INTRODUCTION:
Happy New Year to everyone!
Welcome to the year 2016.
This is the year of the new beginnings for most of us.
This is the year when we will reaffirm our goals and purposes why we are on earth.
This is the year when we will leave behind and not dwell our past mistakes.
This is the year when we will acknowledge the plans of God for our lives.
This is the year when we will press on and persevere to the goal that God has set before us.
This is a beautiful year ahead for all of us as we dedicate our lives to God.
We could only do all of these things if we build and establish positive attitudes for the New Year.
Attitude is everything if we want to do better for this New year of 2016.
Charles Swindoll says, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important: than facts, than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, than appearances, than giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company. . . a church. . . a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. . . We are in charge of our attitudes.”
I totally agree, don't you think so?
Look at this picture. Attitude is everything, so pick a good one.
Everything that is good in life starts with a great attitude.
And if we want to accomplish more good things this New year, we had to start building an attitude that will last for a lifetime.
Because the past is past and we cannot change it.
It is how we react to the future that counts.
We are in charge of our attitudes on how we should act at church, our attitude in how we perform our ministry, our attitude in the things we do at home, our attitudes when we accomplish our reports at work.
Good attitude means we will maintain our joy in spite of the difficult situations.
Attitude means we will continue our passion to serve God even if others do not appreciate our work.
I say it again, great attitudes are essential for a happy and prosperous life this New Year.
Today, we will continue our sermon series on the Book of Joshua by studying chapter 14.
We will focus on the life story of Caleb.
He was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to assess the Promised Land.
During that time, ten of the spies did not believe that they could take the land of Canaan and their negative attitudes spread like gangrene to the entire camp of Israel.
This negativism prompted Israel to doubt God's power and God's purpose that eventually brought their downfall and death in the wilderness.
However, only Joshua and Caleb believed God.
And because of their positive attitudes, they were spared from the judgment of that entire generation.
In fact, they were the only ones who were able to possess the Promised land.
And they were able to maintain and carry on that positive attitude even in their old age.
God allowed them to accomplish far greater things ahead because of that positive attitude that had been developed over the years.
You see, if we allow negative attitudes to dominate our thinking this year, we will end up doubting God's power in our lives and fail to reach the goals God has placed for our lives.
But if we learn to build our positive outlook in life, God knows how far we can reach this New year.
We must therefore build a great attitude for the New Year.
Attitudes that will help us keep on believing in God and in our ability to serve Him.
Positive attitudes that will overcome those that are trying to discourage and dampen our spirits.
We must build positive attitudes that will make us endure and persevere even through tough and difficult times.
We may not be able to change our present circumstances or situations but we can control our attitudes by controlling how we react to them.
I want you to look carefully at the picture of two attitudes displayed by this woman.
The one on the left is a picture of a woman who has a very negative attitude at life.
Always feeling hurt, always rehearsing in the mind the pain she experienced in the past, very sensitive to what people would say to her, depressed most of the time, she seemed to get sick more often, pessimistic in life, unhappy, bitter, dejected, discouraged, push down.
I could go on and on, but you know what I mean.
I pray that you will leave behind this kind of attitude in this new year.
Do not dwell on the past.
The one on the right however is cheerful; confident, happy, optimistic, blessed, satisfied, flourishing, moving forward in spite of the circumstances around her, very hopeful that things get get better each day.
May you have this kind of attitude this new year.
And so, in our study for today, we will look at three important things that Caleb said to Joshua as the land is being allocated among the tribes of Israel.
Three things that will show his attitude even in old age.
He reflected on the past.
He redeemed the present.
He refocus on the future.
HOW TO BUILD A GREAT ATTITUDE FOR THIS YEAR:
1. REFLECTING THE PAST
Joshua 14:7-8 7 "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear."
The first thing we can learn from these verses is that Caleb looked back on the past.
He reflected on the highlights of his life when he was forty years old.
He remembered the time back then when Moses sent him and eleven other men from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land of Canaan.
This is found in Numbers 13.
The verse says that Caleb remembered the time when he gave a favorable report according to his own convictions.
The word "convictions" means what he really believes in, his personal opinion on the matter, or the principle for living that he followed.
It says that he based his decision based on his personal convictions.
This is the problem nowadays in our society.
Many people don't have their personal convictions.
They follow what the crowd says rather than holding on tightly to a set of belief that was according to the Bible.
No wonder, our society is not living up to what God says.
But Caleb was different.
He had his own personal conviction that he followed even if this decision goes against the flow of the majority opinions.
And what was his convictions?
