A Real Desire To Accomplish A Big Task

A REAL DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH A BIG TASK--Joshua 14:6-15

Proposition: Every one of God’s children who is an overcomer has a real desire to accomplish a big task of being all that we can be for our Lord.

Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to become overcomers in God’s kingdom and be victorious in one’s spiritual life.

INTRODUCTION:

Illus: "Amen, Pastor!"--During a fired-up sermon, the spirit impressed a great illustration on a local pastor. He said, "Our church needs to get back to the basics. We need to become like a baby, and learn to get up on our hands and knees and crawl like we’ve never CRAWLED before. This church needs to CRAWL before the Lord." As the pastor paused, from the back of the sanctuary came a voice crying out, "Let ’er CRAWL pastor, let ’er CRAWL." The pastor continued, "Then we need to work on studying the Word & strengthening ourselves to where we can STAND & be strong in our faith. We need to STAND for the LORD." From the back of the sanc-tuary the voice replied back, "Let ’er STAND pastor, let ’er STAND." Encouraged even more, the pastor continued his illustration by saying, "The church needs to then take one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other until we can WALK with the Lord the way we should. This church needs to WALK for the Lord." From the back of the sanctuary the voice replied back, "Let ’er WALK pastor, let ’er WALK."

By now the Pastor was fully inspired by the encouraging Brother. Spurred on by the response the pastor continued with enthusiasm, "The church needs to then get into a stride where we can RUN for God. But first, it’s going to take each & every member of this church, each & every one of you, to join in. You’re each going to have to make a commitment to tithe, you’re each going to make a commitment to study the Word daily, you’re each going to have to commit to pray daily, & you’re each going to have to commit to assembling here as part of this body each and every time the church doors are open. Then & only then, can this church RUN for the Lord." After an exceptionally long & thoughtful pause the voice cried out from the back of the sanc-tuary with a somewhat disappointed tone, "Let ’er CRAWL Pastor, Let ’er CRAWL."

Picture with me the background: God’s people were in bondage for over 400 years. They cried out to God to deliver them. God called Moses to be the leader & the Lord led them through the waters of the Red Sea & then they journey through the wilderness until they reach Kadesh-Barnea on the southern border of the Promised Land. God told Moses to send 12 spies into the land & check it out. Caleb was one of the spies that went on the mission. When they returned 10 said, “We cannot take it. You see that these 10 men saw the giants, they had little faith in what God could do. Yet there were two (Caleb and Joshua) who said, “We can take the land.” This passage centers on a man called Caleb. Yes, they saw the giants but they saw and trusted a big God. Caleb was there when God divided the waters of the Red Sea, provide the manna and the quails as well as water from the rock. The sad story is that Israel God had a land flowing with milk and honey prepared for them. Yes, it would be a land of giants and a land of battles, but it was theirs if they wanted it. Now, as you know - Israel chose to wander in the wilderness. For 45 years Caleb has been waiting for his inheritance. So, at the first opportunity, he approaches Joshua and asks for his share. Evidently, the spies had been sent to different areas in the land, and Caleb had checked out Hebron. Moses had promised him that he could have this land, and now Caleb is asking Joshua to fulfill the promise of Moses. Our prayer ought to be “Lord, give me something great, something hard, something difficult & the grace, faith, & courage so that there is no doubt that it is You who is at work in & thru me.”

I. AN UNFAILING COURAGE THAT FACES OPPOSI-TION (vvs. 6-8a, Numbers 13:33#2) “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight”— Numbers 13-14--Ten spies report to Moses that the inhabitants of Canaan are too fearsome, but Caleb, along with Joshua, says, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

1. The process (v. 6a) “Then the children of Judah came to Joshua”--These included the kinsmen of Caleb & perhaps other leading men of the tribe. Caleb is described as the Kenizzite (14:14; Num. 32:12). The Kenizzites were a non-Israelite group descended from Esau through Kenaz (Gen. 15:19; 36:11, 15, 42). Some had associated themselves with Judah at an early stage (Num. 13:6).