A lot of Christians today are not enjoying the life that God intended. Even though, they are saved, it seems their lives are lost, no joy, no victory, no peace. They are not on the mountain top.
There is a mountain for you and when you leave this service tonight, I want you to say and claim “I want that Mountain” that God has for me.
Too many people are busy making a living, but wasting their lives, just going through the motions of living.
They have unsatisfied lives, because they haven't surrendered their will to Him. They do not know God’s plan for their lives.
Now as Israel prepared to go into the land of promise, Caleb picked out the hardest mountain to claim, Mt. Hebron.
a. Mt. Hebron was occupied by great giants.
b. Caleb said, “I want that mountain.” “I want the hardest place of all.” “I claim it.” “God said it was mine.”
c. Some say, I am too old, too feeble, but God made us a promise.
d. I don’t care how many giants are in the land, I want that mountain, it belongs to me!
Now what does this tell us for today? What relationship does this have to us?
Learn a Bible Principle.
a. These stories in the O.T. are literal stories, and are true History, but more than history.
b. God says they are pictures, examples, types, for us.
c. Israel coming out of the land of Egypt is unsaved man, delivered.
d. In the wilderness is a type of the carnal man.
e. Into Canaan is the spiritual man.
f. 1 Corinthians 10:11, happened for examples. This story tonight is given for us to learn something.
g. So, the essence of Caleb claiming the mountain, is a picture of you and I claiming our spiritual victory
I. Caleb’s Challenge
1. What a challenge this 85-year-old man had. He wanted the Mountain.
2. Number 13:22-24; a land of milk and honey, a garden of spiritual blessings we could have in Jesus.
3. Not many Christians living in the land God wants them to have.
a. Just the opposite, most Christians are in the desert enduring their Christian lives.
b. Still in the wilderness.
4. Now what did it mean to come from the wilderness to Canaan?
a. Liberty from oppression. They had been slaves.
b. Rest from wandering. They wandered for 40 years. A lot of Christians still wandering in their life.
c. Victory from hunger. Mana in the morning, noon and night. Boring Christians, preachers and teachers.
5. Caleb’s challenge. He wanted that fruitful mountain. Land of plenty, but the other side was opposition.
a. Not only sweet delight.
b. Strong defenses.
6. Number 13:26-28; Nevertheless, it is what gives Christians their problems. When they get ready to take their mountain, then comes the strong defenses.
a. Strong in numbers. A lot of them.
1) These giants represent spiritual wickedness that keeps us from possessing our mountain. Ephesians 6:10
b. Not only a lot of them, but they were big in size, they were giants.
This represents the size and power of Satan. To keep us from spiritual victory.
c. They were on the mountain top, possessing our land.
Satan will not give up without a battle. Yes, Satan is alive and well on the earth.
7. And a lot of Christians when they see the opposition want to retreat to the desert. No battles there.
a. It is impossible to take the mountain, walled cities and giants.
b. Yes, from the human standpoint, it is impossible for Caleb to take the mountain.
8. The Christian life is not a hard life to live, it is an impossible life to live.
a. What Caleb started out to do, if he had any sense, he never would have tried it, but he had faith, not sense.
9. So, there we have Caleb’s challenge on the one side and sweet delight on the other strong defenses.
a. And that is what is before each one of us tonight.
b. Oh, the victory that could be ours, but how strong and real Satan is.
II. Caleb’s Companions
1. Numbers 13:33; Caleb was sent along with 11 other men to spy out the land. Only he and Joshua came back with a good report.
2. They had a grasshopper complex.
a. In essence, “We can never take the mountain”
b. Some of you are saying the same thing. God never intended for me to have the mountain.
c. The devil has beat you up so long you are used to it, defeated you so long, you don’t know there can be victory.
d. Story of a Tom Cat, his tail had been stepped on for so long, he just stuck it out to get it over it.
3. The majority said, it can’t be done
a. And the majority was wrong this time.
b. Don’t get the idea that the majority is always right, not even in a Baptist church.
c. Just the opposition, very seldom right.
1) Most of the members, of this church, are not here tonight. They are wrong.
2) Every time you are absent, it is a vote to close the doors.
3) The majority does not believe in prayer meetings. Never pray, never visit, never give, never read their Bible, never win a soul to Christ.
d. It scares me to think the average convert will be like the average member.
4. There is a vast difference between the average Christian and the normal Christian.
a. The normal Christian is a victorious person, the average is a defeated person.
b. We need to take our eyes off the average Christian and look at some Joshua’s and Caleb’s.
5. We have seen Caleb’s challenge and companions
III. Caleb’s Courage
1. He had something that made him stand out. What was it?
2. Caleb saw the giants too.
a. But Caleb saw them from God’s point of view, not from men.
b. The other 10 men were saying, “Look how much bigger they are than us.” They were right.
c. But Caleb was saying, “Look how much smaller they are than God.” He was right.
d. It all depends on how you look at it. Satan is much weaker than God. 1 John 4:4
e. Ephesians 2:6; keep looking down, not up. From up there the giants don’t look so big.
3. The average Christian wants to explain everything on His own terms. Without bringing God into it.
4. Numbers 14:8-9; These giants are a loaf of bread for us.
a. You need to eat bread in order to live. In order to grow, in order to be sustained.
b. And the thing you and I thought were giants, are to be bread that we might grow.
5. And most of us say, “I don’t want any giants.” No problems, no battles, and you will never grow.
a. This is God’s way to bless and nourish the soul.
b. Mother says, “Eat your spinach, there are vitamins in it.” I can’t understand why the vitamins could not be in ice cream.
c. God says, “Eat your Giants.” You say I don’t want to.
6. I like the courage of 85-year-old Caleb.
a. Story of a sergeant in the war. There were only six soldiers. So, he said, “Men, we are surrounded by the enemy. You better not let a one of them get away.” Amen!
7. Where did he get this courage? He was a brave man.
a. You say I am a coward, me too. But notice….
b. Joshua 14:6; God said, “I could have this mountain.” Vs. 12
c. Some 40 years before, God made a promise to Caleb and He never forgot it.
1) And he believed God, he did not care how many giants were in the land.
2) Don’t you know there are giants up there…Yep
3) Don’t you know there is a lot of them…Yep
4) Don’t you know they have walled cities…? Yep
5) But God said it was mine, his courage came from the word of God.
8. And when you start reading and believing this book, look out Devil. God has blessings for you.
a. But you will never have them until you put the title deed in your pocket and a sword in your hand saying, “I have come to claim my mountain.”
IV. Caleb’s Conquest
1. Joshua 15:14; This is the principle by which Caleb drove the giants.
2. First, is the principle of Disposition. He drove them out. You can’t eat the grapes until you drive out the giants. Notice who they are and their meaning.
a. Sheshai…. means who I am.
b. Ahiman…. means what I am.
c. Talmai…means what I can do.
d. And before you can ever be filled with the spirit and be used of God, we must drive out these three giants. Empty self so the Spirit of God can fill.
3. Second, Appropriation… “That have I given you.” God has already given it to us, we just need to claim it.
We don’t need a second blessing we got it all when we accepted Christ.
4. Third, Progression…Joshua 15:15
a. I would be very unhappy tonight if I thought I had all I will ever have in Christ.
b. In Christ we keep on growing, we never arrive. Philippians 3:10-14
c. Tonight, there is so much more about Christ, we could know.
5. Tonight, I pray your desire is to have that mountain.
a. God deliver us from the grasshopper complex.
b. Help us to be victorious in Christ.
