[RECAP last week sermon - John 6:60-69]
Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (6:68-69)
We FOLLOW Jesus for WHO He is, more than for WHAT He can give us.
• It is a blessing to receive from Him and we know He is a generous God.
• But if we only seek Him for what we can get out of Him, that’s very shallow faith. Many are easily discouraged today because they did not get what they want from Him.
• We follow Him because Jesus is GOD and in Him we have the truth of eternal life.
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We have been thinking about being FOLLOWERS of Christ, and I came across this passage last Sunday, so I thought I would share it today.
• What does this person looks like – someone who follows the Lord wholeheartedly.
• Joshua 14:6-15 tells us of a man who has “followed the Lord wholeheartedly”. It was a phrase used in this passage 3 times. [READ passage]
Caleb followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly.
• He and his family inherited the land God has promised him BECAUSE (v.14 says) he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
• What stands out for such a man? I want to share with you these 3 characteristics:
(1) TRUST IN THE UNSEEN GOD - He Does Not Believe Everything He Sees
45 years ago he was among 12 spies who went to explore the Promised Land (Num 13).
• They saw giants in the land and 10 of them persuaded the rest to give up.
• They sees the giants and then they sees themselves as dwarfs, grasshoppers (Num 13:33). Caleb sees the same giants and he next sees God, and he was convicted.
Josh 14:47 “And I brought back a report according to my convictions”, Caleb said.
• He was confident of victory because he sees God in it. The other 10 spies see only themselves in the picture; God was absent.
• The key to victory is to see God in the circumstances and affairs of our lives.
• Put God into the picture. Where is God in all of these?
The problem is not with the problem because they all saw the same giants.
• But they reacted differently. It is an issue of PERSPECTIVE. Caleb saw God in it.
• In 2 Kings 6 Elisha and his servant saw the same problem – surrounded by enemy troops - but both responded differently. One saw God’s army; the servant saw only himself.
Caleb did not lie about what he saw nor did not minimize the problem.
• He simply magnified God. God is bigger than that. God is greater; he tried to convince the people (cf. Deut 1).
• Magnify God in the midst of your troubles, because He is more than enough.
George Mueller has this wonderful testimony. He is a great man of faith.
The elderly Mueller was onboard a ship heading for a speaking engagement. They were caught in a thick fog. The ship was moving very slowly. He approached the Captain: “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon." (It was then Wednesday).
The Captain said, "Impossible."
"You must," Mueller insisted, "I have never broken a speaking engagement in 57 years."
Lifting his hands in despair, the Captain replied, "I would help if I could - but I am helpless. Look!" (Pointing to the thick fog)
Mueller suggested, "Let's go down to the chart room and pray."
The Captain raised his eyebrows in utter disbelief. "Do you know how dense the fog is?" he demanded.
Mueller said, "No, my eye is not on the thickness of the fog but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life."
Reluctantly the Captain accompanied him into the chart room and kneeled with him in prayer. Mueller prayed, in simple words: "O Lord, if it is consistent with Your will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement You did make for me in Quebec on Saturday. I believe it is Your will."
The Captain thought he needed to ‘play along’ and say something. He started, but before he could say more, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Mueller said, "Don't pray, because you do not believe; anyway, as I believe God has already answered, there is no need for you to pray."
The Captain's mouth dropped open. Mueller said: "Get up, Captain, let us go. Open the door. The fog will be gone." By the time they reached the deck, the fog had disappeared.
Captain later testified that this encounter with Mueller changed his life completely. He had seen with his own eyes that Mueller’s God is the true and living God.
(2) CLING TO THE PROMISE - He Does Not Despair Over Misfortunes
Noticed Caleb made references to God’s promise to him, a few times (vv.9, 10, 12).
• Caleb remembers, even after 45 years ago. What exactly did the Lord say?
• Deut 1:35-36 “Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, 36except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”
• When was this spoken? Right after the spying trip. It will be like remembering what someone said to me when I was 3 years old!
Caleb did not give up his faith, despite having to wander in the wilderness for 40 years (38 years wandering, 7 years conquering the land).
• He did not forget the promise God made to him. This is his HOPE. He knows God will make it come true.
• He did not BLAME others for the suffering. He did not become BITTER and ANGRY over his comrades’ unbelief.
• Caleb simply chose to submit to God for what He has allowed to happen.
This is wise. Don’t go through life blaming others, feeling bitter, getting angry, over our troubles. If God has allowed it, He has His purpose.
• Instead walk through life REMEMBERING His promises. Cling on to this HOPE that not only will God see you through; He will bring you to where He wants you to be.
• At 85 Caleb kept faith with God and God blessed him - in at least these 2 ways – (1) his health and strength remains intact (14:11) and (2) his family inherited the land.
In the eyes of man, Caleb has lost 45 years of his prime, in the wilderness.
• But God wants us to see, by His grace, that nothing was lost. He kept him as fit and strong as he was 45 years ago.
• All those who doubted God eventually died in the wilderness. Caleb and Joshua remained. You see, nothing can really be lost if you honour God.
(3) CRAVE FOR THE BLESSING OF GOD - He Does Not Wait for Things to Happen
Josh 14:12 “Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."
Caleb has not lost his fighting spirit!
His “give it to me” is not going to be on a silver platter. He said, “I will drive them out” because God will help me to, as He has promised.
• The giants will be there but it doesn’t matter. The determining factor will not be them but with God.
• Caleb knows the promise to be true; he lays claim on it. It’s for him.
How many of us see life this way, and after 45 years of aimless wandering in the desert?
• We would have given up hope, and lost all remaining passion we would have.
• Not for Caleb. He followed the Lord wholeheartedly! He was all ready to FIGHT for what God has promised him, even at 85.
Do we share the same passion for what God has promised us?
• Paul says in 1 Cor 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
We have this thought sometimes, that if God has promised, and then everything will come to us automatically. God will hand it to us on a silver platter.
• It will not happen that way. We got to lay hold of it. God is not going to force you to accept them. You can choose not to have them.
We want His blessings. We claim His promises. We need to WANT to want them.
• Caleb says the Lord will help you as He has said, but you need to get up and fight. He was prepared to fight for it, even against formidable enemies.
• If we do nothing, nothing will happen. Nothing happens automatically.
• You are as blessed as you want it to be. Seek God with all your heart and lay hold of His blessings.
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These are the MARKS of a man fully committed to following God wholeheartedly.
We can be like Caleb. We trust the same God. We know His Word, His promises.
• He chose to walk by faith and not by sight. Have FAITH.
• He did not despair. God has spoken. That’s HOPE.
• He never gives up. He did not wait for things to happen; he FIGHTS for what God has promised him. That’s DRIVE.
Be a wholehearted follower – one that has FAITH, HOPE and DRIVE.
• Let’s ask God for these today.
• Put your trust in Jesus, He is our Saviour.
