Heroes, Pt 1: Gideon

According to a 2017 survey conducted by a team led by Thom Rainer, 65% of North American churches are in either plateau or decline (source: https://churchanswers.com/blog/dispelling-80-percent-myth-declining-churches/). Having led a revitalizing church for 20 years and studied church revitalization at the graduate level for nearly 5 years, I am convinced that even the healthiest churches are no more than 5 years away from needing some sort of revitalization. Together, these observations have two significant implications with which we must contend. First, there is a massive, ongoing need in the North American Church for revitalizing leaders. Second, virtually every leader in the Church will inevitably lead a church through some degree of revitalization.

Indeed, the need for revitalizing leaders is practically as old as the Church itself. Even though they were among the first written Christian works, many of Paul’s epistles could be considered directives for church revitalization, and I do not see how Jesus’ letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 could be classified as anything else. In fact, one could argue that the need for revitalization even predated the Church as Israel routinely needed revitalization throughout the Old Testament. The Church, then, has always needed revitalizing leaders. It will always need revitalizing leaders. And the only questions remaining are:

• What are the qualifications of a revitalizing leader?
• What must I do to be the best revitalizing leader possible?

To answer these questions, over the next few posts, I will be examining some of the Old Testament’s heroes. The men and women on my list were each able to accomplish extraordinary things which contributed to Israel’s revitalization, and if we are to lead revitalization in our churches and culture, we must learn as much as possible from them.

The first hero I would like to consider is Gideon. The story of Gideon is found in Judges 6-8, but it really began long before that. Even before Joshua’s death, Israel’s zeal for the Lord had begun to wane. Though God freed them with plagues and wonders from slavery in Egypt, sustained them through four decades of desert wandering, and enabled them to occupy the heart of Canaan and snap the back of the remaining resistance, we see the first sign of trouble in Joshua 15. There, Judah was allotted its inheritance, and Caleb and his family alone were able to drive out the inhabitants of the region surrounding Hebron, including “three sons of Anak” (i.e., giants). This glorious beginning, however, came with an asterisk in verse 63: “But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem.” This seemingly innocuous statement belied a major problem. God had proven himself more than capable of defeating even the most formidable army. In fact, he had defeated the army of Jerusalem in Joshua 10. Moreover, the city of Jerusalem would not have a secure water source until the time of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32. Thus, a simple siege could bring the city to its knees in a matter of days! The problem was that the people of Judah stopped relying on God, and things only went downhill from there.

In Joshua 16:10, Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer. In 17:12, “the descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.” In 19:47, the descendants of Dan lost control of their entire territory and so went up and fought against Leshem instead. In Judges 1, we discover that no less than nine of the twelve tribes failed to control at least a portion of their inheritance, and in Judges 2, we find that those who succeeded neglected to remove the pagan altars the previous inhabitants left behind. Then, in Judges 3:7-8, we find an ominous word: “The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; they forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.” Fortunately, God provided a judge to deliver Israel from Cushan-rishathaim, but by the time we are introduced to Gideon in Judges 6, we find this same setup no less than four times.

Israel was in a downward spiral. Like so many churches today, the nation needed revitalization. The man God chose to realize that revitalization was Gideon, and if we are to identify and/or be revitalizing leaders, then there are four lessons that we must take from his selection.

Revitalizing leaders are ordinary people.

In Judges 6:11-40, we discover what is probably the single most important lesson which we must learn if we are to identify and/or be revitalizing leaders. Here, we are introduced to Gideon as the son of Joash, the Abiezrite. When we first meet the man who would revitalize Israel, however, his actions are rather surprising: he “was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites” (vs 11). To anyone familiar with the act of threshing wheat and a winepress, this scene is ridiculous. You see, the process of threshing wheat involves taking the harvested plants, beating them to loosen the grain, and then throwing them up in the air. The heavy grain that the farmer wanted to keep would then fall to the ground, while the wind would blow away the rest. A winepress, however, was essentially a great tank designed to hold grapes and, as they were pressed, the juice that came from them. The image of Judges 6:11, then, is that of Gideon crouching inside a large tank. The Midianites could not see him, but neither did he have any wind. Thus, he was basically picking the wheat from the chaff by hand, one bit at a time. It would have taken hours to harvest enough grain to make even a small loaf of bread, but so great was Gideon’s fear! He had no illusions about his own ability to stand up to the Midianites or make a difference. Further, when the angel of the Lord addressed him, Gideon argued in verse 15 that he was the youngest member of the weakest family in his tribe. He was, by all accounts, ordinary. Indeed, revitalizing leaders are ordinary people. What I mean by that, of course, is that revitalizing leaders do not possess superhuman strength or stature. That is not, however, to say that they are indistinguishable from everyone else.

