You Can Do It!

I'm so excited to get into the Word of God.

If you have your Bibles, I want you to go to the book of Judges, chapter number six.

I want you to go to the book of Judges, chapter number six.

It is my assignment today to put some courage on the inside of you.

It is my assignment today to speak God's word until the situation that you are in right now starts to shrink against the backdrop of how big your God is in that same situation.

Can I preach to you today?

I feel a little preachy today.

Do I have your permission to be a little louder than I would normally be?

Yeah! Okay, okay.

Alright, so Judges chapter number six.

Judges chapter number six.

I'm reading from the New Living Translation of the Bible.

And here is what it says the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight.

So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.

The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza.

They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.

These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts.

They arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count.

And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.

So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites.

Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

When they cried out to the Lord because of Midian, the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites.

He said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt.

I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you.

I drove out your enemies and gave you their land.

I told you, I am the Lord your God.

You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live, but you have not listened to me.

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Oprah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abizer.

Gideon, son of Joash, was threshing wheat at the bottom of a wine press to hide the grain from the Midianites.

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.

Sir, Gideon replied, If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?

And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?

Didn't they say the Lord brought us up out of Egypt?

But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.

And the Lord turned to him and said, Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites.

I am sending you the Lord.

Gideon replied, How?

Like, how can I rescue Israel?

My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh.

I don't know why I gave him a southern accent just now, but and I am the least in my entire family.

The Lord said to him, I will be with you.

And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.

That was so good.

If you're taking notes on this message, the title of this message is simply four words.

You can do this.

You can do this.

As a matter of fact, if you're taking notes, put that in first person.

I can do this.

That way you know when you look back, you remember you were talking to yourself when you wrote it.

Bow your hands, let's pray over the word, shall we?

Holy Spirit, convince us we can do it.

Amen.

Judges chapter number six, we are introduced to several things that are going on.

It's not just the introduction of Gideon.

We are now introduced again to the disobedience of the children of Israel in a corporate sense, not an individual, but as a people group.

The Lord's chosen, set aside, sanctified for a covenant relationship with the God of the universe.

They have once again seen their affection, fidelity, and their worship drawn away, distracted, and turned from God so that they can practice like the nations around them.

Anytime we find ourselves in that lull where our affections are being drawn away slowly from our affection to God, there are consequences that come with that.

Scriptures are clear that the children of Israel disobeyed the Lord, and as a result, they saw consequences happen to them.

The Midianites came in, and every time harvest came, calamity came.

Every time it was time for them to bring in uh what has grown, the production, the produce, uh the Midianites, the Amalekites would all rush in and take it all away.

They ravaged the land to the point that they were at starvation.

And isn't it amazing that uh most times, and and and I wish we would be more self-aware, but most times uh we don't turn our attention back to God until we hit rock bottom.

We should get a clue early.

But but sometimes it takes a rock bottom experience for us to remember the covenant that we have with God.

And they cried out to the Lord and they said, Lord, help us.

This is this is ridiculous.

We are all starving.

A prophet comes first to give them context to what they had been going through, because a loving God is never gonna come in and give you the freedom without giving you the context to what he did in the first place.

And so he comes back and he says, Hey, remember now the the the God of your salvation, he's the one that brought you up and out of Egypt, and it's because of you turning away that you found yourself in this situation, but God's not gonna leave his people abandoned.

What's interesting is that uh he goes to a man named Gideon.

I just want you to think about this.

Gideon, uh so affected by uh uh the the uh ravaging of the Midianites and the Amalachites that he's literally threshing wheat in a wine press.

His location does not match his vocation.

He is hiding out because he doesn't want anybody to come, and an angel of the Lord presents himself to Gideon and says some words that should breathe life into each and every person that would ever hear it.

Mighty hero.

If I was ever in my quiet time or threshing wheat in a wine press, and the Lord appeared to me and called me a mighty hero, I would believe him.

I mean, not just believe him, I would go tell everybody around in my family, guess what?

The Lord just said something to me in my quiet time, and it was absolutely amazing.

He said, I'm his hero.

But how many of you all know that you can be under such duress during a certain season of your life that even when God himself tries to encourage you, it's hard for you to receive.

Mighty hero! The Lord is with you, and he says, Sir, whoever you are, how don't you see the stuff that we're going through?

