Slide #1
Video- Check the Box (the skit guys)
-How does a person live a satisfied life? -How does a person live a fulfilled life?
-How does a person live a God centered life?
I think all these questions can be easily answered with one simple word… willingness!
Being willing is not popular…and not easily obtained…it is rarely found in our society…but to live the picture perfect life…one must learn its meaning.
Slide #2
Deuteronomy 6:1-3. (Read)4
“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you.
You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy,
2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the LORD your God as long as you live.
If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.
3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.”(NLT)
Prayer
From generation to generation…people have flirted with the opportunity to enter into their very own Promise Land and claim the inheritance that God has laid aside for them.
God’s will… always has been for a man & woman… boy or girl alike to live their lives reaching the age of accountability.
At that age…admit that they are sinners…ask God to forgive them…then live a God Honoring Lifestyle
But because we are an unwilling people…still today people find themselves falling into a dangerous situation…flirting with God’s will for their lives.
It’s a situation the Israelites faced many times due to their disobedience towards God.
The Promise Land daily passes people by… and as a result…they never get to see God’s promise fulfilled in their life.
Last Sunday morning we learned about the importance of people being committed towards God and their ministries for Him.
We also were reminded that…we not only serve a God who is compassionate…but we serve a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine.
God has always provided a Promise to those who try to faithfully seek Him.
Slide #3
Turn in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 13.
In Numbers Ch. 13 we find Moses following God’s instructions for his life by…choosing 12 leaders.
And sharing with them God’s plans for their future as well.
Moses was a great Biblical leader…when I think of Moses I like to think of him as… always found having a one on one with God…
He would spend much time in prayer seeking out the direction that God had prepared for his life to follow.
The most important goal in Moses life was to please God by being obedient.
Read Numbers 13:1-3; 17-20… (READ)
With God’s direction…Moses hand-picked 12 men….
One from each of the 12 Ancestral tribes of Israel…they were to enter into the Promise Land and go on a spy mission.
Moses shared with the men of the importance of them not bringing attention to themselves as they surveyed the land.
In verse 20 we read where Moses encouraged the 12 men to “Be of good courage” that they should “Enter the Land Boldly”.
They should enter it with confidence…and do not forget that it is God who was guiding them on their journey.
So for the next 40 days…theses 12 men traveled around 500 miles surveying the land of Canaan.
I remind you that Canaan was the land that God had already promised to the descendants of Abram… clear back in the book of Genesis chapter 12:7...
Slide #4
In Genesis 12:7…God shared With Abram “I am going to give this land to your offspring”. …
It was a land that would produce unbelievably sized clusters of grapes.
It was a land that would be filled with pomegranates’ and figs…
There would be large cities…established homes stocked with more food than ever thought imaginable…”A land flowing with milk and honey”.
This Promised Land was exactly what God had promised Abram it would be…and all that the Israelites had to do was cross over the Jordon River and enter into it!... …(it would be ripe for the picking)
But before the people could enter into it…we read that there were a few stipulations keeping them from entering it.
First they must first stop doubting that God was God...and second… they had to be willing to obey His commandments that He had prepared for them to live by. (Live by the law…simple…we all could do that right?)
For the Israelites this was a win…win situation.
This was the Willie Wonka Golden Ticket.
How good is God??? How great can He be???
The Promise land was not only a land “Flowing with milk and Honey” but a land that was filled with sweet pomegranates’ and figs…vineyards…olive trees…and beauty beyond imagination.
Slide #5
In (Deuteronomy: 6:10-11a) we find where Moses shared more encouraging news about the Land they were preparing to inherit. (READ)
God was not only preparing to give the Israelites’ a brand new start…a brand new outlook on life… (This was like hitting the lottery)
I’ve never personally been a member of a country club…!
But this summer while we were on vacation in Missouri…we ate at the Osage Beach Country Clubhouse. (Explain)
(View …rolling Hills of Missouri)…Screened in Poarch…collared Shirt…)
It was nice…It would be nice to live a life of luxury.
Think about the opportunity that was about ready to take place for the Israelites…
There current living conditions could use some improvements…
Since the Exodus (their deliverance from Egypt)…They had been living in tents…in a desert…there were no trees…there was no green grass…no lakes…and on top of all that…it was just plain scorching hot!
So just to be given the opportunity to leave that land and cross over the River into the Promised Land…(the country club…a no brainer)
The Promise Land…(for generations they had heard the stories shared about the coming event…prophecy was about to finally be fulfilled before their very own eyes.
Moses has just instructed the 12 men to go on a faith journey and spy-- out the Land that God had prepared for them.
Slide #6
And in Numbers 13 Verse 25 is where we see the first scouting reports that were shared from the Promise Land visit. (Read 25-27)
(Verse 23)…Clusters of grapes that took two men to carry…pomegranates and figs…
What encouraging news for the all those who had been patiently awaiting the return of the 12 Men.
I can remember how hard it was as a child waiting for the 25th day of December to arrive each year.
I can only imagine what these people were going thru…they had served as slaves for generations under pharaohs’ command.
Moses had just delivered them from Egypt…they had traveled miles thru the desert traveling day and night.
And now they had arrived at the edge of the Jordon River. And made Camp right across from the entry to the Promise Land.
Now there anticipation had just been lengthened by 40 more days of waiting on the scouts return.
So when the 12 finally returned and they were shown the fruit…and told that the land was a “Land that flowed with milk and honey”…they were ready to get there.
But as always…when things begin to look like they’re turning around for the good…out comes the negatives.
10 of the 12 scouts forgot that it was God directing them on a spiritual journey and they started sharing from the flesh.
Slide #7 Read Verse 28-29.
Talking about blowing out the candles on the cake…holy smokes…
The men had just shared that the land was like a dream (Grapes…figs…)…but now 10 of the 12 shared that it was unattainable…
I ask…Where’s God in that kinda thinking?
People who are not completely committed to God can be so depressing. (stinking thinking)
This is why week after week I share with you the power that God offers and that is available to each of you. (tip of your fingers…the sound of your voice)
He is a God that has promised each of us here today Our very own Land of Promise
If you were one of the 12 spies that God asked to check out the Promise Land…
How would you share what you saw with People who were close to you?
Would you be like 10 of the 12 and be negative?
Slide #8
Or would you be one that responded like Caleb? Sharing only positive news… (Read vs. 30)
I truly believe leaders are born every day…but I also know very few are willing to step up to the plate and accept the call. (Why is this?)
Slide #9
Because being a Leader means that you are ready and willing to fight against the giants in life.(READ vs. 31-33)
This is a daily battle…that Christians still today find themselves fighting in…Facing the giants in their lives.
To the unbelieving world…it is unreasonable… impossible to trust in a God they cannot see or hear.
But this is where Christians disagree…we agree that God is dependable and He still has the power to accomplish what He says He will do.
Just like Joshua and Caleb and the other 10 men…at one point or another in our lives…
Slide #10
We find ourselves standing at the Y in the road.
By choosing road A) we can simply slide thru life by not taking responsibilities for our actions.
Or…By Choosing road B) taking the high road…the one very few will travel…we can change not only our destiny but all those around us.
Its decision time…Which road are you going to travel on?
Please Stand
Think for a moment about the road you are traveling on right now…
If Jesus were to come back today…would He say well done…
Or would He say you were so close to option B…why didn’t you just make the turn?
