Rise Above Your Excuses | Rise Above | Pastor Rob Koke | Shoreline Church | Message

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Good morning, everyone. It's great to have you. Welcome, welcome, welcome. We want to give a huge welcome to all of you who are watching online from around the community, the state, the nation, even in some cases around the world. And we're so honored that you're joining us here today. Come on, let's give it up for everybody who's watching online. I know it's hard to imagine, but we have nearly 20,000 people that are watching this particular service all week long at Shoreline Behind Bars. Let's welcome all of those that are a part of our service today. And if you don't mind, let's all of us stand to our feet. We do something at the beginning of every single message. We wrap our understanding around a collection of phrases that we call our Shoreline Creed. It just helps to remember that Christianity, at the end of the day, is all about God's amazing love for us, his grace, and we celebrate that in this creed that we recite. If you're new to Shoreline, you can just read along. The rest of us, we're going to say this with some enthusiasm and passion. You guys ready? Here we go. I am loved by God. I cannot earn it. I cannot lose it.

I am forgiven and made brand new. In Christ, I live with passion and purpose. I am empowered by the Spirit to be the church in the world and to live this love revolution. Come on, let's give God praise for that. You may be seated. You know, sometimes my kids, when they were younger, growing up in our house, would ask for the most ridiculous things you could ever imagine. Around Christmas and around their birthdays. You know, I would guess that they really believed in their heart of hearts that money grew on trees. And sometimes they would ask for something, and I would say, you are out of your ever-living mind. Like I remember one time Danielle asking for an air-conditioned dollhouse. And then there was Caleb who asked not for a poster of this animal. He wanted a real live tiger at our house. When Luke was 17, he asked for a car. Now, he's not the only person in our family that asked for a car. Last week we celebrated our granddaughter's birthday, and she asked for a car, and she's only three. And what did we do? We bought her a car. Yeah, we did. But when you think about some of the ridiculous requests that your kids have made to you and our kids to us, there's something endearing about it. Because, you know, they're not conscious. They're not aware, especially at those younger years. They're not aware of the cost of things. But, you know, we've provided for them, and so they just go wild with their imagination

and just think that anything is possible. They're insecure in our love, and so they just take the filters off and just make their requests. But you know what? That is not always the case with us and God. And wouldn't it be a tragedy that we would actually expect more from our earthly parents than what our Heavenly Father can give us? You know, we've been talking about Gideon. We kicked it off last week. And we started out just talking about this place that the Israelites found themselves in. They were held captive by the Midianites, right? And we read about how they planted seed, but then the enemy would come and steal what they had planted. They were oppressed. They were discouraged. And they were caught in a cycle that lasted seven years long. And Gideon, he's kind of in a wine press that's like a basement, and he's trying to do his best to get some resources for his family. The whole nation of Israel cries out to the Lord, and then listen to what happens. God sends an angel to Gideon. We read it here in Judges 6 and verse 12, and this is, you know, again, a recap from last week. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Now, think about that for a moment. If you were going through a difficult set of circumstances and an angel showed up and said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior, wouldn't you think that this is the time that the victory was gonna happen? I mean, Gideon, he hears this angel

and I'm thinking, if it was me, all right, that settles it. Let's go kick some Midianite butt. But Gideon has some issues. And it's one of the reasons why I love this story so much, because it is so connected to the human experience. The emotions that Gideon expresses, the words that he uses in this story, it's really your story and my story. It's an honest story about how life really is. So the Lord shows up and says, I am with you, mighty warrior, and listen to how Gideon responds to that declaration. He says, pardon me, my Lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us? Where are all the wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hands of Midian. Gideon had lost his hope. He had lost his strength. He had lost that kind of childlike wonder to expect that God could do for him what needed to be done. He says, where are all the miracles? We've heard about miracles. We've heard about what you've done in the past. Pardon me, Lord. And what cracks me up a little bit about it

