We are well able to overcome it.

Key Scripture:

Numbers 14:9 (KJV)   Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

SUMMARY

We learn so much from the word of God. Through this sermon, we learn how we can have the right perspective keeping in line with His word. From the story of the 12 spies Moses sent to spy the Promised Land and Caleb’s different response to the challenge that lay before the people of Israel, we learn what our attitude should be through these times of pandemic.

SERMON POINTS

Right Perspective 

Numbers 13:30 (KJV) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

 The people of Israel wanted to go and spy out the land God promised to give them as their own. The Lord God sent them to tour the land. Twelve men from each tribe were sent. On their return they brought a bad report about the land and spread them among the people (Numbers 13:1-32). That night the people were so discouraged that they started wailing in the presence of the Lord (Numbers 14:1). This murmuring became a memorial before the Lord; that is to say it became a greater offence than idolatry. This night called the ‘Tisha Baav’, became a time of crisis every time throughout the generations. History points out that the first Temple was destroyed on this night, so was the second Temple. It was when the First World War began, the Holocaust was prepared and Jews were expelled from Spain all occurring on Tisha Baav down the years.

Here’s an important lesson we must learn, these men not just brought a bad report about the land God promised he would give them but they were spreading negative reports about the Lord. This was an act of rebellion against God and He wouldn’t tolerate it. They could not enter the Promised Land because of their grumbling and wailing.

However Caleb or Kalev made it to the Promised Land. He had something different to say about the land they spied (Numbers 14:24). The sages say that he was married to Miriam sister of Moses and was the leader of the tribe of Judah. He silenced those who spread the bad report as he had the right perspective. We can see a big difference in perspective of Caleb and the other 10 spies. Therefore he was singled out and appreciated.

What is our perspective about the times we live in? We need to have the Caleb perspective. Even in the midst of a pandemic, God reigns. Nothing shall be impossible. We like Caleb must confess that we are well able to overcome this.

  

Principles Caleb held that can make us stand out 

1. Your Identity

 Mark 16:17-18 (KJV) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

 Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. He knew his identity and the blessing that was over his life and family (Genesis 49:8,9). That gave him the strength. Knowing who we are in Jesus Christ gives us the strength to understand what the Lord has promised to give us through His name. The Bible tells us that we have been given power over serpents, evil powers and sickness. We claim this by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Having the right perspective by knowing your identity in Christ Jesus causes the healing of god to manifest through your life. By his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

 

2. Your Priority

 Hebrews 13:7 (KJV)  Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

 It seems that as soon as Caleb stepped into the Promised Land, he went straight to Hevron or Hebron. Hebron is the place where the patriarchs were laid to rest and his heart longed to be a part of their story of the patriarchs. He went to Hebron, but not the other spies (Deuteronomy 1:36). He was separated from them. He chartered his own course. Caleb drew strength from their lives and stories.

Our priority must be faith: to follow faith by learning the statutes of the Lord and to learn from the spiritual lives of greats and emulate them.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. This faith also comes by the gospel that has been laid in our hearts.

 

3. Your Mentality

 Deuteronomy 1:36 (KJV)  Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.

 Caleb had a different spirit as we see from God’s word. He saw things differently when compared to the others. In this COVID situation our perspective shouldn’t be influenced by fear but by the willingness to overcome it. We shouldn’t panic by seeing the frightening numbers around us. But believe that with the Lord we can do all things. Your mentality should be a one that supports growth. According to the Stanford University research made by Carol Dwecks on mindset, there are two types of mindset- fixed mindset and the growth mindset. When you have a fixed mindset, you plateau early and achieve less than your full potential. This confirms a deterministic view of the world, just like how the spies who brought the evil report had.

The Lord wills us to have a growth mentality wherein like Caleb, we will be willing to learn, embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks and see efforts as path to mastery. Such a mentality will help you reach higher levels of achievement. We need to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

 

4. Your Loyalty

 Numbers 13:30 (KJV) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

 Caleb was loyal and subservient to Moses his leader. He believed in the leadership and was up for the challenge before them. The sages say that Caleb silenced them that they should hear what he was going to say about Moses. “He cried aloud saying, ” Is this the only thing the son of Amram has done to us?” One who heard him thus speaking believed that he was about to speak to his disparagement and because they had something in their mind against Moses through the spies’ statement, all of them kept silent to hear his disparagement. He however said, ” Did he not divide the Red Sea for us and bring down the Manna and collected the quails for us?” (Sotah 35a).

