When I was in High
school – our Youth group went on this incredible trip to Kings Canyon in the
Sequoia national forest
A)We camped / hiked / swam in Rivers – saw water
falls – it was Beautiful –
B) But on one of the days our Youth Pastor took us
to this place where we climbed up the face of this
cliff – about 50 feet above a pool of water
1)Once we reached the top we were to jump off into
the Pool of water below
C) Well I am not much of a thrill seeker – But everyone
else was doing it – so I climbed up the Mt. Mainly to impress this girl I like
who was on the trip
1)She climbed up too. Once we reached the top &
were standing on the Edge It looked
like a (mile up there
I was scarred) – found there were 3 problems
D) Problem #1
Once up there our Youth Pastor – informed us we couldn’t climb back down – too
Dangerous – only way down was to Jump
1) Problem #2
was My buddies had already jumped – they were in the water laughing – Yelling
Come on Rob you can do it –
E) Problem #3
This girl that I liked wasn’t afraid at all & Once she jumped I Knew that I had to jump as well.
1)I was faced with this decision : to step forward
would bring great accomplishment, pride and acceptance
/
2) Or FREEZE which would bring great failure,
embarrassment & ridicule.
We noted in our
study on Wed. how The Israelites are standing at the edge of the Promised land,
A)The land God promised to give them for their own,
Land of blessings & abundance
B) 12 Spies are sent in to
the land to search it out The 12
spies returned from exploring the land with a glowing
report—
1) the fruit was large & luscious & the
land flowed
with milk & honey
C) The land was everything that God said it would be but they
observed that there were obstacles in the land as well—
1)
the
people were powerful, the cities fortified and there were even giants in the
land.
D) And when the people of Israel heard that REPORT their hearts were frozen w/ Fear / Paralyzed by Terror – Pick up the Story in v. 30 Ch. 13
Now it is
important to understand that the Land of Cannan is not symbolic or a Picture of
Heaven Misconception:
A)In Cannan there are Battles - conflicts – enemy{ None of which will be in Heaven
B) Cannan represents a life of being completely committed
to the Lord!
Spirit filled life - Think of this way!
1) Egypt = world -
bondage of sin!
C) Wilderness
depicts a time after salvation many go through - Jesus is Savior / not Lord{
Learning about him learning to surrender to Him !!!
1)
We
are wrestling w/ allowing Him to lead{ Every believer goes thru – that it is
part of their Christian growth
D) More they learn of the Lord / the more History
they have w/ the Lord – the more they learn to trust in for everything &
Follow Him in anything
1) Canaan represents the Christian life as it out to
be: faith coupled w/ obedience
E) Place of taking hold of the blessings and riches
that are in Christ
That is the place
where the Lord has Israel at this point: By this time He has proven Himself to
them over & over – time to step forward
A)Time for them – to go into this land of Promise
& Possess it
B) But instead of taking that step of faith they
shrink back in fear !!!
So too The
promise of the kingdom of God is given to every believer—but how often do we
get right up to the edge of God’s peace & Blessings
A)Staring at the fruit of
His rest, only to back away because of the giants living there.
B) Or How many come right up to the edge of
salvation, get a glimpse of the joy & Peace &
Satisfaction that others are experiencing !!
1) They feel the conviction of the Spirit in their
hearts but pull away because the giant of the world beckons to them.
C) Felix in the Book of
Acts, after hearing Paul relay the gospel message of salvation through
Jesus Christ says,
1)“You may leave now; I’ll send for you later
when I find it convenient to hear about this again.”
2)Or Agrippa declared Paul
you almost persuade me to become a Christian.
Or How many come up to
the edge of walking in total surrender to God, A)They can see the
blessings of a consecrated life and the rewards of servant hood, they desire
that committed life, & all that comes w/ it
1) But they decide that the price is too costly and
the time too demanding.
B) Have you ever noticed—When
God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty.
1)
When
God is going to do something really stupendous, He begins with an
impossibility.
C)
Caleb was a man who seemed to understand this . The situation might have seemed
impossible to them
1)but it was totally POSSIBLE absolutely Positively
Probable w/ God !
D) Caleb Stands out from the other spies & says
let us move forward at once 1) This
morning I want us to consider – Caleb this man of Faith – A Man for the
Times
2) A man who believed in the Promise of God &
was willing to move FORWARD IN FAITH to experience the blessings of God !!!!
There are three things about Caleb worthy of consideration:
A)first, his faithful
following; secondly, his favored reward; and thirdly, his inner
character —
B) That which
was the secret source of his following God, namely, that “he had another
spirit.”
C)
1st – His Faithful following: In V.24 God says of Caleb that he Followed me fully –
Consider what that means - note 3
Definitions
#1 he followed him Completely,
without dividing. Whatever his Master told him to do, he did.
