Judges 3:25-27 “tear it down”

Judges 3:25-27 “tear it down”

Gideon is the reluctant judge.  Gideon is at the winepress beating the wheat, hiding from the Midianites, Israel’s enemy. When Gideon meets the angel of God he ask the question everyone ask. God if you are with us then where are your mighty works of deliverance? We may ask the same question. God where is your healing? Where is your protection? God where is a revival for our church, our home, our life? Lord my enemies oppress me at work or school, where are you to part Mora Lake and drown them all?

This question has many answers but in this case it is part of the reoccurring theme of Judges, “because you have not obeyed God. God tells Gideon that Israel has gone after other God’s. One of the answers to where is God and His power in our life, our church, our communities, may be found in this section of Judges.

1.       Alters of worship to false god’s
a. Israel has broken the first two commandments Ex 20:1-6
b. Gideon’s own father has an alter to Baal and an idol to Asherah
c. false god’s in the church
d. the god of compliancy
e. the god of political correctness
f. The god of money
g. The god of personal sin

2.       Tear them down
a. if we want to see God work in power we must tear them down
b. Gideon is told to tear down the alter to Baal and cut down the Asherah poll
c. Gideon is afraid so he does it at night
d. identify alters and idols through prayer and observation
e. What idols and alters are in your life?
f. confront them and tear them down, remove them from your life.
g. Psalm 139:23&24

3.       Build an alter to the Lord
a. another key to God working in power in our lives is sacrifice
b. Gideon is instructed to build a new alter to the Lord
c. Gideon is told to offer a sacrifice to the true God
d.  Judges 6:34 The Spirit of God clothed Gideon
e. Romans 12:1&2 our life a sacrifice (our wants and desires)
f. John14:15-17 Obedience brings the Spirit’s power

What are your excuses for not living radically for God? What do you keep finding interfering with your walk with God? These are some of your alters and idols. Has God pointed out an alter or idol in your life? There is only one way to deal with it, tear it down. Offer your life as a sacrifice to God and you will be clothed with the Holy Spirit and open the way for God to work in power in your life.