I bring you greetings, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Christ Baptist Church also brings you greetings. I've told the elders back at Christ Baptist Church that I will be with you this week. We do cherish our partnership together as Churches of Jesus Christ. and what you also are doing here. We continue to pray for this work as you continue to pray for us as well. So I want to invite you to the book of Judges, chapter eight. As you would have seen in your bulletin, the title of this message is simply Practice your theology. And I'm sure that in a church like this, I don't really need to explain what theology is. We already know, but I will point out some things from this text as we look at the point that theology is to be practiced or applied in our lives. Judges chapter eight, I'm going to read from verse, bulletin says to 28, I think I will just read up to 27, and then you can read the rest. Then the man of Israel said to Gideon, rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. But Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you. Yet Gideon said to them, I would request of you that each of you give me an earring from his spoil. For they had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites. They said, we will surely give them. So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the christened ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neckbands that were on the camels' necks. Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city Ophrah and all Israel played the harlot with it there so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. Let's pray for the preaching of God's word again. Lord, I pray as I have prayed over and over again that you will carry me, that your spirit will speak through me, and that your name will be exalted. I do pray that what you will teach us today, you will be so gracious to expose our hearts so that we can see where we need to be equipped. For your word is powerful, it's profitable, and it's able, Lord, to teach, to rebuke, to correct, to instruct so that we can be thoroughly equipped. And this is my prayer that your word will accomplish that which you have given us or given it to us to accomplish today. In Jesus name, amen. The book of Judges, if you have read it, you would know that it records the cycle of idolatry that came after the death of Joshua and the elders who survived Joshua. In Joshua 2 verse 7, we read that the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord, which he had done for Israel. After Joshua and his generation died, verse 10 of the same chapter, Joshua 2 tells, I mean, Judges 2, tells us that there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which he had done for Israel. An important verse, I think, that especially the men of the church needs to look at and learn from in order to take warning of what happens when we fail at our task of not teaching the generation entrusted to us to know the Lord. Now, this generation would be known for its worship of Baal. We are introduced to this worship in Judges chapter two, verse 11 and 12, with these sad words, and you listen as I read them. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord. As a result, verse 14 reports that the anger of the Lord bent against Israel, and he gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies around them. That is the context to the book of Judges. But because God is faithful to his covenant, regardless of people's unfaithfulness, he graciously raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. Just as a note, judges were given to Israel and they served as military leaders. Their role was to deliver the people of Israel whenever they cried out to God. And God raised 13 judges in total. This tells us, with this number of judges, this tells us how often Israel kept going back to the worship of idols. Because with every cycle, they would go back and worship false gods and God would raise a judge after a judge to deliver them. Our focus today is on the fifth judge of Israel by the name of Gideon. Gideon is mostly known for his fleece. I'm sure you are familiar with that. That when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon to send him out to deliver Israel, in chapter six, verse 14, his response was, behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house. But the Lord said to him, surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian as one man. But Gideon would not go out without a sign. He said to God, show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. In chapter six, verse 17. The Lord showed him a sign by touching the meat and the unleavened bread with the end of the staff and fire sprang out from the rock and consumed the meat and the bread. As you read chapter six, verse 20. Now, when you see that, you would think that this will be enough for Gideon to trust and obey God. But no, he said to God again in chapter six, verse 36 and 37, if you will deliver Israel through me as you have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing. If there is a dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will deliver Israel through me as you have spoken. Our God is a patient God. And he gave Gideon his sign. But we know that he was not satisfied. He wanted God to wet the ground and leave the fleas dry. Chapter six, verse 39. He got that sign as well. Eventually Gideon goes out and does as God has commanded him. He defeated