Revitalizing leaders are distinguished by their humility. In Gideon’s case, this was demonstrated in his inability to fathom why the angel of the Lord would call him a “valiant warrior” (vs 12), his recognition of his own lack of strength and standing (vs 15), his fear when he recognized that he was actually speaking with the Lord (vs 22), and his willingness to repent (vss 25ff). Indeed, revitalizing leaders will fully recognize that they are in no way qualified to lead the church of God anywhere, let alone to revitalization. They will, like Paul, consider their earthly qualifications as liabilities (Philippians 3:7) and their entire ministries the work of God’s grace in and through them (Romans 1:5).

Revitalizing leaders are distinguished also by their open but discerning minds. When the angel of the Lord suggested in verse 14 that Gideon was the one who would deliver Israel from the hand of Midian, it must have been surreal. On the one hand, it was thrilling to be chosen to deliver Israel. On the other, however, the notion of overthrowing the Midianite oppressors was absurd: in chapter 8, we learn that there were more than 135,000 Midianite soldiers stationed in Israel. Therefore, in what is probably the most familiar part of his story, Gideon in Judges 6:33-40 asked the Lord to provide a sign: if God could make a fleece wet with dew while the ground around it was completely dry, Gideon would believe. The next day, after God made it so, Gideon realized that dew tends to collect on things like grass and fleece before it appears on the ground, so he asked for a second sign: if God would make the fleece dry while the ground around it was wet with dew, he would believe. Gideon’s mind, then, was open to the possibility that he might be the one God had chosen to lead Israel to revitalization, but he was not foolish. He wanted to be sure. In many churches today, the task of revitalization is no less absurd than standing against the Midianite army. I can tell you from firsthand experience that it is not uncommon to doubt, even after we have committed. God understands this, and he is willing to provide compelling proof as long as we are sincere in our pursuit. The revitalizing leader, then, has an open mind, but not a foolish one.

The biggest thing distinguishing the revitalizing leader from everyone else, however, is the presence of God. Back in verses 16-21, after calling Gideon, the Angel of the Lord – who is identified in verse 14 as the Lord himself – responded to Gideon’s primary protest with this: “But I will be with you.” That is, he promised to accompany Gideon in the days and events to come. Over the rest of the chapter, he verified his identity and promise with multiple signs. And it was a good thing, too. Gideon had no military experience himself. The people who would follow him had no weapons or gear. Many of them were eager to leave when he gave them a reason, and most of the rest did not pass the test God set for them. In short, there was no way that Gideon, on his own, was going to defeat the Midianites. Then again, that is the point of all of this. It was never about Gideon’s abilities but God’s. So also, it has never been about the revitalizing leader’s abilities but God’s. This is precisely why God generally chooses ordinary people to lead revitalization. Revitalizing leaders are ordinary people.

Revitalizing leaders take responsibility.

This, of course, is good news for all of us ordinary people who find ourselves leading a church in need of revitalization. Anyone can be a revitalizing leader if they will embrace humility, develop an open but discerning mind, and seek the presence of the Lord. But was that all that distinguished Gideon from everyone else? Fortunately, we find the answer to that question and the second lesson which we must learn if we are to identify and/or be revitalizing leaders also in Judges 6.

In Judges 6:1-6, we learn that God allowed the Midianites to oppress and impoverish Israel for seven years, and in verse 7, “the Israelites cried out to [God] because of Midian.” In their minds, the problem was God and the Midianites. If God would do what he was supposed to do and get rid of the Midianites, then the problem would be solved. These things, however, were merely symptoms of the real problem: “The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (vs 1). The truth was that the root cause of the Israelites’ oppression was that they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They were responsible, and the fact of the matter is that most churches in need of revitalization are responsible for their own troubles as well. The need for revitalization rarely results solely from ineffective methods. At some point, that church drifted away from God and allowed his mission of making more and better disciples of Christ to become secondary, and in doing so, they opened the door for God to hand them over.

