BCF Philly | Pastor Art Taylor | The Challenges of New.

Jul 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When New Furniture Sags But Old Drawers Hold True

The allure of shiny things often distracts from what’s proven durable. Like sturdy dressers that withstand decades, some relationships and callings gain strength through time. God often works through faithful endurance rather than constant reinvention. Clinging to what’s familiar isn’t stagnation when it’s rooted in divine purpose. The challenge comes when culture idolizes novelty over tested foundations. True value isn’t in the label of “new” but in what bears fruit through seasons. [56:20]

“Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:10, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you dismissed something “old” in your life—a relationship, habit, or calling—that God might still be refining for His purpose? How can you honor faithfulness over flashiness today?

Day 2: Tearing Down Altars Your Father Built

Obedience sometimes requires dismantling systems others crafted. Gideon didn’t just stop worshiping Baal—he destroyed his father’s altar under cover of darkness. New beginnings demand courage to confront legacy strongholds, even familial ones. God’s call often interrupts generational patterns, inviting holy disruption. The rubble of old altars becomes the foundation for true worship. [01:08:15]

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
(Luke 14:26, NIV)

Reflection: What “family altar” (tradition, expectation, or sin pattern) have you avoided confronting? How might God be asking you to courageously rebuild holy space?

Day 3: The Holy Hush Before Obeying Afraid

Gideon’s whispered “yes” to God mattered more than his public victory. True obedience often happens in the trembling moments before dawn, when fears shout loudest. God doesn’t rebuke holy fear—He meets us in it. Like a soldier sipping water while watching for enemies, faithfulness means staying alert through discomfort. [01:12:15]

“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’”
(Judges 6:23, NIV)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to act despite your pounding heart? What practical step can you take this week while still “afraid”?

Day 4: When Baal’s Defenders Demand Your Head

Backlash often follows radical obedience. Gideon’s neighbors wanted him dead for disrupting their false comforts. New moves of God unsettle those invested in old systems. Yet Joash’s defense—“Let Baal contend for himself!”—reveals a truth: man-made idols always crumble under their own weight. [01:21:18]

“Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.”
(Luke 6:22, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you faced criticism for pursuing God’s new thing? How can you trust Him to defend His work instead of fighting your own battles?

Day 5: Fighting With Pitchers, Trumpets, and 299 Others

God’s math confounds human logic—300 men with clay jars defeated an army. True victory comes through radical dependence, not impressive numbers. Like soldiers drinking with heads up, believers must stay alert in a distracted world. The “sword of the Lord” triumphs through unlikely people holding broken vessels. [01:31:50]

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
(1 Corinthians 1:27, NIV)

Reflection: What “pitcher and trumpet” (seemingly inadequate tool) has God placed in your hands? How can you wield it boldly this week?

Sermon Summary

Gideon shows how God walks a man into the challenges of new. The text sets Gideon by the spring while Midian fills the valley, then cuts the numbers so no one can boast, because God will not share glory with a swollen head. The encounter in Judges 6 already named God as Jehovah Shalom, but that peace comes with orders. The altar of Baal has to go. The new altar to the Lord cannot just sit beside the old. Side by side worship is no worship at all. Baal got to go.

God then presses a harder nerve. Gideon must go against his father’s practice. Joash had tried to run Baal and Yahweh on the same shelf, but the Lord refuses roommates. Gideon obeys, even though fear nips at his heels, so he works by night. Obedience while afraid still counts as obedience. Backlash comes at daybreak. The men of the city want blood, but Joash finally talks sense. If Baal is a god, let Baal plead for himself. Idols never defend themselves. That line frees Gideon to keep moving.

The Spirit then clothes Gideon, enemies link up, and doubts still creep in. Gideon lays out the fleece, twice. God meets him there anyway. The Lord then trims the army again, because the challenge of new often means making do with less. The water test sorts out soldiers by how they drink. The ones who lap like a dog keep their heads up. They can drink and see. Those 300 get the nod.

God arms them with pitchers and trumpets, not swords, so the method shows whose fight this is. The shout is the key. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. God owns the victory, and God names the instrument. The people recognize the name they have heard, and terror does the rest. The contrast between shiny new and sturdy old gets laid next to this story. New can excite and also betray. Old can be weighty and faithful. The call in this house is to let God tear down what cannot go forward, build what he orders, hush the grumbling, carry the vision, and honor the leader God is using without getting stuck on yesterday’s man. The move to a new place will not run smooth, but the God who trims the numbers and chooses watchful people will carry the work when the church trusts his way.