Caleb was so loyal to Moses, he supported the man of God and would say that they were to do all that he bids them to do, even if it means to make ladders and climb to the heavens. We need to be people who have earned who can be trusted with a mission. That is how loyal we are to be.

 

5. Your Tenacity

 Joshua 14:12 (KJV) Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.

To have the right perspective you have to be very determined in the stand you take. Caleb, who said we are well able to do it, is now asking Joshua for the mountains. He wants to possess the difficult place because he caught hold of the promises of God.

Similarly, he is blessed with the place he set his heart upon because of his tenacity.

His different spirit made him look out for a man just as tenacious and different as him to give his daughter in marriage (Joshua 15:16-19). The right perspective can be had at all times when we are determined to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.

CONCLUSION.

It is crucial to have the right perspective; especially now as the pandemic rages on. We must approach this challenge, not with a spirit of fear, but with tenacity like Caleb. We are well able to overcome this through our Lord Jesus Christ who won the victory over every disease and enemy. Let us ask the Lord to give us that different spirit and a growth mindset that will help us to persist even in the face of obstacles and setbacks.

Shlach Lecha

Key Scripture:

Numbers 14:9 (KJV)   Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

SUMMARY

This sermon is on how one can have a right perspective in life. Being the month of Tammuz in the Jewish calendar, the Jews read this scripture from the Torah called ‘Shlach Lecha’. We can learn from the story of the spies, principles that help us to have the right perspective towards the purposes of God.

SERMON POINTS

Shlach lecha and Having the Right Perspective 

The Jews have regular Torah reading cycles. This is their cyclical scripture reading throughout the year. During the month of Tammuz, they read this scripture portion found in Numbers chapters 13 through 15. This is called the ‘Shlach Lecha’, which literally means to send men out, formed out of the start of the paragraphs in this scripture portion.

From this scripture portion, we learn how to have the right perspective about the situations we are in. It is very important to have the right understanding of circumstances. How we see things affect how the end is going to be. Some principles that we learn from the story of the spies sent to the Promised Land on how we can have the right perspective.

 

Principles to have the Right Perspective 

1. Standing with your spiritual leadership

 Numbers 12:1 (KJV) And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

 To have the right perspective, you need to stand with your spiritual leadership. Before the spies brought bad news, we see Miriam, the sister of Moses rebelling against his leadership because of his Cushite wife. This rebellion percolates into the community as well. The people of Israel, who until then believed God’s promises, now started to wail when they heard the bad report of the men who went to spy the Promised Land. Though Joshua and Caleb gave a good report, they simply couldn’t see as the man of God saw. That day became a day of wailing because they failed to see as God wanted them to see. When we fail to have the right perspective we break the system and purposes of God. We need to stand with the spiritual leadership God has kept you under, for the Lord has anointed them and set them apart to bless us.

2. Trust in God’s goodness and not test 

 Deuteronomy 1:22 (KJV)  And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

 Having the right perspective, starts with trusting the Lord and taking Him at His word. Now the Lord God had called them out of slavery in Egypt to take them to possess the Promised Land. The people however wanted to check if all that the Lord said about the land was for real. They asked to go spy out the land. Moses asks of the Lord and the Lord asks him to send forth 12 spies. When you look at the background of this ‘Shlach Lecha’ was initiated by the people.

Many of us are like that. We like to test out the goodness of God. Following spiritual principles like reading the Bible, attending church, etc. to test if God will bless.

The right perspective comes when we trust His goodness and not test it. Let’s be committed wholeheartedly.

