In the book Refresh, Renew, Revive H.B London Jr. of Focus on the Family, writes a chapter entitled 10 questions to focus your time for the rest of our lives. One of those questions is: If I could do only three things in my lifetime, what would they be?
I don’t think there is a more important question in any person’s life. Adults let me ask you today have you accomplished your goals and dreams for your life.
When someone quits believing they’ll ever accomplish their dream it’s like life itself loses it’s meaning. What happened to them? Life? Life makes us bitter or better depending on our perspective.
My favorite TV show; Criminal Minds had a hero named Jason Gideon. When he left the show he took off because the bad guys seemed to be winning. He said in a letter, “I have to go find what I lost. My belief in Happy endings.”
I still believe the good guy wins even though he’s not perfect. He still saves the day and yes gets the girl. I still believe in happy endings.
Do you? Has life made you bitter or better? Our text introduces a man who could have give up and quit. He could have cashed in his dream. Instead he held on to his faith and finished well.
In our text today we see an 85 yr. old warrior, a man by the name of Caleb. Caleb and Joshua and 10 other spies were sent out 45 yrs. earlier to scout the Promised Land. They spent 40 days in the Promised Land making maps, counting troop strength, drawing topography reports and making agricultural discoveries. Moses had sent those 12 men as the representatives of 2 million people. 12 men all had the same information and yet only 2 stood for God.
All had walked across on dry ground at the parting of the Red Sea. All had seen the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. All had witnessed the giving of the 10 commandments. But only 2 really finished well.
Joshua 14:6-14
How did Caleb at 85 still hold on to the dream of his life? How did he get the desire of his heart and why did God grant it?
By believing. The Bible is full of examples of believing with all your heart. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” (Mark 9:23)
Notice what Caleb believed in.
I. Believe in the Lord--3 times in this passage the Bible says Caleb Wholly followed the Lord. That word wholly means to consecrate, be full of--be fenced. I look at that as have a wall around our hearts and minds and saying everything I am is full of the Lord. What is outside is of no use--my mind, body and soul is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Bible says--he wholly followed. Notice Caleb and who he followed:
A. Follow Your Heart—(v.7b) I believe we must have goals in our lives. I also believe that God’s will is determined as we
follow God and submit, we then can trust our own heart. Remember the Bible says in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I once listened to a motivational tape series entitled “You can do it.” It’s by Dr. Jay Strack a Godly evangelist and Bob Weisland. Bob Weisland is nick-named “Mr. Inspiration.” He fought in the Vietnam War, lost both his legs, just above the knee trying to rescue a wounded soldier.
Bob broke the record for the bench press in his weight class. He rode a bicycle across America twice, peddling with his arms. But I think his greatest triumph, is he spent 3 yrs 8 mos. and 6 days walking across America on his hands.
He said he got to Missouri, and he had a conviction in his heart to go north. The man helping him said “we still have 1600 miles east to go, and you want to go north? Yep….
Why? When you follow God you can trust your heart!
What else about following
B. Don’t follow the crowd—(v.8) 10 spies told Moses we can’t do it. We can’t conquer those giants in the Promised Land. 2 spies Joshua and Caleb said--yes we can because God will fight for us. Let me ask you something today; are you going to spend your life following the crowd or following God? Young people how about it--do you want to be cool and popular with the world or a hero for God?
Do you want to follow a path already gone down before or blaze a trail in life? Your choice and God is looking for people who want to blaze a trail for Him.
Believe In The Lord
II. Believe In Yourself—(10-14) Think about it. Caleb was 40 when he came back with the news of the Promised Land. Now he’s 85 yrs old and he says he’s as strong as he was 45 yrs earlier. The Bible tells us that while the children of Israel were wandering for 40 yrs their clothes and shoes did not where out. Now here’s Caleb claiming neither did he. God protected him because he wholly followed God.
In v.10 Caleb claims the promise of God--Notice v.10 “as He said.” Can’t we too claim the promises of God found in God’s Word?
Caleb was holding on to the promises of God. Forty-five years earlier Caleb scouted out his dream for himself and his family. He picked that property, and I believe that God said to Him follow me and I will fulfill my promise to you.