And what about all the testimonies from from from from my my parents and my grandparents and my great-grandparents of the faithfulness of God?

Look at the situation that we're now in.

Seemingly the angel ignores his retort and just says back to him, go with the strength that you have.

Then Gideon, so self-conscious, tries to remind God who he is.

Half of us did 23andme, the other half did uh uh ancestry.com.

And here's what we found out.

Um at our family reunion, like if you would all gather us up by tribe and clan, um, we're the weakest tribe out of like all the tribes, and then like from those tribes, right?

Uh we're the weakest clan out of all the families in our tribe, and then we did one just by family, and you know what we found out?

I'm actually the weakest one, and we found this out on a weak day.

I'll just try, I try, try my best.

Um, we're weak, and and and there's no way that you could be calling me because I know the way I see myself.

Listen, I I came on assignment to encourage somebody that when God says a word to you, he has already taken into account who he's told the word to, and his word is not going to come back void simply because you don't think you match up with the word that he's spoken.

And so, and so you can do it.

In the same way Gideon had to find out that he could do it, you can do it too.

I'm gonna give you three reasons why you can do it.

Point number one, please write this down.

Because God has plans for you.

Simply put, the reason why you can do it is because God has plans for you.

Here's what it says in Judges chapter number six, verse number 12.

He said, The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.

If he's with you, that means he has a plan for you.

And when he heard this, he should have been so excited.

But but the way that he saw himself hindered him from the way that God saw him.

And it's interesting to me that even today, when given encouragement that comes straight from Scripture, it is very, very difficult for people to receive and believe.

I'm gonna prove it right now.

Here's what it says in Ephesians chapter number two, verse number 10.

For we are God's masterpiece.

God has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

I rest my case.

And let me tell you why.

I rest my case.

And you literally sat there.

Either you already know and are so convinced you're too used to it now, or you can't believe it because of the way you see yourself.

So I'ma try it again.

For we are God's masterpiece.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he did, what he planned for us to do long ago.

Now, listen, here's the reason why the majority of us can't can't receive something like that.

Because we can't receive a simple compliment uh uh just going about our everyday life through the week.

It's amazing to me how many people I'll go up to and I'll be like, man, you're you're that's a nice sweater.

Oh, this old thing, man, I just got it from Target like five years ago and I just held on to it.

I did not ask you all that.

The only thing you had to say was thank you and move on.

But you see yourself in a different way.

If somebody comes up to you and says, Hey, I really like your hair.

Oh my goodness, I haven't been to the hairdresser in like three weeks.

I made two appointments, but she had to cancel.

She has a lot going on in her life.

I did not ask you all that.

Your hair looks cute right now, just say thank you and walk away.

The reason why we usually have disclaimers is because we don't believe it ourselves.

So I say you are God's masterpiece.

Right now.

And here's what the enemy's gonna start convincing you of.

Not right now.

You you you you know what your week's been like.

You're not a masterpiece, you're working on being a masterpiece.

You're being perfected daily, but you know what the stuff, you know your family, you know what you did last summer.

Can't believe 80 people still remember that reference.

You you you you you know you know what life has been like, but but the truth of scripture says that right now, right this very minute, no matter what you have going on in your life, you could be at the mountaintop, you could be at the bottom of the valley, but the truth of scripture says that right now, you are God's masterpiece right this minute.

And he goes on to say, and and he's he's he's made you anew in Christ Jesus so you can do the things that he did.

What plan for you to do?

Do you know that God has plans for you?

Do you know that when you gave your life to Jesus Christ, he was like, Michael is in the kingdom.

I got plans.

Can't believe Michael gave his life to me, it is on.

I'm about to break those generational curses over Michael's life, and he's about to do some incredible things for the kingdom of God.

There's a guy named Billy in the cubicle next to him.

We're gonna work through Michael first to get Billy.

Billy's gonna get Tommy, Tommy's gonna get Sharon, Sharon's gonna get Micah, and it's going to be a house party in the kingdom of God.

I have plans.

God has plans for you.

Whether you are eight or eighty, he has plans for you.

He's not done with you.

And this season is temporary.

The enemy will try to play a tape in your head that you're gonna be in this situation always.

