Minority Wins

Title: “Minority Wins”

Text: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-25

Introduction: Who among you would like to join a losing team? Excellent and winning people are rare, and they are always part of the minority. If you are competing, what is your aim? To Win or to Lose? We will examine Numbers 13-14 and look into the lives of CALEB and JOSHUA; and how they differ from the 10 spies. We will see what separates the winners from the losers.

Numbers 13-14 is about the 12 spies sent out to spy the Promised Land of Canaan. Before we dwelve into this join me in prayer...

Lord, speak to us, empower your servant, we give you glory!

Some Characteristics of Winners…(C.A.L.E.B., Numbers 13:6)

Courageous Spirit (13:30; 14:9, 24. The losers (10 spies) started instilling fear to the people until Caleb (the sourageous one) stood up and stopped the 10. It takes courage to do what he did. It is a clear 1 vs. 10. the losers saw the giant Amalikites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites but the winner see them as termites... too small and can be defeated.

Winners say GO, Losers say NO!

Winners say, Let’s fight them, Losers say, Let’s fear them!

Winners say, We CAN do it, Losers say, we CANNOT!

See Philipppians 4:13

A Good Follower (13:23). A winner is characterized by following instinct. Basci to leadership is the phrase, "A good leader is a good follower." The 12 spies are leaders (13:2). They are part of a tribe which averages 50 thousand men (20years old above). If we are to add their wives and children it will go up to 150,000 to 200,000 per tribe. now, that’s a grear multitude. Now, what’s the point? THe point is although CAleb and Joshua are leaders in their own right, they still followed a leader- Moses in this case. How? Let me show yoe my observation? In 13:20 we read that as much as possible they bring some fruit of the land. Now in verse 23, we saw there two carried a pole with fruits in there. I firmly believe that those two are Joshua and Caleb. Because the 10 fear the inhabitants of the land. question for leaders? Would you consider your self a winning leader? Ask yourself, "Am I a good follower?"

Well, ultimately, they were following GOd see 14:24. CAleb has different spirit and follows me WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

Lover of Truth (13:32). Losers are afraid and are willing to bent or invent statements to cover up their fear. They will sugarcoat their frustrations with lie, in the case of the losers (10 spies) they disseminate bad report (13:32) on the land. They poisoned the whole community. Earlier in the passage (v.27) they were saying that it is an abundant land now, they were saying that it is a land that devours.

Winnners say (14:14) that the land was exceedingly Good... a land flowing with milk and hone. It was a picture of abundance. Provisions after provisions after provisions.

Exalts God (14:6). In the midst of opposition and dificulty, winners worship GOd. There is no time to wallow into the problem and worry. They Worship GOd. They, in front of the whole Israelite community, tore their clothes and approached God in prayer. The tearing of their clothes symbolizes humility and repentance. It is one way of telling GOd, "Lord, I came on earth naked and empty, no I come to You and pray and acknowledge mt emptiness and nothingness." It is saying to GOD, "GOd, I am nothing." And how he long to hear that from our lips! I am helpless LORD. Please help. Winners put God in the highest level as they oplace themselves at the lowest. And in 14:10, th glory of the Lord appeared. It was a manifestation of HIs presence. Should they only submitted to HIS will and trusted in HIs mighty hand?

Believer of Promises (14:8). Lets connect 14:8 to 13:1. The land Canaan that they explored also known as Promised Land. It was a "promised" land, and GOD himself made a promise. And when GOd makes a promise, it will surely come to pass. Observation: THey got some fruits unhurt. It was an indication, an assurance that God is really giving the land. to them. It was like a downpayment. The fruits are meant to inspire them not perspire them.

How many promises do you believe and trust God for? Someone said that there are 1095 promises in the bible. Now divide it to 365 (days in a year) it would give you 3 promises per day. Claim it everyday.

I want to give you one of the 1095 - Psalm 138:8. It is the verse I claiming this week.

Winners are C.A.L.E.B.

Cahracteristics to avoid:

Some Characteristics of Losers…(G.A.D.D.I., Numbers 13:11)

Grumbler and Complainer (14:1-4). We are like grasshoppers. They already forgotten what God just did in Egypt.