Key Takeaways

1. Tear down the old altars New obedience cannot sit beside old idolatry. When the Lord says build new, he also says cut down what fed the old bondage. Leaving the old standing only makes the new feel optional. Repentance clears ground so worship is single hearted. [68:15]
2. Obey when you are afraid Fear does not disqualify faithful steps. Gideon works at night, and God still receives it as obedience. The Lord even speaks peace into shaky hearts to keep them moving. Courage here is trust that walks while the knees still knock. [72:15]
3. Expect backlash and carry vision Breaking old altars stirs old loyalties, but idols never defend themselves. Joash’s pivot protects the work, and wise leaders steward the hush so grumbling does not drown guidance. Vision needs voices who repeat God’s orders, not opinions that slow the march. [80:50]
4. Make do with less, choose watchful God trims numbers so his strength, not headcount, gets the praise. Discernment watches how people drink, because formation shows in small habits. The called lift water and keep their eyes up, ready for the moment that matters. Quality beats quantity when God selects. [91:00]
5. Honor the instrument God is using The shout ties God’s name to Gideon’s name on purpose. The Lord owns the battle, and the people acknowledge the servant he chose. Communities mature when they thank God for his work and also for the vessel, without worshiping either. [94:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[49:21] - Opening humor and setup
[52:57] - Reading Judges 7:1-9
[55:39] - Theme stated: The challenges of new
[62:22] - Newness shine versus faithful old
[66:44] - Jehovah Shalom and Baal comes down
[70:00] - Defying family tradition for God
[72:15] - Obedience while afraid
[80:50] - Backlash and Joash’s defense
[85:41] - Gideon’s fleece and honest doubts
[88:55] - Making do with less
[90:06] - Watch how they drink
[91:50] - Pitchers, trumpets, and victory
[93:40] - The sword of the Lord and of Gideon
[95:20] - Invitation to a new life

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Judges 6:23-27 (ESV)
But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it. And build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Judges 7:1-9 (ESV)
Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there...”

Observation Questions

What specific actions did God command Gideon to take regarding the altar of Baal in Judges 6:25-27?
Why did Gideon obey God’s command to tear down the altar at night instead of during the day? [01:08:15]
How did God reduce Gideon’s army, and what reason does the text give for this?
What example of backlash did Gideon face after tearing down the altar, and how did Joash respond? [01:20:50]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God insisted on reducing Gideon’s army to just 300 men, even after 22,000 had already left?
What does Gideon’s use of the fleece (Judges 6:36-40) reveal about the relationship between doubt and faith in following God’s direction?
Joash defended Gideon by saying, “If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself” (Judges 6:31). How does this statement challenge the validity of idolatry?
The shout “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon” (Judges 7:20) tied God’s victory to Gideon’s leadership. Why is it significant that God included Gideon’s name here? [01:34:03]

Application Questions

What “old altars” (habits, relationships, or priorities) might God be calling you to tear down so you can worship Him wholeheartedly? [01:08:15]
When has fear nearly stopped you from obeying God? How can you take small steps of obedience even when afraid? [01:12:15]
How do you typically respond to criticism or backlash when making God-honoring changes? What would it look like to trust God’s defense instead of your own?
Gideon had to trust God’s strength despite having fewer resources. Where in your life do you need to rely on God’s provision instead of human effort? [01:31:00]
The sermon emphasized honoring leaders God uses without idolizing them. How can you support and encourage your spiritual leaders while keeping God central?
Are there areas where you’ve tried to “worship God and Baal on the same shelf” (compromise)? What practical step will you take to eliminate that compromise?

Sermon Clips

66s

#TearDownTheOld

“``one of the challenges of new is that you have to tear down the old. can't leave the old standing when you build new, because if people see the old next to the new, there'll be some folk that'll hold to the old. And, the new becomes an option when it shouldn't be an option. It wasn't not enough to simply stop worshiping at the altar, they had to tear it down. God wanted Gideon to take something that represented the length of their oppression because he was about to bring it to an end, so we don't need this old altar. And, be careful about holding on to old things when God is trying to do something new in your life. And, as a pastor, pastor Kenny, leading your church into a new era, into a new place, the challenge will be to tear down some old things.”

80s

#ItsNotAboutYou

“When I learned it wasn't personal, they used to break my heart because I took it personal. Yeah. Yeah. And god had to show me. They're doing it to you. Go ahead. But it ain't really about you. That's right. That's good. They scared of what god is trying to do. So, they take it out on you and he don't know what he doing. He only been doing this for a couple of years. Them young people always wanna change stuff. Am I telling the truth? Yes. It's hard. That's a challenge. This challenge of new, of of of doing obeying when we're afraid. But if you can obey when you're afraid, if you if when you're afraid to to to break that next step, but you say, god, I'm gonna trust you. Yeah. Because I promise you, what's on the other side, god listen. God has if this is his work and god is saying go, he told Gideon go. And, I know Gideon's probably thinking, I'm trying to go, but you keep taking all my people.”