A)In other words
Caleb didn’t pick & choose in his following of God – I will obey God
in this area but not in that one
B) He didn’t eliminate
any of the 10 commandments for himself – he didn’t knock it down to 8 or 9 Nor
did he re- arrange the order
C) Big problem
in the Church today people want to pick & choose the things that they are
going to follow God in
1) They look for churches to
attend or people to socialize w/ who are going to be soft in the areas where they want
to indulge
D) They are like
Peter on the night when he denied the Lord – they follow Jesus from afar – they take
comfort around the fire of the enemy
1) Or they are
like King Saul- they follow now & then when it is Convenient
But Not Caleb – Caleb followed the Lord w/out Division – w/ His
whole heart – In fact His Name means all Heart
A)Here was a fitting name
for the man, whose whole heart followed his God.
He was a man of a
healthy & mighty spirit; he did nothing ½ heartedly
B) his spirit was not the Laodicean lukewarm ness, which is neither
hot nor cold, but which
makes God sick – VOMITS
C) His was a spirit of holy heat, of noble daring. –
All His heart belonged to HIS GOD !!!!!
1) Thru which He was able to Stand
strong even in the face of opposition
D) One of the safest tests of
our sincerity is found in our willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ
1) To risk being
ridiculed or put down or ostracized for making a stand for righteousness or
Truth
Caleb stood in
stark contrast & disagreement w/ the other spies – He along w/ Joshua were
in the Minority
A)He
& Joshua were like Lone trees standing in the mist of the storm because their
roots were sunk deep into God
B) Caleb was constant, because he was a rooted man, He was not one of those plants which springs up quickly because there is no depth of earth.
1) He had a firm hold upon his God.
D) So 1st He followed the Lord without Division w/ out picking and choosing, Overcoming the fear of the giants
1) And overcoming the Dissention of the Majority !!
E) Question for us Do we Follow the Lord fully or are there areas in our Lives where we have said – Not so Lord
#2
Caleb followed the Lord cheerfully without disputing.
A)Those who
serve God with a sad countenance, because what they do is unpleasant to them,
B) They are
always talking about the burden of the Lord – what a hard thing it is to be involved
in service or in the ministry
C) Listen God is not a Slave
master who forces people to Serve Him / His empire is an Empire of Love
1) The angels of
God around the Throne serve him w/ songs, not w/ groans;
D) True service is that which is from a Responsive Heart-
Responding to the Love of God for us
1) True service is that which sees the NEED put before it as a Privilege given by God to be used by Him / not a duty or drudgery I have to do!!
Caleb’s heart that was fully given to the Lord – was excited
to enter into this Land / excited to take on the Challenge{ Lets go forward
at once
A)It was that heart that
allowed him to see the Obstacles in their Proper perspective Ch. 14 v.9 – He says they are OUR BREAD
B) Caleb is saying here they are the very things that God is wanting to
use to make us strong – to build us up
1) They are the
Necessary Nutrients to help us grow { to help build our Character / Building
Integrity / Building our Faith{ Explain
C) That is how the Lord wants us to view the
Obstacles / trials & Giants in our lives
1) So these things are the necessary nutrients /
they are God’s appointed meal to make us more like Christ
D) Lord’s prayer takes on a whole new meaning – Pray
Give us this day our daily bread
1) Give me what I need today to help me grow – to
build me up
Blessings or Buffetings – You pick – I want to eat them up
When Serving the Lord Cheerfully w/out Disputing I
understand that I am fulfilling the purpose of my existence – when I am serving
God –
A)We are His Workmanship People who resist serving are missing out on enjoying the very purpose for their existence on the planet
B) Like seeing an eagle running
thru the desert heading south – what are you doing ? Heading south – Eagle not meant to run thru the desert –
1) The eagle is meant to Fly – that is why he has wings
C) Eric Little – God made me fast I feel his pleasure when I
run
1) All of us have been blessed w/ abilities / giftings / in the body purpose is to use them to serve God
C) Happy is the man or woman who uses what they have been given to serve the Lord { Privilege & a Blessing
1) Caleb saw that is was a Privilege to serve the Lord & the Giants were their Necessary Nutrients
#3
He followed the Lord constantly without declining.
A)For Forty-five
years he lived in the camp of Israel,- but all that time he followed the Lord
and never once consorted with murmuring rebels;
B)And when his
time came to claim his heritage at the age of eighty-five, the good old man is following the
Lord fully; he shows a constant heart.