 

3. See the good things of the land

 Numbers 13:28 (KJV)  Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

The spies were sent to see the goodness of the land as the lord promised. The word spy used here ‘Latoor’ means ‘to go see what is good’. This term is mentioned around 12 times in this scripture portion. They were not asked to go there to realize their weakness or vulnerability. The spies were witnesses to what the Lord said the land was. Everything was indeed as the Lord said. But their eyes saw other negatives too and they spread a bad report among the community, promoting the bad things of the land among the people. As long as we see the negative you can never see the good God has in store for us. There is a division between what we call good and what the Lord says is good. Christian life is a one of blessedness. Let us always focus on the good ,God has placed in our lives.

 

4. Understand your mission in life 

 John 20:21 (KJV) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

 There is a mission for which we have been sent into this world for. Sometimes we try to escape from the world. But we ought to catch the vision that God has for us. The Lord Jesus has said that we have been sent into the world just as He had been by the Father. We like the people of Israel are called to possess the land and not complain about the bad. Let us understand our mission and who we are called to be. Only then can we have the right perspective. To begin with, our mission is to tell the good things about Jesus Christ; to be co-workers with Him. We are sent in a specific mission to our communities, families, workplaces, so that we can partner with Jesus to steward His creation and work for His purposes. Let us model the goodness of the Lord to this hurting world.

5. The story we tell affects our destiny 

 Numbers 14:36,37 (KJV) And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,  Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

Every story we tell can make or break the destiny we were designed for. If we get the story wrong, we lose a whole generation to wandering. Never spread negative rumors about the purposes of God. Ten of these spies sent on the mission to explore the land of Cannan, spread bad reports against what the Lord had promised. These reports of fear and disbelief led to their wandering in the desert for 40 years and the punishment of death (Numbers 14:32-38). This shows the power in what we say regarding the plans He had for us. Even today, God has permitted everything, both good and bad in His sovereignty. Slander, murdering and derogatory speech about others even when it is true, is detestable in the eyes of the Lord. So much so, that the Jews believe, God relented from His anger even when they made and worshiped the Golden Calf but this night of disbelief, grumbling and murmur, He punished them severely (1 Corinthians 10:10). The Jews believe they still experience the punishment from the Tisha Baav- the night of crying (Numbers 14:1). What story you and I tell about this phase of life -2020 and CoVID will affect our destiny

Our word life is so important. What we talk brings forth its consequences in our lives.

Apostle Paul therefore charges us to have wholeness in tongue and spirit (Ephesians 4:29), speaking truthfully, words that benefit others and keep away from course joking (Colossians 3:8).

May thankfulness fill our mouths in the place of grumbling (Ephesians 5:4).

CONCLUSION.

We live in difficult times. It is very easy to get lost in the negativity that surrounds us. The word of God challenges us to look beyond the problems, at the purposes of God behind them. We need to ask the Lord to transform our thinking and give us the right perspective. With the right perspective, we don’t give way to murmuring and fear. Let’s not dwell in the bad. God can satisfy us with good things even in the toughest of times. May we be people who always trust the Lord’s goodness and model His goodness in this time of crisis; grieving with those who grieve, being in the place of need and righting the injustice in this time of crisis.

A New Vision for the Next Level!

Key Scripture:

Numbers 13:30 (KJV) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

SUMMARY

This sermon note gives us the need to move into the next level of our growth in every facet of our lives and how we can get there. Let the word of God challenge you to be your best.

SERMON POINTS

What is it to have a vision?

Numbers 13:1,2 (KJV)  And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

A vision is a picture of your future. God has a plan for  you and you need to catch hold of it, in order to see it fulfilled in your life. The world and everyone in it are trying to discover themselves and find out what their purpose is. Without God we cannot do that. We need to get to God for everything that pertains our life. This vision is formed on the basis of our relationship with God.

The Lord commands Moses to send 12 spies to see the Promised Land-the geography, the people in it , the produce etc . He had already promised to give it to them. They were to go to spy  it out. This just shows how important it is to have a vision; to first see your goal in order to attain it.

The real question is have we caught up with that vision. Let’s not confine ourselves to the current level we are in. God wants us to go to the next level.

How can you go to the next level?

Out of the 12, only Joshua and Caleb gave a positive report. The other spies grumbled on how impossible it was to possess the good land God promised them.

