MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED - 2019)
TEXT: Numbers 13:26-33 (NIV); Mark 8:36 (NKJV)
A. I want to call your attention to the 13th chapter of the Book of Numbers. This chapter tells about a crucial event in the history of Israel. And I believe it is relevant to us because the way they reacted is too often the way we react today.
This is the story of Moses & the people of Israel as God freed them from their slavery in Egypt & led them to the border of the Promised Land. When they arrive, God gives the command, & Moses tells the people, "It is time for us to go in & take the land which God has given us."
But first, he chooses 12 men - one from each tribe - & tells them, "Go & spy out the land. Observe the people, their cities & fortifications, & their produce. Then come back & tell us what the land is like."
B. So these 12 men take off & spend 40 days spying out the land. When they come back they reported, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit." (Numbers 13:27)
That sounds great! This first part of their report was unanimous & very positive. "We looked at the land & it is exactly what God said it would be. It is a land flowing with milk & honey." And they brought back a huge cluster of grapes & pomegranates & figs as evidence of its fertility.
C. But from that point on, their report was no longer unanimous. They were divided 10 to 2, & the majority begins the rest of its report with the word, "But".
APPL. Have you ever noticed how often the word, "But," is used when you're discussing plans for the future? No matter what is suggested, there are almost always those who think it cannot be done, & therefore it shouldn't even be tried.
That is exactly what was happening here. Follow along with me as I read from vs's 28-33 where their report continues. "But the people who live there are powerful, & the cities are fortified & very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.
"The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites & Amorites live in the hill country; & the Canaanites live near the sea & along the Jordan.
"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses & said, 'We should go up & take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.'
"But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' . . . 'All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. . .'
'We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, & we looked the same to them.'"
Oh, oh, the majority is recommending they disobey God. Why? "Because," they said, "the people who live there are powerful, & the cities are fortified & very large."
ILL. That reminds me of a story about Rufus & Clarence, two old geezers living in the backwoods. They lived on opposite sides of the river & they hated each other.
Every morning Rufus & Clarence would go down to their respective sides of the river & yell at each other. "Rufus!" Clarence would shout, "You better thank your lucky stars that I can’t swim, or I’d swim this river & whup you!"
"Clarence!" Rufus would holler back, "You better thank YOUR lucky stars that I can’t swim, or I’d swim this river & whup YOU!" This became almost a daily ritual - every morning, every day, for 20 years.
Then one day the Army Corps of Engineers built a bridge across the river. But they continued shouting insults every morning, every day for another 5 years.
Finally, Rufus’ wife had had enough. "Rufus!" she squallered one day, "I can’t take no more! Every day for 25 years you’ve been threatenin’ to whup Clarence. Well, thar’s the bridge! Have at it!"
Rufus thought on it for a moment, chewed his bottom lip for another moment, & then "Woman!" he declared, "I’m gonna whup Clarence!"
He walked out the door, down to the river, came to the bridge, stepped up onto it, walked about halfway across the bridge, then stopped, turned tail & ran back to the house, slammed the door, bolted the windows, grabbed his shotgun & dove under the bed.
"Rufus!" cried the missus. "I thought you was gonna whup Clarence!" "I was, woman, I was!" he whispered. "Then what in tarnation is the matter?"
"Well," whispered the terror-stricken Rufus, "I walked halfway across the bridge & saw a big sign that said, 'Clarence, 13 feet, 6 inches.' I never knowed Clarence was that big! He ain't never looked that big from my side of the river!" (Adapted: from a sermon by Horace Wimpey on Sermon Central)
D. Caleb & Joshua, even though they are in the minority, urged the people to do what God wants them to do. They argued, "If God is leading the way, then why should we be afraid?"
After all, look at the miracles God had already done on their behalf. He had sent the plagues upon Egypt & forced Pharaoh to let them go. He had divided the waters of the Red Sea, & then closed those waters upon the chariots of Egypt.
He had given them water in the desert when they were thirsty, manna when they were hungry, & quail when they wanted meat.
God had been with them all through the wilderness. He had led them with a pillar of cloud by day, & a pillar of fire by night. They had even heard His voice in the midst of the thunder & lightning & smoke on Mt. Sinai.
E. But sadly, ten of the spies were so afraid that they were not willing to obey God.
Vs. 31 tells us that they spread out among the people, telling them, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And each time they told it, the story got worse & worse.
And in vs. 33 they say, "We saw the Nephilim there!" Now that name may not mean much to you, but the King James Version translates that word as "giants."
These 10 spies are saying, "We don't stand a chance because there are giants - fearsome warriors - in the land! Everywhere you go there are giants!" They saw themselves as grasshoppers. They saw the enemy as giants. And they didn't see God at all!