is that he's polite when he asks. He says, pardon me. I kind of hear it in a British accent or a French accent. Pardon me, me Lord. That's the worst British accent you've ever heard. In the first service, my daughter begged me not to do it again. Pardon me, but why have we struggled this long? I heard about what you did before. Why aren't you doing it now? You brought us out of Egypt, but now we feel abandoned. If you are good, then why do bad things happen? Gideon has lost that sense of wonder. And he probably has descended into a place that many people descend into where you expect more from your own mom or dad than you do about the creator of the universe whose head over heels in love with you. In fact, I think this problem is so pervasive that Jesus himself had to address this issue when he walked on planet Earth. So many people were caught in this mindset. And I would imagine that many of us here this morning can find ourselves in that place. And Jesus had to set the record straight. He said, if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask? Have you ever felt like Gideon?

You see the promises in God's word. You hear the testimonies of what he's done. But you just wonder why it's not happening to you. One of the biggest questions that people have, why does bad things happen to good people? Laura and I had to wrestle with that. When we experienced in our lives the worst tragedy that anyone can experience, the loss of a son in a tragic car accident. We asked that question over and over and over again. Why does bad things happen? To good people. So I'm not upset with Gideon for asking this question because he is me and he is you. Gideon had years of disappointment and things are not working out the way that he had hoped. And then suddenly somebody shows up and says that the Lord is with you, oh mighty warrior. And he's hiding out in the basement. And he hears this voice, the Lord is with you, oh mighty warrior. And he's thinking to himself, oh not only are we fighting the Midianites, not only are we. in bondage, but I'm here in this cellar and there's a mighty warrior in here with me. Gideon is disappointed. And sometimes we can get that way, can't we? There's a tension that we feel when we read a promise in God's word

and then we look at the circumstances in our lives and it's not measuring up. We have a financial need and we read this promise. My God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory. And we're saying, what's the deal, God? Here's the promise and here's the need and I feel the tension that that promise creates. Maybe you get a report from the doctor and it's not a good report, whether it be heart disease or cancer or some other challenge. And you read this promise that says that by his stripes, I am healed and then you look at your circumstances and you feel that tension. That's where Gideon is out. That's where Gideon is at in this particular moment. And we're very polite people ourselves, right? If we're going through a challenge and somebody says that they're praying for me, you know, says that they're praying for us, we would never say this out loud. We might think it, but we would never say it out loud. We're way too polite. We would say, thank you so much. You know, you're taking some time to pray. It's a wonderful thing. It's a beautiful thing that you're doing that. And it truly is. We feel that, but I think at times

we can also get to a place emotionally where we say, well, if you're praying, why isn't it working out? Your prayers are not working. If you would be better at praying, maybe we would see a miracle. Now we would never say that. And most of you, of course, would never think it, but I'm a little bit flawed. So here is Gideon and he's just like us and he's dealing with that tension and he's remembering, you know, the testimonies of what God did in the past, the 10 plagues that set him free from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, you know, the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day, the manna that came from heaven, water that came from Iraq. And he's saying, God, I know you've done it in the past. Why aren't you doing it right now? And he's frustrated and he's a little bit angry and he's questioning where are the miracles? Because right now I'm living in fear. Right now I barely can survive. My head is just above water. Right now I'm feeling forgotten and I'm not okay living this way. That's what he's basically saying. I want my circumstances to change. And perhaps you've felt that way. Maybe you've read some miracles in the Bible

or you heard someone in your small group give a testimony and you just wish that it was your testimony. You see things happening in other people's lives and you wonder why bad things happen to good people in your world. What's kind of interesting about this passage is that God doesn't answer Gideon's question. Gideon's question is, God, why aren't you doing miracles? Why aren't you doing what you did before? God doesn't answer that question. I think one of the reasons why God doesn't answer that question is because he knows that the answer will never fully satisfy. There are some things that we're just gonna have to wait until we get to heaven. I mean, I've asked God why when I think about the circumstances in my own life, but I never got a satisfactory answer. I never got a satisfactory answer because nothing would be satisfactory. When I get to heaven, I think I'll understand a little bit more clearly and in the meantime, I'm just gonna have to trust. So God doesn't answer Gideon's question just like in most of our lives, he won't answer that specific question. But I want you to see what God does say. The Lord turned to him and said, very next verse, go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand, am I not sending you?

