SERMON OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2009

Pastor Peter Hogeterp

Covenant Christian Reformed Church

Winnipeg, Canada

 

 

Scripture Reading: Judges 7:1-25

Sermon: GOD ADDS BY SUBTRACTING (6th in a Series on Paradoxes)

 

Introduction:

We are numbers-obsessed. Everything has to be measured, and we judge success on the basis of those numbers. We’ll observe how God does math; he adds by subtracting.

 

  1. The Lord prepares Gideon to go to war against the forces of Midian

a)     An angel greets Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” (6:12)

b)    When Gideon objects, he receives God’s promise: “I will be with you.”

c)     Gideon first needs to get himself right with God (6:25-28)

d)    And he still needs further reassurance from God (6:36-40)

 

  1. Gideon recruits an army to fight against the 135,000 men of Midian

a)     Gideon manages to recruit 32,000 men (outnumbered 4 to 1)

b)    God tells Gideon to dismiss the fearful; 22,000 leave (now it’s 13 to 1)

c)     God indicates that is still too many; key verse: 7:2

d)    God will sift out the men by how they drink from the brook (down to 300, now outnumbered 40 to 1)

 

  1. Gideon gathers intelligence information from the Midianite Camp

a)     The scouts observe the enormity of the enemy camp

b)    They overhear a man telling his friend about a dream; the friend interprets

c)     Gideon worships God and announces an impending victory to his camp

 

  1. Gideon assembles his (victorious?) army of 300 men

a)     He divides them into 3 groups of 100 each

b)    He arms them with a trumpet, a jar and a torch

c)     The power of surprise and strategy confuses the enemy

d)    In their confusion the Midianites kill each other; those who fled were confronted by the Ephraimites

 

  1. How does this biblical truth benefit us?

a)     We face a formidable foe; Satan’s power is not diminished

b)    God defeats the enemy by using the weak and powerless (cf., II Chronicles 32:7,8; I John 5:4,5)

c)     Key verse: 7:2 “…that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her.”

 

Conclusion:

Faith does not mean we’ll never doubt. Or that we don’t have to plan. It simply assures us that God’s power will give us victory.