Going to turn to read some verses in God's word will read
from the Book of Judges. And the chapter 7, the Book of
Judges and a chapter 7. Will commence at the first
twelve? That's judges the chapter seven
and the first is 12, Reading at the first 12 in and the
midianites and the amalekites and all the children of the
East, lay along in the Folly, like grasshoppers for multitude.
Under camels were without number as the Sound by the seaside for
multitude. And when Gideon was come behold
there was a man that told a dream onto his fellow and said,
behold I dreamed a dream and lower kick of barley bread,
tumbled into the host of Midian and came onto a tent and smooth
it and it fell an overturned. It that the tent lay along And
this fellow answered and said, this is nothing else.
If the sword of Gideon, the son of joash amount of Israel for
into his hand of God, delivered million and all the host and it
was. So when Gideon heard, the
telling of the dream and the interpretation are off that he
worshipped and returned into the host of Israel and said arise
for the Lord. Hath delivered into your hand
the host of Of Midian. And he divided the 300 man into
three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with
a pitchers and lamps within the pitchers.
And he said unto them. Look on me and do likewise, and
behold, when I come to the outside of the camp at shall be
that as I do. So, shall you do when I blow
with the trumpet? I and all that are with me.
Me then blow ye the trumpet also on every side of the camp and
say the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.
So get in on the hundred men that were with him came, onto
the outside of the camp and the beginning of the middle watch
and they had, but newly set the watch and they blew the trumpets
and break the pictures that were in their hands.
On the three companies, blew the trumpet and break the pictures,
and he'll the lumps and their left hands.
And the trumpet in the right hands to blow with all and they
cried the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
And there stood every man in his place, drowned about the camp
and all the host Ron and cried and fled, as we come to this
portion of God's word, And now be read together from the
chapter 7 of Joyce Giraud right throughout this whole chapter
and especially in the first is that we read together.
We can consider this account of the victory that God gave to get
Ian unto the Israeli Army. Over the combined armies of the
midianites and the amalekites on the all the children of the East
as they are termed there in the first whale.
There are a number of lessons that we can learn from these
verses and from that victory, that God gave to his people.
And one of those lessons we can learn is that God is more
interested in quality than and quantity.
He is not tied to numbers, he is not impressed with numbers and
certainly we can say that grit numbers can be Beneficial.
But great numbers also can be misleading.
Create numbers 10 to make man to be proud and boastful.
They also present a danger. That what we have is off
ourselves that we ourselves are sufficient.
That progress has been made and that has been made by your own
achievements. And so often times and God says
that numbers are small and he works through small numbers that
was the case. Here, we find with the army that
was led by Gideon. We see how God cut down their
numbers. He caught the numbers of
Israel's Army They had 32,000, they were going against an army
of 135,000, and so, the odds were greatly against them over
for 21. And yet God, cut those numbers
down further, as we find in the first six of this chapter, until
they had 30 men are 300 men going against 135,000, man. 450
men against one man. A seem to be in a possibility,
but God was with them. And God had already given a
promise that promise we read back in the chapter, 23 of joy
schewe. And there we find the Lord had
given a promise early on, and in that first, we have the promise
before us, and the first 10, God said, One man of you shall chase
a thousand for the Lord. Your God, he it is that Fighters
for you as he has promised you. And so there is a promise here,
but Gideon was depending on a promise here, that these three
hundred men were depending on that, with God, they were still
in the majority. So people let us never depend on
numbers, nor despised the day of small things are.
Despise the fact that our dependency is in the Lord alone.
I want to look at these verses that we read together.
We have here, Gideon's Chosen Few, your we could call them,
the people that God chooses, and users for these men, they were
special men. They were man that God, God
could trust first thing that I note here with regard to these
300 men, it is their closeness to their leader, their closeness
to Gideon. I mean notice here how that
closeness closeness came about, if you look back into the
chapter 6 and to the first 34 we read, but the spirit of the Lord
Came Upon Gideon and he blew it. Trumpet.
And I'll be a user was gathered after him, they followed after
him, they were gathered to get in by means of the trumpet.
