OVERCOMING THE GRASSHOPPER COMPLEX
Numbers 13:25-33
Introduction: One of my favorite Comic scenes, is when Charlie brown goes to Lucy for some counseling advice.
Sitting next to her ‘lemonade stand/office, Lucy prepares to offer her sage advice,
Charlie brown, I read this week of some fears that are apart of many peoples lives…maybe even your own there is Claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces. Then there is Hyrdophobia the fear of heights,or maybe you have Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.
Chalrie Brown then leaps to his feet and gleefully shouts, THAT”S IT!
Of all the phobias and complexes that people have there is none more damaging to the Christian, then when he/she gives into the GRASSHOPPER COMPLEX.
How many times have you and I been given a challenge by God only to turn in fear because we felt that we couldn’t do it?
Has this ever happened to you?
• You filled out a job application but could not attend the interview because you kept hearing a voice in the back of your head, “You will fail”. So you quit before you could begin.
• Or perhaps you were raised in a home where one or both parents expected perfection from you. Nothing you did was ever right. So now, you feel you cannot do anything because you believe you are doomed for perpetual failure
This is how the Grasshopper works in instilling fear in the hearts of believers. The grasshopper complex paralyzes Christians from moving forward in God pursuing God’s will for their lives.You know that God has called you to a task. You know that you are in God’s will. Nevertheless the fear that you will fail,;or the feelings that you are not good enough halt you from moving forward in your faith.
If that is how you feel, then know that you are not alone. The Grasshopper Complex is the number one affliction of many Christians. It has afflicted some of the most famous of spiritual heroes, like Gideon, Peter, even Moses and Joshua were faced with it. The difference is, that these men, by faith overcame the giants that would impede their faith, and moved on to victory. ….Their lives are testimonies that you do not have to remain where you are, but can with faith in God’s Promise, Provision, and Presence you can overcome any giant or obstacle Satan puts in your path.
For almost 400 years, the Israelites had reached the edge of destiny. All through their lives in Egypt, they were told of how God had promised their fore fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He would bring them to a land of Promise. A land of prosperity flowing with milk and honey, ; A land of perpetuity, where their generations could live out their lives in peace; A land of provision where they could live out their existence without fear of enemy attacks, secure in God’s presence.
They were a people, a generation who could say like no other,
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?( Psalm 27:1)
Now they stand before their destiny. I can I can only imagine the questions going through their minds. IS this it? What wil it be like? Is it all ours? Let’s take a close look GOD’S COMMANDS TO MOSES;
I. GOD’S INSTRUCTION TO MOSES ( read 13:1-20):
The very first thing God does is Command( v.1-2) Moses to commission 12 men(v. 3-16)to scout out the land. These men were respected leaders from each of the twelve tribes. Each one had a specific call (v. 17-20) to go into the land and report back to Moses and Isreal what it was really like.
God’s instructions through Moses to the spies were simple and specific,
"Go up through the Negev and then into the hill country. Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls? And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back a sample of the produce that grows there—this is the season for the first ripe grapes." ( The Message)
Most of us are familiar with how our government takes a census every couple years to assess the condition of the nation. They send a survey in the mail, they have assessors come to our doors, or they have annoying telemarketers call during supper time.
This was not the case here. The Spies were to scout out the land under cover. They were to take notes, and even bring back samples of the produce of the land. These instructions I believe fulfilled a two fold purpose.
First of all, remember that the Israelites, the 12 leaders included were former slaves. They had lived all their lives in bondage to Egyptian task masters. They knew nothing of freedom, nothing of warfare, and certainly nothing of planning a battle strategy.
Moses, by contrast had been raised in Pharoahs household. Not only had he received the best education afforded to him as a Prince of Egypt, but he would have been well versed in military strategy. The information which the spies brought back, Moses would use to strategize a plan of attack.
Some people might argue, the only thing I need is God’s call and commission. However, it is not God’s will to go forward in His mission willy nilly without and practical plan of action of how you are going to fulfill God’s plan.
Moses was confident in God’s call and plan for his life and the mission Isreal was being given. Before they could enter the land, Moses wanted to present a practical plan of action in order that the people would be successful in their mission.
Any wise general will never enter a conflict without this knowledge. The bible reminds us that as believers we too are to be ready to do battle against the world, flesh and the devil. To be successful we must be practically armed for battle. Paul commands the Christians at Ephesus,
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.( Ephesians 6:1-13)
Take note that the spies were also instructed to bring back samples of the produce of the land. Why was this necessary? Remember again that the people had been slaves all their lives. Each day they were told when to get up, when to sit down. How long they were to work.;Where they were to labor. They lived in Government housing ghettos and did not own anything other than the clothes on their backs.
