WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU BELIEVE?
Numbers 13:25-33
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Abraham bought himself a fancy new computer and was showing it to Isaac one day. "Look at all the wonderful programs it has on it. And look at all the neat things it can do."
2. Isaac was impressed but a little concerned. "But, Dad, I don't think your computer has enough memory."
3. Abraham said, "Don't worry, Son; the Lord will provide the RAM."
B. TEXT
25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. 26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." 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." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." Number 13:25-33
C. THESIS
1. God has spoken great things about you. He has a gifted you. He has before you a great spiritual heritage He want to you to lay hold of. It may look daunting, but remember, the Lord of Hosts is with you. But as you contemplate how you will serve the Lord, and how complete your commitment will be to the Lord, you will hear two voices; one is the Holy Spirit who gives you faith and encouragement to fully open a God. The other is the voice of the discourager – Satan, who will tell you it is too hard to serve the Lord; who will tell you that God doesn't work with people like he did in Bible days. You must make a choice; whose report will you believe?
2. Examples of situations:
a. You have prayed to God for your son who has been diagnosed with cancer, and God has told you that he would be alright, but the doctors have told you he has only 6 more months to live. Whose report will you believe, the doctor’s report or God?
b. You have no money to do your shopping at Christmas time to buy those things that are needed, your friends have told you to give up because God has forgotten you; but God has promised to supply your needs. Whose report will you believe?
c. You feel a that God has failed you some way, a voice whispers to you, what’s the use, but God told you He will not leave you nor forsake you and everything will be alright. Whose report will you believe? That someone or the word of God?
I. WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE THE EVIL/ FAITHLESS REPORT?
A. THEY BELIEVE WHAT THEY CAN SEE. The way things are in the natural is what they accept.
1. Many people see spiritual things as irrelevant, except at religious events. God plays no vital role in their day-to-day living. In our text today we find 10 of the 12 spies giving a negative report. At that moment, they couldn't see God, but they could vividly remember all of the enemies in Canaan. So they ended up telling the Israelites that it was impossible for them to take the land. But what were they thinking? Had they already forgotten that God was with them?
2. It’s easy to criticize them, but when we have problems, don't we panic and think we can't do it either? We must remember who our God is, call on Him and see He is mighty Arm revealed!
3. Proverbs 3:5 gives us excellent armor for our spiritual minds, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your own understanding."
4. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Cor. 1:20).
B. TAUGHT WRONG. Listening to the wrong people.
1. Jesus took three disciples up the Mount of Transfiguration and he is Deity was revealed in power to them. When Jesus and the three came down the mountain, Jesus saw a large crowd around the other nine disciples and a religious class, called the Scribes, arguing with them. The problem was, that V9 disciples had tried to cast out evil spirits from a boy but failed. Why? Jesus immediately knew. In Mark 9:16 Jesus said, "What are you[Scribes] arguing with them [disciples] about?"
2. In other words, Jesus said, "What are you injecting into the minds of my disciples which is blinding them to the reality of the miraculous, and hindering them from healing that boy?" The nine have been listening to the lies of the Scribes.
3. What lies have we been listening to? Certainly we've heard of lies on our television sets: CNN, sitcoms, some gospel shows which deny God's working of miracles today. Jesus was saying, "How dare you poison the minds/faith of my disciples with your lies and unbelief!" That was what was making them so weak and feeble. "Why couldn't we cast them out?" "Because you are spending too much time listening to people who tell you that God used to do miracles but doesn't anymore, or that God may use some great people, but that you are a nobody." I'm sick and tired of listening to people say that God has no power to save and to deliver in our generation.
4. The enemy tries to stand between you and a miracle/sign/wonder. He whispers and one ear, that God won't use you, but God’s Word speaks in your other ear and says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."
5. Peter tried to build three booths on the Mount of Transfiguration. You can't confine God! You can't relegate him to a box! If you're going to fight the kind of battles that God is calling you to, you must know that Jesus is risen and "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
C. FORGOT GOD’S WORD & CARE
1. What caused these 10 men to bring back a negative report? The psalmist got it right when he said, “They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea” Psalm 106:21-22. How they could've so quickly forgotten the mighty God that they served, is a mystery to me.
