The Kind of Man God Uses, Part 2

0:02 I wanted to ask you a question tonight, and I want you to be honest with me. How many of you were Phi Beta Kappas? Lift your hand. How many of you, when you were in sports, were all state, all conference, or all America? Let me see your hand. Pretty good. How many of you were voted when you were in school most likely to succeed? Let me see your hand. Thank you. Be honest now. How many of you were president of your class? Let me see your hand. How many of you are multimillionaires? Don't lift your hand. How many of you ladies were Miss America, Miss Memphis, or Miss something? Don't, guys don't look around too much. Listen, if you lifted your hand for any of these or all of these, I've got some wonderful news for you.

0:58 God can use you too. You just have to work a little harder to do it. I mean, God's plan is to take ordinary people, barley bread, and do something incredible through them. The Adrian Rogers Pastors Podcast is a wellspring of biblical encouragement encouragement specifically for those called to preach the word, love the church, and lead with integrity. Listen now and be strengthened for the road ahead.

1:38 Sir, see it clearly, see it plainly. If God be for us, who can be against us? don't you ever ever ever ever ever let the devil intimidate you he has no power none none none none over you except what you allow him to have and you needn't allow it God uses men a vision God uses men of valor. Thirdly, God uses men of vigilance. Let me share the scripture now. Judges chapter 7, verses 4 and following.

2:31 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down into the water, and I will try them for thee there. That means I will test them. And it shall be that of whom I say unto thee, this shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I say unto thee, this shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought them down, so he brought them down, so he brought down the people unto the water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth, him shall you set by himself. Likewise, everyone that bows down upon his knees to drink, and the number of them that lapped putting their hand to the mouth were 300 men. But all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the 300 men that lapped will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hand, and let all the other people go every man to his own place.

3:39 Now it was a test. God said to Gideon, take the people down there by the spring of Harod and tell them to get a drink. A thousand go down there. There's some men who were vigilant. They would put their hand in the water and bring it up and lap from the hand as a dog would lap water from a stream. There were other men who got on all fours, put their face down, and began to suck up the water from the stream. Can you imagine how vulnerable a man who was supposed to be a soldier would be on all fours with his face down and the enemy all out there? There were men who were vigilant, however. They're watching as they drink.

4:35 God knows that we have legitimate needs. We need food. We need water. We need many things, recreation. But we cannot let any need or any desire take away our vigilance. You know, I talked to you about boldness and fearlessness. But that doesn't mean that you're to be cavalier. you're to watch and pray and uh never my preacher brother never listen to me never let down your guard if you think that you have the victory because you're bold and because you had the vision and yet you're not vigilant you're going to go down the bible says be sober be vigilant your adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

5:31 Well you say, Pastor, I thought you said I have victory over Satan. You do. But if you're not vigilant, he like a roaring lion will pounce you. And you need not only to have a boldness, but you need to have some fear. You need to be afraid of sin. I heard Billy Graham say one day, I stay scared. I stay frightened. May I say that's true of my own life? I pray, oh God, keep me from evil.

6:10 You younger preachers, many of you have let down the bar. You're watching filthy movies. that you have no business watching. You're going to places of recreation that you have no business going. And some of my preacher friends are using language that is an embarrassment. Some are using, for illustrations in the sermons, video clips from R-rated films, assuming that the congregation has seen it and letting the congregation assume that you've seen it. Stop it. You are down on all fours sucking up water, and you're vulnerable. Do you know what temptation is?

7:04 Temptation is often an undetected weakness, an unexpected temptation, and an unprotected life. And that can happen to any of us at any time if we do not become men of vigilance. Because Satan, like a roaring lion, is going about seeking whom he may devour. A tiger met a lion as they sat beside the pool. Said the tiger to the lion, why are you roaring like a fool? That's not foolish, said the lion with a twinkle in his eyes. They call me the king of all beasts. because I advertise.

7:48 A rabbit heard them talking, ran home like a streak. He thought he'd try the lion's plan, but his roar was just a squeak. A fox came to investigate and had his lunch in the woods. So, my friend, when you advertise, be sure you've got the goods. Don't you go swaggering around and say, well, I'm not afraid of the devil. Well, don't be afraid of the devil, but be vigilant. Be vigilant. Guard your life. Nothing puts a man more out of the reach of the devil than old-fashioned holiness. Guard your life. Now, what kind of a man was this man, Gideon? He was a man of vision.