Instead of answering the question, God reminds Gideon that victory is on the way. Instead of answering that specific. Question, he says, listen, I want you to trust me. Go in the strength you have. The plan is still on track. The purpose is going to be fulfilled. I'm going to use you. Matter of fact, one of the things that gets us out of our disappointment is making ourselves available for God to use. One of the things I'll never forget, Laura, you know, working through our own losses, she talked about, you know, connect, community, cause. Connecting with God, being involved in community with others, and having a cause to live for. Somehow, in the midst of having a cause to live for, God works miracles. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I just want you to know that his overwhelming love for you is stronger than all of the reasons for you not to believe. Imagine that you and I are sitting together,

cause I think that Gideon probably was wondering a little bit about this statement that God makes over his life. Go in the strength you have. Go in the strength you have. This is the second time that Gideon has to deal with something that God says about him that he's probably not all that sure he believes about himself. I am with you, mighty warrior. Now, go in the strength you have. And I can see Gideon saying, you know what? I don't feel like a mighty warrior, and I don't feel very strong in this moment. Yet, these are the two things that God emphasizes for Gideon to hear. Go in the strength you have. Am I not sending you? Imagine that you and I are sitting down and we're just having a conversation. And without you knowing about it, I Venmoed you $1,000. Let's say we're having that conversation and we're sitting across the table from one another, and I ask you for $500. Now, you would think, have you lost your mind? I've lost my mind. I don't have $500 to give you. Your Venmo account hasn't been notifying you yet. You don't know what I've already done for you.

You don't know that I've deposited $1,000. And so you would think that what I'm asking of you is ridiculous and inappropriate. Gideon, go in the strength you have. Here's the thing. God made a deposit in Gideon's life that he is unaware of. God deposited leadership gifts and talents in his life that he is not aware of. God, even before he took a breath, made him a mighty warrior, gave him strength. He's just not aware of it. And so now God is calling into Gideon's life things he's already deposited in his life. And I'm here to tell you that God has deposited strength in you, a spirit of warrior and might in you. God has made things invested in you that you might not be aware of. Go in the strength you have. He knows what he put in you. God calls you a mighty warrior. That's what he made you to be. God calls you righteous. God calls you a son or a daughter. You are a part of the family of God. God says about you, you're the head and not the tail. You're above and not beneath. You are more than a conqueror. So when God starts speaking over you, what's really true about you, I wanna encourage you to believe it and take hold of it.

You're a mighty warrior. And God says, go in the strength you have. God's response to Gideon's honest disappointment is to go in the strength that he's already deposited in his life. And so if you're here in church this morning, you're watching online, school year's about to start, you're a teacher of 30 crazy middle schoolers, and you're feeling a little bit of apprehension about how the school year's gonna unfold, I'm here to tell you, you're a mighty warrior. Go in the strength you have. Your business is facing some challenges, you're a mighty warrior. Warrior, go in the strength you have. You're facing some health challenges, you're a mighty warrior, go in the strength you have. You're considering, you know, getting involved and using your gifts and talents to make a difference and you wonder if it's really going to be worth it. You're a mighty warrior, go in the strength you have. But Gideon's a tough nut to crack and we can be too, again, in this British accent. I'm not going to try it again. But he's polite about this, pardon me, me Lord. How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family. Maybe you heard this, you know, statement, three strikes and you're out, right? Strike one, strike two, strike three, you're out. When Gideon's thinking about his own life, he's thinking about himself that he's the least of the least of the least. He's of the tribe of Manasseh. If you know anything about the children of Israel, there were 12 tribes.

