:07] Do you mean that you're going to plead his cause?
[00:53:11] Are you trying to save your idols?
[00:53:14] Are you trying, what are you trying to do?
[00:53:16] You think that you can kill my son and those who helped him and you're telling me you can kill and get rid of what God's saying?
[00:53:26] Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning.
[00:53:29] Alright guys let me tell you this If you're going to come against my son Gideon If you're going to fight against him I'm telling you Whoever fights against him is going to be dead by the morning
[00:53:40] See he realized that God was in charge He realized that his son had done what God had caused him to do And if Baal is really God Then let him defend himself Let him take care of the one that tore down his altar
[00:54:00] So that day they called Gideon Jeroboam Saying let Baal contend with him Well then they started thinking Okay, I don't know If he says I'm going to If I fight Gideon If I fight him
[00:54:18] Then I'm going to be dead by the morning I think I'm just going to let Baal take care of his own Going to let Baal take care of his own I think I'm just going to watch how this plays out.
[00:54:30] Joash had probably worshipped the bell altar and idols with the men who wanted to kill his son.
[00:54:39] And this message that he's saying indicated that it had to be close by his house.
[00:54:44] Somewhere was close to where he was at.
[00:54:48] In any case, he had to be involved in this pagan worship.
[00:54:52] His son was in trouble.
[00:54:54] He was about to be killed.
[00:54:56] And Joash decides, you know what, my son did what was right.
[00:55:01] I'm the one that sinned.
[00:55:02] I'm the one that's made mistakes.
[00:55:04] I'm going to stand up for him.
[00:55:06] And I'm going to rebuke these people and let them know that the true and living God is going to take care of my son.
[00:55:15] Let me tell you, when you step out in faith and you do right before God, God is going to take care of you.
[00:55:23] I didn't say you wouldn't have problems I didn't say that you weren't going to have arguments or you're going to try to do right and people's going to come against you but I am telling you that your
[00:55:34] God is going to take care of your needs Joash is standing here and he's questioning Baal's power and authority after all if he was a God then if he was a God what should he be able to do he should be able to
[00:55:53] come and take care of the one that tore down his altar right that's what he's saying that's his case that he's pleading joash also says you know whoever fights for him it's going to be put to death by the morning so this bold statement to
[00:56:09] this pagan crowd sort of gets them thinking now think about this if you and i have an idol before us. If there is something in our life that we're putting before God, I wonder who's going to fight
[00:56:25] for you. Who is going to fight your battle when you realize that you've been in the wrong? They had something to think about. Joash essentially said, let Baal do what Baal needs to do. So whoever
[00:56:43] shall fight for Baal and shall seek avenge to the destruction of this altar by putting him to death shall be put to death himself.
[00:56:51] And let's just wait this out to tomorrow and give Baal a chance.
[00:56:58] They gave Gideon the name of Jerubabbel.
[00:57:02] Translated, it contends with Baal.
[00:57:06] Jerubabbel contends with Baal.
[00:57:09] He takes care of the idol.
[00:57:11] He gets rid of what doesn't need to be there.
[00:57:15] Now the tension of the town was on Gideon And they all wondered, will Gideon even survive the morning?
[00:57:22] Is one of us going to be brave enough to take him out for what he's done?
[00:57:28] Gideon did survive.
[00:57:30] And now they realized, this man can lead us.
[00:57:35] This man, he must have heard from God.
[00:57:38] We recognize the sin that we have done.
[00:57:42] And he was the one that went against Baal and destroyed these altars.
[00:57:47] So he's got to be our new leader.
[00:57:49] Now the town had an altar to God, and it replaced the altar to Baal.
[00:57:55] They could again worship the Lord, and they looked to Gideon as now as their leader, the one who stood up and fought for what is right.
[00:58:06] I want to ask you this morning, in this being extraordinary, are you able to fight against the wiles of the devil?
[00:58:14] Are you able to stand up and say, that is a sin to God?
[00:58:19] but not to other people I'm talking about in our own lives.
[00:58:25] Now all the Mennonites and Ammonites and all the Eastern people started joining forces.
[00:58:31] They thought, wait a minute, history tells us that when the God of Israel was with Israel, they won the battles.
[00:58:40] We need to start paying close attention because they are back to following the true and living God.
[00:58:46] And when they follow the true and living God, He always fights their battles.
[00:58:51] So they decide that they're going to camp around the valley of Zeril.
[00:58:55] And the enemies of Israel viewed Gideon and seen that they had renewed their relationship with the Lord.
[00:59:05] And they viewed it as a threat to their power and their authority because they knew that Gideon had begun a new revival.
[00:59:14] He had renewed an allegiance with the eastern countries.
[00:59:20] And they knew that Gideon would be able to win the battles because why?
[00:59:26] God was on their side.
[00:59:30] And even then they knew that the worship of the Lord brought blessings and freedom to people because they had seen it so many times before.
[00:59:39] They also knew that when God is on your side, you cannot be defeated and that was making them worried that was making them concerned so here what here's what happened another interesting item is that they didn't come from canaan they
[00:59:57] didn't just come from canaan from canaan in the south they come across the jordan valley of why they wanted to surprise them thinking that if they could catch them off guard if they could Get them before they really got into this good revival.
[01:00:16] Before they got excited about God again.
[01:00:19] If them as their enemies would come and catch them off guard, they could once win the battle.
[01:00:27] But guess what?
[01:00:29] The people of Israel were getting renewed.
[01:00:32] They were being restored.
[01:00:34] And it began with one man doing what God called him to do.
[01:00:39] Even that one man had somebody within his group turn their backs on him.
[01:00:46] He was still able to overcome the idols of their nation.
[01:00:52] Gideon was a man that doubted, but he eventually became the commander.
[01:00:58] And his life changed when he took that step of faith.
[01:01:03] Listen, the battle came and they were going to fight them.
[01:01:07] and we'll go on to study, or you can go on to study in Judges how Gideon led them to victory once again against their enemies, even though their enemies were trying to slip in at a time they was rejoicing,
[01:01:21] at a time when they was being repentant, at a time when they was being in revival.
[01:01:27] The enemy tried to slip in, but you know what?
[01:01:30] They were still victorious, if you'll continue in the lesson.
[01:01:34] We need to all remember that great revivals, great renewals start with God calling us to do His will.
[01:01:44] Faith has doubt.
[01:01:46] And if there is no doubt, then there cannot be no faith.
[01:01:49] But faith must overcome doubt as it did in Gideon's life.
[01:01:54] An ordinary man, an ordinary man in a not so good community that was talked about and looked down on.
[01:02:04] But yet God brought him out because of his obedience to him.
[01:02:09] That he would tear down the idols of his lifetime in his nation.
[01:02:14] He took a stand on what was right and what was wrong.
[01:02:18] And you know what?
[01:02:19] God took care of it.
[01:02:22] Gideon did as the Lord commanded.
[01:02:25] But he ran into opposition.
[01:02:28] People don't like it when you stand for the right.
[01:02:30] let me say that again if you stand up for the truth people are not going to like it if you mess with their idols if you mess with their playground they're not going to like it
[01:02:42] so you can expect opposition but let me tell you God will be by your side if you will tear down the idols and stand for God he will be by your side as a step of obedience
[01:02:59] the Lord takes place where faith is exercised. When faith is put out there God steps in.
[01:03:11] When faith is shown and not doubt and not fear when we get that under the blood and our faith is I believe you Lord I believe you Lord, I believe you God will move.
[01:03:25] The biggest opposition that we face is our own lies and our own doubt.
[01:03:33] We feel like God can't use us.
[01:03:36] We feel like our life is not worthy enough.
[01:03:39] But I'm telling you, God is calling people like you and like me that we can further His kingdom.
[01:03:49] And how do we do that?
[01:03:50] By tearing down idols.
[01:03:53] The world has singers and musicians and actors and all these people as idols.
[01:04:02] we've got to tear them down they're not our God they're not going to come to your rescue but we've got to do like God has called us to do, we should listen for His voice, we should
[01:04:17] listen for Him to speak to us and give us direction and be like Gideon and say Lord what can I do for you Lord what do you want me to do to be the extraordinary
[01:04:28] when we stand before him I want to ask you this morning and you go before the judgment throne of God is he going to see the times that you took a stand on what was right is he going to see
[01:04:43] written down in the things of your life is he going to see where you had ordinary life and you made it extraordinary by standing up against the evil of this world and how do I
[01:04:59] do that how do I do that I take a stand on what the Word of God says.
[01:05:05] If the Word of God says it's a sin, there's no compromise.
[01:05:10] I don't have idols.
[01:05:12] I don't put anything before Him.
[01:05:14] I put Him first in my life.
[01:05:18] I take a stand.
[01:05:21] And God is calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things, to build His kingdom, to let other people see there's more to this world than we can ever imagine.
[01:05:36] there's more ahead for us the days are brighter than they have been I'm asking you are you destroying the idols in your life we've got to repent we've got to come back to the true and living God
[01:05:52] and then we've got to make a stand the things that's going on in America 50, 60 years ago would not be happening there would not be the compromise that there has been today don't get caught up in the compromise
[01:06:07] don't get caught up you belong to the true and living God don't get compromising with the idols of this world will you listen to God's call on your life will you listen for His voice
[01:06:20] will you listen for that beat in your chest when He says I want you to stand up for what's right will you step out in faith and trust God even though you doubt let that doubt turn into faith
[01:06:37] and I promise you God's going to use you to make you the extraordinary.
[01:06:46] The extraordinary will come from your obedience to God.
[01:06:52] Let's pray.
[01:07:01] Heavenly Father, I just...