8:42 He had an encounter with the living God. He was a man of valor. God called him a mighty man of valor. But he was also a man of vigilance. And God is saying, I want to use you and your band of men because of your vigilance. So Gideon's army now is reduced to 300. Number four, God uses men of vitality. Let me tell you something interesting that happened. God said to Gideon, Gideon, all of those Midianites are down there like the sand on the seashore, but I want you to take a friend, and I want you to go down there to the camp of the enemy, and I want you to reconnoiter. I want you to listen. I want you to see what is happening there in the camp of the enemy. And so I'm reading Judges 7, beginning in verse 12.

9:37 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude, and the 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. Now Gideon's outside the tent and he's eavesdropping. Two men inside the tent are talking. One man said to the other, the hosts. And it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof that he worshiped and returned unto the host of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. I've said that God uses men of vitality. All of this was a tremendous object lesson that God was giving to Gideon. He said, Gideon, you need to go and get an insight into the enemy's camp.

11:06 And this man told his dream. He sees a loaf of barley bread come tumbling down the mountainside. And this little weak bun, a wad of bread, a barley cake, hits this tent and flattens the whole thing. One of the men said, I'll tell you what that is. That loaf of barley bread, that's Gideon. That is Gideon. Now, why barley bread? Well, barley was the coarsest, the cheapest, we'll say the most inferior bread. This was not whole wheat. This was not vitamin enriched. This is barley bread. But this barley bread was infused with divine greatness, and God takes nothing and adds his something to it, and it becomes mighty.

12:09 God puts his vitality into a man of God. The man Adrian Rogers is nothing, nothing, nothing apart from the anointing. God takes ordinary people, and God gives ordinary people extraordinary power and then God gets the glory. I brought my special coat tonight. I wanted you to see it. I'm wearing it because it is a very special coat. I want you to see what it can do. Coat, wave your arms. coat hold up your notes pretty good huh coat stand erect you say Adrian that's dumb that's not the coat that's you in the coat you read here in the word of God where the Bible says the spirit of the Lord clothed himself with Gideon how would you like for God to wear you like suit of clothes that's what he wants to do he wants to take of you mr. barley bread and make something mighty of you god wants to wear you like a suit of clothes remember this if you're going around all hung over and saying i just don't believe god can use me that's not humility it's poor posture If you're barley bread, don't forget God is God.

13:46 I'll give you a New Testament. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound those things which are mighty. I wanted to ask you a question tonight, and I want you to be honest with me. How many of you were Phi Beta Kappa's? Lift your hand. Uh-huh. How many of you, when you were in sports, were all state, all conference, or all America? Let me see your hand. Pretty good. How many of you were voted when you were in school most likely to succeed? Let me see your hand. Thank you.

14:38 Be honest now. How many of you were president of your class? Let me see your hand. How many of you were multimillionaires? Don't lift your hands. How many of you ladies were Miss America, Miss Memphis, or Miss something? Guys, don't look around too much. Listen, if you lifted your hand for any of these or all of these, I've got some wonderful news for you. God can use you too. you just have to work a little harder to do it I mean God's plan is to take ordinary people barley bread and do something incredible through them these men Dr. Gaines were stricken with fear over a loaf of barley bread you know I wonder if sometime we don't need to eavesdrop on hell and hear one demon say to another demon if those christians really ever let jesus christ out of that grave hell help us all heaven will break loose Listen, you say, well, I'm not afraid of the devil.

16:03 That's not even the question. Is the devil afraid of you? He ought to be. Jesus said, I've given you authority over all the power of the enemy. Again, don't you insult God saying he can't use you, Mr. Barley Bread. It's not scholarship. it's relationship it's not ability it's availability it's not your fame it's your faith it's not who you are but whose you are that counts i had an experience i'll never forget down at merritt island we had something called a week of champions and we got all the great athletes we could get from athletes in action campus crusade other local athletes to come to the local school gymnasium and give a testimony. Among those who came was Paul Anderson. Paul Anderson at that time was the strongest man in the world. He was only about that high, but also about that wide. He had gone to Russia and lifted more weight than any man who had ever lived. Even the Russians cheered him on back in that time when the Cold War was so strong. Paul Anderson came and gave his testimony.

