A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN
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“A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN --We are studying the entire book of JUDGES! TODAY: WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN Last week, God raises up a judge, GIDEON… The people were in rebellion and the OPPRESSION that were handed over to was SO BAD – that this time it take 40 years of oppression, only 7 years… THEY were reduced to starvation, their land stripped bare, and reduced to FLEEING their homes and HIDING in the mountains, caves, and strongholds AND GOD finds Gideon, not complaining, but WORKING DILLIGENLY – in ALL he was doing, as an acceptable offering to the Lord Judges 6:14-16 (NLT) 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” SO God calls GIDEON to rescue ISRAEL – using the WEAKEST of the WEAK going with the strength Gideon DID have; trusting and depending on God.. Judges 6:24 (NLT) 24 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day. After questioning God and bringing an ACCEPTABLE OFFERING to God – Gideon has absolute PEACE in walking forward in WHATEVE God was calling him to do – God always answers us when we CALL OUT TO HIM.. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT WHY was God giving him PEACE? To be PROPERLY prepared for the task at hand I think we need to remember, that the FRUIT of the SPIRIT is also a PREPARATION.. WATCH THIS…. “A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! SO – we KNOW the fruit…the EVIDENCE we are living a life apart from our sinful nature….but watch… 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. The Fruit produces is NOT just for comfort;. But a STATE to be able to ENTER in to assignment… GIDEON needed a SUPERNATURAL portion of PEACE in GOD to be the WEAKEST man leading a NATION in to war… SO GIDEON builds an altar as a testament to what he received – PEACE… And PEACE was needed to MOVE FORWARD with God’s instruction… Judges 6:25-27 (NLT) 25 That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town. NOTICE in verse 25 – THAT NIGHT – the LORD gave Gideon command RIGHT AWAY – When Gideon responded to God, God guided him… And SO OFTEN we are seeking the WHERE but we have YET responded to His voice which makes WAY for the guiding….. Psalm 37:23 (AMPC) 23 The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. “A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN GOOD – defined as in “THOSE SEEKING HIM” Doesn’t have to do with measuring up by marking off your “DO NOT SIN” list IF YOU ARE SEEKNG HIM – RESPONDING to the VOICE that draws you near YOUR STEPS are established….and HE BUSIES himself with GUIDING YOU SO WHEN Gideon responds – God says: Get the 2nd Bull (that is 7 years old) from your father’s herd Tear down your father’s altar to Baal Cut down the Asherah pole beside it BUILD an altar to God on this place and lay stones CAREFULLY Sacrifice the bull, using the Asherah pole as fuel for the fire SO Gideon gets 10 men and does it…BY NIGHT – so their plot would not be prevented by the members of his father’s house and the people THEY EXECUTED the Lord’s command in the SECRET PLACE NOT EVERY mission of God is to be made a spectacle NOT EVERY mission of God is to be done where everyone can see WHAT SHOULD BE SEEN – is the outcome of the mission – ONLY GOD And I find it interesting that the BULL was 7 years old.. HOW MANY YEARS were they oppressed? – 7 years…. THE OFFERING on the NEW ALTAR for GOD – was an offering indicating “NO LONGER SLAVES – WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD” See – in Gideon’s community – BAAL was worshipped right along side YAHWEH So God says – GIDEON, GET MY HOUSE IN ORDER – tear down other altars AND THE FIRST THING God calls us to do when we start FOLLOWING HIM in ALL things – TEAR DOWN THE ALTARS so MY HOUSE IS IN ORDER NOTICE I SAID ALTARS – there was BAAL and there was also an ASHERAH pole -----An Asherah pole was stylize trees as a tribue to the Canaanite Goddess - Asherah SHE WAS ACTUALLY known as the MOTHER of BAAL THEY ACTUALLY recognized ASHERAH as a TREE OF LIFE – cause they believed she gave life to about 70 other gods – and they worshiped her as Yahweh’s wife… “A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN SHE WAS A FALSE TREE OF LIFE And MANY worship FALSE trees of life WE have these SOURCES of LIFE that are NOT God and we give them credit for blessings and peace and increase and GOD is telling us – WE HAVE TO TEAR THOSE FALSE LIFE SOURCES DOWN!!!! AND THE ONLY LIFE the Asherah Pole gave life to – was the FIRE that consumed the false god, BAAL, attributed to be her son she didn’t CAUSE fire – she was torn down as FUEL for the fire Asherah was consumed with Baal - the ALTARS were torn down and consumed by the ALL CONSUMING FIRE OF GOD And FUEL – they were torn down and the GLORY to ONLY God was all consuming - the only role these false gods had – is in their absences and destruction, GOD’s FIRE was ignited Psalm 97:2-3 (TPT) 2 Clouds both dark and mysterious now surround him. His throne of glory rests upon a foundation of righteousness and justice. 3 All around him burns a blazing glory-fire consuming all his foes. IF WE WANT his FIRE and GLORY to consume us and spread – ALTARS must be torn down… Judges 6:28-29 (NLT) 28 Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed. 29 The people said to each other, “Who did this?” And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash. After ASKING AROUND – they figured it out Matthew 7:20 (NLT) 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. I WOULD LOVE to be identified as one God uses to break down false altars! “A Kingless Kingdom” Series WEEK 6 – TEAR IT DOWN What are you known for ? Excusing things not of God or STANDING FIRM to give Him all GLORY?!?! Judges 6:30 (NLT) 30 “Bring out your son,” the men of the town demanded of Joash. “He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole.” THIS IS HOW DEEP they worshiped a FALSE god and the ALTAR they built to him They worshipped BAAL cause they considered him the god of weather And they HEAVILY relied on weather – to be successful in agriculture THEY were trying to SAVE themselves in economic times with a false God not realizing the false altar and god they gave glory to was making their issues worse -cause they were not turning to God HOW MANY ALTARS of dependence and security have we built for SUSTAINING ourselves….. We don’t want to be alone so we build an altar in a bad relationship We don’t want to deal with depression so we build an altar of substance BUT- we got to - TEAR THEM DOWN Judges 6:31-32 (NLT) 31 But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!” 32 From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal defend himself,” because he broke down Baal’s altar.