God tells Gideon his 32,000-man army is too large, then reduces it to 300. The speakers argue God deliberately shrinks resources—money, health, ability—to force dependence on Him and make His power undeniable. They use forest fires, plant growth, and the 1990s Bulls to show how reduction leads to breakthrough.
Chapters
There's an exeggetic invitation I want to extend to you, and I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me, the book of Judges, Judges chapter number 7. Judges chapter number 7, and we want to read concerning my good friend Gideon. Begin reading in verse number 2. I need your help this morning. Get Judges chapter number 7, verse number 2. The Bible reads, the Lord said to Gideon, man, you have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say I saved myself. You may be seated. Thank God for his word and for the perpetual nature that lies there within. Giddy, you got too much. It's gonna cause Israel to think they won. The time that God has allotted to me this morning, if you will be patient with me, I want to preach from the subject depreciation By design, depreciation, or reducing by design. Those of you may be seated. In areas where forest fires are prominent, forest industry, they implement something strange in order to prepare the environment for the likely forest fires. You would think, Tony, that they would prepare the environment for forest fires by putting water around, but I've discovered that what they do to help prepare the environment for the likelihood of forest fires is that they design other forest fires to be able to destroy other shrubbery. Isn't that strange? That in order to prevent forest fires, there are forest fires that are designed to reduce the overage of other plants and shrubbery, to help eliminate too much, in order for forest fires not to spread. Too much. Brothers and sisters, it's mighty strange to me because we are used to God blessing us by adding stuff, but there are times when God will not only allow reduction, but he will design reduction in order for our focus and our victory to be granted based upon knowing that it came from here. Sneak with me this morning in Judges chapter 7. We see Gideon and the children of Israel. Gideon has this big army of 32,000 soldiers getting ready to fight this large Midianite army with 32,000 people. Even though the 32,000 still didn't compare, God comes in and say, Gideon, I need you to reduce the size of it because I know y'all by now, and if y'all do good, you are going to swear that you are the reason for your victory. So here is what I want you to do. I want you to separate people and diminish the army. The first question I want you to ask is, if you're scared, go home. That 32,000 shrunk down to 10,000. Then he took them to do another test of drinking water and see who's going to lap water like a dog and who's going to just kneel down and put their heads down. The army reduced down from 10,000 to 300. And at that very moment, God said, you— I got you right where I want you. And it's mighty strange that not only did reduction happen, but reduction happened by the divine designation of our God. Translated, When you go through seasons of lack, do not be discouraged, because perhaps what you may be experiencing is depreciation by design.
Translated, God may be preparing a testimony that when you come to the house of God on the next Sunday, you will say that it could have been nobody but God. I know it wasn't my power, I know it wasn't my might, I know it wasn't my intellect, but there was a God who was sitting on the throne. Is there anybody here today who knows that you only made it to this moment in your life by the hand of God? You survived seasons of lack, you survived seasons of struggling, you survived seasons of sickness, and you can really testify today that it wasn't my medicine, it wasn't my doctor, it wasn't my credit score, it wasn't my boss, it wasn't my lawyer, but it was a God who is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He's the bridge over troubled water. He's everything that I need. And when I had nothing, God told me that he will be everything that he needs. And I came to serve, no risk to the devil, that you have tried everything to make your people believe that this season is going to last always. But let me tell you how this story is going to end, that you are going to survive what looks like a loss, and you will have a stronger testimony and stronger focus. Them hands going to lift up then. That hallelujah going to come out your mouth then. You going to get up on your feet then. You going to say thank you, Lord, then. Because God has a way of allowing you to go through seasons where you have nowhere else to look but up to the hand of God. And that's where we are today in this season in our life, that we go through suffering, we go through struggle, but keep on going through it because God sent me to tell you that he has his hand all in it. You blaming the devil, but the devil can only do what God allows. But if God has allowed this to come in your life, there is some glory. Did you hear what I'm saying? There will be some glory. Did you hear what I'm saying? There will be some glory. Did you hear, pilgrims, what I'm saying? That there will be some glory that will come out of this, and you will have a stronger praise and a stronger focus, and you're going to give the right credit to the right person.