He saw the enemies, yes, they were huge and numerous but he did not focus on his enemies, he focused on the greatness of God who is able to overcome his enemies.
While the other ten spies focused on how big the problem was, Caleb and Joshua focused on how big God is.
Look at the next slide: My God is bigger than any problem I face.
This is an important lesson for us to learn as we face the New Year of 2016.
We could either look at our huge and numerous problems or we can look at the many times that God has helped us in the past.
That is the choice we need to make daily.
And if we want to accomplish great things this year, we need to focus on God.
The God who has blessed us tremendously on the past year.
The God who has been so faithful and loving for all of us.
Regardless of how big the problems we will face this New Year of 2016, we must not declare what the ten spies said, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes!"
But rather say what Caleb said in Numbers 13:30 "30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
That is the kind of spirit we need to have.
Let us take possession of the land, move forward, brothers and sisters, we can do it!
Great attitudes are based on the strength and the experiences that God provides for our lives in the past.
Great attitudes will fashion our convictions and propel us to higher glory as a church this 2016.
So, let me ask you these questions as we approach the new year.
How did you look at your problems in the past?
Do you look at them as giants and monsters that seems to be overwhelming?
How do you look at yourself compared to the problems you faced?
Do you look at yourself as grasshoppers who tend to withdraw when problems seem crushing upon you?
Do you have a personal conviction with regards to your faith in God?
Were you able to hold on to that conviction regardless of what others say to you?
Or did you allow yourself to be swept by the waves or current of the majority who do not believe that God can do great things in our lives?
Is your attitude when you are with your friends different than when you are with in the church?
It is time to dismiss those negative attitudes and build great attitudes for this New Year.
There are several things we need to do as we reflect on the past to gain a positive outlook.
1. We must be imitators of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1 " 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Eph. 5:1 " 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children."
2. We must allow God to constantly transform us into His image. 2 Cor. 3:18 " 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
3. We must constantly present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Romans 12:2 2 Do not conform 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."
4. We must humble ourselves to God. Luke 14:10-11 " 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
When we reflect the highlights of our past life, we tend to correct our mistakes and meditate only on godly attitudes that we have gained through the years.
In fact, when we start building godly attitudes, we can start being healthy and feel better.
There is a very interesting book that you might want to read written by Norman Cousins titled: The Anatomy of an Illness.
The writer tells of being hospitalized with a rare, crippling disease.
When his sickness was diagnosed as incurable, Cousins checked out of the hospital.
Aware of the harmful effects that negative emotions can have on the body, Cousins reasoned the reverse was true.
So he borrowed a movie projector and prescribed his own treatment, consisting of Marx Brothers films and old "Candid Camera" reruns.
And those films are hilarious that can make you laugh so hard.
And so, he laughed and he laughed.
It didn't take long for him to discover that 10 minutes of laughter provided two hours of pain free sleep.
Amazingly, after some time, his debilitating disease was eventually reversed and he recovered.
Indeed, great attitudes can bring back health by using the powers of laughter, courage and tenacity.
The body has the capacity for self-healing.
After the account of his victory appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Cousins received more than 3000 letters from appreciative physicians throughout the world.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.—William James
That is why, brothers and sisters, it is good for us to laugh, to enjoy life, to have fun and
to have an attitude of gratitude to God always.
I say it again, Christians ought to be the happiest people on the face of the earth regardless whether you have money or not.
2. REDEEMING THE TIME
Joshua 14: 10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.
The second thing that Caleb said to Joshua was simply amazing.
He said that at the age of eighty five years old, he was as strong as ever.
He went through the wilderness and experienced a lot of difficulties.
Yet, he was as vigorous to go out to battle now as he was then.
This is a man who was not overcome by weakness after many years of serving God.
He maintained his good attitude even in old age.
How? By using his time well.
There was no time for him to worry, no time to fret, no time to be in anguish, no time to fear, no time to doubt God, no time to feel miserable, no time to be anxious and uncertain.
He did not allow his heart to be disturbed.
He did not allow his mind to be tormented or tortured, to be perplexed with bad news.
No way.
He guarded his mind and his heart properly during those past years.
That was the secret of keeping his good attitude intact.
He remained calm and confident when the currents get rough.
He maintained his happiness and joy when others are bitter.
He held on to his trust on God and peace of mind.
No wonder, he remained vigorous and strong as ever as the years passed by.
While all the others were dying in the wilderness due to their negative attitudes, yet, Caleb was gaining strength and vitality each day through his positive outlook at life.
Brothers and sister, this is the kind of attitude we need to have this New year.
Ephesians 5:16 (NIV) " 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
You see, time is a very precious commodity given to us by God.
