God's Little Biscuit - Excerpts from the Sermon by Lester Roloff

God’s Little Biscuit

Excerpts from the sermon by Lester Roloff

Before the dawn of creation, God knew the great tragedy that would take place here on this earth. And while Jesus was here, He faced every crisis a man could face. The bloodhounds of hell chewed at Him every day during His public ministry, and yet He never backed down. Even in the hour of His wilderness temptation, Jesus was on time.

Listen, my dear friend: we have no need to fear. The same spirit that Jesus had—He wants to give it to you! God is just enough for everybody here tonight. You’ve been drinking at the wrong stream if you’re not satisfied! Jesus is all you need, and Christ is not a disappointment. Here in the story of Gideon, we are going to find “God’s Little Biscuit.” But first, we must start with a famine. The children of Israel were impoverished because of the great oppression of Midian. That’s what the enemy wants to do—starve us out! But during this famine we find three things—a divine intervention, human instrumentality, and the desire for a miracle:

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” And Gideon said unto him, “Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” –Judges 6:12-13

Gideon straightened himself up, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and said, “You mean the Lord is with me? Then whereabouts are the miracles?” Anytime God is with a man, there’s going to be something miraculous that starts happening. Gideon had heard the stories around the campfire about the miracles of God. He had heard about manna from heaven, water from the rock, and the presence of God in the cloud and fire. Gideon said, “I want to see some miracles!” Brother, that’s going to be necessary before we have revival. Somebody’s got to get ready for a miracle. It’s a tremendous miracle when we have revival.

And he said unto Him, “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” –Judges 6:15

This is so necessary but often missing. Gideon knew what he was not. He said, “My family is poor, and I’m the least little thing that my father’s got.” This reminds me of the Roloff family. My mother and father had five children. Our two little sisters both passed away very young—one while in infancy and one as my little playmate at the age of 8. It was a very sad time in our home when Thelma—who seemed like the joy of our home—went away. She left behind all the nice things that my mother made for her to wear, along with her dolls and playthings. Then there were three boys left. My oldest brother Melvin—valedictorian of his class—was one of the most brilliant boys in the community. He was the first to go off to college and on to universities and so forth. Then there was Edell, the middle brother. He was always good-natured and likable—rather humble and even-going. Then I came along—mischievous and sinful and rebellious. And I believe I could say what Gideon said even tonight. My father was poor. And when God called me to preach, we were poor. Times were hard in 1932.

Truthfully, I am the least in my house. I was the least likely to make a preacher—sick, ignorant, scared, afraid, and without any ambition. And yet, the Lord convinced me one night that He had laid His hand on this common piece of clay. The Lord said, “I can use you because I don’t have to have anything to start with. You are near enough to nothing that I can use you.” I’ve come to believe the Lord can do a lot better when He can start with nothing, because the first thing the Lord has to do is get rid of what we’ve got.

And the LORD said unto him, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” –Judges 6:16

Now we have the promises. First of all, we had the famine. Second, we had a divine intervention. Third, we had a man—a human instrument in God’s hand. Then we had a desire for miracles. And then we had a baptism of humility. And now then, we’re getting on the promises. God said, “I’m going to be with you. You can count on Me. Wherever you go, I’ll be there.” Folks, that just about settles it. How could I lose if God’s right there?

How long has it been since you’ve seen a miracle? How long has it been since you’ve had a prayer answered—since God intervened in your heart? My friends, if I go one day without Heaven’s intervention, I’ve wasted a day. This is exactly what a Christian ought to get used to. God does not honor sight, but He does honor faith. “Now the just shall life by faith.” This text transformed Martin Luther’s life, and it’ll transform anybody’s life. When you start living by faith, it will change just about everything around your house. It’ll change your ministry too. When you get addicted to living by faith, you’ll never want to get off of it. Now remember that Gideon had to put the fleece out. God is so willing to convince us if we want to be convinced. God goes the limit to convince His children that He’s able to meet our needs.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, “The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me’.” –Judges 7:2

The Lord told Gideon, “That’s too many for Me to get the glory. I want you to just weed out all those that are fearful and afraid.” And brother, there went most of his army! Most people live in fear, not in faith. Now you don’t work up faith— faith is a gift! But I’ll tell you where faith comes from. It comes right out of the Word of God. People cannot have real faith that are divorced from the Word of God. I don’t believe you’ll ever be a man of faith until you’re a man of one Book. Now then, we’re coming up to victory-time and looking for God’s Little Biscuit. After the men that were afraid went home, Gideon still had 10,000 left. That’s a pretty good army. So the Lord told Gideon, “I want you to come down to the water.” Brother, the final separating place is the water. After watching how they took on water, Gideon only had 300 left—that’s all. Gideon could have argued over it, but he didn’t. You remember what Gideon prayed for, don’t you? He prayed for a miracle, and boy he is gonna see one now.

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.” And his fellow answered and said, “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.” –Judges 7:13-14

That’s God’s little biscuit. That’s it right there. Just a little cake of barley bread came rolling in and flattened them out. Of course, Gideon threw his hat over the windmill and took off back to the army and said, “Thank God for the privilege of being His little biscuit. Boys, we’re fixing to go on a victorious march!”

Dear friends, I wonder if God’s got any little biscuits around here. Look at the series of things that happened to Gideon. Remember God’s promise, “Surely I’ll be with thee.” Gideon and his men didn’t stand a chance. But we don’t live by chance; we live by faith. Gideon’s 300 men didn’t amount to much. But while they were at God’s disposal, they meant a great deal. When those trumpets sounded, and those lights came on, and God’s power came down—those Midianites started bailing out. They were overthrown because God had a little biscuit—right out of His oven in Heaven—that was willing to be used of the Lord.

I’m not talking about just church work. I’m talking about being surrendered to the will of God in my life and in your life. There is no danger in the will of God, and there is no safety outside the will of God. You are just as obligated to do the will of God as I am. And the will of God will be just as sweet for you as it was for Gideon.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. –Psalm 37:23