More, instead of immediately recognizing the problem and fixing it, we see in verse 1 that the Midianites were able to oppress them for seven years! One might imagine how this happened. At first, the Midianites only hurt people and destroyed the crops in that one area over there. It was unfortunate but tolerable, and so the Israelites kept telling themselves that it was not so bad; that sooner or later, the Midianites would pass; and they could get back to life as usual. Yet, with each passing year, the number of people and acres affected only grew until finally, after seven years, they were compelled to admit that they were in trouble. This is a familiar refrain among churches in need of revitalization. They often refuse to acknowledge the problem until the pain of it all becomes too great to bear.

Worse, though, was the fact that the problem and its solution were clear. In verses 8-10, God sent a prophet to rebuke the nation and help them understand that their real need was for repentance. They needed to remove the pagan altars and to stop fearing the impotent gods of the people God had driven from the land. Yet, even after the prophet came and told them exactly what they needed to do, Israel did not respond. In fact, even Gideon initially complained about how God had abandoned Israel rather than how Israel had abandoned God (vs 13). This, also, is typical of churches and leaders in need of revitalization. Too often, they know exactly what the problem is, but for whatever reason, they will not act to correct it.

That all changed, however, when an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. Starting in verse 12, the angel pointed at Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” In verse 14, the angel is identified as the Lord himself, and he continued, “I am sending you.” And in verse 16, he added, “I will be with you… You will strike Midian down.” Then, he revealed in verses 25-26 that the first step of revitalization was to fix the root problem: Gideon needed to “tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father” and “build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God” in its place. And in verse 27, Gideon did exactly that. He owned that the real problem was that Israel – including him and his family – had allowed other things to usurp God’s place in their lives. He then took responsibility for correcting that issue within his sphere of influence, and revitalizing leaders will do the same. They will stop burying their head in the sand, blaming God and others for their poor situation, and failing to do anything to change. They will start acknowledging the problem, recognizing their own role in the situation (if there was one), and resolving that, even if no one else will do anything, they will. Revitalizing leaders take responsibility.

Revitalizing leaders are willing instruments.

A third characteristic of a revitalizing leader is found in Gideon’s actions in Judges 7. After accepting God’s call to overthrow the Midianites, Gideon began preparing for battle. A shade over 32,000 men rallied to him, and Gideon was no doubt concerned. The Midianite force outnumbered them four to one, and the Midianites had training and gear! Yet, in Judges 7:2, God told Gideon to send troops home. When 22,000 heeded the first invitation to return home, Gideon was left with 10,000 troops, and there must have been a terrible pit in his stomach. Yet, God said in verse 4, “There are still too many troops.” He gave further instructions, and only three hundred men remained. I imagine Gideon was sick, but that was when God reminded him that it was not about him or his men. No, God said in Judges 7:7, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men.” That is, God was going to use Gideon and his men, but at the end of the day, there would be no doubt that he was the one who had delivered Israel. Like a scalpel in the hand of a skilled surgeon, they would be mere instruments. Indeed, revitalizing leaders are willing instruments.

Being a willing instrument means being willing to lean on God when things are overwhelming or scary. In Judges 7:10, God recognized that the proposition of attacking the vastly superior Midianite army with only 300 men was utterly terrifying. He therefore invited Gideon, “If you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant. Listen to what they say, and then you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” Gideon accepted the invitation, and when he and his servant arrived in the Midianite camp, they overheard one soldier telling another, “God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to [Gideon]” (vs 14). To be frank, there will always be risk in leading revitalization. There will always be significant challenges and obstacles. If a candidate cannot acknowledge these things, then he/she is not fit to lead revitalization. The mark of a revitalizing leader is that, when faced with these terrifying things, they only lean further into God.

Being a willing instrument means thinking outside of the box. Conventional military strategy would have had the Israelites wait until morning, line up, and engage the Midianites in hand-to-hand combat. They would have been decimated. In Judges 7:16, however, Gideon divided his meager force into three groups and distributed a ram’s horn, a pitcher, and a torch to each of his men. The plan was to surround the Midianite camp and convince the army that a much larger Israelite force was lurking in the night. Revitalizing leaders must be willing to discard conventional strategies. They are not afraid to axe ineffective methods and ministries. In hindsight, people will call them innovative, but on the front end, what they do will seem crazy.

