Conquer The Promises Series

CONTEXT/DISCLAIMER

The following notes reflect ideas based on the homiletics in "Preach with No Pants" (https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/preach-with-no-pants-john-allen-sermon-on-inductive-250167). It proposes an inductive-deductive five-point outline designed to engage the listener as with a story.

In practice, you would need to make this outline your own by adding illustrations and subpoints that are relevant to your heart and your audience. (Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is from the NET Bible.)

EXEGETICAL IDEA

Caleb claims his promised land.

HOMILETICAL IDEA

Don't just claim the promises of God but courageously act on them.

TWIST Ideas

We must act on the promises of God even when we don't know if he will also act.

OUTLINE

[Trip (Upset) We don't really believe the promises of God.]

We don't really believe the promises of God. For most of us, we talk about the promises of God like we talk about Santa Claus. It's a nice story but not much of a reality. As an example, let me use one of the most ignored promises of God and one of the most practical.

In Matthew 6 God promises to provide for our needs.

So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:31-34).

We say, "Isn't that nice," and we keep right on pursuing the worries of this life instead of God and his kingdom.

[Tension (Provoking the Questions, Opposites of the Truth) We don't believe because we don't know his promises, we forget his past faithfulness, and because we look at the giants more than God.]

[Opposite 14:6-9]

In our passage today, beginning at Joshua 14:6, we talk about Joshua and Caleb entering the land of Canaan and conquering the wicked nations there. In Numbers 13 the ten spies, not counting Joshua and Caleb, reported that the land was wonderful. But it was unconquerable. Why? Two reasons: Fortified cities (Imagine trying to conquer this with a shield and spear: https://christianpublishinghouse.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/ancient-jericho_02.png?w=1200.) Second, "strong inhabitants...of great stature" (Num 13:32), Nephilim, the descendants of Anak, three of them living in Hebron (which is the city Caleb claimed). They are even named: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai (Jos. 15:14). These Nephilim were the military superheroes of the ancient world.

Now, you may not have given these Nephilim much study. To many people it just seems too preposterous. But if they took away all the publicity that dinosaurs get, you wouldn't believe that either. You'd say, "Reptiles the size of my house? Ridiculous."

You see, dinosaurs fit the narrative of the religion of Evolution. But the Nephilim, in spite of all the historical and archaeological evidence, do not fit that narrative, especially because they are closely connected to God's judgments of sin. (By the way, did you know that the word "dinosaur" was invented by Richard Owen in 1841. Nevertheless, people have known about dinosaurs for millennia. They called them "dragons." Hundreds of cultures across the world and across the centuries have known about dinosaurs.)

Regardless of how you see them, Caleb had to fight these Anakites. Imagine going into the ring with a professional wrestler! Now give him some armor, a shield, and a spear with a razor-sharp spearhead.

It is no hyperbole to say that our troubles are giants that threaten our lives. One of the worst giants is the one we call Cancer. Our trouble giants are often physical. Each day, we might be faced with a giant of a bill. You may have a relationship giant in your family or at work.

The problem with the promises of God is that we see the obstacles more than the promise. We fear our giants more than we trust our God.

[Opposite 14:10-11]

Part of the problem of our lack of trust is that we have good "forgetters." We forget the forty-five years of God's faithfulness to us. We forget how he saved us, not just from eternal death, but also from the trouble giants in our past. One of the times I was "between jobs," my wife kept a list of the good things that happened during that high-stress time. A few years later we came across it and reread it. We were quite surprised at all of the goodness of God. We had forgotten.

[Opposite 14:13-14]

When the time comes to act on those promises, we find it easier to hunker down. We hope the giants just wander off on their own. Or we wait for God to take them out for us while we peek out from our bunker.