Sermon: Built for This.
Scripture Lesson: Numbers 13:26-33 “to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.” But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
Introduction: You are built for this. Phil Collins wrote a song, In the Air tonight, which says, “I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord. And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord. Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh Lord, oh Lord.”
This must have been the way Israel felt as they waited to enter into the Promised Land. You would think that nothing could have kept Israel from entering the Promised Land after being so close to it for forty days. The Israelites were a good example of people being tied to the past, and not being able to look ahead with what God had for them in the present. Even after God led them the long way to the promised land, training them and proving them, they still had a “slave mentality.” Like the Israelites, we all have “giants”—problems in life we have to overcome. But if we choose to run to God and rely on His strength to help us, we can not only defeat our opposition, because God has been making us better, stronger and wiser through the process of life. You have been built for this moment. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan. God will use us to do greater things than we ever imagined!
The bulk of the nation of Israel waited on the borders of Canaan for the return of the spies. They were poised to enter Canaan Land. They had God’s assurance of success. For nearly forty years, they had witnessed God's Divine power, miracles in the wilderness and God’s divine presence. They had been slaves in Egypt 400 years, yet God delivered them and showed himself to be all powerful, all knowing and everywhere present. This lesson shows us how easily Believers can vacillate between faith and doubt. No one expected the report of the spies to promote distrusted in God's power and promises. How much we are robbed by our own doubt, unbelief, and mental attitude!
When the messengers returned, the greater part discouraged the people from going forward into Canaan. The Israelites placed more confidence in the judgment of men than they did in the word of God. They had found the land as good as God had said, yet they doubted they could have it as God had promised. The Bible calls the ten men unbelievers. Their unbelief caused them to doubt themselves. They were giant slayers, but they saw themselves as grasshoppers. They doubted the promises and power of God to work through them. They magnified every danger and difficulty and filled the hearts of the people with discouragement and fear. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about God. The point is, before you trust, you have to listen. But unless it’s God’s promises that is preached, there's nothing to listen to. Yet fear also comes by hearing and it spread faster than faith.
Caleb and Joshua encouraged the people to go forward. Caleb does not say, Let us go up and conquer it; but, Let us go and possess it. Difficulties that are in our way, will dwindle and vanish before our lively, active faith in the power and promise of God. All things are possible, to him that believes. We must trust God and his promises more than our carnal senses. Those who trust the promises of God and follow his directions will find that His promises are true. Caleb looks on the situation as being already done. Let us go up and possess it! There is nothing to be done, but to enter without delay, and take the possession of that which our great God is now ready to give us!
This report was given publicly to the audience of all the people. We must be careful when reporting to a crowd. Crowds can be easily swayed or misled. The report began accurately enough, they said, we found the land just as God said, "surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it." You can almost hear the excitement of the crowd, as eyes beheld the fruit of the land. Then they said, "the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great:" Even that was an accurate report. But they concluded their report with an opinion and a recommendation, they said, "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." And further, "And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature." Despite all they had witnessed, these leaders of Israel allowed the size and number of the giants to cause them to question who they were and what they were capable of doing; they questioned the wisdom of God to choose such a land; they questioned God’s promise, power, truthfulness and goodness. All this happened without them even trying. It won’t work! It won’t work! Yet that is the cry of all unbelief. To possess the land, you will have to slay some giants. If we are giant slayers, we must not get our assignment twisted. These spies were sent to investigate the land so that a plan of attack could be developed.
God had chosen the land and gave it to his chosen people. God said, Go up and possess it. Giant slayers must not allow the opinion of others to keep them from following God. We are built for this. Giant slayers must be daring and courageous! Why? Because giants often stand between believers and their dream. Giants will not leave on their own. Giants just don’t go away; they must be faced, defeated, and driven out! Giants, like most obstacles that stand in our way come to intimidate us, steal our peace and chip away at our confidence. We must have faith in God’s promises and not allow any challenge to make us feel unqualified or keep us from making progress. We must seize the moment and then take possession of God’s promised land. We are built for this and have been waiting for this very moment.