Being a willing instrument means trusting God to deliver. Gideon’s final instruction to his men was that, on his signal, they should shatter the pitchers (i.e., exposing the torches), blow the horns, and shout at the top of their lungs, “For the Lord and for Gideon!” That last bit is important because it showed that, ultimately, their hope for success rested in God. Indeed, there was no way their plan could succeed without God’s intervention, and the revitalizing leader recognizes the same thing. He/she will therefore work hard but pray even harder, and when he/she succeeds, the revitalizing leader will be quick to give glory to God. Indeed, in Judges 7:22 we read, “When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred ram’s horns, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords.” Gideon and his men did their parts, and God did his. Revitalizing leaders do their parts and expect God to do his.

Revitalizing leaders commit to finishing well.

As important as these three qualifications are, however, there is one more thing that we must see in the account of Gideon. You see, after God used him to overthrow the Midianites, Gideon went off the rails. While he started with so much promise, in the end, his story became a cautionary tale. Indeed, God may use us to realize the most astonishing revitalization in history, but if we do not finish well, it will all be for naught. Therefore, I would submit that, from the beginning, revitalizing leaders commit to finishing well.

Of course, things do not often go off the rails right away. In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Gideon was a national hero. The people wanted to make him their king, but in Judges 8:22-23, he recognized that God had not used him to establish a monarchy. Rather, God’s purpose was to redirect Israel’s attention back to God. Gideon, therefore, refused to allow them to crown either himself or his descendants. Revitalizing leaders will give God the credit. They will direct people’s attention to him. When revitalization comes, the revitalizing leader will be diligent in glorifying God. He/she will turn the spotlight from what they did to who God is.

The problem is that, over time, that resolve can erode. In Judges 8:24-27, even after all God had done in and through him, Gideon collected a bunch of gold and made an ephod for himself. The ephod in and of itself was unlawful; Gideon was basically elevating himself to the level of chief priest. Worse, though, the ephod eventually became a talisman or idol to both him and the rest of the nation. The fact of the matter is that there is a very real temptation that comes with being used by God to do amazing things. Our enemy is no fool. He does not waste energy attacking people who are no threat to him, and he is patient enough to wait until those who are threats let down their guards. Revitalizing leaders must be wary of temptation throughout the revitalization process, but time and again in Scripture and history, we see that they are most vulnerable to the devil’s attacks at the peak of the revitalization curve as the changes are solidified and results begin to manifest. The revitalizing leader will therefore commit to regular self-examination. He/she will take steps to protect themselves including building a team of mentors, advisers, accountability partners, etc. And when someone confronts them with a possible blindspot or sin, they will take that seriously and respond accordingly.

The revitalizing leader will do these things because, ultimately, his/her objective is to leave a godly legacy upon which the next generation of leaders will be able to build. As effective and blessed as Gideon was, Scripture remembers him as a failure because the Israelites were led astray by his ephod and still engaged in idolatry after his death. That is, he left the nation in exactly the same place they were in when he began, opening the door for his son Abimelech to inaugurate a rather dark chapter in Israel’s history. Real revitalizing leaders are committed to leaving the churches they lead in a better position than when they began and launching the next generation forward so that they can accomplish even greater things for God. Indeed, whenever possible, they will not only get out of the way, but they will actively cheer their successor. They should purpose to realize Jesus’ words in John 14, setting up their successor to “do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Conclusion

The story of Gideon bears many lessons for those who would lead revitalization. Some of them are positive, and some are negative. As we seek to recruit and be leaders for the wave of revitalization that must happen in the North American Church, we must heed these lessons. Like Gideon, revitalizing leaders may be ordinary, but they will be distinguished by their humility, their open but discerning mind, and the presence of God in their lives. Also like Gideon, revitalizing leaders will take responsibility for the situation by acknowledging the real problem, recognizing their role (if any) in causing it, and resolving to do everything in their God-enabled power to fix it. They will allow themselves to be willing instruments in God’s hands, leaning on him when things are overwhelming or scary, thinking outside of the box, and trusting God to deliver. But unlike Gideon, the revitalizing leaders of today will commit themselves to finish well by giving God credit, proactively resisting temptation, and endeavoring to leave the churches they lead in a position to strive for an even better future after they have gone.