He blew the trumpet. And these man came close to him,
they gathered themselves onto him by means of the trumpet
call. Now we have something very
similar to that over there and I say.
And then the chapter 27, the last verse of Of the chapter 27.
Let me read it to you. And it shall come to pass in
that day that the great trumpet shall be blown and they shall
come, which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the
outcast in the land of Egypt on shall Worship the Lord, and the
holy Mount of Jerusalem. We find here in these verses and
and not first there. In Isaiah The Mention Of The
Trumpet people. Gathered together.
People following after the sound of the trumpet.
Now, as we read it there and I say, we find that it applies.
First of all, in the first sense, it is.
Speaking of that protection of the restoration of the Jews
after the Babylonian captivity, but it has a further application
to the preaching of the Gospel. It is the gospel trumpet, that
can be looked at. Here not by which Sinners are
gathered to Christ for salvation, those that are added
to the church and we won't take time.
It is a message in itself. If we were to consider that
first there and I sayin a chance, 27, and 13.
But we see the blowing of the trumpet there at had an
Awakening effect, and we can see who it was, that were awakened,
those who were ready to perish those I cast some people.
This is the condition that the sinner is in.
This is the state and the position that the center finds
himself in today. He is one who is ready to
perish. And the scripture, makes it
clear that those who die without Christ will perish without
Christ. The man, a woman, a young person
leaves us scene of time with like Christ as their savior, but
thank God. So God creates selfish and they
will perish forever and beat. Eternally damned inhale, others.
The teaching of the word of God. But here we have a trumpet blown
and it awakened Sinners to their need.
And it shows in the state that they're in that they are not
near to the Lord, that the right casts from the Lord that are
ready to perish in their sin. Should they die in their sin at
any moment? But we can see that those who
were invited that they come, they respond to the Gospel
called because we read and not versus there and not first that
they do come. So they hear the Gospel called
and the throne They hear it, Blow on it awakens and they're
safe, where they are the see, the state that they're in.
And so they come to the one who blows the trumpet, who would
have the trumpet to be blown? And of course, we find that
incoming, the are delivered, the are delivered from being from
perishing and it's very similar to that.
Well-known gospel, version, John 3:16, we read that God.
So, loved the world. That he gave his only begotten
son that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have
everlasting life. And people here is the means of
Salvation. And as we read here of the
closeness of these men to Gideon, it is a picture of the
closeness of those who are redeemed that are brought by the
means of the Gospel, trumpet call to the Lord.
Jesus Christ. Because Gideon is a type.
He is a Picture of the Lord, Jesus Christ and many ways.
And means that by the gospel that Sinners are saved, they are
shown their need of Christ are shown their sinfulness and are
shown the danger of their sin and their Sean Christ and his
atoning work as the only way of Salvation And Thus the word of
God applied to the spirit of God, that brings them into that
saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
These men were close together. Then they were near enough to
see him and to hear him near enough and fight to touch him as
we read in the first 16 there that would be brought before us.
There were no longer are far off from him and people, we will
never be brought into that close relationship with Christ.
Apart from her, stop from responding to the gospel.
Call. A sinner will never be saved.
Never ready for Heaven, until he comes to the Lord, Jesus Christ
and repentance of faith, and puts their trust in the Lord,
Jesus Christ for salvation. That's the Simplicity of the
Gospel that is the very basis of gospel preaching and Iran's have
sold to the young or old. We want to lay emphasis even
upon that fact in just now it showed you you hear or
understand nothing else, understand this not only s you
come to Christ as you are a sinner and put your trust in
Christ relying on him and his atoning work on Calvary unless
you come to Christ to have your sin dealt with unwashed, by the
precious blood of Christ washed away at clams, from your sin by
the blood of Jesus Christ, my friend, you'll never be Saved.
And you're absolutely sure of hell if you die in that
condition. And so here we have man and
though they were afar off. They were brought by the gospel
call. If you like to their leader, it
is a picture of Sinners being brought to Christ.
These men, then they were close to the Lord.
