Text: ROMANS 8:31= What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Theme: WITH GOD, WE ARE ABLE
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I want to ask you a simple question:
Have you ever faced something and said, “Lord, I don't think I can do this”?
Maybe you have experienced a season where the responsibility was too heavy, the problem was too big, the resources were too small, or the situation was completely beyond your control.
Sometimes we look at what is in front of us and immediately look at ourselves.
“Do I have enough strength?”
“Do I have enough wisdom?”
“Do I have enough resources?”
“Am I capable of doing this?”
And if we only look at ourselves, there will be many moments when the answer will be:
“No, I can't.”
But today I want to remind somebody of this truth:
It is not about what you can do by yourself. It is about what God can do through you.
Igni imong tapad “ Gamiton ka sa Ginoo.
There are things God will ask us to do that are bigger than our ability.
=There are mountains we cannot move by ourselves.
=There are battles we cannot win by our own strength.
=There are doors we cannot open with our own hands.
=There are assignments that will stretch our faith.
And sometimes God allows us to come to the place where we realize:
“I cannot do this without You, Lord.”
Why?
=Because God wants us to discover that our limitation is not the end of the story.
=When our strength ends, His strength begins.
=When our wisdom is not enough, His wisdom is enough.
=When our resources are limited, He is our provider.
=When we don't know the way, He is our guide.
=And when we say, “I am not able,” God reminds us:
“You are not doing this alone.”
STORY OF GIDEON= God called him a mighty man of valor
Mighty = strong, powerful, capable
Man = a person God is calling
Valor = courage, bravery, strength, and willingness to stand and fight for what is right.
So, “mighty man of valor” can be understood as:
“A courageous and strong person who is willing to stand for God and do what God has called him to do.”
“Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”
“Sa pagkatinuod, ako magauban kanimo, ug imong pildihon ang mga Midianhon nga daw usa lamang ka tawo.” Mga Maghuhukom 6:16
=We are able not because of who we are, but because of who is with us.
=Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
I. GOD SEES WHAT WE CANNOT SEE IN OURSELVES
Judges 6:11–16= Gideon was hiding from the Midianites when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him.
But God called him: “The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
Gideon didn't see himself as mighty.
He saw himself as small, weak, and insignificant.
=Gideon Saw His Circumstances
Iyang tan aw saiyang kaugalingon gamay sya atubangan sa ubang tao,wala syay igo nga kaalam, ubos sya nga pagkatao. Usa lamang sya ka farmer, Mag self pity sya
1 Corinto 1:27 "Gamiton sa Ginoo ang mga dili maalamon aron pakaulawan ang mga maalamon; ug gamiton usab Niya ang mga mahuyang aron pakaulawan ang mga lig-on."
Judges 6:13: Gideon asked:
“If the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us?”
=(Ginoo, kung naa Ka man gud uban namo, nganong naa man ni tanang kasakit nga nahitabo kanamo?)
=He was looking at what was happening around him.
The Midianites were destroying Israel's crops and taking their resources.
Lesson:
Sometimes our circumstances can become so loud that we forget who God is.
=Gideon Saw His Limitations
Judges 6:15 “My family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
Gideon was saying “Lord, you have the wrong person.”
=He looked at his family.
=He looked at his position.
=He looked at his weakness.
But God looked at his potential.
Say to congregation: You have the potential!
C. God Saw Gideon's Potential
God didn't call Gideon according to what Gideon was at that moment.
God called him according to what he could become through God's power.
= We have the power because we have the spirit of God!
=Acts 1 :8= You will receive Power when the Holy spirit comes upon you.
=Judges 6:34)"Unya ang Espiritu sa GINOO miabot kang Gideon...
That Spirit gave him the power, That spirit gave him strength,Wisdom and courage to face the enemy
Gideon saw “the least.” God saw “a mighty man of valor.”
Preaching statement:
Don't allow your present condition to cancel God's future purpose for your life.
II. GOD'S PRESENCE IS GREATER THAN OUR INADEQUACY (Weakness)
=Judges 6:14–16 Gideon's question was:“How can I do this?”
=God's answer was:“Surely I will be with thee.”
=God did not say: “Gideon, you are strong enough.”
=God did not say:“Gideon, you are experienced enough.”
=God did not say: “Gideon, you have enough resources.”
God said:
“I WILL BE WITH YOU.”
A. God Doesn't Always Change the Person Before Giving the Assignment
=Gideon was still Gideon.
=He still had questions.
=He still had fears.
=But God gave him an assignment anyway.
Lesson:
You don't have to become perfect before God can use you.
= Usahay muingon ta nga kng padatuon lng ko sa Ginoo mutabang jud ko sa mga kabos. =Kung panalanginan lng ko sa Ginoo mutabang jud ko sa simbahan
B. God's Presence Gives Us Courage
When God is with you:
=You can face what you couldn't face alone.
=You can go where you couldn't go alone.
=You can do what you couldn't do alone.
C. Our Confidence Is Not in Ourselves
Our declaration should not be:
=“I am powerful.”It should be:
=“My God is powerful.”
=Not:“I am enough.”
=But:“God is enough.”
III. GOD CAN USE WHAT SEEMS TOO SMALL
=Judges 7:1–8 Gideon started with 32,000 men.
=But God said:“The people that are with thee are too many.”
=Judges 7:2= God reduced the army.
32,000 → 10,000 → 300
Human reasoning says:
=“We need more.”
God says:
=“You need Me.”
A. God Sometimes Removes What We Depend On
=God reduced Gideon's army so Israel couldn't say:
“We won because we had the bigger army.”
=They would have to say:“God gave us the victory.”
Sometimes God allows our resources to become smaller so that our dependence on Him becomes greater.
