A Vessel Chosen For Revival

I want you to turn here this morning to Judges chapter 7. Judges chapter 7, we're going to part 2 of A Vessel of Revival and I want to read from Judges chapter 7. You'll remember that last week we dealt with a vessel prepared for revival. How God prepares and we looked at Gideon and how God prepares a vessel, a church, a people or a preacher for revival. Preparation is vital. Without preparation you will not be a vessel of revival. But I want to deal with part 2 here. A vessel chosen for revival and so last week we looked at how Gideon was prepared. This week I want to look at how he and others were chosen for this revival. Reading from Judges chapter 7 and verse 1. Then Jeroboam who is Gideon and all the people that were with him rose up early and pitched beside the well of Herod so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them by the hill of Morah in the valley. And the Lord said unto Gideon the people that are with thee are, notice this very carefully, are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands lest Israel flaunt themselves against me saying mine own hand has saved me. Now therefore go to proclaim in the ears of the people saying whosoever is fearful and afraid let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon the people are yet too many bring them down onto the water and I will try them there for thee. And it shall be that of whom I say unto thee this shall go with thee the same shall go with thee. And of whoever soever I shall say unto thee this shall not go with thee the same shall not go with thee. So he brought down the people onto the water and the Lord said unto Gideon everyone that lappeth of water with his tongue as a dog lappeth him shall thou set by himself. Likewise everyone that bows down upon the knees to drink and the number of them that lappeth putting their hand to their mouth were three hundred men but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon by the three hundred men that lapped will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hand and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand and their trumpets and he said all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent and retained those three hundred men and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him arise get thee down unto the host for I have delivered it into thine hand but if thou fear to go down go thou with Pura thy servant down to the host and thou shall they say and afterwards shall thine hands be strengthened to go down into the host. Then when he down with Pura his servant onto the outside of the armed men that were in the host and the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay alongside the valley like grasshoppers for multitude and their camels were without number as the sand of the seaside for multitude. And when Gideon was come behold there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and said behold I dreamed a dream and lo a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came in unto a tent and smote it and it fell and it overturned it that the tent lay along and his fellow answered and said this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash a man of Israel for into his hand as God delivered the Midian and all the host and it was so that when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof that he worshipped and returned into the host of Israel and said arise for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. Let's pray together Father we thank you God that you are preparing a people for this hour for an utterly unique move of God for an utterly unique hour for an utterly unique purpose but oh God we're very aware that this one thing is in your heart that your name will be glorified that no man that no ministry that no church that no organization will get the glory but what you're gonna do in this hour will be so unusual so ridiculous so remarkable so unbelievable that only you will receive the glory and Father we pray that you will not only prepare a people but that you will choose a people in this hour nor God through all that is happening in our world I pray lay your hand on a people begin to deal with the people choose them in the fire of affliction oh God that you'd bring forth a vessel purified sanctified and made for the master's use nor God you do choose that those things which are foolish despised oh God by man Lord God to confound that which is and we're asking that you do it in this hour bring to naught the works of darkness by a foolish vessel that you've chosen and prepared for your own glory and praise in Jesus mighty name amen a vessel chosen for revival a vessel chosen for revival I believe that Gideon was not only prepared by God but he was chosen by God for revival for a very unique work of God it says here in judges chapter 7 and verse 1 then Gerubbabel who is Gideon notice here in this first verse as we embark upon God's message on how he chooses out how he draws out a vessel made ready for revival his hand is upon a man you know I've heard for decades people say we are now in a new era God isn't going to use great preachers he's not going to use certain men or gifted ministry he's going to use a bunch of faceless nameless people he's going to use the entire body of Christ I want to tell you God has never done that he has always used chosen gifted vessels and yes he has always drawn out the nobodies and the everybody's but God does lay his hand on certain individuals we see here as God is about to choose out and make ready an entire people for revival it begins with a man who's being prepared unless a man is prepared for revival unless God lays his hand on a gifted vessel there will not be a people rise up to be chosen of God for revival God always begins with a man he gives that man a vision he gives that man a message he gives that man a word he lays his hand on that man and then he begins to prepare a people through the message preached God has to first convince a man that's the hardest task then that man has to be clothed with a body or be surrounded by a body that God can begin to use look at the vessel here it calls him Gerubbabel who is Gideon Gideon was given a nickname that was actually in last week's message and I didn't really note it or go into it but we read in the previous chapter chapter 6 verse 32 that Gideon earned a brand new name it's when he went into his father's house and tore down the idols and destroyed Baal that the next morning when the apostates or the compromisers or those with a false gospel come wanting to stone him and to kill him his father who had become very skeptical of this false gospel tired of the powerlessness of he actually said let Baal plead for himself if Baal is real let him do the pleading and we're actually told there that his father renamed him or gave him a brand new man in name in chapter 6 verse 32 his father gave it to him