Also, during this time, they were told of the stories of how God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a land of promise. A land flowing with milk and honey. Every Jewish boy and girl had those stories ringing in their ears. But I wonder if like so many of us, after hearing the story for the 1000th time, that is all it became….A story, without a happy ending!
When the spies returned to the Israelite camp with evidence of the grapes and harvest, it would be a testimony that God’s promise indeed was true. They would not be able to deny it as they would have the witness of God’s provision right in their very hands.
Like the Israelites, we also have been called and given the commission of Jesus Christi to “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations.” This is an imposing command. It is risky, dangerous and fearful Often times we find ourselves in territory that is unfamiliar. The temptation is to turn back and run from the call that God has placed upon our lives.
But like the Israelites, we have been given this charge, ‘Be of good courage.’ Ow is this possible? This is all that God requires of us to fulfill His call upon our lives., faithfulness to the task.
It was not only a great undertaking they were put upon, which required good management and resolution; but a great trust was reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful. They were as the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, to “walk by faith and not by sight”( Matthew Henry Consise Commentary)
The Twelve leaders embarked on their mission confident in God’s call for their lives. In verses 21-15, we read….
II. THE FRUIT IS COLLECTED ( read vv.21-25)
With that they were on their way, scouting out the whole land …the descendants of the giant Anak, lived there.. When they arrived at the Eshcol Valley they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes—it took two men to carry it—slung on a pole. They also picked some pomegranates and figs. They named the place Eshcol Valley (Grape-Cluster-Valley) because of the huge cluster of grapes they had cut down there. After forty days of scouting out the land, they returned home.
When they returned, they brought with them the tangible evidence of God’s promise. When we read that the grapes were so heavy that two men were required to carry the clusters on poles, it is saying that there was enough and more than enough. It was more than they could ever imagined. God’s promises were true and went beyond all expectations.
Jesus has promised all those who trust in Him will have abundant life,
, 37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
IN other words, they will have more than they could ever imagine or contain. They would have more than enough and it will never end. Who wouldn’t want to follow the Lord?
Before we go on, let’s just recap,
God gave instructions to Moses, to commission 12 leaders to scout out the land of Canaan.
These twelve spies in turn were commanded to go through the entire land and bring back a report to Moses and the people concerning the condition of the people as well as bring back evidence of the fruit of the land. With confidence they went into the land in obedience to their Call
So, to summarize, the spies were called, commissioned and confident that God’s PROMISE was true, His PROVISION was abundant and His PRESENCE would be abiding.
Like children on Christmas morning, you would think that with all the evidence in hand they would rush with abandon into their promised possession. However, the next 4 verses tell a more sobering story,
III. THE REPORT FROM THE SPIES (read vv.26-30)
As the twelve leaders return to Moses, they submit two very conflicting reports,
On the basis of what they had seen and experienced, The two yongest spies, Caleb abd Joshua boldly, and confidently give the conclusion,
"We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
On the other hand, The ten elder spies come forward with this sobering report,
"We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
On the basis of what they saw, the majority concluded, "We can’t attack those people; they’re way stronger than we are." They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers."( The Message)
There were twelve leaders called, commissioned and sent to collect information about the land. Each man saw the same thing. They all reported how rich, full and prosperous the land was. Yet, two groups came two two very different conclusions. How could this be?
How could 12 people experience the same thing and two confidently declare they can go in and take the land, while ten saw nothing but complete deisaster?
Did you notice the last words of the last verse? The ten spies summarized their experience,
Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers
There are several powerful reasons why the whole nation adopted the GC.
First the Canaanites were better armed and trained. Whereas the Isrealites only possessed a few shepherds rods. The Canaanites were better trained militarily and possessed chariots of iron. The Israelites were former slaves who had never held a sword in their hand let alone understood modern military warfare. To fight the enemy would have been like shooting pea shooters at a flank of tanks.
Second the Canaanites lived in walled cities, while the Israelites lived in tents. The Canaanites had security, while the Israelites were sitting ducks ready for the plucking.
Third, the Canaanites were bigger than the Isrealites. Why we do not know, but their very size intimidated the strongest of enemies.
It almost made sense for the Isrealites to want to pack their bags and return to Egypt. Everything as stacked against them. The one factor that could have significantly changed the equation was the,
GOD WAS ON THEIR SIDE
How many times have you and I been given a challenge by God only to turn in fear because we felt that we couldn’t do it?
