In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Caleb from the Bible and his determination to conquer the mountain that God had promised him. The preacher highlights six reasons why Caleb did not fail in his mission. These reasons include Caleb's dependence on God rather than human wisdom, his lack of fear or discouragement in the face of giants, and his unwavering focus on the Lord. The preacher also emphasizes the importance of not doubting God's love and encourages believers to have a vision and pursue it with faith.

And I want to start off by reading a passage of Scripture with you, and if you want to stand with me, I'm going to read from Numbers chapter 14, and you don't have to turn there if you don't want to, but let's stand for the reading of God's Word. I'm going to read to you Numbers chapter 14 and verse 24, just one verse. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and had followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went, and his seed shall possess it. Father, we ask for your blessing now this evening on this service. We pray that the Word would be opened up to us by the Holy Spirit, and that we would go out of here knowing that God has spoken to us. So help us to hear in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. I like mountains. I'd be content to live with mountains. I've lived in several mountain ranges. I've lived in Turkey near a mountain range over there. I've lived in the Rockies, the Smokies, the Adirondacks, and now I guess this is the closest I could get to the Ozarks. Right here, we're just right on the top of them, and they're off around us out to the east. But Caleb was known for saying, give me this mountain. Do you have a mountain in your life that you'd like to be able to get on top of? Maybe there's something you have been wanting to see God do in your life or in your church, and you haven't yet got it. Is there a mountain in your life, something to overcome, something to conquer? Out of the many mountains I've climbed, and I haven't climbed real tall ones, I guess Laramie Peak out in Wyoming at 10,000, I think 272 foot or something like that, the tallest one I've actually climbed from the base of the mountain up. I've climbed several smaller ones, and that one really took it out of you to get up that one. And sometimes when we got up there, there was clouds and you couldn't see much. A lot of times there'd be clouds on the east side of it coming up that east bank, and you couldn't see out to the east, but you could see back to the west. But when you got up there and there was a clear day, it was like you could see forever, and you could see 100 miles real easy. Mountains give you a view, and God in the area of visions, matter of fact, maybe I ought to go back and say a little something about visions. I have several comments that I've recorded about visions. This is a study I did on visions, and God gave Caleb a vision. He put it in his spirit. He could see. And God had told him he could have that mountain. So when he came back, that's one of his claims. He said, God said I could have it. Now, there's a man by the name of F.W. Faber that said this, there is hardly ever a complete silence in the soul. God is whispering to us well night incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul or sink low, then we hear the whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on. Well, Caleb was a man that had heard the whispering of God in his spirit. Caleb, you can have that mountain. Now, that's an unusual mountain. That area that he wanted would not be taken easy. You see, it was covered with not ant, but giant. It was the known for the area where the big bad boys lived. And we're going to talk to you about them. Now, in Numbers 13, we read verse 24, but back up in, oh, I think it was probably back up ahead to verse 30. There was a lot of things. You know the story. But in that verse, doubtless, the Scripture says, Ye shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell there and save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. It was mentioned several times in the Scriptures that Joshua and Caleb could get into the land. Now, this section, there's several references to it. Another one is back over in Joshua 14 and 15. Joshua 14 and 15, it's Numbers 13 and 14 talk about it. And then Joshua 14 and 15, I didn't go back over to Numbers back over to 13, but I want to get into some things with you about it. In Joshua 14 and verse 7, 40 years old was I, this is what Caleb said, when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again, as it was in my heart, nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. This phrase, I wholly followed the Lord my God, is an interesting one. It's a term meaning that he fully completed that which he was supposed to do. And in verse 9, as Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance and thy children's forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old, and yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me, as my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, both to go out and to come in now. Therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day. You see, God could have the place where he walked, and that's where he walked. For thou heardest in that day how the Anakins 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. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh, Hebron, for an inheritance. Hebron, listen to this, therefore became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kennesite, unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord, God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kerjath-Arba, which is Arba was a great man among the Anakins, and the land had rest from war. Hebron, Kerjath-Arba meant city of giants, and so they changed it to Hebron, and it meant joining together. And when I get you down to the end, I'm going to really tell you what joining together means, and what it meant in Caleb's spirit. Now, this is some of the main passages, there are other passages, but I want to ask you a question. What was it that Caleb saw on that mountain that made him want it so bad? Waited 45 years, he went there, walked around, they brought back the grapes, you know, they had grapes the size of bowling balls, you know, he walked back, they had the stuff, but there was something he saw that he wanted. Do you know what it is? I asked my wife before we came tonight, what was it about that mountain that he couldn't get