Midian with the army of 300 men. We know the army started with 32,000 and God gave them an opportunity. If anyone of you is fearful, he can go home. We know 12,000 men went home and Gideon was left with 10,000. But God still said, there are still many. we need to reduce this number. Take them to the river, take them to the waters, let's go and test them there so that we can reduce the number. And we know that the number was eventually reduced to 300 men. And even with this 300 men, The scriptures make it clear that it was the Lord who gave Gideon and his men victory. In Judges 7 verse 9, God said to Gideon, arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But because he was a coward, God gave him another sign. God told him to go and eavesdrop on the enemy's conversation in verses 10 to 11 of chapter seven, and he gladly took the offer. He had someone relating a dream in the camp of the Midianites. Behold, I had a dream. A loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell. His interpreter friend said, this is nothing less than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Now, I want you to mark this theological statement, because this is leading to where I want you to be today for application. This man says, God has given Midian and all the Kemp into his hand. In verse 15, God said he would give Gideon the Midian's camp. And the Midianites said God has given Midian's camp to Gideon. I want you to just follow that line of thought. And in verse 15, Midian said to his men, arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands. This is the right theology that we're going to probe this morning. You hear that Gideon had this right theology, as it is also confirmed by the Nemedianite, who acknowledged that it is God who gives victory in this war, or this battle. Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Median into your hands. Unfortunately, this theology escaped one group of people. The Midianites acknowledged God. Gideon acknowledged God, but God's people failed to see God in this news. This is the new generation that Judges chapter two, verse 10 said, did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which he had done for Israel. Listen to what they said after Gideon's victory over the Midianites in our passage this morning. Look at chapter eight, verse 22, and listen to what this man say after this victory. It says, then the man of Israel said to Gideon, rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son. Why? Note their reason. For you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. Now, brethren, especially those of us who are in leadership, here is an offer, a lucrative offer, if you would. Rule over us, you and your household, for, and you can fill in the blanks there, in terms of what your people might want you to rule over them because of whatever you might have done or they see you have done. It's times like this where your heart will be tested. And this is not just for leaders, but for all of us seated here as believers. It is times like this where our hearts will be tested. And when you are tested like this, rule over us for you have done this for us. My question for you this morning is, will your theology rescue you from this pride? From taking credit where credit must be given to God? From taking glory where glory must be given to God? Will your theology rescue you from such pride? You see, theology is meant to be applied. What do you do when you are offered the glory that only belongs to God? We face this test quite often. Now I want to show you that we do face this test by just mentioning something that Paul Tripp has actually highlighted in his article titled, Five Signs You Glorify Self. This is also highlighted in his book, Dangerous Calling. And in this article in the book, Paul Tripp warns of self-glory. He says, self-glory causes you to parade in public what should be kept in secret. When pride creeps in and you want to take glory, this is one of those signs that you need to watch. Parading in public what you should be keeping in secret. Another sign that shows that we are self-glorifying is when we are way too self-referencing, Paul Tripp says. When you are always referencing yourself, but also self-glory causes you to talk when you should be quiet, Paul Tripp says, or be quiet when you should be speaking. He also says faithfully that self-glory causes you to care too much about what people think about you. Gideon was given the offer to rule over us, rule over us, to make a name for himself and his family. It is indeed an attractive and tempting offer. Think about it, all power vested on you, Gideon, all power vested on your household, all power given to your sons. You can build a dynasty because you have delivered us the reason. for you have delivered us from the hand of Median. Today, It might be for you have grown our church for us pastors, or for you are a great preacher, or for you are a great Bible study leader, or for you are a good, you are good with missions, or for you are always there when needed, or you can again fill in the blanks. Why people? would elevate you and give you the glory that is due to God. It was because of this very reasoning that the Lord reduced the number of the soldiers to 300 men. Look at Judges chapter seven, verse two. God knew the heart of man and he wanted to protect them from taking the glory that is due to him alone. from 32,000 soldiers to 300 men, so that it will be