You know that God has called you, He has commissioned you, and HE has equipped you to fulfill His will. You are well aware of God’s promise, His Provision and you know His presence,but you stop short of completion simply because there is this voice that sounds in the back of your mind, “You can’t do it. The Job is too big for you. You don’t have what it takes.”
Our response is very much like the Isrealites,. “It is always easier to see giants than to see God.”( Erwin Lutzer, p.13)
This is what the Grasshopper complex does. Erwin Lutzer says, ‘We adopt the grasshopper complex whenever we turn away from a God given challenge for fear that we lack the resources to tackle it.” ( Overcoming the Grasshopper Complex, p.13)
More Christians have been crushed by the spirit of fear than any other weapon Satan throws at them. It is the most insidious weapon of the enemy, and it takes hold when we are not even looking. How do I know if I have the Grasshopper Complex?
To begin with, the GC is characterized by a doubting heart. In spite of all the positive evidence at their disposal, all the Isrealite camp could see was the negative. They had the testimony of God’s promise. Every Jewish boy and girl could recite the promise God had made with Aberaham, ‘this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations… I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. …8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."
Furthermore they had the testimony of God’s protection. All through their time in Egypt God protected them. They witnessed the parting of the red Sea. They saw the entire Egyptian army drown in those same waters. God provided for them in the desert.
In addition to all this they had he witness of God’s presence. Everyday they were overshadowed by the cloud by day and warmed by a pillar fire at night. They saw the glory of God descend upon the holy of holies every time Moses went in to commune with Jehovah.
So how could they possibly doubt God? Like many of us perhaps the reason for this stems from having feeling as if God has let you down. Maybe you have trusted God for something and it did not come out the way you’d hoped, and so you are gun shy.
Perhaps you have followed God’s plan at one time, but failed. Now you are afraid to try again lest you repeat that failure. Satan has convinced you that one failure means you can never fully trust yourself or God
However as Erwin Lutzer points out, “A doubting heart is not just a minor fault that can be overlooked as one ailing among many. God calls it an evil heart of unbelief’ and traces it to willful rebellion. ( Hebrews 3:12).
Another characteristic of the GC is a double mind. Those who see themselves as grasshoppers constantly shift their focus, looking for something to guide their lives. At times they do think about the promises of God, but such moments give way to the supposed benefits of unbelief. They keep ne eye on the world and one shifting eye on God. ( Lutzer p.16)
James reminds us that when we ask for wisdom we should, ‘… believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. ( James 1:6-8)
Double mindedness spills over into all of life and is one of the leading causes of the grasshopper complex.
There is a story that during WW2, when American troops came to deliver one of the concentration camps in Germany some of the prisoners did not rejoice. They came out of the barracks, heard the good news that the war was over and Hitler was dead, and then walked quetly back into their barren cells. They had been so used to confinement and abuse that they actually feared freedom!
The GC causes us to doubt God’s word and His faithfulness. Instead of acting like children of the king, we live as if we were paupers unable to fulfill God’s will. We lack faith, are double minded and unaware of who we really are in Christ.
Not only that, but the GC makes us content with spiritual mediocrity and spiritual impotency. Ignoring those walls that stand between us and spiritual victory seems more secure, but it is highly unrewarding. (Lutzer p.20)
What are some other characteristics of the GC? A distorted self-image.
Erwin Lutzer suggest that "Our self-perception is the foundation on which we build our dreams, whether good or evil."Tthese 10 spies saw themselves as grasshoppers and were willing to risk the future of an entire nation on that analysis. An interesting and important footnote is that Joshua 2:9 tells us that the Canaanites quaked in their boots at the thought of doing battle with Israel. So Biblical records shows just how wrong their self-image projected by these 10 spies were.
Satan works to defeat us in our mind. He seeks to convince us of:
1) how wrong and unworthy we are;
2) how noble and strong he is; and
3) how unfaithful God is.
ALL OF WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECT OUR SELF-IMAGE.
Listen again to what Erwin Lutzer says, "If we see Satan as unbeatable, he is. But we can never see Satan for what he truly is until we see God for what He is...and ourselves for what we are in Christ. As Christians we must see ourselves in Christ as forgiven, accepted, ascended and victorious. then we will see Satan defeated, and will within the range of our spiritual artillery. Regardless of the walls Satan hides behind, he can be routed and dethroned.
The Grasshopper Complex causes us to feel inferior to situations and even people that we, under God, are well able to confront. Like looking into a bent mirror, we distort ourselves, our enemies, our challenges and even our God." (GC,pg. 16)
Is there a remedy for the Grasshopper complex? We have al received a clear command from God to move and take territory in His Name.