We see that closeness to. And the fact that there was
communion between Gideon, And his on his man, he talked to
them, they heard his voice and of course, they had confidence
in him when others laughed and they were in a seemingly
impossible situation. A situation not humanly
speaking. Would say there was no, hope
they still trusted their leader. Their still trusted Gideon under
was compliant with his instruction and the first 17, he
said to them, look on me and do likewise, and they kept their
eye on him, on their listen, to him on their waited for him, on
their dead. On their said, exactly, as he
told them. Now, perhaps humanly, it didn't
make much sense to them. What they were told to do here,
they're facing a mighty Army. 135,000.
There's three hundred of them. He divides them into three
sections, 100 and ass action. Hi, other going to fierceness
Army. What does he tell them to do?
What does he give them? He gives them a trumpet to blow
and he gives them a picture. Northland where facile, with a
lighter, note to carry in their other hand.
And he sees when we're going to start this bottle, keep your eye
on me, when I blow the trumpet, you blow the trumpet and break
the pictures that are in your hand and everything will be.
Well, I'm sure these men were inclined to wonder how can this
be and yet people they did what they were told to do.
There was has nothing of human contrivance.
There was nothing of human planning, there was nothing of
human and to like they were doing exactly as Gideon said to
do. And now people, if we are to
have Factory in our Christian Life, and if we are to serve the
Lord and fight against his enemies, then this is what we
need to do. We need to be close to the Lord.
That is. We need to be saved.
Can't do. This.
Does the enemies of Christ. We need to have communion with
him to hear him. Until have confidence him to
trust him and to comply with his word and to obey his word
completely Hebrews 12. And the second first are we are
to be looking unto. Jesus only those who have such a
relationship with the Lord can be used to fight for the Lord.
So here we have their closeness brought to their Leader by means
of the trumpet call. and in their closeness they were
communing with him and in their closeness, they had confident
confidence in him and there was compliance to his word The
closeness. How close are you with Christ
today? Have you closed in with his
offer of Mercy? How close are you to Christ
today? We have their cry and the first
20. This is what they're saying.
This is what they were told to shut out the sword of the Lord
and of Gideon. The sword of the Lord.
What was the significance of this?
It put fear into the hearts of the enemy.
We can see the very mention of the sword of the Lord, and the
first 21, the enemy fled Fled for fear of what they shouted.
Of course, as signifies the word of God as we haven't, any fasion
six and 17 the sword of the spirit, which is the word of
God. And again, Hebrews 4 and 12 for
the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any
two-edged sword. The sword of God, we have.
I can 1547 the then, Young boy, nine-year-old, King Edward, the
sixth. He was crowned King of England
and three swords were placed before him indicating his
dominion. Over the Three Kingdoms of
England and France and Ireland, but he said bring another sword.
The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
That is to be preferred before these three without that sword.
We are nothing. We can do nothing.
We have no power. He looked for the word of God.
I know that the new King King, Charles, the Third that he might
learn that lesson, well, to the word of God people.
It is not human reasoning. It is not by rational arguments,
as not by philosophy. It's not by Novelties as not by
activities that appealed to the flesh.
It is bye. The word of God that we serve
the Lord and we fight the battles of the Lord.
Christ is the perfect example of this and as time of being
tempted of the devil, in the wilderness there in Matthew 4
and his response always was it is written and he quoted the
word of God that was a sword that put the devil to flight,
the word of God, nothing else. But the word of God and Romans
for Paul's whole argument and answer was this and what saith
the scriptures What saith the scriptures.
Doesn't matter what others say. The scriptures the final Rule
and every mother there is to find Authority as not.
What does other say, not? What does the government say?
Not what the politicians say, as not, what does the king say it
is? What does God say?
It is not? What is logical or what is
convenient, or what? My feelings were.
Tell me it is always, what does God say?
Say it is the word of God people.
This is the sword that we need. This is the weapon that romanism
fears and this is the weapon that apostasy fears.
It is the sword of the spirit, the word of God, let then our
crybaby, the sword, the word of God, let that be continually the
watchword, and the cry that comes from our hearts and our
lips. This is what the word of God
says. This is what the Lord has said.
and then we can see, of course, their character And their
character is reflected and what they courage.