And I came this morning to preach to us that God designs moments of vulnerability not to endanger the victory, but to ensure that we don't misplace our confidence. I'll say it one more time. God allows moments of vulnerability not to endanger the victory, but to make sure that we don't have misplaced confidence. Say it another way, Gavin.
You still gonna win, but God set it up this way so you'll know who to praise when you come out. I think y'all like it that way better. The victory is still yours. You're still gonna come out on top, but God in his providential will allowed it to happen this way. When you come out, you'll say, who was it?
It had to have been my God. And we are going to unpack through some hermeneutical highlights this morning how we have Victory in Depreciation by Design. And once I do that, I'm gonna see if I can find my way up 167. Honorable Mayor, this text teaches us firstly about growth. Growth in this text happened by reduction. God allowed reduction. God allowed lack. But whenever God has his hand in your lack, that means that that is an opportunity, that that's really growth. They have 32,000 people Instead of God organizing the army, God starts reducing the size of the army. And not only does God call for reduction one time, but God calls for reduction again.
You know what that looks like?
That looks like something that is progressively getting worse. Have you ever been there in your life where you get worse in your body, then you get worse in your finances, then you get worse in your job, then you get worse in your mind, then you get worse in this and it just seems to progressively getting worse.
It seems like it's just going down a hill, going down to nothing.
I can see if I have to take one loss, but I don't know about you, I've been in seasons where I've had to take consecutive losses. But God has taught me something. That God can change progressive loss into sudden victory all overnight.
And y'all looking at me like I'm ugly. I got a suit on and a haircut, so I know I'm cute today. But I know I'm not the only one who God has just changed the season of progressive lack, and he turned that thing overnight. And you didn't know how he did it, and you still don't know how he did it. But even though you don't know how he did it, you ain't confused about who did it. And when people ask you how, you say, God, because I don't know how that thing was working out. I was depressed, I was sad, I was lonely, but God somehow, some way, for a way that I still can't figure out, turned it around. And he turned it around quickly. Don't you let the devil discourage you. I know it seems like it keep on getting worse,, but it keeps on getting worse. But you stay with God and see how quick it gets better. I just spoke a word of prophecy over your life, and I don't even know if you got it. If you're in a season where it seems like it keeps getting worse, hang on in there. Keep on watching the story and watch how suddenly God just turns it around.
What looks like failure and loss is actually God setting you up for favor. Sometimes what's a good size is not necessarily the God size. And you grow in God when you understand there are certain people I don't need, certain things I don't need, certain things I don't rely on no more.
And God has helped me to grow to see that when the dust settles, he is still right there in my corner. Has anybody ever lost people and you still breathing? Has there— is there anybody who's ever lost things and you still breathing? Is there anybody who's ever gone without but you still breathing? And if you are still able to breathe, that means that God helped you grow even when he reduced the size. Who am I talking to today? The devil make you see everything you lost, but God said, look how stronger you're getting. The devil trying to tell you what you don't have. But God is showing you how much faith you got. And if God can help you get through this, he can restore everything you lost.
And I've discovered that— here it is, hands up— reduction is actually a runway for divine revelation. I work too hard in preparation for y'all to look at me like this. Reduction is a runway for divine revelation. Say it this way, Gavin: it's just a setup.
And when you see seasons of lack, it's a setup for you to know more about God. And you're gonna get that prayer life right then. You're gonna get that Christian walk together. Then you're gonna learn how to love. Then you're gonna learn how to rely on God. Man, is there anybody today who's been— when you come to a new storm, you've been through too many storms in the past, and now you know I better get down on my knees. I ain't gonna pick up the phone and call them. I'm not gonna pick up the phone and call her. I'm not gonna look and see how I can figure this out.. But I will say, Father, I stretch my hand to thee because no other help I know. I know I used to be able to do this and I can't now, but I still know that you still sit on the throne and you still got power. And come what go and may, God, you're still right there.
We, we, we, we, we find that God prepares sudden breakthroughs through seasons of lack and through seasons of darkness. And what looks like it's unfavorable exposes the favor of God. And when you're in an unfavorable situation is really set up for God to show that you're favored. Come here. When you are able to endure tough times and you know it's not you, that means that somebody did it for you.