God promised this land to His Servant Moses many years before they ever left Egypt. These giants had not moved here without the knowledge of God. Israel did not call themselves nor choose the land. God selected the Land, knowing every obstacle and He said, “Go in and Possess the Land.” You are well able! They had build cities in Egypt and even made brick without straw. They have the strength and the skills and beside that, they have the presence of God with them. We are built for this. Believers must overcome self-doubt.
1. Believers Are Built to Overcome Doubt. We must dare to reject the contradictory opinions in our minds, and those of others that contradict God’s word. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re not good enough, or if it’s too hard, or if people are watching doubt you. You don’t have to care about any of that. Make up your mind that none of that can stop you from trying. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Most people quit without trying. Those opinions come to prevent us from following God’s plan for our lives. God commanded Moses to send the spies so that they could develop a plan of attack. The size of the men and the challenges of the land was not a surprise to God. Men will always have an opinion about the giants in the land, about the prospect of success, and about the limits of your ability. Let us remember what God said. And don't allow the opinion of others to keep us from following God. Others may see the giants as invincible, but they are not. Don’t allow your own opinion of yourself to make you a grasshopper. God knows who you are, what you can do and what he has placed in you and what He wants to give you. You are more than a grasshopper, but you can only rise to the level of how you see yourself. Dare to reject those opinions that would contradict what God has said. Choose to follow God, and believe you are well able to possess the land. You are built for this.
2. Believers Are Built To Stand On The Promises of God. Yes, you are built to overcome doubt and to stand on God’s promises. Allow God’s Promises to encourage and motivate you to move forward. Account that the Promises of God are true. All these men went up in the same group, saw the same thing, but returned with a different report. Joshua and Caleb had a different spirit and saw things a different way. They saw life and victory, while the other ten saw defeat and death. God's command was “go up and possess the land, I have given it to you and I will be with you.” Giant slayers must allow the promises of God to serve as your motivation. That’s what the teenager; David did when he faced Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David stood on the word of the Lord in the name of the Lord. Goliath wouldn’t leave without a fight, someone had to face him. David decided, the giant maybe too big for some, but he is just right for me and God. I am not afraid because I am not alone. God is with me, and I will give your body to the birds of the air. David said, I was built for this. I have been waiting for this moment all my life! How you see things will make all the difference. Some are defeated before they begin, because they see themselves as losers. God never build losers. Every struggle had prepared Israel for this moment. Everything that you have been through has been preparing you and me. We are well able to possess the land. You are built for this.
3. Believers Are Built to Fulfill their God-given Assignment. We must believe we are what God says we are and can do what God said we can. You are well able to possess the land. Even when the opinions of men and the circumstances of life seem to contradict what God has promise, you can do what God says you can. "But the men that went up with him said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." Men are often very inconsistent and contradictory and make excuses for not doing the will of God. Many constantly confess, “We are not able to do what God requires.” These men said, “the land is good, but we are not able to take it.” The people are very strong and healthy, but the land eats up the inhabitants. Beware when the report of men contradicts the report of the Lord. Whose report will you believe?
Some politicians are saying the economy is failing, the country is going down and no one respects us anymore, but at the same time they say, we must protect our border from the people trying to get in, in hope of a better life. If the country is falling apart, why would anyone want to come here? The people making the remarks are living in the lap of luxury. Let me get back to the lesson.
Canaan was a type of the kingdom of God. The promises of God are given to every believer; but many are so discouraged by the difficulties in the way, that they fail to possess the land! Others fail to try. A lazy, unbelieving heart sees dangers or lions or giants, everywhere; and therefore, refuses to proceed or go forth for fear of what might happen. These spies brought a bad report against the good land that God had provided for them. They were willing to give up without even trying. Some will say, "the land is good, that it flows with milk and honey," and they may even show some of its fruits; but they discourage the people by stating the impossibility of overcoming their enemies; the enemy maybe sin or poverty or education or the lack of support. They say, "It cannot be overcome in this life. You must learn to live with it. Or that giant (Anakim) cannot be conquered by us because we are just grasshoppers. We never overcome this habit or sin! We can never be debt free! We can never be well or healed! We can never have a good marriage! They have given up on the good life, even though it has been promised and they are built for this. I came to talk to a few Joshua's and Caleb's that remain. There are still a few around. They are still trusting in the power of God, been washed in His blood, cleansed from all unrighteousness, empowered by the Holy Spirit and are ready to boldly stand forth and say: "Let us go up at once, for we are well able to possess the land."
