This document contains the text of a sermon given in September 2019 at Emmanuel Church. The sermon discusses how God chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and strong, according to 1 Corinthians 1:25-31. It provides the biblical story of Gideon as an example, noting how Gideon started with a large army that God reduced in size so Israel would not boast in their own strength. When Gideon's army of 10,000 faced the Midianites, Gideon was encouraged by a man's dream that foretold of Gideon's victory, demonstrating that God would give the enemy into their hands.

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NEW YEAR MESSAGE
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Hebrews 11

2. Gideon ‘Mighty Man of Valour’

3. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human
strength.26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were
when you were called. Not many of you were wise by
human standards; not many were influential; not many
were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things
of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak
things of the world to shame the strong.
28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the
despised things – and the things that are not – to
nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast
before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in
Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God –
that is, our righteousness, holiness and
redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one
who boasts boast in the Lord.’
1 Corinthians 1:25-31
Weak made strong

4. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with
you are too many for me to give the
Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast
over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved
me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of
the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and
trembling, let him return home and hurry away
from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the
people returned, and 10,000 remained.
4 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are
still too many. Take them down to the water,
and I will test them for you there, and any
one of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go
with you’, shall go with you, and any one of
whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go
with you’, shall not go.”
(Judges 7)

5. 3 When Gideon came, behold, a man was
telling a dream to his comrade. And he
said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and
behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled
into the camp of Midian and came to the
tent and struck it so that it fell and
turned it upside down, so that the tent
lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered,
“This is no other than the sword of
Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel;
God has given into his hand Midian and
all the camp.”
15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of
the dream and its interpretation, he
worshipped. And he returned to the camp
of Israel and said, “Arise, for
the LORD has given the host of Midian into
your hand.”