All of us have been given the exact number of time this year, the same number of days, the same number of hours and and the same number of seconds for this New Year.
We have different amount of money when we start this year, but we all have the same exact number of time.
At the end of the year, those times that you have wasted will never be recovered.
They are lost for all eternity and another year will come and gone.
Time therefore is like a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow.
We must never waste our time.
We must learn to use our time carefully.
How do we redeem our time?
1. When we gain a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12 (NIV) " Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
2. When we make use of every opportunity that God has given us. Col. 4:5 (NIV) " 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
3. When we daily focus on our Creator for strength. Ecc. 12:1 (NIV) " Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—
Illustration:
Harry Emerson Fosdick once told how as a child, his mother sent him to pick a quart of raspberries.
He does not want to pick raspberries.
He was still a child.
He wants to play and be with his friends.
Reluctantly he dragged himself to the berry patch.
His afternoon was ruined for sure.
Then a thought hit him.
He would surprise his mother and pick two quarts of raspberries instead of one.
Rather than drudgery his work now became a challenge.
He enjoyed picking those raspberries so much that fifty years later that incident was still fresh in his mind.
The job hadn't changed.
His attitude had changed for the better that he carried for the rest of his life.
We must reflect on the past.
We must redeem the time.
3. REFOCUSING ON THE FUTURE
Joshua 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.”
The third thing that Caleb said to Joshua is regard to the way he refocus on the future.
First of all, he confidently claimed his inheritance of the Promised land.
He knew that he had a part in what God is about to unveil to Israel.
But there were problems in that land before he could fully occupy it.
The land was still inhabited by the Anakites who were themselves giants and had large and fortified cities.
How could he drive out those giants and claim his territories?
What he said defined his great attitude:
"With the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."
He did not trust on his own abilities but on God to help him resolve the problems.
And he is confident that eventually, in the near future, all these giants will be driven out, expelled and eliminated completely from the land.
Caleb's faith in God was bigger than the giants of he land of Canaan.
In the same manner, God wants to give us a great inheritance in the coming years ahead.
But claiming this inheritance will not be that easy.
We have to drive out one at a time all obstacles, all giants that will take away our inheritance.
Not by our own talents or abilities, but by the grace and the strength from God.
That is why we must always strive to develop Christ-like behavior that slowly but surely help us reach those goals.
We must resolve to draw nearer to God this year by having a daily reading plan of God's Word.
We can read the entire Old Testament this year.
We can be diligent in prayer this year.
Consider the following Scriptures:
How can we overcome our obstacles as we face the new year?
1. Because of the greater power that is in you. 1 John 4:4 (NIV) "“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
2. Because God will be with us wherever we go. Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
3. Because His power is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9-10 (NIV) "“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Let me end with this story:
It was 1741, and an old man was wandering the streets of London.
His name was George Frederick Handel.
At this point, he was angry at life.
His mind kept going back to the time when he was famous and had the applause of royalty and the elite of London.
But now his mind was full of despair and hopelessness about the future, for the applause was gone.
Others were now in the spotlight and envy began to possess him.
Added to that, a cerebral hemorrhage paralyzed his right side.
He could no longer write, and doctors gave little hope for recovery.
The old composer traveled to France and began to soak in the baths which were said to have healing effects.
The hot mineral baths seemed to help, and his health began to improve.
Eventually, he was able to write once more, and his success returned.
But then he faced another reversal.
Queen Caroline, who had been his staunch supporter, died.
England found itself on hard economic times, and heating large auditoriums for concerts was not permitted.
His performances were canceled, and he began to wonder where God was.
Then one night, as he returned from his walk, Charles Jennens was waiting at his home.
Jennens explained that he had just finished writing a text for a musical that covered both the Old and New Testaments, and believed that Handel was the man to set it to music.
Handel was indifferent as he began to read the words which Jennens had put together.
But then his eyes fell on such words as ‘He was despised, rejected of men. . . he looked for someone to have pity on him, but there was no man; neither found he any to comfort him.’
His eyes raced ahead to the words: ‘He trusted in God. . . God did not leave his soul in hell. . . He will give you rest.’ And finally his eyes stopped on the words: ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth.’ He became aware of the presence of God.
He was aware in a new and profound way, and as he picked up his pen the Spirit of God was moving, and music seemed to flow through him.
He finished the first part in only seven days.
The second section was completed in six days.
Many will remember that when the classical work was first performed in London, and the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ was sung by the choir, King George II was so moved that he stood to his feet. To this day, people still rise to their feet as the great chorus is sung in praise to God.
That’s the kind of attitude I’m talking about.
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