and this is what Gerubbabel actually means it means to have a controversy with Baal let Baal plead against him because he has thrown down the altar in other words his father gave him this new name and said let Baal fight with him let Baal grapple with him let Baal contend with him here is an enemy of Baal and you know what God's vessel that was chosen for revival he was given a new name a new character a new identity because you know what false Christs and false gospels are going to fight against this man where you find every false gospel it will fight and contend and grapple with this man because this man tears down Baal this man is against what is false in his father's house and what a remarkable man he really is saints of God what will it take to awaken the church in this hour in this year in this time we have just gone through two years unbelievable in world history we are actually at a point for the first time in world history where all the governments the businessmen the rich men in the world are now coming out and saying we want to join man all people to computers we want to put a brain chip within every single person we want to connect you into the internet we want to put the chip in your mobile phone into your body now they're beginning to say it we we have gone through an hour where government has taken control and power and we haven't seen anything yet what is it gonna take to stir the church two years of this and where are your burning altars where is the fire where is the evangelism where are the calls to repentance right across the church why is it the church is still asleep why is it hearts are so cold why is it men and women listen the word of God and they're backslidden they're far from God they're casual if you're like this now God help me what's it gonna take to stir you in this hour we are at the most vital hour in all the world history and church history and yet the church is asleep unbelievable before the enemy is dealt with bow must be challenged and that's what happened here God raised Gideon up let's deal with the church first then let's deal with the enemy before we deal with the enemy of this hour don't talk to me about Klaus Schwab and I've talked a lot about him don't talk to me about the world economic forum don't talk to me about the UN do you know what the issue is the church of Jesus Christ we need repentance in the church again it says in 1 Peter chapter 4 17 for the time is come do you believe that Peter said the time is actually come the judgment must begin in the house of God forget social justice let's bring judgment to God's house let's bring righteous judgment from God to the house that's the real judgment we need in this hour not social judgment we need God's judgment in his house he says the time has come let the judgment of God begin it must begin in the house of God and if it first begin at us you and I what shall the end of it be to them that obey not the gospel in other words God's judgment God's going to begin to deal with his church and God help the enemies of this gospel because God is going to deal with hearts since you can't in this hour sit apathetic coming going casually sleeping through all that happens there's got to be an awakening look at Gideon in the previous chapter that we dealt with last week the spirit of God came upon him and clothed him the Holy Spirit mantled him the power of God came upon him then what did he do he blew a trumpet blowing the trumpet represents the proclamation of the word of God so you have this man Gideon he has the spirit of God and he has the word of God these two things never get separate you need the power of the Holy Spirit you need the enjoyment of the Holy Ghost but you need to proclaim the word of God you need to preach aloud these two always go together and what happened as he began to proclaim and blow the trumpet four of the 12 tribes of Israel mobilized and began to arise and began to gather and began to our it is you know what we need we need some Gideons upon whom the spirit of God comes and they begin to blow the trumpet that begins to stir the church again oh to see it in our day that there is a stirring of the church of God and a regathering my message this morning a vessel chosen for revival listen very carefully and you know the story from Samuel going to the house of David to find the king of Israel to anoint him and you know his seven brothers get brought before Samuel by the father and they forget about David young David's on the hillside listen what it says 1 Samuel 16 and 8 then Jesse called for Abinadab what did he do he called for him and he made him pass before Samuel and he said that is Samuel neither has the Lord chosen this I want you to notice carefully Abinadab David's oldest brother received a calling to come and be anointed to come and be chosen to come and be gifted to come and be endued by the power of God Abinadab was called by his earthly father to come to the prophet to come and be selected but as he stood before the prophet Samuel said neither has the Lord chosen this and so Abinadab is a man who has been called but he has not been chosen and there's a big difference between being called and being chosen you remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 20 verse 16 so the last shall be first and the first shall be last listen carefully and this is the reason why the last should be first and the first should be last this is the reason Jesus said for many be called few chosen like with Abinadab called but not chosen many get the call goes out to many a great host and yet Jesus says few are chosen do you know what the context of Matthew 20 is it is the parable of the labors in the vineyard who at different hours of the day from morning till night time they serve for one penny all of them agree some of them start working in the morning and they work all day long there's others only come in at the last hour and they work until finish time they all get the same pay they all get one penny you know Jesus is talking about this and church history when he says many be called but few chosen he is actually saying the cold here are all labors in the harvest field all of them are laboring for the master they're all called they're all serving they're all ministering they're all caught up in the things of the church but few are chosen do you know who the chosen were they were the 11th hour labors they were the ones at the end of it all those were the ones called in late at the end at the last they were chosen not just cold but they were chosen listen for a certain hour for a certain task they didn't deserve it they didn't work as hard as everyone else they weren't any more spiritual than anyone else but they were chosen for a specific hour chosen for a certain time and others that have been called but not chosen for this hour got annoyed about it our message a vessel chosen for revival i believe many are called to revival very