LWC SERMON GUIDE

Born of the Voice

Scriptures to read and ponder

Primary Text

  • Judges 6:1–12 — Israel’s oppression, Gideon in the winepress, and Heaven’s declaration: “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Supporting Scriptures from the Sermon

  • Romans 12:2 — Transformation through renewing the mind.

  • Judges 6:25–26 — Tearing down the altars of Baal and building a proper altar to the LORD.

  • Judges 6:34 — “The Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon.”

  • John 4:23–24 — Worship in Spirit and in truth.

  • Psalm 139:14 — You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

  • John 15:16 — “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…”

  • Ephesians 2:10 — You are His workmanship, His masterpiece.

Sermon Recap

I. The Darkness and the Tension

  • Israel intentionally abandoned the ways of God.

  • God’s judgment was not punitive rage but permissive withdrawal — He honoured their choices.

  • Life outside God’s covering produced vulnerability, repeated loss, and cycles of planting without harvest.

  • Israel hid in caves, clefts, and strongholds — living beneath their calling and inheritance.

II. Gideon in the Winepress

  • Gideon should have been threshing wheat on an open threshing floor — where the wind carries the chaff.

  • Instead he threshed in a winepress, a cramped pit in the ground.

  • He was functioning, but not flourishing.

  • This is the biblical picture of oppression — surviving below your God-given identity.

III. God’s Initiative Breaks In

  • Into the cramped space…

  • Into the fear…

  • Into the private anxiety…
    Heaven breaks in with a WORD:
    “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Key points:

  • God speaks identity before performance.

  • God does not describe you — He defines you.

  • The winepress becomes a womb when Heaven speaks.

  • God calls you by where He is taking you, not by what you are currently living.

IV. Identity Spoken Before Performance

  • In the Kingdom, identity precedes character, calling, and impact.

  • God declared “Mighty Warrior” before Gideon had fought a single battle.

  • Heaven sees fullness, not fragments.

  • Examples of God’s identity declarations over us:

    • Fearfully and wonderfully made

    • Chosen, appointed to bear fruit

    • God’s workmanship — His masterpiece

V. The Call to Rise: Character Formation

  • Identity is the starting point — but alignment is the process.

  • Gideon had to tear down the altar of Baal in his father’s house.

  • Some altars in our inner world must come down:

    • Misplaced trust

    • Wrong beliefs

    • Old patterns

    • False voices

  • Worship “in Spirit and truth” requires the inner world to come into alignment with the voice of God.

  • You cannot worship in Spirit while thinking like the winepress.

VI. From Calling to Impact

  • After identity and alignment came empowerment:

    • “The Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon.”

  • What began in a pit became a national deliverance.

  • When identity, alignment, and obedience converge — transformation flows outward.

VII. Prophetic Summons

  • God is calling His people out of hiding.

  • Out of the winepress.

  • Out of the old voices.

  • Into identity, freedom, worship, and Kingdom purpose.

  • “You are not born of fear, or failure, or brokenness.
    You are born of the Voice.”

Memorable Quotes

  • “The most dangerous thing in your life is not your past — it’s the wrong voice.”

  • “You don’t rise to your potential — you rise to the voice you listen to.”

  • “When God declares something, He doesn’t describe you — He defines you.”

  • “The winepress that hid you becomes the womb that births you.”

  • “God declares your DNA before He examines your résumé.”

  • “You cannot worship in Spirit while thinking like the winepress.”

  • “The Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon — Heaven wrapped him.”

Questions for Discussion

Identity & Inner World

  1. What are the “voices behind the curtain” that have shaped your identity?

  2. Which false narratives still influence your decisions, confidence, or sense of worth?

  3. What does it mean to you that God defines you before you perform?

Winepress Living

  1. Where in your life do you feel like you’re surviving but not thriving?

  2. How has fear, pressure, or circumstances pushed you into a “winepress”?

Character Formation

  1. What “altars of Baal” (old patterns, misplaced trust, destructive habits) need to come down?

  2. What practical steps can you take this week to align your inner world with Scripture?

Worship in Spirit and Truth

  1. How does renewing the mind deepen worship?

  2. What lies or old voices still hinder you from worshipping freely and fully?

Calling and Impact

  1. Where do you sense the Holy Spirit calling you to rise and lead?

  2. What could it look like for the Spirit of the Lord to “clothe you” in this season?

Further Reading

Scriptures reinforcing today’s message

  • Isaiah 43:1–4 — God calls you by name.

  • 1 Peter 2:9 — A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen people.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 — Taking thoughts captive.

  • Ephesians 1:3–14 — Identity in Christ.

  • Joshua 1:9 — Strength and courage in calling.

  • Romans 8:1–17 — Life in the Spirit and adoption as children of God.


Prayer Points

  1. Identity Revelation

    • Pray that every member of LWC hears Heaven’s declaration:
      “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

  2. Renewing the Mind

    • Pray for liberation from old voices, lies, and destructive self-talk.

    • Pray for clarity, truth, and alignment with God’s Word.

  3. Breaking Old Altars

    • Pray for courage to tear down patterns, habits, and beliefs that oppose God.

    • Pray for a rebuilding of “proper altars” — devotion, surrender, worship.

  4. Worship in Spirit and Truth

    • Pray that our worship flows from renewed minds and aligned hearts.

    • Pray for fresh intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

  5. Holy Spirit Empowerment

    • Pray for the Spirit of the LORD to “clothe” the church.

    • Pray for courage, leadership, and boldness to step out of the winepress.