But there was one tribe that was made up of two half tribes and Manasseh was one of those half tribes. So maybe he was already thinking, you know what, we're not even a full tribe. And then when he thought about his social standing in the midst of the tribe, he thought about how his family wasn't the most esteemed in the tribe, it was the least. And then he thought about his own standing in his own family and he just felt like he was the least of the least of the least. That was his mindset. That was his attitude. So here God shows up and says, you're a mighty warrior, go in the strength you have. But what he is rehearsing in his own mind is that he's of the least tribe and his family's the least in the tribe and he's the least in his family. He's the least of the least of the least. And I've heard over the years many people say that there's a particular reason why God can't use them or why God won't do a miracle in their lives. Maybe excuses that you have used in your own journey. I have too many failures, I've made too many mistakes, I've been through a divorce, I've had an abortion, I've abused drugs, I've been addicted. Or maybe you grew up in an environment where nobody pulled out the gold in you, there wasn't a lot of encouragement in your family, you never saw your potential. And so when you look at the world, you just think that you're the least of the least of the least. And this is something that I want all of you to be aware of. The truth is is that the stories that we tell ourselves are the stories that we live out. The story you tell yourself when you wake up in the morning, the story you tell when you get to work, the story you tell when you get home from work, the story you tell yourself when you put your head on the pillow at night, that's the story that you're going to live out. When I was growing up, I was a part of a wonderful family. My mom and dad loved each other, loved the kids.

And they poured out encouragement into my life and all of my siblings. They were really, really great that way. But for some reason, when I was thinking about my own life through junior high and high school and so on, I didn't leave a legacy of accomplishment. Honestly, I was pretty average. I was an average student. I was an average athlete. And so I got to thinking, the story that I started to tell myself is that I was just average. When I got to college, I don't know what it was, but things just started to click for me and I don't know, just people saw a potential in me and I was selected to be one of the youngest resident advisors at the Christian university that I attended in its history. The next year, I was chosen to be a head resident advisor. That means that 18 other resident advisors reported to me and I was responsible for 600 students at the university. And before the school year began, I got all of the resumes of all of the RAs that were going to be reporting to me. And I got to tell you, it was the most star studded collection of people that I had ever come across. president of their high school class, president of the student council, captain of their basketball team, their football team, incredible community service accolades, and I'm reading one after another, 18 of them, and I'm looking at my resume, and the only thing that stood out is that I was the vice president of the 15 kids in our MYF, our youth, Methodist Youth Fellowship of the church that I was a part of. That was the only thing I had on my resume,

and here I was leading all of these star-studded leaders, and I gotta tell you, I was pretty intimidated. I was feeling very average, but the Lord kinda did something that I will never forget as long as I live, and it wasn't the exact words that God spoke to Gideon, but the spirit of it was identical. You are a mighty warrior. Go in the strength you have. It was like God was saying to me, you know what? A long time before you ever realized it, I slipped you 1,000. I made a deposit in your account of leadership and communication and the opportunity to be someone that I can use. I made that investment in your life long before you realized it, and I'm here to tell you, God has made similar investments in your life long before you realized it. You might not even realize it today, but I'm here to tell you, there is more to you than you realize. Go in the strength you have. You know what's interesting about this particular story? Gideon is speaking his truth, but it's not the truth. He's speaking what he believes to be true about himself, but it's not the truth. He's believing a lie. If you were to read the details of the story of Gideon,

you would find out that God set Manasseh as one of the children of Israel. That doesn't make you less. God appointed that group of people, and his standing within that tribe was much more significant than you realize. His dad, Joash, the Bible says, was a business owner that had many servants. So here's Gideon, oh, I'm the least, I'm the least, I'm the least, I'm the least, and it's not even true. He believes it to be true, and the stories you tell yourself are the stories you live out, but be very careful if you're telling yourself a lie. You might think about yourself, you're nothing but a dirty, rotten sinner, and I'm here to tell you, you're the blood-bought son and daughter of the living God. There is so much more truth to who you are than you believe about yourself. He was speaking his truth, but that truth was a lie, and the devil's been lying to far too many of us for a long time, and the story you tell yourself is the story you live out. You are not the least of the least of the least. You're a mighty warrior. With strength, you have no idea you possess. So, you know, Gideon and God, they're having this interaction, they're having this conversation,