few are chosen for revival since i hope we're the chosen for revival because many hear the call many talk about revival many preachers preach about revival many of us pray about revival but out of the many god is going to choose a specific band of believers to see a revival an extraordinary outpouring of god it's got nothing to do with your unique holiness it's got everything to do with god's plan it says in chapter 7 verse 2 here and the lord said unto gideon the people that are with you and notice with me 32 000 people had gathered to gideon they are the called not the chosen i'm talking about god choosing a vessel when gideon began to blast that trumpet and send messengers out and said we're going to smite the enemy i have assurance from god god has prepared me god has given me signs god has given me a message i know they are that we live in 32 000 from the four tribes gathered to him they are the call they're not the chosen that is not god's vessel of revival but this is genuine believers whose hearts are stirred they believe this they are praying they're saying let us be a part of this movement we actually believe it's an hour for a revival it is time when something has to happen look at these 32 000 if you compare them to the size of the enemy and listen the enemy is 135 000 soldiers and each of them has a war camel that doesn't need to be fed or watered for days it is a remarkable enemy 135 000 israel only has 32 000 ragamuffin soldiers who are suddenly thrown together that means if you're a betting man it's at least four against one for every member of gideon's army there's at least four soldiers maybe five that is the odds that are facing them it is a remarkable army i want you to see that in chapter 6 to 8 we are seeing the weakness the essential mark of weakness in god's vessel that he prepares and chooses for revival god doesn't just choose a vessel because there isn't anything else he deliberately chooses something where it's utterly impossible if this isn't god in fact he rejoices was it saying verse two and the lord said unto gideon about the 32 000 the people that are with you are too many can you imagine being told that i don't know a preacher in the world of my generation believes that not not a one but god speaks to gideon and he says wonderful these are the called the 32 000 but you know what there's too many there's far far too many here and this isn't my chosen vessel i'm gonna have to choose a vessel out of these 32 000 in order to fight the enemy do you know why he says to give the midianites into their hands and he gives an actual reason he says lest israel vaunt themselves against me the word themselves means to embellish it means to boost or to give an explanation or i love this in the hebrew it means to shake a tree god is saying these 32 000 if i win a victory and use them to bring a revival i cannot use that 32 000 all of them are cold all of them are stirred all of them are excited all of them are praying all of them are offering themselves but god says if i use them they are the cold but if i use them do you know what they're gonna embellish the truth there's a reason i will not there's too many of them there's too much bad material i can't use him and him and him and him and all of them and that entire family you know why they will embellish i know their hearts if i bless them look it's impossible 32 000 against 135 000 it's utterly impossible everyone would know this is god that is a trained dangerous enemy on war this is a bunch of farmers everyone would know it's god wouldn't they and yet god knows the heart he says you know what after me giving them the victory and the power to do it do you know what they would do they would embellish the truth they would begin to shake the tree you know once it got candice to shake a tree i got it on a video up in bambridge and and the tree was filled with snow she's the south african so she doesn't know what's going to happen and she shook that tree and she got absolutely drenched in snow it was beautiful but you know what the lord says there's too many there's far too many and like moses it took 40 years for god to strip moses of his eloquence his knowledge his ability his self-reliance and said i need to put you in the desert 40 years before i can even use you i will assure my glory you are a chosen vessel but i'm gonna have to spend 40 years in a wilderness nowhere else will do i need to put you in a wilderness looking after your father-in-law's sheep and no sheep are gonna break your heart they are gonna escape continually they are gonna deal with you and you know what god was doing stripping him so when god comes to me saying i can't do it i can't speak you must mean someone else you realize gideon didn't need that time that's where he began that's where god found him i'm the least my family's the least you can't use me you don't know who i am and yet the lord says you're my vessel you know god can't begin to work until the situation is beyond all human help until circumstance the enemy everything is to such a degree it is utterly impossible and there's no chance for you to touch the glory no chance that you'll say it was my faith and my prayers and my efforts and my evangelism if someone got saved through us we'd say i led him to the lord i've done this i taught the word of god rightly they're listening to me god helped who's so dangerous god is not just interested listen this carefully he's not just interested in gaining a victory over the enemy for his people that's not his intention his real intention is that he will get all the glory for his name in that victory it's not enough to defeat the enemies of the church it's not enough to bring the church into victory that isn't enough you realize a revival could damage you spiritually it could be dangerous to you unless you are stripped of yourself i've got three points here in this a vessel i hope you understand where i'm going now out of the 32 000 called god's going to choose a vessel that's going to look so ridiculous it's going to look so weak so pathetic so contrary to common sense and logic that all the glory is going to go to god that's why god does it in this way my three points here number one chosen amidst fearfulness how did god choose a vessel for revival amidst fearfulness amidst fearfulness it says in verse one that gideon and all the people that were with him rose up early and pitched beside the well of harrod notice the name harrod this well of harrod means the spring or the fountain of trembling look where god is going to choose this vessel for revival it begins at the well of harrod this is actually a place of trembling of fear of no confidence do you realize god chooses his vessel amidst fearfulness he'll always find a vessel that trembles concerning its own strength or the task that we will have to rely upon the lord and it says they pitched or made their military camp beside the well of harrod