Good day! It’s a joy to be with you on this Thursday in the Pastor’s Workshop.
On Thursday we “put it all together”. We gather our thoughts and reflections, notes and writings and put it all to prayer. We ask for God’s creative Spirit to guide us into a message that blesses our hearers and grows us in Christ’s grace.
To that end, what would your message be for this week? What sermon would you bring on Sunday?
Here are my talking points:
Throughout American history there have been a number of great Battle Cries. From the militias of the American Revolution, “Liberty or Death”. From the Texans in the War of Independence from Mexico, “Remember the Alamo”. Most recently from 9-11 (as popularized by “Flight 93”), “Let’s Roll”.
Battle cries rally the troops. They unify the forces. They inspire bravery. They mobilize for action.
And Gideon needed all of this as he went into battle in the Scripture. As we have seen previously, the Midianite army, the enemy, was a dominating power. They were “as many as locusts”. They subjugated Israel for seven years. They quashed any uprisings.
The Israelites were crushed in every way. They were hiding in the hills for protection. They were not able to rise up without violent repercussions.
They cried to the Lord and God sent a prophet to remind them of the Covenant they shared. Then God sent an angel to commission Gideon to be a “Mighty Warrior” and lead the people to freedom.
Gideon In no way considered himself a “Mighty Warrior”. He described himself as the weakest of the meekest. He had all kinds of hesitations, reservations, doubts and fears. He tested God with a sacrifice and tried God with fleeces. He did everything he could to dissuade God from using him. As a leader he was suspect at best.
And even once he assumed command, the odds continued to stack up against Gideon. God “sifted” his army from 22,000 to 300. Those enlisted lapped water from a stream like a dog – face down and not alert to anything incoming. Then these soldiers were equipped with torches and trumpets, not swords and spears.
The whole point is everything is going against Gideon and his army. If you were to bet on the battle, wager on the Midianites. The Israelites were outmanned, under trained, and ill equipped. It had all the makings of a massacre.
What they needed was a good battle cry, a resounding rally cry. God and Gideon gave them one, “For the Lord and for Gideon” (verse 18).
As the battle occurred you watched a miracle unfold. The Israelites relied on surprise, shock and awe. The Midianites were thrown into chaos, panic and a wild striking out at anyone (which happened to be other Midianite soldiers). The Israelites prevailed.
As you witness the scene you realize the victory ultimately wasn’t a matter of strategy or bravery. The battle was about who they were fighting for, “For the Lord and for Gideon”.
But even more, it was about who was fighting for them! The battle belonged to the Lord. As the prophet Zechariah said, “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord!”
Over the last six months, we’ve known what it’s like to be in a “battle” with the pandemic. We’ve known what it’s been like to be “underdogs” in that struggle. It seemed the virus always had the upper hand.
And we’re not quite sure what’s ahead. As think about what it means to “Reopen” we still have lots of questions, doubts and fears.
We know we need to “Recover our Confidence”. We’re clear we need to “Reassure our Doubts”. We look to be bolstered in our bravery. We need a “battle cry”, a “rally cry” that unifies, energizes and mobilizes.
But more than that we need a “Rally Cry” to remind us, the battle is ultimately not ours. The battle belongs to the Lord. When you say or pray, “For the Lord and for _______ (insert your name here)” you make a connection that strengthens your spirit and fills you with hope.
This is the direction of my message for Sunday. As always it will be expanded and enhanced with details and deeper discussion.
What are your thoughts? What have you discerned as a light God has offered you through this text? As always, “Make sure you write down your message”. It’s a gift of God specifically to you.
I’ll let you get to work. Blessings as you write.
And I look forward to seeing you again Saturday as we prepare with prayer in the Pastor’s Workshop.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You that in all our struggles You are our strength. Thank You for the ways we remind ourselves of that truth and immerse ourselves in that grace. Let us know that whatever “fight we face” the battle ultimately belongs to You. Let us find our strength and hope in You so we can continue to rise up and move forward into Your future. This we pray in the name of the One “through whom we are more than conquerors”, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.