|
What’s Worth Fighting For?
Numbers 13
I can’t believe it, I have worked hard all day and dinner isn’t ready to eat! Who moved my stuff, don’t ever move my things…I know right where everything goes. Please, stop telling me how to do my job! One question – what’s worth fighting for? If you give your life to boxing, then the championship belt is worth fighting for. If you give your life to the American dream, then career advancement is worth fighting for. If you give your life to your family, then your child’s education or who they choose as their friends is worth fighting for. If you give your life to your marriage, then spending time with your spouse, finding time for romantic dates, and affirming each other is worth fighting for.
And, when you give your life to God, then what’s worth fighting for? When our jobs become difficult, we don’t runaway. When our children get into problematic situations, we don’t runaway. When our marriage hits rocky times, we shouldn’t runaway. We stay, and we fight for them because they are worth fighting for. But, when God directs us, when God calls us toward something, often times whatever God calls us toward is something God is promising us. But, when God promises something or calls us or directs our paths toward someone or something that does not mean it is easy, or even achievable by our own efforts. Almost always, God calls us toward someone or something that is impossible to achieve without God’s help.
Today, everyone here is being called by God toward something or someone. Yes, everyone of us. I want you to know that if it is truly from God, then God is promising that to you. However, you may never reach God’s promise because you don’t think it’s worth fighting for. You may be satisfied and content right now without what God is calling and promising to you. And if it is not worth fighting for, then you will give up when resistance reveals itself. Before you give up consider this – God wants to give you that promise not just for you but also for Him. God’s plans include you, but they are bigger than you. God wants to give you that promise not just for you but also for Him. Because God has chosen you to reveal God to everyone around you.
In part 1 of our sermon series Fight Club, we come to the Book of Numbers, chapter 13. Please get your Bible, the Holy Word of God, and turn with me to Numbers, chapter 13. Here, we find God’s people known as the Israelites who have traveled some time from Egypt through the wilderness and come to the geographic boundary of a land called Canaan. Since there were already nations living in the land, the territory would have to be taken from them, conquered. So, by God’s plan, Moses sent in 12 spies for a reconnaissance mission. Numbers 13:17-20 “When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)”
* Life Lesson 1: What’s worth fighting for is first worth taking the time to really understand and appreciate. If God calls you to someone or something, then you don’t simply race in for it, but you do your due diligence in a timely manner. You be smart about things and understand what is on the line, what’s the struggle over, when I am asked to give up time, energy, money, effort – why, what is this thing or this person. If God is calling you to it then it must be incredible, so take time to discover it.
There were 12 family groups in Israel, called the 12 tribes. Each tribe sent 1 spy on the recon mission. The 12 were sent in to see the land, what it was, the people who lived there, were they strong, courageous, brave or weak, spiritless, and timid. Were they great in number or few. What was the land like, what were the weather conditions. Were the towns open villages or fortified places.
How do we apply this life lesson?
Let’s say you are a student, young adult or divorced and people are always asking who are you dating, is there anyone significant in your life. One of the first things you do is to take the time to understand appreciate if GOD is calling you to a relationship whether it is dating, courting, or something more serious. You go on a recon mission into your heart, into the Bible, with godly counsel and prayer and seek out whether God is even calling you to look or be open to the idea as people come toward you. If God is calling you to this promise, to a person not yet identified, then you should begin to consider how to evaluate from among God’s people. Moses did not just choose any land, but God was directing Him all the way. So, is God directing you toward singleness for now which really means for God primarily? Is God directing you to be open to the idea? Is God wanting to share with you how to look and evaluate?
So, the 12 men went up into Canaan and explored the land and the people as they were directed. They saw the land, the produce, the cities, the people. They did all they were told to do. They did this over 40 days. vv.26-27 “They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” Let’s take a visual look at what these 12 men would have seen. (IMAGES)
* Life Lesson #2: If God is behind it, then it’s going to be good, real good, so it will be worth fighting for. God promises all over the Bible that His plans are always the best plans; His plans are always for our good; His plans always can work to our advantage whether in blessing or difficulty. God even promises that when others sin against you and mean to hurt you, He will take those times and turn them to your good. What’s very important is that you look not only for yourself, but also for God. God wants to give you that promise not just for you but also for Him. God’s plans include you, but they are bigger than you. God wants to give you that promise not just for you but also for Him. Because God has chosen you to reveal God to everyone around you.
Why this land, why was this land so great that God brought them from Egypt to Canaan?
Was this truly better than living in Egypt? Some people kept saying in the wilderness and even at this time, how they wish they could have been back in Egypt. They also said they just wished they could stay just outside of Canaan, since it was also good land. But, God brought them out of Egypt to Canaan which was in between Egypt and Mesopotamia. These were the two superpower world cultures of that day. These were the two greatest empires of that day. Egypt would have been similar to the US in a way as Egypt would have been a superpower, more technologically advanced. And, Mesopotamia would have been the oriental cultural power. Canaan was at the crossroads of the world. Canaan was a way to not only affect the two great nations of the world, but God could reveal Himself to the world through His people controlling the trade routes between these two powers. The Israelites would be on display for the world to see them and see their God. The Promised Land of Canaan offered a major opportunity to exert worldwide influence on the world and culture. It is vital to see that God’s plans include you but they are also bigger than you. The land of Canaan was a land flowing with everything that would bless the people, but also God’s worldwide plans would be accomplished through this location. His plans include you, but you were made for something bigger. We too often think way too small. We think about ourselves and our families, our businesses, our church; but, God is able to bless you in all those areas while incorporating you, your family, your business, your church into His overall strategic plans for the world, for His glory, for salvation.
How do we apply that life lesson?
We need to first desire God’s direction for life and trust his pathway is the path of His chosen blessing. Second, we look beyond ourselves, our families, our businesses, our church to how God could be putting you or us at the crossroads of the world. God could be putting you on display as he did with Israel for all to see to accomplish much in your life, but most likely even more for God’s overall plan.
Now, we come to the fight.
After the 12 men tell of their great discoveries, they tell of the strong people who had giants among them and their fortified towns. 10 of the 12 spies stirred up dissension among the people saying that it was not possible for Israel to battle them successfully, they were just too many and too strong. When Caleb and Joshua, two of the spies, stood up to them, the people were ready to kill them. They were ready to overthrow Moses and Aaron. They were on the brink of a fight, anarchy. The people had been so stirred up that they were thinking that if they go into Canaan that they were certain of death, so better to eliminate four men then an entire nation.
Next week, we will explore the consequences of failing to believer God can do the impossible. The third week, we will see the blessings that are associated with believing in the impossible through God. And the fourth week, we will see how a failure to obey and believe immediately has real consequences.
How is this relevant to me?
God is asking you to see not only how God desires to work in your life, but God wants you to see today that when He works in your life He is putting you in the crossroads of the world. There are people who you interact with or who see you and you will reveal God to them, just as the Israelites were to be for the world in between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Consider Acts 17:24-28 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'” All this talk about where Israel lived is fleshed out that God cares where He chooses for you to live. We are not to make fast, easy, simple, decisions about where we call home based solely on our need, our wants, our cares, our desires because we live within God’s overall strategic plan. We are to desire, seek, and allow God to direct our paths for us because He desires to not only bless us, but also that “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him…” He places us geographically for our good, but more than that for the good of others and ultimately for God’s glory, God’s purpose, God’s plans to reach a world with His love, His Son, His salvation.
|