Caleb has a different spirit. He saw the same intimidations the others saw but he had caught God’s vision for their nation perfectly. We learn from the life of Caleb that you can go to the next level when,

1. When you know whom you represent.

 Numbers 13:6 (KJV) Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. Judah means praise. Caleb was also well aware of the blessing that was spoken on his tribe by their Patriarch Jacob. (Genesis 49:8-12)

This enabled him to have a vision different from what the others had. Caleb was ready to stand up for the Lord. It is the same with us. We represent the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah in this world. The Lord has promised that those who worship him are like young lions that devour its prey. The devil cannot disturb our rest in Christ. The Lord has given us authority over our enemy. It’s our hand on the enemy’s neck. Let nothing intimidate you. Know who you are in Christ. Be the best for God’s glory. Go to greater levels. Move into levels of influence.

 

2. When you draw inspiration from the past.

 Numbers 13:28,30 (KJV) Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Ten of the spies sent to Canaan gave a negative report. They blamed Moses for leading them there. Caleb stands up for their leader Moses when the majority came against him. The Jewish tradition tells us that Caleb was convinced that the Lord would give them this land based on what he had done in the past when He divided the Red Sea and fed them with manna and quail at the wilderness.

Similarly those with a different vision will never say ‘can’t do ‘. Don’t be deceived by mere appearance, God is with us, He will help us. Don’t look at your present situation look at the past and draw inspiration. Learn lessons from past miracles.

 

3. When you look at God’s promises and not the problems.

 Joshua 21:45 (KJV)  There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

 As a child of God you have access to all His good promises. Caleb saw the land was exceedingly good just as the Lord promised (Numbers 14:7). He knew God’s word. We must use the good promises of God to overcome the forces of evil that whisper negative things into our hearts. When problems as mountains are before you just get the good promise from God and step into the next level.

4. When you see God’s pleasure in it.

 James 4:13-17 (KJV)  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 If the Lord delights in us we will be able to posses all that He has in store for us (Numbers 14:8). Nobody can stop it from taking place if it is the will of God. Nothing happens by our own might or will. The Bible tells us that we are only vapour. Therefore we can’t brag about anything. We all sin when we know what is good and not do it. King David tells us that the Lord’s pleasure is not in the strength of man or in the might of horses(Psalm 147:10) but in those who fear Him. It is time to understand how you going to the next level in you family, career etc. will glorify the Lord.

 

5. When you are obedient and faithful.

 Numbers 14:9 (KJV)  Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

 We ought to be faithful to the One who called us. Caleb was faithful to the Lord and Moses. He had the same vision. He didn’t speak against Moses. The Word of God tells us that rebellion is like witchcraft, a one that is self-imposed because of our disobedience and unfaithfulness (1 Samuel 15:23). it is dangerous to rebel against the leadership God has placed over us.

When God keeps you in a good place and you are not going to the next level He is calling you to, it’s very difficult to possess the same once the opportune time has passed. Those who failed to believe and murmured in the wilderness, for 40 days of spying they were to wander for 40 years (Numbers 14:34) That was their penalty for not believing. Let’s never fail to be faithful in obeying the instructions of God.

 

6. When you depend on the presence of God.

 Numbers 14:9 (KJV)  Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

 Sometimes the very thing that stops us from advancing to the next level is within us. We need to learn to depend on the presence of God. Caleb was well aware of Who was with them. And it was this fact that the Lord was with them that made him have a different vision. His trust was not in their ability as warriors or their weapons but he completely depended on the Lord his God. When we depend on the Lord and not lean on our own understanding, we will stop being afraid of any situation that we may face.

 

7. When you operate in the Spirit.

 Numbers 14:24 (KJV)  But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

 Caleb has this different spirit operating within him; one that doesn’t go with the majority. That’s what gave him the zeal to stand up against the negative reports of the multitude in front of him.

In the same way when we operate in the power of the Holy Spirit we are made bold to stand up for the Lord and achieve excellence instead of settling for the mediocre like the majority would do.

 

CONCLUSION.

The Lord wants us to live out the purpose for which He has called us. Where you are right now is not the vision God has for you. Get ready to enlarge your heart catch that vision God has for you and move to the next level. Be the best God has created you to be, representing the kingdom of heaven in all you do.