Read: 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
First of all we need to recognize the REALITY OF THE WARFARE. This warfare is not a little, localized skirmish, it is an all out fight to the finish.
Satan is out to deceive us...to torment us...to destroy us. He wants to keep us from the truth...because he knows that the truth - the truth of the Word of God - when it is applied to our lives will set us free. And the attack of the enemy is raging, among individual lives all over the world.
Secondly, THE FOCUS OF THE BATTLE FIELD IS IN THE MIND: The area of our thoughts is the main battleground.The warfare starts in the mind...Paul exhorts the Romans, “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Finally, GOD HAS GIVEN US SPIRITUAL WEAPONS TO FIGHT OUR ENEMY WITH:: Paul is saying we are to use our spiritual weapons to break down arguments that go on in our minds...put there by the Satan himself.
What are these weapons that God has given to us to use?
God has given to us the unshakeable PROMISE of HIS ETERNAL WORD.
In Ephesians 6 we are instructed to “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
Verse 5 speaks of "demolishing arguments and pretenses." The KJV says "casting down imaginations." We do this with God’s word resting in our hearts.
And this speaks of the way we so often are able to take the plain truth of God’s word and twist it and turn it in such a way that it’s no longer absolute...that our specific situation is so special or unique that we are not bound by the same rules as everyone else. We rationalize...and excuse...and "reason" the truth into exactly what we want to hear.
This is the mistake which the ISrealites made. They looked at the size of the enemy, their resources and compounded with the insidious voice of the enemy in the back of their minds, they concluded they could not do what God had promised, provided, and equipped them to do.
Thoughts can hold you like a vise and keep you from the truth. Many of you are held captive by a thought. And that thought brings fear. Some of those thoughts are:
"You’re no good"..."You’ll never make it to heaven"..."Your children will die and go to hell"..."You’re going to have a wreck"..."You have cancer...or a tumor"..."You’ll never get well"..."You’re of no use to God’s kingdom or His work at this church" ...."You’ve messed up so much what’s the use of even trying"
The thoughts go on and on...the devil brings thousands of thoughts to our minds. These thoughts bring fear, and when they take root in our mind we begin to speak them...and what was once an accusing voice now becomes your voice saying –
"I’m no good...I’ll never make it to heaven...I have cancer...I’ll never recover...I’m no good to the kingdom of God....I’ll never make it...and so on.
These are all descriptions of the Grasshopper Complex at work. The GC causes a person to shrink back from doing God’s will beause they feel overwhelmed by insecurities and fears.
CONCLUSION:
Think about the territory God may want you to inherit. And think about the wall or obstacle that is standing in your way;
• The distress of a failed marriage
• Bitterness from being wronged
• Fear of establishing friendships because of past abuse
• Compulsive or hidden habits that are sapping all of your spiritual, physical, emotional and even financial energy
• Fractured friendships
• Failing health
• A fear of failure.
My friends, you and I are called by God to occupy some territory. Not physical land or property, but none the less God has called us to claim and occupy some territory. Maybe it is a new ministry. Maybe our land is the salvation of a family member. Perhaps it is a new career. Or it might be overcoming a difficult habit.
Most of the time we are afraid, the unknown is frightening to us. Much of the time our reasons for being afraid is legitimate, they are real. It is all too easy to succumb to the voice that says, it’s impossible, you’ll fail; It cannot be done!
When we choose to give into these voices of defeat then we become open to the grasshopper complex. Rather than walk forward confidently by faith, we remain where we have always been, immobilized by fear.
The ancient greek used to have a race where one man wold balance himself with one foot on the back of one horse and the other foot on another. As the horses began to run, they would separate, and the athlete would have to ake a choice.
In our race of faith, our feet are balanced on two horses. One is called faith, the other is called fear. These two will separate because fear and faith are incompatible. When they do, you and I must choose which horse will I fall on the back of.
God has given us all we need to take the Territory He has provided for us. The key is how will you respond to the news? Will you be willng to face your fears and still move ahead with God? Or will you shrink back into your comfortable spiritual desert, moaning “I can’t do it. The Task is impossible!
George Muller said, "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends."
Andrew Murray observed, "We have a God who delights in impossibilities."
F. B. Meyer proclaimed, "You do not test the resources of God until you try the impossible."
So do not be deiscouraged with past disappointments, failures or present obstacles. Arm yourself with the promise of God’s Word and trust Him today in your moment of greatest need.
To choose otherwise will prove to be fatal, as we will see in the next chapter of ISreal’s journey
Resources:
Overcoming the Grasshopper Complex, by Erwin Lutzer
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Tales of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll
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