He says in v.11 I am still ready for battle. It doesn’t much matter to me if a man can’t do what he once could...but can he still stand in the spiritual battles of life.
Men that’s how God measures us. Are we still spiritually strong? Man I’d like to think that I can be counted on to slug it out with Satan when I’m 85.
**v.12**
Give me this mountain. Give me this hill country, this region of mountain land. He believed in himself.
Bob Weisland was like that. He believed in himself. Bob traveled north. Got to a small town with 470 something people in it and decided to take a break.
Bob was bouncing an a trampoline outside of a store. A truck pulls up and out comes this man who says to Bob, you are that Vietnam vet, walking across America aren’t you? You know I was in Vietnam. Turns out they were that at the same time in the same unit. Fella says well good luck and rides away.
When you believe in the Lord and believe in yourself, you still have one more thing in life to figure out.
**15:14-17**
III. Believe In Others--Caleb wiped out three kingdoms of that day. He gets to the last place of conquest, still Spiritually Sound, ready for battle and he passes the baton.
Caleb realized that the mentoring was important. He realized that if we are to leave a legacy we must invest our time, training and talents in the lives of others.
William James said, “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” William James
Caleb knew that if his clan was going to succeed and go farther for God he needed to train a young man to be a leader. Let me ask you; who are you mentoring?
Every Christian should have a mentor and be involved in someone’s life to pass on our faith to future generations. This is something I am so passionate about and God is doing some amazing things in my life right now to help other pastors
You have to believe in others. I do especially these young people. Yes, they are going to make some mistakes didn’t you at 16?
Listen I believe a 20 yr old doesn’t know everything. I thought I did at 20 something. But I also know an 80 something isn’t all perfect and all-knowing.
Life doesn’t necessarily make everyone wiser. But is should make us want to pass on the good things in our lives, like love, mercy, forgiveness and especially giving grace to others.
If we can’t do that then we really are letting life live us rather than us living life and finishing well. Have you invested in
someone else’s life?
Howard Hughes was worth 2.5 billion dollars at his death. He was the richest man in the U.S. He owned a private fleet of jets, many hotels and casinos. When asked to claim his body, his nearest relative, a distant cousin, said, “Is this Mr. Hughes?” Howard Hughes had spent the last 15 years of his life a drug addict. Too weak to even give himself the shots he needed to live. His 6’4” frame had shrunk to 6’1” and he weighed only 90lbs.
Not a single acquaintance mourned his death. The only honor he received was a moment of silence in his Las Vegas casinos. Time Magazine out it this way, “Howard Hughes’ death was commemorated in Las Vegas by a moment of silence, casinos fell silent, housewives stood uncomfortable clutching their plastic cups full of coins at the slot machines, the blackjack tables paused, and at the crap tables the stickmen cradled the dice in the crook of the wooden hands. Then a pit-boss looked at his watch, leaned forward and said, “O.K., roll the dice. He’s had his minute.”
Caleb knew that other people matter. How we believe in and trust in others says a great deal about our character. Othniel went on to be Israel’s first judge. I’d sure like to think the people I invested in went farther than me.
Conclusion: We may never know what God is up to. We may never understand why He leads us where He leads us. But, if we will believe in Him and the dream He has given us we can trust He will see it through.
Oh yea, Bob Weisland. I left him bouncing on a trampoline in a small town in the middle of no where.
About 15 min. later that man comes back in his truck with a photo album. He begins to show Bob the pictures of Vietnam. Bob finds a picture of a captured north Vietnamese soldier. Bob says that’s Ralph. It was the nick name Bob have given this man in the picture. The other Vietnam vet looks at Bob and says hey were you an army medic in nam? Bob says--yep. The man says Doc? Doc, it’s me--Cooper. Bob says Cooper? Then Dennis Cooper begins to tell Bob Weisland that he was the one who rescued and carried Bob to the chopper.
God sent a conviction in the heart of Bob Weisland to head North and Bob Weisland obeyed and found the man who saved his life.
You never really know what’s going on in this journey of your heart. But if you’ll follow God you may save someone’s life.
And in the process save your own.
I believe in happy endings...Do you?
PRAY