1) Turn to Joshua
14 – Read v.6-15
C) Now here is
this man – now 85 yrs old –saying I am as strong as I was when I was 40 – let me go forward
to possess the Land promised to me
1) Now Interesting
that Joshua doesn’t object – Joshua doesn’t try to talk Caleb out of this {
Like Senile ramblings of an old man
D) And Yet – Physically there
is no way Caleb was as strong at 85 as he was at 40 – Yet Joshua
understood
1)Caleb was
strong because he was strong in the Lord !!!
How many Believers fail in this respect. They start out
quick & fervent in following the Lord – but they don’t end in the same
fashion
A)Christian life is a
Marathon race not how fast you start how well you finish that matters
B) Some love to talk about their earlier days in the Lord –
they were more on fire / zealous
1) Note Age & experience in the Lord doesn’t = maturity/ Nor does Knowledge = growth
C) But it is only when those things are used to further the word of God and to enhance a person to be more effective in serving – that is what matters
D) Oh how the Church needs some Calebs who at 85 was not looking to retire { Not to Kick back – not to Pass the Baton
1) But by their example – encourage those who are younger to do more
We get in some of our Churches —certain reverend old
gentlemen who might as well have gone to heaven years ago, who if there is any
enterprise to be undertaken, say, “Oh, no, no! it cannot be done.” They sit
down and figure away on a piece of paper with their pencil and say, “We have
not enough money; it cannot be done.” Perhaps some youthful soldier of Christ
in the army says, “It can be done; I am sure we can do it;” but the good old
man, having made up his mind never to walk by faith, stands to his watchword,
“It is imprudent.” That is the big word with which they try to knock out the
brains of young Zeal — “imprudent. But thank God there are others of another
sort, who though they grow grey, say, “Well, I do not know, I may be thought to
be a boy in my old age, but I do believe that God will hear prayer, and that if
it is God’s work we can do it,” and the old man lays his hand on the young
soldier’s shoulder and bids him go on, and God be with him.
Spurgeon is right – Oh how the Church needs Calebs who as they
get older are not looking to retire or Check out but are still leading
A)There is a lot of talk today
about the next Gen. - & it is an important topic – but lets not forget
those who are older you have a job to do
B) Our Church is at a turning Pt. Some of you – were in your late 20’s
/ or 30’s when it started / Now you are in your late 40’s earlier 50’s or 60’s
1)
There
is this younger Generation behind you – looking to you see what have you built
– what are you doing now
C) I am in the middle – {Bridge the gap} – Bring up the young –
but to Challenge the Old – Be a Caleb – don’t get Complacent
1) You still have some great Yrs ahead – Physically
you might not have the energy you once did – but let God be your Strength
D) Will you be available to
the Lord – Will you be an Example to those who are behind you – Are you willing
to still go after the Giants –
Result: His life was preserved in the hour of judgment
Caleb received Great honor among His Brethren – once they entered
into the Promise land – Caleb was a Hero
A)He was at least 25 yrs
older than the Generation that was allowed to enter into the Land – Stood out –
Stories
B) Mothers when he would
walk by say to their Children – There goes a great man of faith- Other spies all died buried in wilderness – Not him
1)
Oh
how the Church today needs some Heroes { Men women great faith
Because Caleb was a man of Faith – who followed the Lord fully w/
all of His heart – He was able to leave a Blessing to His Children
A)Judges 1 – Caleb finally
is dying – but he does so after leaving a legacy for his Children – He cleared
the way for their blessing
B) I ask you – what are we
in a spiritual sense leaving our Kids
1)
What are they learning about faith & Character by watching us
1)
Leave
them an inheritance Physically that is great – But what are you leaving them spiritual
– that is what matters most
Now you at this point might be feeling – I have tried to be a Caleb
& I just can’t do it – always struggling w/ my flesh & My faith –
A)Quickly note – final thing
– Secret of His Character – v.24 The Lord said of Caleb He has another spirit
w/ Him !!!!
B) This is key – Because Caleb
purposed in his heart to follow him fully – God met that desire of His heart w/
Supernatural enablement
1)
God
desires to do the same for us
C) If we would simply align
our spirit w/ His Spirit he will – Enable us to Be what He has called us to be
& do what He has called us to do
D) We have the spirit of God
in us – If we yield ourselves to Him – the Characteristics of His Spirit will
manifest themselves in us
1)
Partakers
of Divine Nature – His seed in us!!
E) Seed
of Apple Tree = Apples / God’s Seed – God’s Fruit – Love / Power / faith
– Consistency
Like an instrument Piano or Guitar – it has everything in it to make beautiful music – Just needs to
be played by someone of Skill
A)Me Horrible / Evan –
Beautiful
B) Peter declares God has given
us all things that pertain to life & Godliness it is in me – I play it –
Horrible
1) Yield myself to God to
play – me the result in Beautiful !!!