But when God has plans for you, he can make the worst situation turn out to be the place where he gets the most glorification.

So the reason why you can do it is because God has plans for you.

Point number two, please write this down.

The reason why you can do it is because God is strong in you.

This is so good.

Here's what it says in verse number 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.

I'm gonna deal with this, I am in the third point.

This is a profound verse to me.

Especially since Gideon sees himself for a certain way.

I'm the weakest of the weakest of the weakest person in my entire family.

And here's God's response to that.

Go with the strength that you have.

But I just told you I'm weak.

Yeah.

Go weak.

But like I'm so frail, and and the wind will blow me over.

Cool.

Go.

But but but you don't know what family that I came from and and and the and and and all my past.

He's like, yeah, just go.

But you don't know where my marriage is right now, and and all the stuff that I'm going through, and my kids are going crazy.

And he's like, Yeah, go.

Isn't it amazing how many excuses we give to God against the word he's already given to us?

If I just leave and 20 people walk away going, I can do this.

Even through my weakness, I can do this.

Even though there's no money, I can do this.

Even though there is no support, I can do this.

Here's what it says in 2 Corinthians chapter number 12, verses 1 through 8.

Um, I'm sorry, verses 8 through 10.

Uh, three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.

This is Paul talking.

Each time he said, My grace is all you need.

Now, can we just pause?

This would be a frustrating day.

If you go into your prayer closet and you're like, I need some, I need, I need you to fix it, Jesus.

And he's like, My grace is all you need.

Not the answer I was looking for, and praying again.

Anybody beside me prayed something?

Didn't get the answer you wanted, was like, I don't think you heard me.

You're gonna try this again.

Three times.

The response was, My grace is all you need.

My power works best in what?

Weakness.

Paul gets the point so fast, it is shocking.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses.

Really, Paul, that quick?

You resolved this too quick.

So that the power of Christ can work through me.

That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let me tell you why Gideon was qualified to do what God was calling him to do.

He was aware of his weakness.

And as long as he knew his weakness, he would never get confused about where the strength came from.

God has some of you, it's a situation right now that you will never get out of by yourself, but with the strength of God behind you, you are gonna have a breakthrough in that area that you thought you were going to fall in, and God's gonna get all the glory, and you're never gonna try to take the credit.

He made it plain to us that I'm gonna be with you because I'm strong on the inside of you.

Take all your weakness and obey.

Take what you have and take one step forward.

And I promise you, I will show up strong in your situation.

The only thing he's ever needed from us is obedience to do what he's called us to do.

Point number three, please write this down.

The third reason why you can do it, simply put, is because God is with you.

Bottom line.

God is with you.

Don't you say that with me?

God is with, put it, me.

Again, God is with.

It's with me.

Here's what God promised in verse number 16 of Judges 6.

The Lord said to him, I will be with you.

Period.

That's all you need to know for whatever season of life you are going through right now, is that God is with me.

He's with me.

Here's a promise that he gives in Isaiah chapter number 43, verses 1 through 3.

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you, O Israel.

The one who formed you says, Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name.

Listen how possesses these next three words are you are mine.

When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up.

The flames will not consume you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

That's good news.

That's good news right there.

Listen.

This last part in verse number three, uh uh it says, For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

For I am the Lord your God.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

See, um, keep that up there.

Um for I am the Lord your God.

The way we read that is not the way the strength of the verse really reads.

For I am.

Anytime he says, I am, he's referring to that same I am that he first told Moses in Exodus chapter number three.

Here's what it says in Exodus chapter number three.

Uh Moses wanted to know, I have to go back to Egypt.

Who's gonna go with me?

Who should I take?

Who should I say sent me?

God replied to Moses, I am who I am.

Say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you.

This is so good.

The moment he says, I am, it changes the entire sentence.

When he says, I am the Lord, what he's saying is, I am.

That's my name.

Here's what it says in my NLT study Bible.

This is just a note that it says, and I just want to read it to you.

It says that I am who I am.

This name could also be translated, I will be what I will be.

That's saucy right there.

Who is your God?

My God is the great I am.

Who is the great I am?

Whatever he will be, he will be.

Whatever I need him to be, he will be that.

It's what I call the blank check name.

Whatever I need him to be, he becomes that.

If I need him to be water out of a rock, here comes some water.

