This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Call On The Lord All The Time", Judges 6:11-24, 6/14/2020

   

CALL ON THE LORD ALL THE TIME

Judges 6:11-24

GOD IS ON MY SIDE

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord  appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord  is with you, mighty warrior."

A. Angels are messengers of God.

     1. The Bible says be kind to strangers because you never know

          when you are entertaining an angel.

     2. Have you ever had a personal issue or illness and you couldn’t  

         find a solution?

          a. You prayed about it, sought advice from doctors and

              friends and found no solution.

          b. Then out of the blue, someone comes along and offers you a  

              suggestion that worked.

           c. That person was the angel sent by God.

B. Because of their past sins, Israel was oppressed by the Midianites

     For seven years.

     1. They ate their crops and destroyed their livestock.

     2. Israel cried out to the Lord and He heard their prayer.

     3. The Lord may work through people to answer your prayers.

C. God selects people who are faithful, busy, and reliable to

      serve as His leaders.

   1. Those who the Lord pick to lead will be position and backed

        with His power.

    2. Gideon was given the title of the mighty warrior and assured that

        Lord was on his side.

INVESTIGATE THE WORD OF GOD

    V: 13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord  bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord  has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."

14 The Lord turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

15 "But Lord, Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

A. Many times, God chooses the least likely person to lead.

     1. The race is not always given to the strong and the swift.

          Amos 2:14

        The swift will not escape,

       the strong will not muster their strength,

       and the warrior will not save his life.

  2. You may not be the best or the most talented person, but

       God can use what you have to get His work completed.

B. If you are willing to serve, God will give you the victory

     before the battle starts.

   1. God chose Gideon to save a nation. Not because he was powerful

       or had any greatness, but because he was faithful in his

       service.

   2. You may be the one God chooses for a national assignment.

   3. Notice Gideon was focused on his limitations.

   4. With God, there are no limits.

C. Gideon knew the history of what God had done for Israel.

    1. He wondered why God had not acted sooner.

    2. God chastised Israel for their sins against Him by allowing

       the Midianites to oppressed them.

    3. Sometimes when we are going through trials, we should

        ask the question, what is my part in this?

DEVELOP A LISTENING EAR TO THE LORD’S VOICE

   V:16 The Lord  answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you."

 And the Lord  said, "I will wait until you return."

A. If we dedicated ourselves to God, He will give us favor over man.

     I. It is ok to ask God for a sign when He instructs you to do

  something well beyond your capabilities.

     2. God will confirm His word to you in some extraordinary way.

     3. However, we must follow His instruction

B. While we are waiting on God, prepare a special offering for Him.

     1. God is pleased with our sacrifice when our hearts are sincere.

     2. We have to be prepared to wait on the Lord

BE OBEDIENT TO GOD’S COMMANDS

V:19 Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so. 21 With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord  touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread.

A. God may use what we sacrifice to Him to show us His power and

 presence in our lives.

1. God can multiply our sacrifice and return to us.

       2. In Gideon case, his faith in God was strengthened multifold.

B. God performed a miracle before his eyes.

     1. If you want to see a miracle, look around you and see His

 marvelous works.

     2. God will give you insight into His power if you are willing to

    give Him credit for what you see.

   3. We know the chemical formula of water, H2O.

        But do you know how many molecules it takes to make one drop

        of water?   It is 1.67 sextrillions.

    4. A glass of water is a miracle before your eyes.

    5. It was God who created all the water of the earth.

BUILD AN ALTAR IN YOU LIFE FOR GOD   

V:21 And the Angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord ! I have seen the angel of the Lord  face to face!"

23 But the Lord  said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord  there and called it The Lord  is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

A. Notice in the entire conversation, Gideon did not realize he

     was talking to an angel.

    1. However, Gideon treated who he thought was a man with respect 

        and kindness.

    2. Gideon stopped the work he was doing to entertain the stranger.

    3. That is a practical lesson to us that God can use anyone He

 chooses to give us a message from Him.

B. If we don’t take time to value the presence of others, we may never

     know why God placed them in our lives.

   1. We can learn something valuable from everyone we meet.

   2. The reason is, God made everyone in His image and likeness.

C. The reason Gideon was fearful after he recognized it was the

      angel of the Lord He was talking with, was because of

     the belief that you would die if you saw the Lord.

    1. Look at what God told Moses:

           Ex 33:20

     But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and

     live."

 2. We have to be careful that we don't take scripture out of its contexts

 or add words that are not there.

 3. Gideon didn’t see the face of the Lord, he saw an angel.

D. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but, power, love, and

sound mind.

1. God will comfort us with His Word when we are fearful.

2. To be comforted by His Word, you have to know and believe

     His Word.

E. When we are fearful, the best place to be is in prayer.

     1. When Gideon heard the Word of the Lord, he built

          an altar to the Lord.