The Lord is on our side. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; let us go up at once and possess the land, for we are well able to overcome." We can do all things through Christ strengthening us. We must take God at his word! He has never failed us yet. Finally, If we are to become giant slayers, we must overcome doubt within and the doubt without. We must stand on God’s promises. Allow God’s Promises to encourage and motivate us to keep moving forward. God has made us, and we are what God says we are and we can do and have what God has promised. Finally, Dare to magnify Your God and Not Your Problems. God is greater than our giants.
4. Believers Are Built To Walk By Faith, and Not By Sight. Faith allows believers to magnify their God instead of their problems. A grasshopper mentality is a tendency to magnify the problem instead of magnifying the Lord. "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Their report was altogether discouraging. How much better would it have been for Israel had they walked by faith and not by sight! Every circumstance which could discourage the heart, these spies took careful note of, but they omitted or misinterpreted many hopeful signs. They saw the giants as being well able but saw themselves as small and insignificant. They had great cause to rejoice but they failed to see it. (1) The land was exactly as God said, flowing with milk and honey (2) the fruit of the land was plentiful and able to sustain their army (3) the people of the land lack unity; they were scattered out and divided; some in the south, some by the sea, some in the mountains, etc. So that by reason of their distance they could not soon get together, and by reason of their divided interests they could not long keep together, to oppose Israel. (4) the cities were walled, but if they could lure the giants to the fields, and defeat them there, the strong holds would fall into Israel’s hands (5) they were giants were men of great statue, which made them an easy target and besides all that, (6) they were on assignment and God was on their side.
Israel had the manifestation of God's presence with them, and his power working for them. The Canaanites were stronger than Israel; suppose they were, but were they stronger than the God of Israel? If we are not able to deal with them, Our Almighty God is able. God is in our midst, and He go before us. And is anything too hard for him? We are more than grasshoppers. Those giants are like grasshoppers before our God. Those walled cities, vineyards and houses are waiting for our arrival. You are built for this.
For forty years, Israel had experienced God's care and provision. This is not their first fight. The Egyptians were much stronger than they and yet, without a sword or spear; without chariots and horsemen, God defeated Egypt and left it routed and ruined. The Amalekites attacked Israel from the rear, at their weakest point, yet God turned the battle and discomfited Amalek. When they fought hunger and unemployment, God sustained them with a miracle of daily bread; and how could they believe that God would leave them now! I came to remind you; this is not your first fight! You like, Israel have been waiting for this moment all your life.
God’s promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were promises that should have assured their seed of victory and success in their wars against the Canaanites. God had given Abraham the assurances that he would put his seed in possession of that land. God had express the same promise to Moses. God himself would drive out the Canaanites from before them and that he would do it little by little. And, after all this, How could they say, “We are not able to go up against them.” God is more than able to make his words good." And God is more than able to cause you to possess the Land! Let us go up at once and possess the land and claim our inheritance. You are a believer. Believers Are Built to Overcome self-doubt, contradictory opinions of others and keep moving forward. Believers Are Built To Stand On The Promises of God. Believers Are Built to Fulfill their God-given Assignment; and finally, Believers Are Built To Walk By Faith, and Not By Sight. Allow the God’s Promises to Serve as Your Motivation; and Dare To Believe You Are What God Says You Are. Finally, Dare to magnify Your God and Not Your Problems. God is greater than our giants. You are a believer, and Believers are built for this. Amen.
