Title: Following God With Your Whole Heart
Passage: Joshua 14:6-13
Caleb
6-12 The people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite spoke: "You'll remember what God said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me back at Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back an honest and accurate report. My companions who went with me discouraged the people, but I stuck to my guns, totally with God, my God. That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children's, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for God.' Now look at me: God has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since God spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! I'm as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I'm as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. So give me this hill country that God promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said."
13-14 Joshua blessed him. He gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite still today, because he gave himself totally to God, the God of Israel.
The literal meaning of the name Caleb is one who follows God like a dog.
The story of Caleb is one of someone who wanted to go from being good to being great. Something every christian needs in their lives is to learn to go from just simply being good christians to being GREAT christians. The israelites were in a place of goodness in the wilderness. They were able to experience God's mercy and grace but it was also a place of monotony. What they needed was to go to a place of GREATNESS. They needed the promise land where they would have their victory.
There are three things that can be taken away from the story of Caleb, or rather three distinct aspects that can be focused on. Three characters that defined a great man of God.
1. Persistance- when God gives you a promise you should never release it. Have you ever heard of a person with a winning lottery ticket that never cashed it?
- In my family we never cash claim rebates, we have become horrible at it. The sad thing is that is guaranteed money back that belongs to you. Thats how it is when you don't cash in on a promise that God has given to you. It's there its waiting for you to reach out and grab it, but unlike manufacturing companies of the world who are hoping that you will forget to cash in on the rebates and money back guarantees, God wants you receive the promises he has in store for you.
2. Endurance- Joshua 13:1- God not only preserved the promise for the man, God preserved the man for the promise. Just because Caleb and Joshua got old doesn't mean that they were not going to be the ones that achieved the promise that God had in store for them. When you follow God whole-heartidly, you never retire. Half hearted christians are also faint hearted christians.
- The story of D.L Moody shows how God ALWAYS honors AVAILABILITY
-Christian life is not a sprint its a MARATHON
3. Courage-
- Courage is not the absence of fear it is the ability to face fears and move on
-Courage is being the only one who knows how terrified you really are
NEVER: BACK up, GIVE up, SHUTup, UNTIL YOU ARE: CAUGHT up in his glory.
Israel constantly had a "grasshopper complex"- They feared that the enemy was too big for them
-The giants that you are facing within have to be conquered first
-The truth of the situation was the enemy was scared senseless of the israelites they never viewed them as GRASSHOPPERS
When you have God's strength you'll be willing to take on hell with a water pistol
-Ephesians 6- be willing to put on the whole armor of GOD.
Today's message was just a reminder that we should put our whole trust in God and follow him whole-heartidly, relying only on his strength.
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