B. Little Is Enough When God Is In It
=Three hundred men should not have been enough to defeat such a large army.
=But they had something more important than numbers:
=They had God.
The lesson is:
What is insufficient in our hands becomes sufficient when surrendered to God.
=Ang gamay nga naa nimo nga abi nimog dili paigo, paigoon kng imo kanang isurrender sa Ginoo.
=Kung ang imong kaalam dili sakto isurrender nah sa Ginoo okay tagaan ka niya ug kaalam
It is important to understand nga if we only depend to God, sa tanan natong himuon ug sa bisag unsaang anaa nato karon paigoon sa Ginoo. Because we are serving a powerful God.
C. Don't Wait Until You Have Everything
Sometimes we say:
=“When I have more money, I'll start.”
=“When I have more people, I'll serve.”
=“When I'm more qualified, I'll obey.”
=“When everything is ready, I'll step out.”
But God says:
=“Give Me what you have.”
=God can multiply what we surrender to Him.
IV. GOD CAN TURN OUR FEAR INTO FAITH
Judges 6:36–40; Judges 7:9–15
=Gideon was still afraid.
=Even after God called him, Gideon asked for signs.
=He needed reassurance.
=And God was patient with him.
A. Fear Does Not Mean God Has Abandoned You
Gideon was afraid, but God was still with him.
This is important:
=Faith does not mean you never feel afraid.
=Faith means: “I will trust God even while I am afraid.”
B. God Meets Us in Our Weakness
In Judges 7:10, God told Gideon:
=“But if thou fear to go down…”
=God knew Gideon was afraid.
=God didn't shame him.
=God gave him encouragement.
=God understands our weakness, but He doesn't want us to remain controlled by it.
C. Faith Requires a Step
=Eventually Gideon had to move.
=He could not stay hiding forever.
=There comes a time when we must stop saying:
“What if?”
and start saying:
=“If God is with me, I will go.”
V. GOD'S STRATEGY MAY NOT MAKE SENSE, BUT HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER
Judges 7:16–22
God gave Gideon a very unusual strategy.
What did they have?
Trumpets
Empty jars
Torches
No massive weapons.
No giant army.
No sophisticated battle strategy.
Just obedience to God's instructions.
A. God's Ways Are Not Always Our Ways
Sometimes God will tell us to do something that doesn't make sense according to human reasoning.
But obedience doesn't require complete understanding.
We don't have to understand everything to obey God.
B. Obedience Releases God's Power
Gideon and his men did what God instructed.
They blew the trumpets.
They broke the pitchers.
They lifted the torches.
And God caused confusion in the enemy's camp.
Gideon obeyed, but God brought the victory.
That is an important distinction.
We have a part.
God has a part.
Our part is:
Faith + Obedience
God's part is:
Power + Victory
C. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
The victory was not ultimately Gideon's.
It was God's.
This connects beautifully with your theme:
“With God, we are able.”
VI. FROM “I AM THE LEAST” TO “GOD CAN USE ME”
Judges 8:28
Gideon's story began with him hiding.
It continued with him questioning.
Then obeying.
Then leading.
Then experiencing victory.
God transformed his perspective.
Gideon went from:
“I am the least.”
to:
“God can use me.”
From:
“I can't.”
to:
“With God, I can.”
From:
“My family is weak.”
to:
“God is my strength.”
From:
“We don't have enough.”
to:
“God is enough.”
VII. WHAT GIDEON TEACHES US TODAY
1. Don't Let Your Weakness Define You
Your weakness is not greater than God's strength.
2. Don't Let Your Past Define You
God can call you into a new season.
3. Don't Let Your Lack Stop You
God can use what you already have.
4. Don't Let Fear Control You
You can move forward because God is with you.
5. Don't Measure God's Ability by Your Resources
God doesn't need a large army to accomplish His purpose.
6. Don't Forget Who Gets the Glory
When God gives the victory, give God the glory.
🔥 THE BIG IDEA
Bring the entire sermon back to this one statement:
GIDEON WAS NOT ABLE BECAUSE HE WAS GREAT.
GIDEON WAS ABLE BECAUSE GOD WAS WITH HIM.
And the same is true for us.
Your ability is not determined by your resources.
Your ability is not determined by your background.
Your ability is not determined by your position.
Your ability is not determined by your past.
Your ability is connected to the God who is with you.
🙌 FINAL DECLARATION
Have the congregation repeat after you:
When I am weak—God is strong!
When I am afraid—God is with me!
When I don't have enough—God is enough!
When I don't know what to do—God will lead me!
When the enemy is bigger—God is greater!
When the situation looks impossible—God is able!
When I feel like the least—God can still use me!
I will not allow fear to stop me!
I will not allow my limitations to stop me!
I will trust God!
I will obey God!
I will move forward with God!
BECAUSE WITH GOD, I AM ABLE!
WITH GOD, WE ARE ABLE!
❤️ CLOSING THOUGHT
Gideon's story is not really a story about how great Gideon was.
It is a story about how great God is.
The man who was hiding became a leader.
The man who called himself the least became a mighty warrior.
The man who said, “How can I?” discovered that God was saying:
“I will be with you.”
And that is the promise we carry today.
You may look at yourself and say:
“I'm not enough.”
God says:
“I am with you.”
You may say:
“I can't.”
God says:
“I can work through you.”
You may say:
“I don't have enough.”
God says:
“I am enough.”
And when God is with you:
YOU ARE ABLE.
Not because you are strong enough—
but because He is strong enough.
Not because you have everything—
but because you have God.
Not because you know the way—
but because He is leading you.
WITH GOD, WE ARE ABLE!