     2. To worship the Lord is to gain His attention and approval.

              

         Ps 22:3-4

      Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

     you are the praise of Israel.

      4 In you our fathers put their trust;

     they trusted and you delivered them.

THANK GOD FOR BEING ON YOUR SIDE

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas  77041

For more lesson, follow me on facebook and visit my

Blogs: revmmitchell.com and goodnewrevmitc.blogspot.com

   

   

Bible Study Series, "How To Handle Racial Inequalities God's Way, John 2:1-10John 2:1-10

   

 HANDLING RACIAL INEQUALITIES

GOD’S WAY

John 2:1-10

In life, problems may arise daily and unexpectedly. Believers

are never told that they will not have problems. In fact Jesus

told us to take up our cross and follow Him.

How do you deal with problems as they arise?

In today’s text, Jesus gives us insight on problem solving.

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

A. The best laid plans can fall apart. This story is about a Jewish wedding     

     celebration which usually last seven days.  On the third day a problem  

      arose.

     To the embarrassment of the family of the groom, they ran out of wine.

     1. Some suggest that it was the third day of the wedding celebration.

     2. It could also have been the third day of the week.

RIGHT ATTITUDE

B. You should prepare yourself for problems just as do for training in any

     activity.

    1. Each day you have to focus your mind on who you are and who’s you

        are.

    2. The best way is to start your day off with prayer.

    3. Ask the Lord to use you as a vessel of his glory

    4. The Bible says ask the Lord what you want in Jesus Name and it

        shall be given to you.

    5. Invite Jesus to walk with you as you go through the day.

    6. The Bible says,    

        Rev 3:20

         Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and  

         open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he      

         with me.

    7. RIGHT EQUIPMENT

       Eph 6:13-19

       Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil    

       comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done

       everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth

       buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness   

       in place,  15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from

       the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the                    

       shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows   

       of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the                          

       sword of the Spirit, which is the word of     

       God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of

       prayers  and requests.

    8. Don’t start your day half dressed.

    9. Don’t ignore Jesus during the day.

    10. The Bible says pray without ceasing.

B. When a problem arises, go to Jesus first.

     1. The problem was they had no wine.

     2. In any problem, someone has to take the lead.

     3. It was not the wedding of one of Mary’s children, but Mary took

         the lead.

     4. When it is time for you to step up and take the lead, God will

          put it on your heart.

WORK WITH THE PROBLEM SOLVER

V:4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has   

   not yet come."

A. When you go to Jesus, go with confidence.

     1. The Apostle James says you should ask without doubting.

        If you doubt, don’t expect any thing.

     2. We should go to God with the expectation that the problem

          is solved in His time.

NO PROBLEM TO BIG FOR JESUS

 B.  Mary understood that the problem was too big for her to handle.   

     1. There is no problem to big for the God we serve.

     2.  America is dealing with a problem of racial injustice along with

         a pandemic and an economic crisis.

     3.  A white police officer intentionally killed a black man by

         putting his knee on the neck with full weight of his body                      

         while the man was handcuffed and down on the ground.

     4. As a result, there are demonstrations in America for racial

         equality.

     5. The problem didn’t start with that police officer.

     6. It began with one race of people who consider themselves

         better than other races and denying others the right to live.

     7. The problem continues because it is protected, regulated,

          and legislated by our government.

     8. Jesus can handle any problem, no matter how big it is, but you have    

          wait on Him to handle it His way.

EXPRESS YOUR CONFIDENCE IN JESUS

V:5. His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you.

A. You have to express your confidence in Jesus to those around you.

    1. Mary told the servant to do what ever Jesus told them to do.

    2. Mary had never seen Jesus do a miracle. Yet she was confident

        that Jesus could handle the problem.

    3. For 30 years, she had watch Jesus grow in the spirit.

    4. She had receive the Word about Jesus form the Angel

         Gabriel which was confirmed by Anna and Simeon in the

         Temple when the baby Jesus was presented to the Lord.

    5. Not only had Mary heard the Word, but she believed the Word.

    6. When needed, Mary acted on the Word.

   

   ACT ON THE WORD   

    7. We should proclaim our faith in Jesus to all we meet

    8. Those around you may be the workers that God will use to

        solve your problems.

    9. We first have to read the Word and believe it for ourselves.

    10. Determine what the Word says about the problem.

    11. When you turn the problem over to Jesus, be

          committed to follow His instructions.

 

GOD USES VOLUNTEERS

A. Everyone who has accepted Christ as their personal savior

    are in the category of volunteer workers.

   1. When we volunteer our services, others are motivated to

       volunteer their services

  2. There are two types of volunteers.

      a. There are those who come to serve in any capacity to help.

      b. There are those who come to use the opportunity to

          serve their own agenda.