and after Gideon says, I'm the least of the least of the least, the Lord answers and said, I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive. Again, God's response to Gideon thinking he's the least of the least of the least is that God is with him. God is with him, and your victory will be complete. Now, I'm gonna jump ahead a little bit in this story, and we're gonna come back to this point next week, and I gotta tell you, what we're gonna talk about next week is some of the most exciting stuff I've ever preached in my entire life. But because this is Small Group Sunday, I wanna jump ahead a little bit, because one of the ways that we know that God is with us is his presence in our life, but also one of the ways that we know that God is with us are the people that he surrounds us with. And this is where the story of Gideon takes an interesting turn, right? They're facing an overwhelming enemy, so Gideon rallies the children of Israel, and they get an army together, and it's pretty impressive. 32,000 people show up. Judges chapter seven. Man, this story takes a real interesting. In turn, the Lord said to Gideon, you have far too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into your hands, Israel,

because you would boast about it and you will say in your own strength, you have saved me. Now announced to this army, anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead. Check this out, 22,000 of the 32,000 leave. Now, if I'm Gideon, I'm not excited. This is not what I think is a good idea. Don't you want the largest military force that you can possibly imagine? I was hearing some commentator the other day just talk about how if you go to war, you want overwhelming superiority. Gideon had 32,000 men and he just got 23,000 men. He got two thirds of them dismissed. And I'm not a military genius, but this doesn't seem very productive. Doesn't seem like things are going in the right direction. In verse four, the Lord tells him that there are still too many. So I want you to take them down to the river and watch them drink. If Gideon is even remotely like me, he would say, oh no, Lord, Lord, listen, we don't need to thin them out anymore. I can see Gideon saying, okay, getting rid of the 22,000 that had a lot of fear in their life, I can see the wisdom in that because fear can be contagious and we don't want the 22,000 people who are afraid to affect the 10,000 brave soldiers who are left.

But please don't shave this group down anymore. Don't thin out this group anymore. Sometimes I pray a prayer similar to that when I'm looking in the mirror and I see what's happening with my hair. I'm 65 and it just feels like every year that goes by a little bit less hair than I had before. No more thinning, please. I do the comb overs, I had some special potion that makes the hair look thicker than it really is. I don't wanna thin out anymore. But God says to Gideon, listen, take the men down to the river. I got some more thinning to do. Verse five of Judges chapter seven, then the Lord spoke to him, separate those who lap water with their tongues as dog laps from those who kneel down to drink. 300 of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. And the Lord said to Gideon, with the 300 men that lapped, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all of the others go home. Gideon started with 32,000. When you think about your life, one of the ways that you can tell that God is with you is when you sense his presence in your heart. But another way that you can sense that God is with you are the people he brings by your side.

Maybe you've heard it said that, you know, you are the hands and feet of Jesus. And you are. Sometimes God uses your hands and your feet to be Jesus to another person. Sometimes we will hear encouragement in our life through one of our friends. Sometimes God will bring wisdom, his wisdom into our life through our circle of friends. Sometimes the very strength that we need to take the next step forward in our life comes through our friends. But you gotta have the right friends. And God is telling Gideon, you need to have the right people in your life. 22,000 that are afraid, they gotta go. Now, this point about the 300 that cut the water and brought the water to their faces, I never saw this before. But when I was researching for this message, even though I've preached on Gideon in the past, I've never made this point. The reason why the 300 that cut the water to their hands and brought it to their face were chosen, not just because God wanted to make sure that there would be no doubt that he would receive the glory. For sure, that's the number one way. But the other reason was, is that those 300, when they grabbed the water, they kept a watchful eye.