And the somebody who did it for you is the one who can do things for you that nobody else can do. Talk in here, Gary Lane.
Y'all, y'all know this, y'all know this, uh, uh, plants need light. Common scientific fact. Plants need light. But unfortunately, light is not always going to be visible. Do y'all know what I messed around and found out? Seasons of lengthy darkness make plants grow the most. You just asked me how, so I gotta tell you. There's this process called etiolation. And in etiolation, what happens is that the plant stems, when they have been in the dark for a long time, the plant stem grows longer because it can't see the light. So it stretches because it's trying to find the light. And in its stretch and search for looking for light, it gets a little bit longer. But the trouble with etiolation is that even though it gets longer, it gets weaker. But guess what happens?
That sun that's been hiding, if the plant can just wait a little while longer, the sun gonna come out again. And when the sun comes out again, it's gonna take that stretch and growth and make it even stronger. Translated, the dark season made the plant even stronger. And I don't know who I'm talking to, but you may be going through season of darkness, but stretch and look for the light. And when you stretch and look for the light, you will find that the sun gonna shine again.
We see growth. I might use that again one of these days. Don't be surprised if you hear it. That went in one ear, out the other. Let me move on a little bit further. Not only do we see growth But we also see ordination. We see the selection process about who God chooses. Uh, after he reduced the army down by asking who's scared, quickly, without a fight, 22,000 of them turned right back around and went home. I don't know, when it comes to war, I may have been in that number.
I'm looking at all the Midianites.
I'm not gonna try to be the hero. I might turn around too, and you gonna find me on 167. But he does something else. He takes them down to a body of water. I hope I'm not boring y'all this morning. He takes them down to a body of water and says, see who drinks water and determine how they drink water. He said, uh, some put their hand all the way down and put their head in the water. The others left their water with their hands.
That means—
theologians argue about this— is that those who left the water with their hands like a dog, they were more watchful. Because if you are, uh, so selfish to put your head down all the way in the water, that means that you don't have the ability to watch out for yourself and to watch out for others. My question for you today, that after this test was 300 left, my question for us today as a church, here it is, hear me well. How do you drink your water? Do you put your head all the way in the water, or do you have the ability as a child of God to say, I'm gonna drink my water but I'm still gonna watch out for others when I drink my water. And child of God, I don't know if you've been watching, but it's a lot of hell and chaos going on politically, economically, criminally in our society. And while we're in here praising God Are we lapping the water, or is our head all the way in the water?
But God is calling for people to say that I am going to be a water lapper, where I'm going to be able to get my water, but I want to make sure that I have protected other people who need water too. I know I need my bills paid, but God, I want to go to some other people And God, since you are a God of abundance, when you pay my bills, when you pay my neighbor's bills— God, I got a church member, family member who's in the hospital. I remember how you healed me and you're taking care of my body. Would you heal my family member the same way you healed me? God, you helped my child get through school. I see a little child that goes to my church They've been struggling in math. They've been struggling in English. Instead of me posting on Facebook how good my child is, let me see if I can get your child. Let's see if we can get some resources together. Let's develop a tutoring center so that we can be a church that laps the wallet. God has been too good to the members of Pilgrim Race for us to not be a lapping church. But God has favored us so we can watch and favor other people. Thank God he been good to you, but can you lap your water while you drinking your water?
God ordains those who can see around us. And see that, God, I need you to intervene for them, just like you intervene for me when I'm on my knees praying.
I'm gonna pray about my arthritis, but I'm gonna pray about your arthritis too.
That's one supposition. What theologians never really fully know I studied this text more, and in my hermeneutics, I discovered another proposed reason on why God selected this group who lacks the water like this. You know what theologians who do all this studying came up with?
And I agree with this.
I, I think I agree. With two more than I agree with one. These theologians who have PhDs, all type of degrees in systematic theology, biblical interpretation, hermeneutics, exegesis— guess what they came up with? He picked that group because he wanted to. Theologians argue that God just simply took that criteria because notice he had them go drink the water first, and then when they show how they drink, God said pick them.
God had them pick them because he knew how many would drink that way.