so that the host of the midianites were on the north side of them by the hill of mora that means it's only five miles away you have an army of 135 000 men you're five miles away from the enemy there are 32 000 of you and where do where is god going to begin at a place of trembling a place of fear you see i believe god found his vessel for revival amidst terrible fear terrible trembling i believe this entire camp was trembling under the fear of god and the fear of the enemy and the fear of self and god is going to have to choose out and produce a vessel at this particular point now look for a moment at gideon gideon was a man with a weakness gideon was a man who feared you may say okay god is going to choose amidst great fear so he's not going to choose the fearful he'll choose men of faith who have no fear of the enemy no fear of anything you may say that but listen gideon was the embodiment of what god was going to do remember in the previous chapter chapter 6 verse 11 we find gideon when the angel first comes to him he was threshing wheat in a wine press alone in secret so you immediately see he is hiding he is alone he is doing this in secret he is hiding from the enemy this is a man who knows what it is to fear the enemy and the consequence of the enemy and the attack of the enemy and so he's hiding and then in chapter 6 and 23 we we read that the lord speaks on him remember when the offering comes and he realized this god this is the lord angel of the lord listen what god says because he thinks i'm gonna die here i'm finished it says peace be unto thee fear not thou shalt not die gideon was so scared he thought he was gonna die so he's hiding from the enemy he is scared of god and he says i'm a dead man but it goes further in chapter 6 27 when he goes to the house of his father to tear down the idol it says he did it at night and he took 10 friends why because he feared his father's and the men of the city he was scared of false christianity he trembled at the consequence of attacking what is false in daylight or for his voice to be heard do you see what sort of man gideon is that god chose or what about chapter 7 verse 10 a bit later here it says if thy fear see god knew gideon even after this first trial of choosing amidst fearfulness he said no gideon if you should fear then we'll work out a plan yes i'm i'm afraid i'm afraid of the enemy i'm afraid of what you've called me to i am trembling my knees are knocking together so let's go with your plan with this do you see what sort of vessel god chose in gideon it is utterly utterly remarkable you have 32 000 men and you know what's about to happen on this day at this place at this uh in this particular spot at this well of trembling 22 000 men in this army are about to leave him they're about to leave him listen to what it says verse 3 now therefore go to and proclaim in the ears of the people all that are called saying whosoever is fearful and afraid let him return and depart early first thing in the morning get out of here first thing don't hang around from mount gilead that's where i want you to leave from and they returned of the people twenty and two thousand and there remained ten thousand gideon gave them a choice and he said if you're scared leave first thing in the morning i don't want you going into the battle with us if you're scared if you're terrified will you please leave you're not a true you see we're going to find out not who is called not who has came to the battle but who is chosen by god and so he gives them an opportunity if you're fearful if you're afraid then go home i want you to turn back i want you to leave and return again 22 000 left him said i'm scared i can see five miles away the entire valley is filled with a mass army you know there are more midianites and ishmaelites here than british soldiers that fought in the first gulf war this army was massive compared to the entire british army that went to fight saddam hussein this is a massive army and as they look they go i am terrified i'm gonna die and they go thanks gideon i'm going back to my house i'm following your advice you realize that 10 000 who stayed were given themselves forward to be the chosen vessel for revival i want you to say something about fear here there is a fear that's disobedience there's a fear that makes you turn back there's a fear that disqualifies you there's a fear that freezes you in the spot there's a fear that's going to come up on words of your mouth and you will discourage other christians in fact you will make other christians faint in the battle if you're allowed to stay in that army there is a sort of fear that will grieve the holy spirit of god there is a certain fear that will stop you going forward with god you won't go and evangelize you won't tell your family about christ you you won't go forward in the will of god you won't be in the prayer meeting you won't pray out when we're all gathered together there's a certain type of fear that hinders you it's very real sense of god there's a certain fear that is disobedience to the bible it stops you doing the will of god this fear that is wrong is contagious this sort of fear makes your heart faint it actually causes you to go what's the point or i can't do this or why are we here or god is never gonna do a miracle or god is an answer in our prayers or they will never get saved you know what that is that's fear and that fear is disobedience and i tell you that fear is not chosen for revival you could never stand at the front line of revival because you know what you'll be telling me why revival can't come or why it's delayed gideon is a man who knows what it is to fear fear the enemy fear man fear god fear circumstance but you know what his fear doesn't paralyze him have you noticed that he does fear he's got a real fear and you know what there's a fear that isn't sinful there is a natural fear a healthy fear you're not scared of the enemy you're a fool if you don't look at what god's calling you to and don't tremble if he calls you to preach and you go praise god i'm ready for it you there's something wrong with you every preacher i've known in my lifetime who i believe was really called of god said i'd try to run from it i'd try to get out of it i argued with god all the preachers who told me and said oh i had no problem they're not worth anything absolutely nothing i'm telling you from what i've seen down over the years it says in deuteronomy 20 and 8 what man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted let him go and return onto his house let his brethren's heart lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart this is contagious as fear it'll stop you fighting the enemy nothing's gonna happen after all didn't happen their day why should it happen our day no revival for years what makes you think malcolmson that you're gonna see revival i believe it i utterly believe it oh but what about this