[01:07:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:07:10] Today, no matter where you are or what you've done, God has a promise for your life.
[01:07:16] A promise to prosper you.
[01:07:19] A promise to give you a hope and a future.
[01:07:21] And a life filled with abundant hope and joy everlasting.

[01:07:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:07:25] See, the promises of God are available to all of us, each and every day of our lives.
[01:07:30] God promises to be with us no matter what.
[01:07:33] To never leave us or forsake us.

[01:07:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:07:36] To walk with us.
[01:07:38] And that his word would be a light onto our path.

[01:07:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:07:40] In times of destruction and despair, he promises to walk with us.
[01:07:46] He promises to carry us.

[01:07:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:07:48] His word says that when we are weak, he is strong.
[01:07:52] Promising to help us shoulder the burdens.

[01:07:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:07:55] That come with life each day.
[01:07:57] And Jesus promises us that no eye has seen.

[01:08:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:08:01] No ear has heard.

[01:08:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:08:02] What God has prepared for those that love him.
[01:08:04] But above all.
[01:08:09] Jesus promises life.

[01:08:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:08:11] Eternal life.
[01:08:12] For those who believe in him.

[01:08:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:08:15] Who call upon his name.

[01:08:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:08:16] Who know his heart.
[01:08:17] And hear that still small voice.
[01:08:21] Jesus came and lived and died.
[01:08:24] And rose again.
[01:08:25] To give us this greatest promise.

[01:08:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:08:28] So today, may you stand on the truth of his promises.
[01:08:32] For they are true yesterday, today.