As we made reference earlier, on to the first 16, we can see
there, what the the courage and not verse 16.
I need to fighted the 300 man into three companies on a put a
trumpet and every man's Hound, an empty pitchers and lamps were
then the pitchers The picture, of course, speaks of the
believer. there were empty pictures with light inside them,
speaking of the believer, we know it speaks of the believer
because when we turn there to Second Corinthians in the
chapter 4, We have it in the first six and seven, let me read
that to you from second Corinthians for the first six
for God. Who commanded the light to shine
out of Darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in Earthen vessels.
That the Excellency of the power may be of God and not a boss.
We have this treasure in Earthen vessels that picture at was an
Earthen vessel. That is what these men had the
late. This is what we have.
It is the light this treasure. It is the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God and people. Here's the point.
The believer, he must be emptied of self.
If the pitcher were full, the light would be extinguished.
We can think of that earthen pot.
If it was full of liquid, full of water.
And there were often used to currently water if it was full
of water and the light was incited, the late would go out,
there would be only darkness and the the picture is here before
us. So it is with the believer, the
earthen pot, how to be emptied out.
No water in it before the lake could Shane within endear people
that Child of God needs to be emptied of self and self.
Well on self confidence in order for the light of the glory of
the Lord. Jesus Christ to stay alight.
There need to be humility. Humility even like, like Gideon
Wars. Get in was a humble man.
He was nothing in his own eyes back there and the chapter 6 in
the first is 14 and 15 when the Lord was instructing Gideon,
what he was about to do and how he would lead the Israelites and
deliver the Israelites he said, who am I?
And he talked about his family, his family were / and he said of
himself that he was the least of his family.
There was no pride and Gideon. Here we have A man and he was
nothing in his own eyes and people who are we today?
We have, we are nothing of ourselves.
Anything that we have, that is worth.
Having God has given it to us. We are completely dependent on
God for everything. We are nothing of ourselves.
We might think ourselves to be something great.
God's is your nothing but an old wretched sinner.
Who is only fit fuel for hell, that's what you're worth.
But apart from the salvation of God, my friend.
That's where every man and woman stands in the natural state of
sin worthless and Bound for hell.
Nothing of anything that we should be proud of.
But God in his Mercy has saved us and brought us into his
family amid his to the urge with Christ.
To be Sons and Daughters of God and the family of God, enjoying
the blessings that are found in the family of God.
Thus all of the grace of God, that's all of the grace of God
people, we must be broken before God, if the light is to shine
before others, these men had a bright and Shining late a bright
testimony for the glory of God. That's what God requires of us
to be a humble people to be emptied of self-will and of
self-importance. And of self-sufficient say that
is what the lord requires of us, man.
Who have their hearts that are broken because of sin.
I grieve the Lord. What Grieves the Lord are
grieved because of God's goodness to us and therefore
were grieved at the boldness of the enemy against God.
Broken because of sin. Broken because of the sight of
sin broken because of the acceptance and the promotion of
sin. We look at our own Province or
nation and we can see the acceptance and the promotion of
all kinds of depravity of sodomy of the killing of babies in the
mother's womb of I of idolatry people.
We need to be broken because of that.
We need to see the awful death of wickedness and depravity,
that there is because of that and how often we can journey
through life, without even realizing the awful depth of
depravity, that there is around us.
We see the awful state of the church today.
What influence has a Church of God today and our land?
The enemy's laughs but the Church of God the enemy mocks at
the Church of God no longer. Is there any influence?
In the nation, coming from the Church of God, mocked and
laughed. Why?
Because God's people look upon the sin of the nation and the
can easily just pass them by and go over their head.
Thanking the other night. Of the Reverend Alexander Payton
one of the covenanting ministers and he was preaching, preaching,
Mighty message on The Fellowship of the, sufferings of Christ,
but it was asking for is the church and Scotland today and
they said it is not among the great clergy.