 4. In the case of the demonstrations for racial justice, there are

     those who came to make their voices heard to demand

     a change in our system.

     b. But there are those who came under the influence of

        Satan, to steal, kill and destroy.

     c. Violence and the looting are the evil desires of those

         who serve their own agenda.

  5. Let us not get distracted by the violence, but stay focused on

      issues that cause the problem.

  6. In that group of demonstrators are people of all races,

      backgrounds and nationalities.

      a. We have to be proactive in training up our children to stay on the

          Lord’s side.

      b. We have to first look at ourselves to see that we are on the Lord’s

         side.

      c. If we go out without the full armor of Christ we could easily end up on  

          the wrong side.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION OF JESUS

V:6  Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for   

 ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

A. Sometimes, what Jesus instructs us to do may seem strange or go

     against what we think.

     1. We want to fight, but Jesus says stand still.  

         Isa 55:9

        "As the heavens are higher than the earth,

         so are my ways higher than your ways

         and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

     2. We are commanded to show up for the battle, not fight.

     3. Consider what God told Moses with his back up against

          an opposing powerful, well trained Egyptian army.

           a. In front of Moses and the Israelites was the Red Sea.

           b. They had no way to go and no weapons to fight.

            

           Ex 14:13-14

           “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you    

            today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The

            Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

    4. The Israelites, didn’t lift a finger. God opened the Red Sea so they

        walk through on dry sea bed. The Egyptian all dies as the waters

         returned to the right level.

   

OBEDIENCE LEADS TO SUCCESS

    5. Filling the water pots used for purification with water, didn’t

        seem to have anything to do with wine.

    6. Putting wine in to a Jewish purification pot would be against

        their laws.

    7. The servants immediately did what they were instructed to do.

    8. Our problem is we want to rationalize God’s Word. We want to

        form a committee to determine weather God said what He said.

    9. Or we will do what we want to do, then ask God to bless it.

    10.  God does not need our help

    11. God works His way and can use what you have and make it what   

          you need.

GOD WILL BLESS YOUR FAITHFULLNESS

V:8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the    

banquet."

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

A. We don’t need to know how Jesus does things, we just need to trust that

     He will do what we need done.

   1. Often, blessing from God come to us after we have obeyed His

      commands.

   2. A blind man was sent to Siloam, a man with the palsied told to

       stretch out his hand, Lazarus was told to come out of the tomb.

       Each of us was told to believe in Jesus to be saved.

B. The servants took the water from the purification pots and it

     became the wine that blessed the wedding party.

    1. Our obedience affects the lives of others.

    2. The looting and the killing of police officers is not

         the command of God.

    3. The looting and burning of buildings got the attention of

         law makers and the president.

    4. But God can affect lasting change without violence.

    5. All we have to do is stand and raise our hands to praise God.

    6. The Israelites marched around the walled city of Jericho

        seven times at the command of God. With a shout, the

        walls came tumbling down.

    7. Dr Martin Luther King led non violent protests in the 60’s

        and the walls of segregation fell.

C. The problem with protests is they are emotionally

     charged. If emotions does not lead to action, the purpose

     is lost.

    1. After the smoke clears, they are soon forgotten and nothing

        changes.

    2. In 1992, police beat Rodney King. After the police officers

        were acquitted, there were riots in Los Angeles.

    3. After the smoke cleared, it became old news, and 30 years later                   

        nothing has changed.

    4. Change comes when we let God do the fighting.

FOLLOW THROUGH IS ALSO GOD’S WORK

V:10. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

A. You got to have continuous follow through, sharing the Gospel of Jesus

     Christ from generation to generation.

    1. The wine was taken to the expert, who claimed it as the best.

    2. Through our faithfulness, God gives us His best, not his leftovers.

    3. God will ensure that halls of justice change to favor us.

B. The reason we continuously face police violence against the people

     they are paid to serve, is their hearts and minds have not changed.

    1. We keep electing people to political offices who soon serve themselves

        at our expense.

    2. Wait one month and see if the death of George Floyd becomes old

         news. 

        People will soon forget and settle into a normal life which has never    

        been a normal life.

TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH

 A. We have to take a proactive approach and get out to vote for

       those who are interested in change.

    1. Once in office, we have to hold them accountable for their actions.

    2.  We have to teach our children that the only right, is when God is in

          control.

    3. We all have a responsibility to teach the righteousness of God,

          so that we raise up another generation that know what is right.

    4. Down the road there will be more reports of police violence,

         or other issues for demonstrations.

    5. It maybe our children in the next demonstrations.

LET THE NEXT GENERATION KNOW TO STAND WITH GOD

Rev. M. Mitchell

.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "We Serve A God Of Mercy", Judges 3;12-30, 6/7/2020

   

        WE SERVE A GOD OF MERCY

Judges 3:12-30

The nation of Israel did all the wrong things. They made alliances

With nations, they were empowered to destroy.. They forgot

Their God, the one true living God.