2. Maybe they had become so used to the supernatural that they took it for granted. Maybe it was the 40 days spent exploring Canaan that had made them forget, but for whatever reason, they lost faith in the promises of God, and became paralyzed with fear. In their fear they fell into the trap of thinking that it all depended on them, and failed to rely on God.
II. WHAT IS THE REPORT OF THE LORD?
A. GOD LOVES YOU
1. There is much evidence in the world that seems to contradict the love of God: wars, natural disasters (famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes), evil actions that are done by people.
2. But God's love is more than a theory. God has graphically demonstrated his love on Calvary's cross. 1 John 4:9-10, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
3. Isaiah 53:1, which asks who will believe God’s report, spends its largest part in a description of the atonement of Jesus on the cross. Will we believe the report of the love of God for us?
B. GOD IS [FAITHFUL], ON YOUR SIDE
1. In the original temptation of Adam and Eve, Satan’s main tool was to get Eve to question God's motives; "God knows that if you eat this fruit you will become as wise as God.” He implied that God was withholding something good from Adam and Eve. He still does this today. The enemies first attack is on God's good character. God's guiding motivation toward us in everything he does is that it is for our good.
2. Listen to God's real feelings toward us, "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” Deut. 5:29. Even when it seems like we've been given a mixed bag -- blessings and bad events -- we must trust God. He sees the future. All he does is ultimately for our good. “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord, who are the called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28.
3. God's faithfulness is apparent in the physical universe: the clocklike precision of the stars and planets. You can calculate their movements a million years from now. They are physical symbols which testify to God's faithfulness.
C. GOD IS GREATER THAN YOUR PROBLEMS
1. Look at Caleb and Joshua. They had traveled the same roads, seen the same things as the other 10 spies; the land flowing with milk and honey, and the giants in the land – but they saw things differently. Joshua and Caleb didn’t forget the God they served. They did not forget that only 2 years before they had been slaves in Egypt. They did not forget how God, by His mighty hand, had divided the Red Sea. They hadn’t forgotten where God had brought them from. When Joshua and Caleb saw the land, they remembered the mighty power of God, knew who they served, and were able to say with assurance, “Let us go up at once, and possess it. We can surely do it! The Lord will give it to us!”
2. It is time for the people of God to start speaking out with confidence, and start believing God. It is time for God’s people to realize that “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” It is time for us to realize that “no weapon formed against God’s people shall prosper.” I am not afraid because I am resting on the promises of God.
3. Joseph still believed God was bigger than his problems when he was sold as a slave, when he was put into prison, and when it seemed like he was forgotten. When David saw Goliath [his problem], he saw a God who was bigger than Goliath. Saints you do not have to be afraid, because you have God on your side.
D. EVERY BLESSING OF GOD’S IS YOURS
1. God is no respecter of persons. What He will do for one saint, He will do for all of us. Therefore, it only remains that we should claim our blessings; to take hold of them and possess them!
2. “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses” (1 Kgs. 8:56). “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1 Pet. 1:4).
III. HOW TO HAVE A SECURE FAITH
A. GET INTO GOD’S PRESENCE
1. When you're in the world, you can lose your spiritual vision, your piece, and your victory. But when you get in God's presence, the Holy Spirit renews the mind of Christ in you. Listened to the Psalmist’s story:
2. “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” Psalm 73:2-5, 13-17.
3. Mountains don't look big from an airplane, but small; so will your obstacles. Jesus took the three up to the top of the high mountain for them to get a larger vision and bring them closer to God. There he showed them His glory. God said, "This is my beloved Son. Hear ye Him."
4. God was making an impression on them, "I want to remind you of whose team you're on. When you go to stand against the army of Satan, remember whose team you're on. When you go to lay hands on the possessed and the infirm, remember whose team you're on!" Come up the mountain of the most high and get reminded of whose team you're on.
B. HOLD FAST TO THE WORD
1. The Bible is much more than paper and ink. It is the dynamo of Life, given to us from God. "By the Word of God the heavens existed long ago," 2 Peter 3:5. This book is a power that straightens out minds, marriages, children, nations, diseases, and brings mental and physical freedom.
2. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Josh. 1:8). “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life” (Deut. 11:18; 32:47).
C. WALK WITH THE WISE
1. Importance of Companionship. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up….Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Eccles. 4:9-10, 12.
2. Our friends influence us. Therefore, we must choose our friends carefully, especially Christian friends. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Prov. 13:20).
D. TURN OFF UNBELIEVING INPUT
1. Just like the nine disciples who couldn't perform the needed miracle because of the interference of worldly influences, sometimes we need to close those good novels, those sports shows, even turn off good CD’s, and find God again in His Holy Book. We need to do some fasting... fasting the sources of unbelief and carnality, the sources of distraction and lesser purpose. If we fast and pray, then we'll be ready to be an instrument in the hands of a Mighty God!
2. Let's get God out of our box! Many of us think that we have visitor’s rights to visit God on Sundays only. But if you want to see salvation come to your family, don't you think it will be worth it to turn off your TV show, to put down your book, to leave off your hobby, and let God be God with you as He was with Moses? Began to say with Joshua and Caleb, "Let us go up at once and possess it! We can surely do it! The Lord will give it to us!" Speak it out and claim it!
CONCLUSION
A. Bad Report says: Good Report says:
It’s Impossible/ All things are possible. Luke 18:27
You’re too tired/ I will give you rest. Matt 11:28
Nobody really loves you/ God really loves you. John 3:1
You can’t go on/ God’s grace is sufficient. Psalm 91:15
You can’t figure things out/ God will direct your steps. Pro 3:5
You can’t do it/ You can do all things. Phil 4:13
You’re not able/ God is able. 2Cor 9:8
It’s not worth it/ It will be worth it all. Rom. 8:28
You can’t forgive yourself/ God will forgive you. 1 John 1:9
You can’t manage/ God will supply all your needs. Phi 4:19
You should be afraid/ God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2Ti 1:7
You are worried and frustrated/ God says, “Cast all your cares on Me.” 1Pet 5:7
Your not smart enough/ God gives us wisdom. 1 Cor. 1:30
Your all alone/ God says, “I will never leave you.” Heb. 13:5
B. ILLUSTRATION
1. Mama Eagles are caring and loving creatures. Somewhere down the line the Mama eagled decides her little eagle needs to learn to fly. So she takes that little a goal out of the masked and flies up as high as she can go. At this point, she drops the fledgling, and he falls fast. The fledgling has never flown in his life. The ground is coming up, his heart is ready to burst, and he knows there is no way he is going to survive.
2. But the Mama eagle is watching, and at the last moment she swoops down and catches the baby eagle. Relieved, the baby eagle thinks, "I’m saved, I'm fine, I'm going to survive." The mommy eagle then flies up as high as she can go and again drops him. She continues to do this until he learns to fly.
3. The Lord bore the Israelites on eagle's wings. When they didn't have any water, He swooped down and provided water for them. When they came to the Red Sea, He provided for them. When they didn't have any food, He swooped down and provided manna for them.
4. During the series of crises and resolutions, the Israelites learned that they could trust God. Sometimes it was a painful process. It's the same with us; we too must learn to trust in God.
C. ALTAR CALL
1. Years ago a fishing fleet went out from a small harbor on the east coast of Newfoundland. In the afternoon there came up a great storm. When night settled down, not a single vessel of all the fleet had found its way into port.
2. All night long wives, mothers, children, and sweethearts paced up and down the beach, wringing their hands and praying for God to save their loved ones. To add to the horror of the situation, one of the houses caught on fire. Since the men were all away, it was impossible to save the home.
3. When the morning broke, to the joy of all, the entire fleet was entering the harbor. All of the families were ecstatic except for the one wife whose home had been destroyed. Meeting her husband as he landed, she began to cry, "We’ve lost everything! Our home and all in it was destroyed by fire!"
4. But the man exclaimed, "Thank God for the fire! It was the light of our burning house that guided the whole fleet back to safety!"
5. You are being given two conflicting reports; whose report will you believe? One report is a report of fear, through eyes of earthly vision; a future without God’s help. The second is a report of courage, a report of hope, a report of faith in a God who can do anything. Whose report will you believe?