and this and that you better just sip your mouth you know what it is a biblical principle you remember the 10 spies that were sent out to spy the land and they came back and they talked an entire nation out of going into the land look at the jams it's impossible we can't do this and they turned an entire back into the wilderness who are going to die in the wilderness over the next 40 years 10 men who fainted in heart who got scared of the giants the size of the walls they looked with their eyes and they put that fear in the entire people of god don't tell me fear is not dangerous you see god brings them to a place and said i'm gonna deal with this issue of fear you know the thing about gideon he did have fears but he always overcame always kept going straight ahead he always said lord please show me that is this is you because i want to do your will two-thirds of an army were fearful heartless can you imagine if they'd gone into the battle and right in the heat of battle they all turned back and run you're defeated you're finished if that should happen let me say a bit more about this issue of fearfulness in the bible when the apostle paul in the new testament went to the city of corinth listen to how he went one corinthians chapter two and three and i was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling do you think paul was disqualified absolutely not when paul went to corinth he is trembling he has fears in his heart and yet there's no sin in it god doesn't rebuke him god doesn't say i can't use you or what about when he's serving in corinth in the early months of preaching and he begins to have doubts maybe i need to leave corinth nobody's getting saved nothing's happening maybe god isn't gonna move listen to what happens in acts 18 and 10 they the lord speaks to him and says be not afraid paul was afraid but speak and hold not thy peace for i am with thee a new man shall set on thee to hurt thee for i have much people in this city or what about a bit later when paul is on a boat on his way to rome do you remember that in chapter acts chapter 27 verse 24 it's it says the angel of the lord they're about to be shipwrecked they have no food it is dark they don't even know where they're going they're gonna die the angel of the lord appears to him and says fear not paul thou must be brought before caesar and no god has given thee all that sail with thee paul knew what fear was gideon knew what fear was but 22 000 men said i'm scared and you know what i'm going home do you realize at this fountain their hearts were tested do you know in reality we're all scared i'm scared of the future i'm scared every time i pray for candice's healing i am terrified i've known in january what it was for the first time in 50 years of my life first time never once have i i've been scared of very little in my life i i can i never once was terrified my entire life even when that big bull elephant charged me and my mother in law's sitting in the front seat i i wasn't scared i just prayed i pray i was glad that she was sitting in front of me but you know what i'm going to tell you this january i was terrified terrified don't tell me that all who fear are disqualified they're not they're actually not do you know what the issue is are you terrified and you'll turn back are you going to stop praying when gideon says if you're scared go home do you reach for your bag and say man farewell guys fight well i'll be praying at home for you i'm with you in spirit you know what you're a coward you are scared you would get us all killed but the ones on the front line don't tell me they're not scared they are they're scared about their own abilities they're scared about their own faithfulness they're scared about their own suitability for the battle and yet they stand their ground i believe the 10 000 who remained i believe they're in their minds they're thinking oh god help me i'm not better than anyone else paul also says in second corinthians 12 and 9 and the lord said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness the whole story of gideon and the vessel is an actual testimony of god using weakness fearfulness and trembling the test isn't are you scared the test is isn't do you think you're too weak for this we all are the great test is do you believe god can use you in your weakness use you in your fear use you in your inability do you believe it's all about you having the faith and you having the courage and you having the strength or do you draw on the lord do you see how dangerous it is that someone could think they are strong in themselves it is for my strength is made perfect in weakness paul had to learn that gideon had to learn that most gladly therefore i will glory in infirmities that the power of christ may rest upon me it's in weakness god's power rests upon me therefore i take pleasure in infirmities reproaches and necessities in persecutions in distresses for christ's sake for when i am weak then am i strong have you learned that your strength is when you're weak have you learned standing there that when you tremble actually it's the place of great faith of great power of great courage paul writes again second corinthians four and seven but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of god and not of us saints of god god is going to choose a clay vessel that the power of god can come upon you know candice and i's generation most of you in here have been preserved from this but we had to go through it in south africa and in the uk through the 80s and the 90s worldwide in the church we got served up a diet of doctrine about joob in the old testament we heard incessantly from the pulpits that the reason joob suffered the way he did was because of his fear this is what they used to teach and they they it says in joob 3 and 25 and this joob speaking for the thing which i greatly feared is come upon me and that which i was afraid of is come up unto me and what they taught the bible teachers and pastors they said fear is sin and when joob feared the hedge was let down and the serpent came in and bit him it was joob's fear that allowed his children to die and his property to be lost and his body to be affected it began the devil found fear in his heart joob feared something therefore the devil could move in and not fear and do all of this do you know how heretical and false that teaching is do you remember we get the actual story this is joob saying i feared the things come upon me that i fear oh god this is the thing i feared they utterly ignore the whole story of joob do you know what the issue was satan come to god and god said have you seen anyone like joob my serpent servant he's perfect there's no sin there there's no fear of disobedience yes he had fears about his children yes he had concerns but that fear didn't open up the way for the devil so that's a false teaching and you know what a whole generation's being taught that that you