    

Judges 3:5-6

5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

They angered God from time to time and only called out to God when they

Were in trouble. Each time God would deliver them after their cry

DISOBEDIENCE RESULTS IN LOSS OF BLESSINGS

V:12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

A. Freedom comes from obedience to the Lord.

    1. If you align yourself with the devil, you will always end in slavery

        and loss of blessing.

    2. When you align yourself up with God, there will be freedom and

        favor from God.

B. We can easily see what happened to Israel because God makes it plain    

     in His Word.

   1. But can we relate our own attitudes to the Israelites?

   2. Are we spiritually doing the same thing?

   3. Are you devoted to God, or are you devoted to your own agenda?

   4. Does God take second place after your desires?

   5. Is this pandemic, racial protests, and violence and economic

       downturn a result of our own defiance against God's command?

C. Only you can answers these questions about yourself truthfully.

    1. Certainly, we can point our fingers at the world and say yes.

    2. We are in this world, so we suffer the same as the world.

    3. To some extent we are guilty because the Word says:

           

         Rom 3:23

         for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS

V:15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer — Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with a tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.

A. When we cry out God, we have allowed Him to bring us a solution in His

      Way.

    1. In answer to their prayer, God gave them a warrior to deliver them

        from the Eglon the king.

    2. But, notice the Israelites sent a gift to the King to make peace.

    3. God did not want peace with the enemy, He wanted revenge.

    4. The Israelite leaders were going to prolong the problem

    5. God will solve the problem.

B. If God let us have our way, there would never be a solution.

   1. The reason we can’t solve the problem of racial inequality

       is everybody wants a compromise but leave the hearts and

        minds of the perpetrators in tack.

   2. God does not compromise with evil.

SOMETIMES GOD SELECT A WARRIOR TO KEEP HIS SECRET

V; 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. 19 At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.

A. God’s plan is not like our plan.

    1. Notice Ehud, sent all the compromised Israelites away

       so that it was only him and king,

    2. We would say killing a man is wrong.

    3. We would say that even though the man had killed

        many of our people, he needs our justice.

    4. The God we serve says vengeance is mind.

    5. Ehud couldn’t tell the Israelites what God had told him to do

        because they would have tried to block the divine plan.

B. We live by a double standard.

    1. If we are at war with another country, killing men, women and

        children is ok.

    2. We kill to protect our country.

    3. The God we serve kills to promote His righteousness.

    4. The king probably had not met a left-handed soldier, so

        he was not alarmed when Ehud, used is left hand to draw the

        hidden sword.

   5. We must remember that the king of Moab and his people were

        enemies to God.

IN THE MIST OF THE ENEMY, GOD PLANS AN ESCAPE

V:23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room    

   behind him and locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

A. God will not put more on us than we can bear.

    1. We have to go boldly before the throne of God and do what

        He commands us to do.

    2. God always gives us a way out of trouble.

    3. The plan to get the king by himself was the hand of God.

    4. To hide the sword in the belly of the king was the hand of God.

    5. For Ehud to get out of the Moab without a fight was the hand

       of God.

B. For Ehud to get to the King had to pass by an array of Moab idol gods.

    1. Idol gods are man-made objects attributed to the imagination

        of evil people.

    2. Notice, God started at the top of the idol infestation.

    3. God has a way of getting to the root of the problem.

    4. Many times we treat the symptom and never get to the

        problem.

    5. In the case of police brutality, we judge the police officers

        and not the system that promotes and enables his/her

        behavior.

   6. In the case of racial inequalities, we attack the laws of the

       government, when the problem is in the hearts and minds of

       the people who apply the laws.

 

GOD CALLS US TOGETHER TO SEE HIS GLORY

V:26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

28 "Follow me," he ordered, "for the Lord  has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over.

A. When God moves, He moves quickly in ways we cannot plan.

    1. While the Moabites were confused about the death of their king.

        God moved to get Israel ready for a successful battle against their

        them.

    2. God called the Israelites together and gave them victory before

        the  battle started.

B. With God on your side, victory is a sure thing.

   1. When God gives us victory, He will confuse the enemy

       so that we can easily take possession of that He has

      for us.

    

       Deut 11:25

       No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he  

       promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land,

       wherever you go.

   2. We have to be obedient and follow the leadership that God  

        put in place.

WHAT GOD HAS FOR ME IS MIND BY FAITH

V:29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

A. There is a time when we have to take to the road and battle the

     Enemy under God’s direction.

   1. It takes faith to go up against an enemy more powerful and

       well equipped than you.

   2. With God on our side, who can stand against us.

    

       Rom 8:31

      What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be   

       against us?

THANK GOD FOR HIS MERCY

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

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