PROP. Now let's apply this to our lives today. To the children of Israel, the Promised Land represented their future. And God gave them the opportunity to go in & make it their own.
With that in mind, as we look into our future, there are 2 questions to be asked: #1. What do we see? #2. Where are we going?
I. WHAT DO YOU SEE?
A. #1. As you look into your future, what do you see? Do you see giants, or God?
ILL. In the early 1970's people were living pretty much in the "Leave It To Beaver" era. They watched "Father Knows Best" & "Ozzie & Harriet." And families were generally pictured rather favorably.
But things have changed drastically for the worse. We're seeing a crisis in families today - revolutionary changes in regard to morality that should frighten us.
ILL. I'll never forget a few years ago when the TV program, "48 Hours" went to So. Padre Island & the beaches of Florida to film segments about "Spring Break."
They followed 5 girls from Kansas & 4 guys from Tennessee as they went through their spring break. It showed them in the rooms together, guzzling beer, & then waking up with hangovers & looking awful. You could almost smell the stench that must have been on their bodies & in the rooms & everywhere else.
But what was most shocking was that when these 5 girls were asked about venereal diseases, they giggled & replied, "We're the condom girls. We're always prepared for any opportunity that comes our way."
I wonder what their parents thought when they saw that on TV? Maybe their parents didn't care. Well, I'll tell you something. Their Heavenly Father cares, & I think that He is deeply hurt when He sees His children treating morality & treating their bodies, created by God, in that way.
B. You see, there are crises in our world - a crisis in the family, a crisis in morality, & a crisis in government. Integrity has been shoved aside. We are a people living as if there is no God.
Those are some of the giants we face. But as we look into the future, I think that sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the giants that we are like these 10 men, & we think that there is no way we can take the land.
But if there has ever been a time when our world needs Christians who care about people who are hurting, who will reach out to a lost & confused world, who will preach the simple Bible message without compromise, now is that time.
We must not retreat. We must not be intimidated. And don't ever forget, our God specializes in slaying giants. David slew Goliath. And Gideon, with 300 God?picked men, took care of all the armies of the Midianites.
SUM. So what do you see when you look into the future? Do you see giants, or do you see God?
II. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
A. Finally, as you look toward the future, where are you going? Isn't it amazing how short a memory the children of Israel had? For over 200 years they had suffered as slaves in Egypt, & complained bitterly to God about it.
So God heard their cries, set them free, & led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But now they're afraid to go in. And they're saying, "Maybe it would be better if we went back to Egypt. At least there we had 3 square meals every day, & a roof over our heads."
They were ready to give up their freedom & become slaves once again, just for a measure of security.
B. But there is a problem with that. Security in this life is an illusion. Just about the time you think you have everything in place, something happens & it all comes tumbling down.
ILL. Did you hear last week (March 2019) that Alex Trebrek, long-time host & star of the Jeopardy TV program, has pancreatic cancer?
In his announcement he said, “Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, & I’m going to keep working.”
He concluded by saying: “And with the love and support of my family and friends, & with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”
You see, something like that could happen to any of us. And just about the time we think, "I'm really secure now," it can all come tumbling down.
C. Now there is another thing about security. And that is that security oftentimes costs too much.
Jesus said it well, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, & loses his soul?" (Mark 8:36 NKJV) We are fools to put all of our assets into a world that will quickly pass away & soon be gone.
If the only thing that is going to last for eternity is my soul, my eternal spirit, then it just makes sense to place my emphasis on taking care of that which will last forever, & not that which is only temporary.
ILL. Leon Evans tells about the time he went to the mission field & visited a medical missionary who was about to perform surgery. The missionary invited him to come into the operating room & observe major surgery.
He went into the operating room, & was immediately confronted with the oppressive nature of the surroundings. No air?conditioning, so it was hot & humid. The lighting was pretty dim, & the equipment was antiquated.
Because of that, the very delicate surgery took much longer than it would have if it had been done in the United States. And the doctor was exhausted when he finally came to the end of the lengthy procedure.
After it was over & he was mopping his brow, Leon Evans said, "I looked at him, & asked, ‘How much money would you receive for that surgery if you performed it in the United States?'" The doctor smiled & said, "Thousands of dollars, I guess." Evans asked, "How much will you receive for it here?"
The missionary thought for a moment & said, "Here I will receive the smile of my patient, once she is better. And the approval of my Heavenly Master." Now that's the best security!
CONCL. We offer you the invitation of Jesus. If you're here, & your life is in the wilderness, if you feel a lack of security, if there is something that needs to be met in your life, then I assure you that Jesus Christ is the one to meet every need.
He has already gone before you. And He offers you His peace ? the peace that passes all understanding. We offer Him to you as we stand & as we sing.
INVITATION HYMN
