Summary: The continuing story of Caleb seeing, speaking, inheriting and driving out giants!

Whole-Hearted II

Numbers 14:24 (ESV)

24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Recap Key Points:

When you serve God “whole-heartedly”

1. You See Things Differently

God had already promised the land of Canaan to Israel. Instead of believing and trusting God, they decided to form a committee!

Of the 12 spies that went in, 10 of them saw giants and compared them to themselves instead of God!

Caleb saw things differently. That is what happens when you serve God fully.

2. You Declare things with Faith

Joshua 14:8 (NASB95)

8 “Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully.

Because the spies not only saw things differently, but they spoke things that were negative/critical it caused the hearts of people to melt…God’s judgment fell upon people because of that report…

Would you make a decision this year that what comes out of your mouth will build and not tear down? Will be a good report instead of one that melts the hearts of people around you, in your family, in your community, in your church?

It’s possible, but only if you serve God wholeheartedly…He will put a new song in your mouth! Something that emanates and sounds like praise! Uplifting! Blessing! I’ve never seen anyone blessed who continues to tear down, slander, complain, mutter, murmur etc…

I’ve never been blessed by complaining or being critical….It is only when I have repented, asked for forgiveness that I find the blessing of the Lord to be released upon my life…

3. You GET an inheritance that others do not! (and so do your children!)

Joshua 14:9 (NASB95)

9 “So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’

4. You LIVE differently!

Joshua 14:10-11 (NASB95)

10 “Now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today.

11 “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.

The bible never speaks of retirement as being a worthy goal or even reward in life!

Galileo made some of his greatest scientific discoveries at the age of 73.

• John Glenn returned to space at the age of 75.

• Benjamin Franklin was a framer of the U.S. constitution at the age of 81.

• Michelangelo was still producing masterpieces at the age of 89.

• Dr. Jonathan Goforth, the great missionary to China, wrote to his children on his 75th birthday: “You must not wonder at me even at 75, eager to remain here in the high places of the Field, for the opportunities of service were never greater and the outlook for a great harvest never brighter than now.”

• Polycarp, at age 86, refused to deny his faith, early church father still!

Psalm 92:12-14 (NASB95)

12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green,

If you choose to live for God whole-heartedly, you may be just beginning!

Thoughts on Caleb:

Caleb suffered:

Caleb was born in Egypt…Into slavery….Into captivity…Under a death threat!

His name meant “dog”…

After the bad report of the spies, even though his was not, Caleb lived with the people in the wilderness… speaks of his attitude…

Overview of Numbers 33:

They camped, departed, departed, camped…..for 40 years…

Nothing going on….Good at camping, good at departing….that is about it.

Yet the bible never speaks of Caleb being negative, judgmental or bitter. Holding a grudge….Leaving etc…How did Caleb endure?

Caleb’s body was in the wilderness, putting up with stuff?

But his spirit was in the promised land!

Hebrews 11:10 (NASB95)

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Caleb did not fear death, knew he had an inheritance and that God would not fail him!

When you serve God whole-heartedly:

5. You Can Drive Giants Out

Joshua 14:12-14 (NASB95)

12 “Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.”

A couple of thoughts…

We all have “giants” in our lives. Maybe it is addiction, anger or rage, bitterness, lust…Issues with our past and fear of our future…

Serving God whole-heartedly allows us to drive them out!

It also speaks of the need to contend for our inheritance!

The Lord had promised the land to Caleb, but there was still resistance!

It’s not that all these things are “conditional”, but we live in a fallen world where things don’t come easy.

There is a resistance to us serving God fully! The devil does not want you to

• See things differently

• Speak things differently

• Receive that inheritance

• Live life strong

• Take the mountains that have been promised!

That resistance takes form in many ways…

We can be lazy, half-hearted, selfish, sinful, willful, uncommitted and un-yielding to God and His Word!

Half-hearted men and women will not change the world and please God!

It will condemn you to wandering in the wilderness and getting good at just departing, moving, setting up……wishful thinking, NOTHING!

When you serve God whole-heartedly: Finally

6. The Land Can Rest From War

Joshua 14:13

So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.

14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully.

15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.

It’s not perfect….Was not then and is not now.

But there is more victory, less war and a Godly “rest” when we serve God with our whole heart.

We See

We Speak

We Receive

We Live

We are conquerors

We enter His rest

Whole-hearted living….

It would be amazing to see what God would do through a people who committed to Him “whole-heartedly”….

My dream is that God would move so powerfully through a people, a local church that others would move to this place because of the incredible Kingdom expression of grace, love and power through Jesus Christ