76s

#BeTheOneWhoShowsUp

“I got one minute. How much can I get in in a minute? You wanna get picked, but you ain't never around doing anything to make you there. How we know to pick you? You never said you wanted to serve. You ain't never volunteered. He said, watch them. And those that drink one way, put them on one side, and those that drink the other way, put them on the other side. 300 of them. 300 of them. Lap like a dog. Got the water in their hand and they lapped it like that. But, you know what? The ones who lapped like that, I'm a soldier. You gotta be able to see your enemy. You can't be down at the river with your head in the water. You won't know when the attack is coming. You get the water in your hand and you lift your head up so you can drink and see. He said, those are the ones you want right there. Those are the folk who got their head together. Those are the ones you want. You want those 300. And then when they went to go fight, he didn't even give them a weapon. They had a pitcher in one hand and a trumpet in the other hand. What kind of fighting? But, when God gives you something to do, he may not always do it the way people think it ought to be done.”

55s

#ObeyDespiteFear

“if you can obey when you're afraid, oh, you're gonna do some stuff. Because see, lot of us good with obedience when it's easy to do. Yeah. But it it's it's fearful. New stuff is fearful. You're not sure what you're getting into. This is why some of y'all stay in bad relationships. God I don't God is always taking me to relationships with y'all for some reason, so I'm just in a bad relationship with someone you know that this isn't going to go anywhere, but you feel like I hold onto the knucklehead I know rather than start new. Say, I don't wanna waste these five years I've been put in. Are you gonna waste another fifteen?”

73s

#OvercomeTheDoubt

“But, one of the challenges of new is overcoming doubts. Your pastor will have them, you as leaders will have them, you as members will have them, just like you have doubts in your life. When you get ready to do something new, I don't care how excited you are about doing it, there's still some doubts. You're getting ready to start a new ministry, there are some doubts. And, you know God said do it. You're getting ready to leave home? Where young are all people that's getting ready to leave home? Going up the Now, y'all listen, let's talk real quick. ain't gotta tell your parents or nobody, you'd be real excited about leaving. But then, sometimes you'd be laying in your bed. Y'all ever had them doubts and be like, what I'm gonna do when I get out here? Like, if I get out here and this thing don't work, or You know, because when you're at home, you always know there's food in the fridge. You just open up the fridge, food there. You leave home, you be like, where the food coming from? That stuff be real, boy.”

83s

#ExpectTheBacklash

“sometimes you'll be afraid of the people because the people will start to grumble. The people will start to murmur. The people will start talking about, your daddy didn't do it that way. And, pastor Horace, he never do that. Can I be real? Sir. Y'all know if y'all get mad, I'm just gonna go back to Christ Baptist anyway. Right? Y'all know I'm just gonna go on back over there and make them mad about something. And, the problem isn't really with him, it's the challenge of new. We're so afraid of new, we'll attack whoever represents. Sometimes God be saying some stuff through me and then when I hear it, just be like, woah. That wasn't in my notes. I just wanna just hot off the press. We we will attack whoever represents the new. Pastor, can I tell you something that will help you? It ain't even personal. They just do personal stuff. But, it's because when you represent the new and they're afraid of the new, then they gotta take it out on you.”

74s

#TrustGodThroughChange

“Will you accept the challenges, or you gonna keep trying to do it the way you think it ought to be done? Accept the challenge and let god be your strength and let god bring you over. Y'all got some challenges, I know. Y'all done got this building. You got to move into this building. You got to get it ready. The building if you do anything with a building, it don't ever go smooth. There's always gonna be something jump up. I got a house. I get so sick every time I turn around. I've just been thanking God it was a 100 and some degrees and my air conditioner just kept running. Said, thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Thank you Thank you. A couple of summers ago, that bad boy just blew up over me. They're like, quit. I had to I had to get a new one. When you have a building, there's always going be something. The challenges of moving in are going to be difficult, but you can overcome them if you trust God.”

69s

#LeadWithVision

“even though Joash had done this this dual altar thing, worshiping Baal and worshiping Yahweh, when they say, you gotta kill your son because they tore down the altar, he was like, no, Baal got a problem. Let Baal deal with it. Therefore, on that day he called him Jerubbaal saying, Let Baal plead against him because he hath thrown down his altar. Some of your challenges of new is backlash. He told him to tear down the altar and he did it. When the people found out about it, there was backlash. This this part this is not just for pastor Kenny. This is for for you leaders. It's going to be some backlash as you do some new things. It's leader's job to make sure that you have pastor's vision so that you can speak it amongst the people. Leaders gotta say, y'all need to hush, and you need to pray, and you need to trust God.”

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Bethesda Christian Fellowship Church of God This sermon · AI assistant

Why must old altars be torn down?

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What distinguished the three hundred lapping soldiers?

BCF Philly | Pastor Art Taylor | The Challenges of New.

Devotional

Day 1: When New Furniture Sags But Old Drawers Hold True

Day 2: Tearing Down Altars Your Father Built

Day 3: The Holy Hush Before Obeying Afraid

Day 4: When Baal’s Defenders Demand Your Head

Day 5: Fighting With Pitchers, Trumpets, and 299 Others

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

BCF Philly | Pastor Art Taylor | The Challenges of New.

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