If I need him to be bread that comes down from heaven, here comes the manna.

If I need him to be a cloud by day, here comes the cloud.

If I need him to be a pillar of fire by night, he becomes that.

He will be whatever he will be, whatever you need him to be, he will become that.

He says, the God, it speaks of a God who is self-sufficient, self-existent, all-encompassing, and without limitations, the one being in the entire universe who is not dependent on something else for his existence.

That's who the I am.

So, so let me take you to another verse.

John chapter number eight, verse number 58.

Jesus answered in response to who are you?

And there's this whole uh back and forth between uh uh uh Jesus and and and they're talking about Abraham, and and Jesus says this uh this is how he ends it, and this is a gangster way to end a conversation.

Some of y'all have already read it up there, it's gangster.

Jesus answered, I tell you the truth.

Anytime somebody starts with that, they're about to hit you with something that you're not even ready for.

I'll tell you the truth.

Before Abraham was even born, I am.

Now, that's the same I am from Exodus chapter number three.

It's the same I am from Isaiah chapter number 43.

But this time we see the I am with skin on.

This time we see the I am not just in word, but in deed, expressed, incarnate, God with us, Emmanuel.

The I am walking around, so you can see what God is saying.

That I am walking around with his people.

Here's the reason why you can do it because he is with you.

Matthew chapter number 28, verse number 20 says this teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.

And be sure of this.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Now I should read that again, right?

After everything we just we should read that again because we should slow down because we shouldn't just read it like I am with you always.

It should be read like this.

I am with you.

The I am with you.

When?

Always, even until the end of the age.

Do you know why you can do this?

Because you have the great I am with you always, even until the end of the age.

Oh come on, somebody should be excited about that.

I have the I am that I am, the I will be what I will be with me always, even until the end of the age.

I I remember uh I gave my life to Jesus Christ January 14th of 1996.

I was sitting in the back of my parents' church, minding my own business, waiting for church to be over so I could go to Venice Beach.

I just thought it would be nice since I still lived in my parents' house to go to church.

But uh I wasn't the type of kid that played church.

I wasn't saved.

My parents were preachers, and I just sat in the back and waited for it to be over.

I giggled at the people that spoke in tongues.

I'm sitting in the back of the church this one day.

And the Holy Spirit said, You're a sinner.

And it was the most matter-of-fact statement I had ever heard.

There was no condemnation in the statement.

It was the statement of fact.

Like you have on a white shirt.

You're a sinner.

And it was the first time I was consciously aware of it, and I busted into tears.

But I'm in a Pentecostal church, and service had just started, so it's not gonna be over for like another 90 minutes to two hours.

And so I'm sitting here, like I'm aware of the fact I need to give my life to Christ right now, but I have like another two hours.

I can't wait that long.

So I jumped up during testimony service.

If you've ever been in a church that had testimony service, people would get up and testify about the faithfulness and goodness of Jesus.

I'm sitting in the back and I stand up and I was like the fifth person.

Everybody was long-winded that day.

I had to wait a long time.

And they finally got to me, and and and my father said, Uh, Tim, what do you have to say?

And I said, I give up.

And it's a small church, about 50 people, and small church, 50 people, nosiness.

Give up what?

I need to give my life to Christ right now.

And I came up to the front.

No sermon had been preached.

All the to the front during testimony service, and I gave my life to Jesus Christ right then and there.

Right there and there.

Now listen, here's the thing.

At 20 years old, that kid that walked up to that front had been sexually abused, addicted to pornography, low self-esteem, insecurity, weak.

I get it.

I understand Gideon completely.

But then he gives a word.

Mighty hero.

Who?

You.

I want to use you to preach.

Nah.

Nah, you ain't talking to me.

I'm gonna be in law enforcement.

I said, no, no, that's your plan.

But my plans.

I've been waiting for January 14th of 1996 since I said, let there be light.

I plan for you to do this.

And if you would simply walk in my direction, taking all your weakness with you, 23 years later, there'll be strength that you can only give glory to God for.

I'm telling you, if he does it for me, he is no respecter of persons.

God wants to do it for you.

You can do this.

The great I am is with you.

He is in you, he wants to work through you to give you an expected and a hope and glory that you cannot give credit to anybody else for.

You can do this, and God's willing to help you.