have fear you're disqualified i'm going to tell you gideon had fear but he rose up victorious with the power of god on him and so we see from 32 000 this crowd that gathered to gideon do you know why they gathered to gideon do you know why the 32 000 including the 22 000 gathered to gideon because of the anointing on him because of his trumpet blast because of his personal testimony of the signs of god but this is not about ministry many gather because of ministry good preaching i love the words i'm glad you know god's gonna move and they gather because of ministry i want to tell you we're that vessel is not a vessel of revival if you've come because of ministry that is never it if they had won the victory with that 32 000 with those 22 000 cowards in the midst listen after the victory those 22 cowards who packed their bags and went home if they had been allowed to remain there after the victory that 22 000 cowards would have said we've done it by our hands they would have claimed the glory do you realize cowards claim the glory of god they claim the victory that that's what we're reading here in this text it's utterly mind-blowing but 22 000 left in one hour when given a chance they made their choice their decision and set their course leaving 10 000 soldiers behind you realize it took faith for gideon to allow 22 000 to leave he was a man of faith you know what he had many fears many thoughts many feelings but he says you know what let them go we don't need that in this camp if they had any sense they would have realized gideon was a man with the same fears the same thoughts the same feelings but they walked so gideon's left with 10 000 men thank god do you know what the odds are now 13 to 1 not 14 to 1 13 to 1 for every soldier of israel you're going to have to kill 13 enemy or fight against them you know what i think gideon began to think he's thinking back to judges chapter 4 verse 6 and you read there about how god won a victory with 10 000 men 10 000 men to go into battle i i think he thought back in church history and when god done a revival there he used 10 000 i just know this is the chosen vessel i just know god is going to use this 10 000 the odds are greater but we're ready for a battle chosen amidst watchfulness not only fearfulness but watchfulness look at verse 4 and the lord said unto gideon the people are yet too many this must be a preacher's nightmare that god would say you've got too many people in your church you've got too many people coming to the conference too many people listening to you on youtube could you imagine me going on and announcing there's too many of you we need to get rid of a few thousand we only want a few hundred don't press like don't watch us don't share the videos there's too many how can god ever revive with you bunch listening please don't switch us off the lord spoke to gideon said the people are yet too many bring them down onto the water and i will try them there for thee do you know the previous place let me just say this it was a gilead the 22 000 left at gilead you know what gilead means mount gilead it means to heap up a testimony 22 000 have just left from this spot you know what you're doing you're building a testimony i mean you're heaping it up now this is getting real heavy what a testimony but chosen amidst watchfulness bring them down onto the water the same water and i will try them from there for thee so god tells gideon it's too many too big we need to get rid of some of these i want a chosen vessel for revival and he said i'm going to try them at the waters you know what water represents is the word of god the water always represents the dealing of god's word sanctification a dealing with your heart and he says bring you bring them to the word of god you bring them to the water and i will try them there at those waters the word try there means to refine to purge or to purify god's going to purge out the people then in verse five so he brought down the people onto the water and the lord said unto gideon everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue he splits them into two groups and he said gideon listen to me carefully this is going to get a lot smaller we're going to i want you to watch bring them in groups to the water and they're going to drink two different ways god knows that he says see the ones that go down on their knees and put their mouth in the water and drink the water put them to one side then the others who come down they don't even go on their knees or lie down you know what they do they scoop their hand down into the water and they bring it up to their mouth and they drink water like a dog does shiloh splashes everything everywhere these guys are going to get very wet but i'll tell you their eyes are fixed and watching that's why i mean chosen amidst watchfulness do you realize as gideon stands there he is separating the remaining 10 000 and god doesn't tell him which group he's going to keep he said put all the lappers dog drinkers over there and all the other drinkers over here and gideon is standing there he doesn't know which is which until eventually 300 are standing over here and 9 700 over here 300 have drank like a dog from the water once they finished you know what none of them know they're being tested at the water how you drink the word of god how you respond to the preaching week in week out i mean it's only a drink what's so special about how you drink your water that could make you a chosen vessel for i want to tell you this is essential you see those that are watching as they drink the word you see the 9 700 we're aware of the crowds around them they are drinking like everybody else there's a lot of people listen preaching like everyone else ha ha ha ha ha nice sermon praise god it doesn't do anything in their life they're not watching out for the devil they're not watching their own heart they're not keeping an eye on the will of god do you know what they're just drinking it they think it's an end in itself it's not it absolutely isn't and so we see them split into two groups then god tells gideon it's the 300 i wonder if gideon's there saying boy i sure it's the hope it's the 9 700 if you had a choice between the two vessels for revival wouldn't you be standing there saying it better be the 9 700 but all the time you're thinking i know the character of god i know the nature of god i've read this bible i've read church history and i've got a funny feeling that god is going to tell me can you imagine god didn't tell him he would have been shoving people over more of you need to go to this side but he couldn't do that do you know what that brought it down to one percent of the original mount that received a call for revival one percent of those that get stirred answer the call leave home pack their bags pray for revival preach about it read about it talk about it hope for it believe for it only one percent become the do you know