known that this is no man's hand, but God's hand that delivered them. Judges 7-2, the Lord said to Gideon, the people who are with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands. For Israel would become boastful, saying, my own power has delivered me. Now, let's stop here and remind ourselves who has delivered us. Now, we are not under the oppression of the Midianites and the Amalekites. We were never there. But similarly, we were under oppression. We were under slavery, slavery of sin and Satan. slavery of the flesh that ruled over us. And as Christians, we sit here and we should remind ourselves when we read stories like this, that we were also once delivered, but who delivered us? Where does our salvation come from? Who delivered us from sin and Satan? Colossians 1 verse 13 reminds us that God, delivered us from the kingdom of Satan, and He transferred us into the kingdom of His Son. For it is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we were redeemed. And now with that, I ask, do we have anything to boast of? Ephesians 2 reminds us, it is by grace you have been saved. It wasn't because of your works, lest you should boast. We ought to remind ourselves that we did not play any part in our own deliverance or salvation because God alone saves. So all glory, all credit must be given to God. But here we find these people in Judges 8, verse 22, who are saying to Gideon, rule over us, you and your sons, because you have delivered us. You see, what these people do is they realize that they cannot credit themselves for this victory. but also they are not going to give that same glory to God. And they choose to give it to Gideon. For you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. But unlike the men of Israel, Gideon had a right theology. Listen to his response in Judges 8.23. But Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you. Why? Does Gideon have... this response or this theology. Well, he is the one who knew that God is the one who delivered them. Gideon knew that this wasn't his hand. This wasn't his powerful hand that delivered Israel from the Midianites, but God himself did this. And he is the one who should rule over them. He is the one who should be Lord over them. just as Jesus Christ is the one who should rule over his church and have lordship over his church. Why? Because he is the deliverer who bought the church with his own power, with his own life, with his own blood. Delivered by God, delivered by Jesus, the one who delivers should rule over us. So by this response, looking at Gideon, he's reminding the people who their true deliverer is Yahweh himself, the Lord. He rejects their offer to establish a monarchy, for that would be rejecting God as their ruler. He acknowledges the Lord. as the rightful ruler of Israel. Theocracy for human leadership must submit to God's sovereign rule. Jinnian godliness and Jinnian leadership is often tested by power and glory. And the test can only be passed if one has the right view of God. Gideon had the right view of God. He had the right theology. He insisted on the theocratic rule of God, on the Lordship of Yahweh. The Lord shall rule over you. Oh, how I wish that this story ended right here. With Gideon, acknowledging God, with Gideon defending God's rule, with Gideon giving all the glory to God. But often at times our problem is not knowledge of theology. Our problem is not the defense of theology. We do so well especially those of us who have been well trained, who go to a healthy church that is so established in God's word. We know our theology well. We know how to defend our theology well. We know how to do apologetics, but often at times we fail. Our biggest problem is the failure to apply the theology. And that's where we are. We are tested. Knowing and defending theology is not the same as practicing our theology. Coming back to Gideon the theologian, you would see next that Gideon the theologian failed at this point of application. Judges 8, 24. begins with one of those most dreaded three-letter word, yet or but. When you hear that contrast, you know that things are going wrong, especially if a man has started well. It is good to hear those words when a man has started wrongly, and you hear but, you know that there is going to be a change towards the right course. But if a man has started well and there is a but, you know that things are taking a wrong turn. Yes, Gideon verbally declined Israel's offer of a dynasty, but he indirectly gave this idolatrous generation what they wanted. He gives them a godless worship. Look at Judges 8, 24 to 27. Yet Gideon said to them, so he told them he's not going to rule over them. Yet Gideon said to them, I would request of you that each of you give me an earring from his spoil. For they had gold earrings because they were Shemalites. They said, we will surely give them. So they spread out a garment and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the christened ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neckbands that were on their camel's necks. Verse 27, Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city. Hophra and all Israel played the halot with it there. so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. I submit to you that this was a blind spot in Gideon's life. An epault was part of the high priestly attire, according to Exodus 28. Engraved on the priestly epault were the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. It