17:21 He said, people ask me, were you ever a 97-pound weakling? He said, yes, when I was four years old. I mean, he was to touch him. He looked pudgy, but you touch him, he's like polished steel, just strong. And I remember Paul Anderson's testimony. He talked about his love for the Lord Jesus. And then he said, if the strongest man in the world needs Jesus, so do you. That was a great testimony. Next Sunday, the First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, I gave an invitation. A college student came forward, and I said, why'd you come? He said, I have become a Christian. I want to make it public. I want to be baptized. I said, that's wonderful. When did you become a Christian? He said, during the week of champions. I said, what night? He said, the night Paul Anderson spoke.

18:14 I said, that was wonderful. What was it that Paul Anderson said that convicted you? He said, I don't remember what Paul Anderson said. He said, I don't remember anything about it. I said, well, what touched your heart? He said, you had a time of open testimony, free testimony, and there was a paraplegic there in a wheelchair, and some men lifted him up to the platform, and he wheeled that chair around, and with a face shining like the noonday sun, he told what Jesus Christ meant to him. and when I heard that boy, I knew that his faith was real and I knew that I had to have what he had and I gave my heart to Jesus. I thought in that room was the strongest man in the world and God used a man in a wheelchair to bring a college student to Jesus Christ. Listen. Mr. Barley Bread, God wants someone just like you. If you'll be a man of vision and a man of valor and a man of vitality, God can use you.

19:25 Now, here's the final thing I want to say, that God uses men of victory. You see, God gave Gideon the victory. And God will always give the man of God the victory. Thanks be unto God, listen to this, who causeth us always to triumph in Christ Jesus. Let's see how the victory was given. Judges 7, verses 15 through 21. And it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped and returned unto the host of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. And he divided the 300 men into three companies. And he put a trumpet in every man's hand with empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look unto me and do likewise.

20:22 Behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with the trumpet, and I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. So Gideon and the 300 men that were with him came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they that had but newly set watch, and they blew the trumpets and break the pitchers that were in their hand. And the three companies blew the trumpets and break the pitchers and held the lamps in their left hand and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with all. And they cried, the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp.

21:17 And all the host ran and cried and fled. Here's a small army, a strange arsenal, trumpets, pitchers, and lamps. It's almost laughable, but the Bible teaches that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. And the order of the day was just obedience and faith. How did they win the victory? First of all, listen. It was a matter of boldness. A matter of boldness. Lo, the trumpet. Do you know what that was? That was a declaration of war.

22:01 Now, they're surrounded by all these Midianites. And here they're doing just 300 of them. And they're saying, let the battle begin. I heard of a sergeant who said to his company, men, we're surrounded by the enemy. don't let a one of them escape.

22:25 That's what Gideon was doing. He was bold. I want to go back to the fact that God uses men of valor. I love the motto of the French Foreign Legion. If I falter, push me on. If I stumble, pick me up. If I retreat, shoot me. Friend, when they blew the trumpet, when they blew the trumpet, they said the battle is on. The battle is on. You know what you need to do? You need to lift up your voice like a trumpet and say, Satan, here I come. Here I come. I'm here. I am anointed and appointed for the battle. When I go into the pulpit, I can take my Bible and I can hold it high. and I can say with a trumpet voice, the sword of the Lord and of Adrian.

23:27 And you can do the same thing. God that was with Gideon is the God that will be with you. It was a matter of boldness and it was a matter of brokenness. They had pitchers in the hand, clay pitchers. And God said, break them. Now, what does that talk to me about? We have a treasure in an earthen vessel. Men throw broken things away. God never, ever really uses anything until he first breaks it. A broken and a contrite spirit thou will not despise, O God. Preacher. stop strutting.

24:13 Humble yourself before the hand of God. I was reading today, God resists the proud. He gives grace unto the humble. Have you ever thought about God resisting you? God setting himself in battle array against you? Again, I want to tell you, we need to be broken before the Lord. A broken and a contrite spirit God will not despise. it was not until the vessel was broken that the light shined forth. It was a matter of boldness. It was a matter of brokenness. And it was a matter of brightness. They had the torch. And they held it high. What is your commission as a man of God? to let your light shine, to shine forth in a sinful, dark world.

25:08 Friend, let me tell you the power of light. There's not enough darkness in this world to put out the light of one candle. You let your light shine. You come before the Lord, and you say, oh God, I'm declaring war. I'm blowing the trumpet. I have the sword in my hand. It is the sword of your mighty power and my union with you. Oh, God. Oh, God. I am less than the least. Oh, God, break me, mold me, make me. Lord, here is your word. Here is your truth. Let the light shine. And I'm going to tell you what. beyond the shadow of any doubt or peradventure, God