what the odds are now we went from four or five to one do you know what the odds are now 450 to one for every 100 of gideon's men you're each gonna have to face 450 midianites and ishmaelites on the back of a camel bearing down on top of you and what are you you're a farmer that's all you are you're nothing more and nothingness can you imagine christ in jerusalem during his ministry couldn't he have established and built a church of 10 000 men women and children in jerusalem don't you think the miracles the preaching the teaching what a great teaching ministry what a great miracle ministry oh the power of god what a great prophetic ministry teaching a bible prophecy i mean you could easily establish a church of 10 000 people in jerusalem and christ that's what you need to leave that's what you need to do oh he didn't do that you know at the end of christ's ministry the crowds left him the thousands left him the hundreds left him it went down to the 12th and then it went smaller still then they all got scattered the closer he got to the cross you know what christ was doing he preached the cross discipleship the narrow way and the closer he got to the cross there were fewer you know what christ was doing i want 120 in that upper room i don't need 10 000 people i need 120 weak people who won't touch the glory saints of god can i ask you this morning will you touch the glory if god moves if he heals the sick saves the lost touches the city can you be entrusted with the move of god could god trust you that if he moved in this city and brought in a harvest of souls that you wouldn't curse every other church in the city and say we did it look what we done we prayed we served god you didn't get the glory saints of god very few people can do this in church history you may not have fear you weren't disqualified the first time but you could be disqualified for not watching you know what the issue here is no watchfulness remember what it says in 1 peter 5 and 8 be sober be vigilant vigilant because your adversary the devil as aurora land walketh about seeking whom he may devour third and lastly chosen amidst fearfulness chosen amidst watchfulness see when you hear the word of god this morning are you watching or or what else does it say and remember in 1 corinthians chapter 10 verse 12 wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall are you taking heed as you drink the word of god the word of god's going to test you god's going to test you god's going to purify you at the water he's going to separate there is going to be another 9 700 who go home you didn't pass the test god's going to purify you are you watching are you watching over your family your wife your children your husband your boyfriend your girlfriend your brother your sister are you watching are you casually doing this you know what the problem with these folk were the first ones they got scared you know these ones that go i'm not scared i stayed here 9 700 people who didn't leave because they were scared but you know what they're not watchful they're not careful they don't have a normal fear they go i don't fear anything i can't fall away from the faith i'm going to be fine god's just going to sovereignly do it i i'm just sitting here i'll be fine i'll still be here god's still here everything's okay my family will remain the same it'll be all right my wife won't divorce me i've seen a lot of things in my christian life you know what you're part of the 9 700 that actually get told bye bye third and lastly chosen amidst assurance this is my last and final point as i close so the lord tells gideon and it came to pass the same night that the lord said unto him arise get thee down unto the host for i have delivered it into thine hands 300 men you know what you're gonna win you're gonna defeat the enemy you're gonna scatter them there's gonna be a glorious victory you are gonna do this i've chosen you gideon i've chosen the 300 listen to what else he says to gideon verse 10 but if thy fear to go down what do you think he done do you think gideon had no fears if thy fear to go down go thou with purah thy servant down to the host and thou shalt hear what they say and afterward shall thine hand be strengthened so what does it say he went down that tells me that gideon after all of this he is scared he's a man of faith he has confidence in god he is obedient he didn't try to hold on to the 9,000 22,000 you know what god says i'll tell you who needs to go with you and as he's seen them left he went i don't want anyone here in this church who shouldn't be here i'm not a numbers man i hope you realize that i care less about numbers but i do care about real believers i know you might fear and tremble here this morning but i want you here if you want to see the power of god and the glory of god here's gideon remember the signs that he has sought in chapter 6 fire came out of the rock consumed his sacrifice it meant he was accepted remember the fleece how he said lord if you're really with me do you know why it is so right that a man needs assurance are you scared yes lord i am i want you to take 300 and attack 135,000 trained marauders i want you to do that are you scared i'm terrified you put me in a situation watching my wife with cancer i am terrified i'm watching family members about to go to hell and i'm praying and i'm trying to speak to them and they don't want to hear you're telling me i'm not scared for them do you realize why signs are needed and why the lord said you know what if you're still scared i want you to go down to i'm going to bring you to a place of utter assurance do you know why that is why gideon was a man who was going lord show me lord i need your will because some people run ahead of god's will others lag behind my granddad always said if if the devil can't hold you back he pushes you overboard that's what the devil does that's wise advice so some people are so hesitant god's always trying to shove them there's other people they're so running ahead it's the devil they think they don't have the problem the others have you you've got two extremes those that hold back and those that run ahead of god those that won't go when god says go and those that go when god hasn't said go you know what gideon wanted i just want to know god is with me we'll go down to the enemy camp you know when he goes down to the enemy's camp after watching the dealings of god purging choosing selecting a whole regime change you will need reassured gideon needed reassurance so he took his good servant purah down with them listen to what purah's name mean every word in this chapter means something do you know what purah means it means to be camouflaged it's from the term embellished that god warned the people will embellish the truth they will tell a story they will change its appearance you know what gideon had to do was take purah and look up strong it means to camouflage yourself with green i