had a breast piece where the priest inserted the urim and the thummim that they used to seek guidance from God. Does it ring a bell? Why Gideon would have such a thing? This is the man who was used to getting signs from God because he could not take God at his word. He did not trust God. He always wanted a sign. And it seems that in making this effort, he was trying to resolve his problems. If he had the effort with the Yerumen de Thummim, he can always get guidance through these things. Gideon made their gold into an effort and placed it in his city, Ofra. It could be that his aim wasn't for this thing to be worshipped, but unfortunately, it would lead to that. But one may ask, why would Gideon do this? He's not a priest. Why would he make an effort like this? I think that he indeed wanted to solve that problem of getting guidance from God. The Urim and the Thummim in the effort were used to determine God's will according to Numbers 27 verse 21, and Gideon, it seems, would get that from there. Gideon had no business creating this ephod. He was not a Levite, nor was he a priest, but for a man who could not take God at his word, but always wanted a sign. Again, you see why he would do this. Drawing from this desire to hear from God, Dale Ralph Davis comments, says, Christians today do not deal with ephorts, high priests, or tabernacles, and yet many have this same thirst for more than what God has already given. We are not content merely to walk obediently to the scriptures, trusting God's providence and goodness to direct us in the proper path. No, we must have more. a specific, direct word from God. That is often our problem, is we don't trust God, who has revealed himself so clearly in his word, we want more. Certainly, Gideon's action caused others to sin. Judges 8.27 says, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. You notice that Gideon set a stumbling block for Israel and led them to this failure. Our failure to practice what we believe can be detrimental And this is why Paul tells Timothy to pay careful attention to his life and teaching, to save himself and to save others, because our lives and our practice can become a stumbling block for others. Note the inconsistency in Gideon's theology. Earlier in chapter six, when God called him, He destroyed the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah and built an altar to the Lord, an action that earned him the name Jerubbaal. Let Baal contest against him. Now, he goes back to Ophirah. And he set up an idol for Israel, thus replacing God's worship. The effort became a snare or a bait for Gideon and his household. And it was all about Gideon's victory and his glory. Gideon verbally rejected an offer for him and his sons to rule over Israel, reasoning that the Lord will rule over you. Yet he indirectly accepted that rule. And how do we know that? Next, what he does, as you read his account, you would notice that he does what the kings in his days would normally do. He takes many wives who bore him 70 sons, in Judges 8, verse 30. He also had a concubine who bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech, which means, my father is king. The heart of man is deceitful. And the Bible warns us of the deceitfulness of sin as well. See, what Gideon did is hypocrisy. Say one thing with your mouth, proper theology, and practice another. His failure affected his family. And I want you to notice that Gideon's sons did not believe nor practice Gideon's theology because it could be they saw the hypocrisy in their father. They went after the kinship. Look at chapter nine, verse one and two. Gideon said, no, I will not rule over you. My sons will not rule over you. God will be your ruler. But indirectly, it seems he was craving for this power and his sons will latch on it. Judges 9, 1 and 2, and Abimelech, the son of Jerubal, went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother's father, saying, speak now in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, which is better for you, that 70 men, all the sons of Jerubal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? Also remember that I am your bone and your flesh. The last time Gideon said, we shall not rule over you, And here, Abimelek says, do you want all 70 to rule over you? Or would you rather have one who is your relative to rule over you? What happened to we will not rule over you? My answer is, it is not enough to have the right theology that you can defend it that you can discuss it, that you can argue about without putting it to practice. Theology is meant to transform our lives. And I ask you as a church this morning from this simple story, do you apply your theology? Do you live it out? You see, you may say the right things with your mouth only to contradict them with your practice. It is not enough to know the right theology, for even demons, we are taught in the book of James, have the right theology. They know that God is one, and they even shatter, but he does not bring any transformation. It doesn't help you to know the truth without any change in your heart. And the question you should be asking yourself is, are you different from these demons? Jesus said, not all who say to me, Lord, Lord, that is the right theology, that Jesus is Lord, it is true. But not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God. We can have the right Christology, without any transformation in our hearts. Jesus says, those