Overcome fear with Caleb's Spirit
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
When we continue to read V 2-3,
2When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
AN IMAGE OF A BATTLE IS SEEN HERE.
- David went through a great deal in the hands of Saul and his enemies
- It took almost 25 years to become the king of Israel since his anointing when he was just 13 years old (1 Sam 16)
FEAR AND HOPE HAS CONNECTIONS
- David’s fearlessness is because… the verse says “ The Lord is my light and salvation”, :The Lord is the stronghold of my life”
Jeremiah 17:7
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him”
Trusting God is about the confidence we have in Him.
Jesus is our life and light. Our confidence should be in the ways He leads us.
In my classroom, a student who has more doubts asks more questions.
In my life, when I have more doubts in Him , I start questioning him a lot.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.”
Psalm 18:2
The LORD my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THESE four THINGS
Eph 5:18 “ He is our light
Isaiah 12:2 He is our salvation
Psalm 18:2 He is our deliverer
Psalm 28:7 He is our strength
Today in this world, we fight against the principalities of the world
Eph 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Eph 6:11 – we have to put on the full armour of god
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Eph 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
How to be strong ….
We have to be like David….
When David fielded Goliath..
1 Sam 17:47
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Where does fear come from? The bible says, we will have tribulation in life…
Look at the life of Gideon. The angel calls him “Mighty man of valour”. But he was thrashing wheat hiding himself near the winepress.
Are you surrounded by fear?
Deut 1:36 talks about a man called Caleb.
Maybe you are like Caleb today. You are strong, but you are surrounded by people who can bring fear in your life.
God promised Caleb that he will see the promised land. All because of his faithfulness to Him.
Caleb said this.
Joshua 14:8-9
8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.
9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’
• Moses sent him, and 11 other men to look at the land
• But most of them were very much afraid,
• They also made the rest of the people feel that great fear
• They told the people things that made them afraid (Joshua 14:8)
But…
Caleb was free from fear
He used his strong trust in God to help God’s people
They were full of pain and despair
Caleb wanted them to trust God instead
Maybe God is speaking to someone here to take Caleb’s ministry in you
You may be surrounded by fear. Fear from people around you. But God is telling you to be like Caleb
People don’t always express their fears immediately
Or their sense of need can be so great that they do speak
They tell someone else about their fears and worries
HOW GREAT IF THAT SOMEONE IS A CHRISTIAN. WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY? WE CAN TELL THEM THE GOOD NEWS. WE CAN TELL THEM WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GOD.
Numbers 13: 1-2
Exploring Canaan
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
What are they asked to look for?
V18-20
18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many.
19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified?
20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
Moses also asked them to bring an evidence
V23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.
Then they came and told two things…
1. V 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Hee is its fruit.
2. V28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.
Fear does not stop there… They started to grumble
Numbers 14:2
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!
Fear made them speak against God
Numbers 14:3-4
3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
But there was a man strong in faith. He is not overcome with the fear around him. The present circumstances did not shake his faith, because his faith was on God.
Caleb said this to Moses and the Israelites
Numbers 13:30
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.”
Today , we need people like Caleb here. I want the HS to fill my church with the spirit of Caleb now.
• Faith comes with a challenge.
• People around you
• Circumstances….
• They all turn against you
Are you going to stand firm?
Are you going to trust in the Lord, in what ever situation that God leads you?
The people around him witnessed, they were like grasshoppers.
Caleb stood firm. How was he able to?
Read 14:8
If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
All I need to know now is… Is God’s favour with me?
He will remove our inequities.
Jehosophat was a good king in the land of Judah…
However, bad acquaintance lead him to wrong ways…
But Gods mercy was with him because of the Good ways he had in the past.
He not only repented, but also made his people repent and turn away from their wicked ways…
He is a forgiving God, though we keep testing..
Remember, forgiveness does not mean we inherit the blessing.
To inherit the blessing God has promised me, I have to stand firm like Caleb, Because God has promised me.
Today we should be delivered from fear… Whatever it is.