was in the army and i understand what this means you and i servant are going down to the enemy's camp to the very edge of it let me get my camouflage on i could disguise myself as a camel or a tree or a rock whatever do you know what god was going to do he's going to strengthen him it was on a very dark night that they crawled in next to the enemy they just chose a place do you know how massive that valley was and they come in towards and they stop at a certain point and there's two sentries they're nobodies one of the sentries turns to the other and he says do you know i had a dream tonight really what did you dream this was his dream he said i dreamed a dream and look the cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of midian and came onto a tent and smote it that it fell and overturned it but the tent lay long a cake of barley bread now look at these servants gideon just happens to be there at the right place at the right place at the very time where this soldier enemy is sharing this dream this midian i just happened to have a dream before coming on duty he just at that very second happened to share it at that place where gideon was do you know what this is called is called providence do you know what providence is god's supernatural hand working in the normal things of life to bring assurance to your heart and do you know what god wants to bring assurance to your heart god uses providence that you'll be in the right place at the right time to hear the right thing or to meet the right person it's remarkable not a miracle not fire coming out of a stone not a fleece that's drenched or dry but no it's circumstance and gideon says can you believe what we're hearing and this dream there's two guards together the one guard is telling the guard he doesn't know what it means he doesn't understand it the other guard says i've got the interpretation do you know what this dream means it is the sword of gideon and we're going to be totally defeated and they're going to triumph over us can you imagine gideon listening this he is listening into this remarkable story dream interpretation do you know how many things need a line up here for this to happen at that second at the right time with the right facts do you know a cake of barley bread barley was a cheap farmer's food in this hour the barley bread was rolling into the camp of the enemy it symbolized the 300 farmers who could hardly afford to buy bread and the midian tent represents their military power and you have this barley loaf rolling in destroying the military power of the midianites and here they are saints of god two centuries given the assurance notice what happens as we close do you know what the two midianites are saying i had a dream i had an interpretation they're unbelievers and god has given one a dream the other the accurate interpretation do you know what he's doing with the enemy he's undermining assurance and he's lifting up assurance with gideon that's why this third and final place chosen amidst assurance just before the revival before the battle before the conflict god establishes strengthens gideon's assurance to do this and at the very same time he is destroying the assurance of the enemy weakness does not hinder god smallness does not hinder god thoughts and fears do not hinder god but saints of god god's gonna have to choose you in the place of fearfulness watchfulness and assurance to be a vessel of 300 you know what he's doing he's choosing you to be a good soldier of jesus christ to endure hardness are you ready to be chosen as a vessel of revival can we pray together unto the lord online here let's stand let's pray even if you watch this video much later let's pray and ask god saints of god we're at a point all hell's gonna let rip our whole world is changing the enemy is camped five miles away do you know what if we do not get chosen and prepared and go to this that enemy is going to swarm into our villages our towns our communities our families our schools our workplaces you can avoid this and i want to tell you this is an hour we're gonna have to prepare yourself and be chosen of god and we're gonna have to run at the enemy god is not saying wait till they come fight you we're gonna have to run at the enemy knowing god has called us to this this is an hour we've been birthed for and this is an hour to see revival father we love you we bless you we thank you god in this gathering this morning on on this hot morning lord god we we thank you god we want to drink water in a way that is watchful lord god every message even this message we know that you search our heart that you watch over us that you incline your ear that my god we are watching the enemy we are aware that the word of god tests us improves us and sanctifies us and father i'm praying for a mighty work of the holy spirit this morning my god will you make us ready and prepare us for a revival will you bring forth a chosen vessel of revival in this hour not men and women that are scared to go forward nor god not those that are so confident that they are casual we want to be like gideon yes with many fears but lord god we're determined to do the will of god we're determined to stand against the enemy we are willing to run against the enemy we are scared oh god we've got enemies all around us we do have fears and thoughts and imagination but oh god we pray let this goliath fall lord god let the midianites be routed by the 300 and my god i pray though we be fearful and have many thoughts we're small in our own eyes oh god lord god we're without ability or gift and our resources but oh god we believe the power of god is all we need we need you to go with us we need you to send us my god we need you to demonstrate your glory and no man is going to touch this lord god we shall not embellish the truth we will not touch your glory our claim it is our own but my god we will glorify the lord jesus christ in jesus mighty name hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah oh blessed be your name blessed be your name worthy is the lamb of god worthy worthy worthy worthy worthy respond to him just for a moment as we close respond to the lord just respond to him saints get so hungry you may think that you're disqualified and you're not disqualified at all god is just looking for you to go forward to stand up stand your ground you know sometimes you think not much is happening around you but yet there are certain hours and certain situations it takes all the grace of god just to stand you may say not there's not much happening there isn't great things happening but i tell you there's an hour we have to stand with our feet rooted to the spot unmovable unchangeable unbendable and just god's grace i'm going to keep standing i'm going to keep believing i'm going to keep praying i'm simply going to keep coming to the word of god that god might choose me and bring forth a vessel in jesus mighty name hallelujah