who will enter the kingdom of God are not only the professors, but are the doers. But those who do the will of my father in heaven, practicing our theology, those are the ones who will enter the kingdom of God. Jesus also warned in Matthew 15 of a lip service, a lip worship. People who honor them with honor Jesus Christ with their mouth, but their hearts are far from God. I will not rule over you. And yet your actions basically say, I do want to rule over you. As we close, I want to draw your attention again to Paul Tripp in his Dangerous Calling. And with this, I ask you to look at some of the blind spots that you may have in your life. In Dangerous Calling, Paul Tripp cautions us of a lifeless theology. He says, beware of studying theology or expositing the Bible and yet remain untouched by its message. That's really the character of the scribes and the Pharisees. That they study theology but untouched by its message. Paul Tripp goes on, beware of intellectual exercise that is devoid of spiritual transformation. Beware of reducing the gospel and your faith into a series of theological ideas. This is true when you always study theology for others and not for yourself. I've been in the academy, I have taught in the seminary setting for 10 years, and how easy it is to always prepare to teach others and never to be affected by that very same lecture that you give to the students. It's easy for us to make our ideas known, it is easy for us to make our exegesis known. And when we leave that podium, only to be disqualified to use passwords. That we can teach others and fail at application point. Trips says, academized faith which is not connected to the heart can make you dangerous. What I have seen, especially among the students of theology with this is that they are always looking for debates instead of looking for souls to encourage and say, because their faith is academic. That's what academic faith does. If it's not connected to the heart, it can make you dangerous. It is easy to learn theology trip continues than to live it. Maturity is not a matter of just knowing it is a matter of living. Finally, as I exhort you brethren, we are not only called to listen to exegetically and theologically correct sermons, we are also called to live out that theology to practice the theology that we learn. So you may be able to say, on the one hand, I and my sons will not rule over you, but God will be your ruler. And yet, on the other hand, fail to apply that same theology. If this is you, I want to ask you to be honest with yourself and ask you, if you truly know the Lord Jesus Christ. Because it boils down to a relationship. We are only able to apply what we learn from the scriptures if we have a relationship with that person, Jesus Christ. We don't have a relationship with the God of the Bible but only learn the Bible to satisfy our curiosity, then we will not be touched at all. I don't think we will be different from any theologian, whether it is in this secular universities or secular seminars. Application is a result of a transformed heart. When we're here, we learn, we are convicted, we are transformed, it will be shown by our practice. If this is you today, and you realize that your desire has always been to learn and learn and learn, but never to apply, may I urge you today to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's where our theology begins. And that's where our application will start, when we develop a relationship and a friendship with the Savior. He will not just be an abstract theological thought, but he will be a person that we will cherish and obey. Not many who say to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God. by those who do the will of my God. So I urge you today to just self-examine yourself. And I bring you this sermon because I know your church is like my church. We are well taught. We have the right theology. But how often do we say it over and over again? that men and women in our churches know the right theology. They can explain to you all these big concepts, but never to be touched or transformed by the son. Even this sin of neglecting application, the Lord Jesus Christ paid for on the cross. So don't look to yourself for any change. Look to Jesus. Look for relationship with him. And once you have that relationship with Him, and you confess your sin, He's faithful and just to cleanse you, and He can help you to do the work for which He has prepared for you, even before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 2, verse 10. Saved by grace, saved to do what He has prepared for us. That is the application of theology, so practice your theology. This is the exhortation from God's word today. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for these words that were written in the book of Judges for our instruction, for our example. We take these words as a warning for us And I ask God that we will take this warning seriously. That on one hand, we will not say I will not rule over you. And yet our hearts know that we actually do want that glory. Will you save us from such hypocrisy, Lord? I plead with you. Those who forget to see the sin in their hearts. will come to the foot of the cross, will come to the savior who died for them and plead for relationship with him. And we know that relationship is made possible through his death and his resurrection and through his intercession today. I ask for your help in Jesus name. Amen.