And so God did what he wanted to do to set up an unfavorable situation. Notice this, notice this. God is saying, I'm not going to evaluate who's worthy to fight based upon their skill, but you are going to be called to fight based upon the fact I just picked you. It's the doctrine of election where we're saved not because of how good we've been, but God just say, I want all y'all.
And whosoever will. I don't care where you come from, I don't care how much money you got, I don't care what you did in your past, I know what you gonna do in your future. But whosoever will. And I got some people today who forget sometimes that we got suits on today, we got titles today, but the only reason we're here is because God just picked us just because.
And we on the battlefield for our Lord. And the way we get so uppity sometimes in the house of God, you would think that we've tried— we tried out and we showed God how worthy we are, and God said, I just gotta have you. 'Look how many push-ups you can do.
Look how much tithes you paid. Look how much you pray. Look at how you can sing. I just gotta have you. Look at how you can preach, boy. I just got to have you.' No, God didn't do that. God looked at how jacked up we were. He looked at how messed up we were. He looked at how many mistakes we made and said, 'Oh well, come on anyway.' because I can take anybody I want to and do anything with anybody. Is there anybody today in the house who knows what you can be, who knows what you used to be, but God has called you higher? Not because of how criteria you met, but because of how good he is.
I, I think, I think, man, I'm looking at some people this morning who think they tried out, who think we came to push-up contest and we was like we was at the NFL Combine.
I did more than Tony, so God gotta pick me. The devil is a liar and so are you, but God just looked at you anyway and say, I need you to come with me.
All right, so I guess what I'm saying, those who sitting at the front of the church God wants you.
Those who sitting at the back, God wants you. Those who come every Sunday, God wants you. Those who come once a quarter, God wants you. Anything that has breath, God wants you. And when he picks you, that qualifies you. We'll teach you a song later on, but for right now, just come to Jesus just as you are and let him make you into what he wants I want you to be. I think I might be preaching kind of good this morning.
Uh, y'all know this by now, after 5 years. People ask me today, who's your favorite basketball team? I'm gonna say the Niners Bulls. Niners Bulls, they ain't play no more. That's still my favorite basketball team. I'm a LeBron fan. But my team is the '90s era Bulls. The trajectory of the Bulls changed when they acquired— in the late '90s, around '96— they acquired this strange, crazy, uh, colored hair maniac by the name of Dennis Rodman. The acquisition of Dennis Rodman changed the Bulls' ability to be able to get back on track after Mike returned and to three-peat for a second time. Dennis was at a strange place in his career. He started doing some crazy stuff, started dyeing his hair, and a lot of people took their hands off Dennis because Dennis is no longer worthy to play on our team. We don't want nobody with all that color in their hair playing on our team. Dennis is no longer worthy. But Phil Jackson took a chance on Dennis Rodman.
Yeah. And he says, if y'all don't know what to do with it I know what to do with him, and since I know what to do with him, I'm gonna pick him and make him successful. Y'all missed the point. It was not about the one who got picked, but it was the one who did the picking. And since the one who does the picking knows what he's doing, he can take some ignorant fools that he picked and turn their life Is there anybody in here today who God just picked? You don't know why he picked you, you don't know what you did to get picked, but since he know what to do with you, let other people give up on you and put yourself in his hands and watch what he does in your life. You ain't gotta pick me, because if you don't pick me, you don't know what to do with me no way. But I serve a Savior who knows me at my lowest. I serve a Savior who knows all of my faults. I serve a Savior who got a plan for my life. And I want to tell somebody today, God got a plan for you. Just put your hand in his hand. I'm done.
I gotta go take me a little nap here. I got this suit on, so I'm sweating. It's talked about God's Growth. Talking about God's ordination. Well, before I leave you, head to 1:67. Can I show you a little bit about God's demonstration? All right, all right. Took them down and they went down to where the Midianites were, and just like last week they didn't really have to fight. They had some lamps. They didn't have swords. They had lamps and trumpets. Yeah, that's command. They blew the trumpets and it let out a scream, and the enemy got confused. They say— I don't know— but that praise made them sound bigger. Than what they really are.
I'm tempted to stop right there and get a cheap amen and tell you that if you praise God, then you will sound bigger to the enemy than what you really are.