Just I'm tell you where the church of Scotland is for the
Church of God and Scotland is. It is for a young man or a young
woman is at the dike side, praying beside the dikes of the
hedges or the ditches around Scotland, broken for the state
of the nation. Even on to say, some of you who
are listening me today are more broken.
By the death of a cow. Or by an ill day in the
marketplace. When you are by the state of the
Church of God today, is it not so.
Now, we're more concerned often times about our own state that
were in as far as our living is concerned.
We talked about the state of the nation and the awful cost of
living and what we need to be doing and what the government
should be doing and government should be thrown more money out,
and giving it to people not a bit of it.
We're more concerned about material, things about the
economy. They are about the state of the
Church of God today. The Lord wants man and woman on
young people. To be concerned and to be
broken. Before God.
About the state of the land about Sin and the acceptance of
sin. We need men and women and young
people who have a testimony, the chains bright before others,
like John the Baptist. We remember Howard was scared of
him. He was a bright and Shining
Light over there and John under chapter three.
We've also got their constancy, these men in the first 21.
We can see there, how they were constant, and their stand for
the Lord verse 21. And they stood, every man and
his players round about the camp and all the host Ron and cried
and they fled. They were found in their place.
They remained in our place until they're our leader called there
stood there. They remained there and not
place they stood for they were appointed.
There were not easy. Lead to be moved.
Yeah, we're not moved by the thoughts of others.
They were not move by thoughts of self or threats, or, or
complaints every month did in his place.
Like, like, the psalmist. David over there and the psalm
62 in the first 60 said, I shall not be moved.
I shall not be moved with sometimes saying that him there
to be a Daniel der to Standalone, der to have a
purpose firm under to make it known people.
These Men Daniel stood David's to the Lord wants man who will
stand on stand for he has appointed them.
Not easily moved from their place.
These are days of bottle to Eveready said, a day of the
battle for the souls of man, for God's word, for God's work, for
our children, for our grandchildren, a bottle with all
of the attacks of the atheists, on the Liberals on the
sodomites, all who are against the word of God, and against the
cause of Christ, and the devil attacks us and he attacks us
with Temptations and accusations and with suggestions suggestions
to give Remember the psalmist and the opening, first off the
psalm 11, how the enemy came to him.
And at a time when he was in difficulty, and they're said to
him, that he should flee as a bird to his Maiden this.
It flee as a bird to your Mountain, get away from this.
You've no need to stay here. Conditions are bad.
You're in trouble. You're having difficulty.
Why don't you just take yourself off somewhere else where it
scammer and you'll have a better pace?
That's what the enemy would want God's people to do.
Just give up and stand aside from the Battle for Souls.
All people God's work. God wants special people people
that he can trust humble people, trusting people obedient people
who will stand for him, stand for him in the face of All Odds
and keep on standing until the factory comes.
Tell me friend, are you willing for that even today?
Are you willing to be numbered with God's remnant?
A handful of people. Are you willing to embrace to
adhere to God's word to believe the Lord to trust the Lord to
stay close to the Lord to look to him at all times friend?
Are you willing to be like one of those of God's Chosen Few Oh,
that this day in God's mercy, God's grace.
He would have it to be. So that everyone and this
meeting young and old will be saved, and you'll be able to say
it a day, going out to meeting well.
Apart from anything else. I'm saved.
I've been brought close to the Lord.
Jesus Christ by the gospel message, and the Lord called me.
I heard the trumpet called in the gospel, when the Lord called
me, And he said, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest. I heard the call on the gospel
and out of come. Just the way, these idioms men
heard the call and Kim and you be able to say, and I was
received just as Gideon. Receive those, man?
So, Christ will receive the sinner who comes and repentance
and faith and puts his trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ in.
Receive you take you into the family and bless There, my
friend is that so with you today and then tell me going on from
there, are you willing to take yours down to stand for the Lord
to live close with him to look upon Him continually to hear his
voice and his word? To not only hear his voice to
obey his voice, no matter what all else say is that you will
obey the voice of the Lord on go on with the Lord.
May the Lord be pleased. Is to bless his word to her
Hearts today. Is to bless his word to her
Hearts today.