Sermon – “Have your Cake And Eat it Too!” Pastor Jeff Hayes
Sunday, August 14, 2009 – Faith Temple Church Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sources: When God Recruits the Army by Jeffery Richards
Title: – “Have Your Cake And Eat it Too!”
Scripture: Judges 7
Introduction: 1. (Kathy Schultz) Two boys were walking home from
Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the
devil. One said to the other, 'What do you think about
all this Satan stuff?' The other boy replied, 'Well, you know
how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad.'
2. (Kelly Cole) little boy was waiting for his mother to come
out of the grocery store. As he waited, he was approached
by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the Post
Office is?" The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight
down this street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new
pastor in town. I'd like for you to come to church on
Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven." The little
boy replied with a chuckle. "Awww, come on... you
don't even know the way to the Post Office."
Introduction 2: For Christians...– “Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!”
1. The reversal of this expression helped in the identification
of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. In the Unabomber's
"Manifesto", it was written and signed "...you can't eat
your cake and have it too.“ To gain one thing you
have to sacrifice another." His brother David Kaczynski
was able to identify Ted after reading the "Manifesto".
Ted and their mother both used the more accurate but
older and less popular use of the phrase.
C H R I S T I A N P R I N C I P L E S:
2. Christians are blessed beyond what they deserve!
3. Great Is Thy Faithfulness – “Blessings all mine with
10,000 besides!
Page 2 continued --- ( – “Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!” )
Scripture: Judges 7 - Gideon goes to the enemy camp and hears a man describe a dream, Judges 7:13 – Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread (KJV – Cake) came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed. Vs. 14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
Jeffery Richards says, “Gideon had torn down the altars of Baal. The Midianites and Amlekites were very angry with him. They wanted to kill him. But God placed his hand upon Gideon and protected him. Then God’s call came to Gideon. Gideon didn’t feel worthy to be used of the Lord. And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. Judges 6:15 So he put out the fleece to make sure that he was understanding God’s call.
Gideon had 32,000 men that were ready to go to war against the Midianites. But God said that was too many. He didn’t want Israel to brag about their accomplishments. He wanted to be the one to receive praise. Every time Israel went into battle the outcome was determined by one thing. It was not whether they were armed heavily enough, had a big enough army, or knew proper military strategy. Every time Israel went into battle with obedience to God, they won. Every time they were disobedient, they lost.”
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Winning Principles of “Have Your Cake And Eat it Too”
For The Christian!”
Gideon Was Called To Save His Nation!
#1. “Upside Down Cake” (Winning Principles For The Christian)
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian (the enemy) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. (Wave Good bye to 22,000 fearful people)
A. Is Your World Turned Upside Down??? Like The Upside Down
Cake... Enjoy It!
People Refer To God’s Workings as “Turning The World Upside
Down” But others Refer To God’s Working As “Turning The World
Right side up!”
B. Don’t Be Surprised when God does it in His way, not your’s to
reveal to those who watch that He Has A Plan and He is working it!
C. Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide
upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There
are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics
are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end
requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. “Peace has
its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
D. Be Courageous!
E. Adrian Rogers tells about the man who bragged that he had cut off
the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he
hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: "Someone had
already done that."
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#2 “Angel Food Cake Vs. Devil’s Food Cake”
(Winning Principles For The Christian))
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."
5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. (9,700 men)
7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
A. 9,700 men were only concerned with their thirst…paid no attention to ............their fellow soldier or to the enemy.
B. From the beginning Man has been looking out for himself! When ............God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree, THE DEVIL ............ALONG WITH HIS DEVIL’S CAKE CAME ALONG AND SAID ............EAT FROM THE TREE AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD!
C. So many Church going people are looking out for what can I get out ..............of God and the church!
D. May come as a surprise but you aren’t here to get anything from .............God but like the angels to give God praise, worship and .............thanksgiving and do his work!
E. Focus on Giving and not getting and your life will be blessed!
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#3. “Molten Chocolate Lava Cake” (Winning Principles For The ................................................................................Christian)
8a Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
“Molten Chocolate Lava Cake” – HOW TO TURN A VOLCANIC .......................DISASTEROUS EPISODE.....INTO A VICTORY!
When I eat Molten Chocolate Lava Cake... ..............................I always think of Mt. St. Helens! As I eat the Molten Chocolate lave Cake I Quickly forget about the Disaster of Mt. St. ..............................................................Helens.
A. “During that night...” Don’t let the night scare you!
The Psalmist... “The Terrors Of Night!“
B. “The LORD said to Gideon” Have an on going talk with the Lord!
C. “Get up go down against the camp” ... Move, Do Something, Don’t .................................................................................be Paralyzed!
D. BELIEVE IT WHEN THE The Lord said to Gideon...“Because I am ..........................................going to give it into your hands!”
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#4. “Sponge Cake... Walk Into The Enemy Camp And Soak Up What .............They Have To Say” (Winning Principles For The Christian)
13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread (cake) came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." 14 His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."
A. Realize That It Isn’t Always Easy! But Walk Into The Enemy .....................................................................................Camp!
1. Don’t be afraid!!!!
2. A man told me one day that he went to his office and practice what ..................he had learned here at church.
3. Talking about people using the name of the Lord in vain... .............”Oh Jesus Christ!”
4. I suggest that people use other names of religious figures to vent ...............their frustrations. This man went back to his office and told co ................workers that.
5. Would you believe that in the coming days this man began to hear ................when his co workers were about to use the Name of the Lord he ................would hear such things as... “Oh Budha, Oh Confucius!
6. “Greater Is He That Is In Us Than He That Is In The World!”
B. In his book One Crowded Hour, Tim Bowden describes an incident in Borneo in 1964. Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas were asked if they would be willing to jump from airplanes into combat against the Indonesians. The Gurkhas didn’t clearly understand what was involved, but they bravely said they would do it, asking only that the plane fly slowly over a swampy area and no higher than 100 feet. When they were told that the parachutes would not have time to open at that height, the Gurkhas replied,"Oh, you didn’t mention parachutes before!" From Our Daily Bread
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#5. “The Enemy Turned...White As A Sheet ...Cake!” ..............................(Winning Principles For The Christian)
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands." 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17 "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.' "
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.
A. “Fear nothing but God!”
B. John Wesley said, “If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but ......God, hated nothing but sin, and determined to know nothing among men .......but Christ, and Him crucified, I would set the world on fire.”
C. Hebrews 11:32,34 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,... whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
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Conclusion: Winning Principles of “Have Your Cake And Eat it Too”
For The Christian!”
You may run into “Fruit Cakes” Be the Spice Cake Their Life!
Romans 8...
31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture... None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
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