But that ain't the point I'm about to prove. You don't know this about Gideon, but Gideon, my friend, Gideon, God called him a mighty man of valor, called him a mighty warrior. But Tony, guess what? Gideon struggled with self-esteem issues. Gideon struggled with his self-worth. Gideon suffered with believing in his ability. Translated, You may say that Gideon was scary. God, you know Gideon's scared of his own shadow. All right, that's his weakness. And in order— I'm preaching too long— to help him in his area of weakness, God, it would make sense if you address his weakness by keeping him around people to make him feel confident. Gideon's weakness was that he had no self-esteem, and you would think that all the people would help him feel more confident. Also, even after God told him that he was going to get the victory later on in this chapter, Gideon still didn't believe and needed another sign, and God allowed him to go and sneak into a conversation where this man talked about how he had a dream about some barley loaves knocking over a tent, and that was his sign that he was going to get the victory. So God— Gideon's scared. You told him he's a mighty man of valor. You took away stuff that was supposed to make him confident, which could have made his weakness even more intensified. You told Gideon he was going to get the victory.
You—
that Gideon still had that. So it sounds that Gideon got the victory in his place of weakness. I set it up too much for y'all, I guess.
God did not eliminate the weakness because Gideon still was scared, but God used his weakness, made his weakness look even worse, and through his weakness, God gave him the victory. Paul teaches us that in our weakness, God is our strength, and his His grace is sufficient. Is there anybody today who's still getting victory? And you know you got some weaknesses in your life, you know you weak in some areas, but look at you, still blessed. You know you got some hurts, but look at you, you're still blessed. It ain't all the way better, but you're still blessed.
God does not have to take away your weakness.
But he'll take that weakness and put that weakness with him and say, come on and get this victory anyway.
I'm done. I gotta teach you one more thing that y'all don't care about. There's this animal called a wood frog. A wood frog lives— take your time, I'm so excited about to tell you about this wood frog. This wood frog He lives in an Arctic or cold environment. The wood frog can literally live while frozen alive. All right, Lord help me. The wood frog can survive in a cold atmosphere and stay frozen alive for about 8 months. The wood frog has this mechanism that even though it's frozen, God has designed the wood frog to conceptually make its own antifreeze. And when it goes through extreme conditions, the wood frog looks weak. Because the wood frog is frozen and can't move. But I told you that God designed it to make its own antifreeze. Guess where this antifreeze is produced? It's produced in the bloodstream of the wood frog.
Translated is something in the blood that allows the wood frog to stay frozen and looks like it's dead, but sooner or later it warms up again. And because God designed it with something in the blood, it's able to survive and get back up again. Good night, pilgrims. I'll see y'all Wednesday or next Sunday. But I want to let somebody know today that the reason you can survive looking weak is because there's something in the blood that when you go down, you'll get back up again. And that blood that was shed on Calvary is now in your spirit, that when you go down, just like he got back up Sunday morning, you keep on popping back up. And that's my word for you today: survive the depreciation because there's something in your blood, then you have been designed to get back up again.
We offer Jesus to you this morning. It's something in the blood. I, I, I know it's not Second Sunday, but I'm almost about to tell y'all, I know it was the blood.
I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood for me one day when I was lost, and he, he died up on the cross And even after he died for me, I still get lost sometimes, but that blood gets me back up again.
We offer Jesus. I want you to have access to this blood. Hallelujah! Survive the depreciation because it's been designed. It's been designed. It's been designed by God. If I had to preach this again, I would tell you this, TC. This is what I'll tell you, man. I'll tell you now, since you haven't been with me 6 months now, I'll tell you this: you are made for it because of who made you. Next time I preach, I'mma include that in there. You like that? You gonna stay with me a little while longer? All right, we offer Jesus to you. All right, he wants you. He wants you. He wants you. Does somebody know today that you don't need who don't want you? You don't need it. All right, some things that God will allow to leave your life, yeah, to let you know your victory in me anyway. And God will design stuff in your life to let you lean more on him. Yeah, and when you lean to the right source, you're gonna look a little bit better. You're gonna look a lot better. Y'all receive that today? Let's give God praise.