Their heads were up and they brought the water to their mouth, but they never lost their awareness of what was taking place around them. And you know what? You need to have the right kind of people in your life. Not the 22,000 that are afraid and not the 10,000, you know, that are unaware. You need the right people in your life. Maybe you've heard this phrase. I heard it a long time ago. It's not a quote straight from the Bible, but it's still true. If you show me your friends, I'll show you your future. Show me your friends and I'll show you what your future is going to be like. Who you surround yourself is vital and important. When you have the right people in your life, people who believe in God, people who believe in you, people who are generous, people who are godly, men and women of faith, integrity, you got that group of people around you, you will go so much further in your life than you ever imagined you could go. Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. There were times when I thought I was average, but friends encouraged me, saw something inside of me that I didn't see in myself. There were times when I was vulnerable, but friends stood by me. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but I had friends stand by my side and listen, sometimes you do feel overwhelmed and sometimes you do feel vulnerable and sometimes you do feel alone. Family makes it alone. We talk a lot about being fully devoted followers here at Shoreline, and you can't be one on your own. Not that you shouldn't be one on your own, you just can't do it. We all need God's presence that comes through other people in our lives, and that's why we've gone through so much effort to make small groups so easy for you to be a part of today.

Out in the front lobby on each side, and we've got groups that meet just about every single need you can imagine, men's groups, women's groups, young adult groups, recovery groups, financial peace groups, groups that help you in your marriages and help you study the Bible better. They're all available out there, and we encourage you to find a group, to find some friends. When you think about 32,000 people, that's a lot of people. God whittled that group down 99% to 300. 99% didn't make the cut. And I'm here to tell you, you're not gonna find the friends you need down on 6th Street. You're not gonna find them at the water cooler telling dirty jokes with your friends at work. You will find them right here at Shoreline. Men and women who love God, love you, help you become the best that you can be. Go in the strength you have, you mighty warrior. What He's put in you is far greater than you ever realized, and good friends will help you to see that. Can I hear a good amen? Amen. I can't wait till next week, can't wait. Let's pray. Father, I just thank you so much for the opportunity to be together here today. And Lord, I pray that we would all recognize that in the way that we need to be, we are mighty warriors, and you challenge us to go in the strength that you've already put inside of us, even if we haven't seen it. Even if we don't see the gifts and talents, the abilities, the investments you've made, I pray, Lord, that today it would begin, and we would see with your eyes, in Jesus' name. If we can just remain in an attitude of prayer for just a moment longer, if you came to church today and you say, pastor, I'm not living right, I'm not doing right, I'm not where I ought to be with God, I need prayer. Maybe you made a decision to follow Jesus, but you've slipped away,

and today you need to rededicate your life to serving Him. Or maybe you've never invited Jesus into your heart. This would be the perfect time to do so. If you wanna meet Him for the first time or rededicate your life to serving Him, would you please raise your hand quickly and boldly wherever you are? Wonderful, God bless you. God bless you. Your hands are going up all over. All of you with your hands raised, I wanna lead you in a very simple prayer. And I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. And I would love it if every single other person here in the church today would pray this prayer out loud, just in support of them and reaffirmation of your faith in God. Let's all of us pray together. Heavenly Father, I thank You for sending Jesus. Jesus, I ask You to come into my heart. Forgive me of all my sins. I put my trust in You. And I will live for You from this day forward by Your power, for Your glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Would you give them all a great big hand clap? If you raised your hand this morning, we have some folks that will really help you take some next steps in your journey. They're at the east and west entrance.

And if you wanna get involved in a small group, there are signups at every single exit. We encourage you to take advantage of that today. Let's all of us stand to our feet. If you're a prayer partner, please come forward. And if you'd like to receive prayer today, after our service, they'll be here up front for you. But I wanna close with the blessing that comes from Numbers chapter six. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face to you and give you peace. God bless you. Have a fantastic rest of your Sunday. We look forward to seeing you next week. God bless. ♪ I need it, I need it, I need it, I need it, I need it ♪