out of his heart? Do you know what it was? See, I said it'd be a mystery to you if I told you about it, and then if I never tell you about it, you scratch around and maybe you'll find out what it was. But let me give you some lessons on this before I tell you what it is. There are six lessons on conquering mountains, and because most of you know the background on this story, I don't have to go into a lot of the details, but there are six lessons. God will give you the mountain. That's maybe an obstacle in your life or a challenge to where your faith is. God will give you the mountain, but you'll have to take it. It's just like if I was to hold out a $100 bill and I say, here, I'm going to give you this $100 bill. First one up here will get it, and I'm not going to do that one. I don't have a $100 bill. I don't even have a dollar bill with me. But I'm going to give you this, but you've got to take it. So the first one up there will get it, and sometimes preachers do some wild things like that. I don't know if I've seen one with a $100 bill. I've seen a lot of them with $1 bills, maybe a $20 bill. I've seen that. But if you want it bad enough, you come up and get it. And of course, the bigger the bill, the faster you'll move. Now, God is going to fix you to be able to take it. He's going to put in your heart, in your spirit, as he did in Caleb's heart. Caleb had another spirit. He had the Holy Spirit on him, and God is going to fix in your heart and put within you driving, compelling faith to move on ahead and conquer mountains. Believers that just sit on the pew and never do much by prayer and faith and believe in God are those that have not answered the call of God in their spirit. And not only is he going to fix you with putting this in your spirit, but he's also going to be working up to fix our character and our personality and our lives. And so he gives us deals and situations and testings that he puts us in to make us mountain climbers. And we squirm and we holler and we cry and we complain because God has given us this trial and that trial until we get a little bit older and we squeak a little bit less and we murmur a little bit less. And as we go on in life, we begin to learn that God is really sovereign. And a lot of young believers, when they come out and get started, the first thing they like to do is blame everything and all their problems on the devil. And he may have some opportunity to come in there and give you some what for, but it's only because God lets them and also because you've given them opportunity. But as we get going on, we realize that God is really sovereign. And so he spends a lot of our time in our life trying to fix us up to climb mountains. And so God has you maybe in the fix that you're in because he's fixing to fix you with the fix that you're in. But if you try to fix the fix that he's fixing to fix you with, he'll find another fix to fix you with. And so many times we think we can get out of the deal that we're in. God said, no, you can't. I'll just give you another deal. And maybe you've been running from something all your life or for many years. But God is going to keep after you and me. He wants us to be mountain climbers like Caleb. He wants us to move on. So the first lesson, God is going to give you the mountain. You have to take it and he's going to fix you and adapt you to climb the mountain. Now, maybe there's a mountain in your life and you hadn't thought about it as being a mountain. But is there something that you'd like to see God change? Is there something you'd like to see God do? And you consider that as a mountain if we go over to the teaching of Jesus, it just sort of blows us away. What the Lord says about the mountain, just to have it cast into the sea, that's the type of faith, though, that Christ had. Now, there's another thing, another lesson. We need to learn to follow the men and women that can see. Those that have faith. Those that don't see much will drag us down and keep us in the dark. We need to learn to follow those that have faith. Another lesson, third lesson. We need to watch out that we don't hang around too much with those of unbelief. God wants us to fellowship and we should. You know, when I was in high school, I played a lot of tennis in college. And the best way to play tennis was get out there and play with somebody better than you and let them just beat the daylights out of you. I remember out in North Carolina when I was living in the Smoky Mountains out there, working at a camp. I played 36 games one day. We played right on through one. It rained every afternoon in the Smokies. We played right on through. And that guy, I think, I don't know how many times he beat me. He probably beat me 36 times. But he was better than me. But that's the way God wants us to hang around with those of higher, deeper, stronger faith so that we will learn to climb. You know, you can climb a molehill all you like. But if you want to climb, we, there's just a, was it just a few months back? This expedition went up Mount Everest again. Maybe you saw that in the news and heard about that. And while they were up there, I think it was several of them got killed. I know at least one, several of them got killed. They got caught in the storms up there. Those that climb that mountain have to give all they've got and willing to give their life to climb that mountain. It's a dangerous mountain. Mount McKinley is known to be more dangerous than Mount Everest, they say, even though it's not as tall. Now, there's another lesson. Men and women of vision pass on that spirit of vision to their children. If I might take you back to Joshua chapter 15 briefly, his children, Caleb's children, had this spirit upon them. Because when they come around to old Pop, for their inheritance, they had this spirit upon them too. And I was just reading about that in Joshua 15 and verse 17. Arthaniel, the son of Kinez, the brother of Caleb, took it and he gave him Akthah, his daughter to wife. And it came to pass that she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father, Aphel. She lighted off her eyes, and Caleb said unto her, What wouldst thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a south land. Give me also springs of water. Mountain climbers, it's like if they get up on one mountain, though, they're going to want to go climb up another one. Give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. That was his offspring. Just a little side note there. Men and women of vision, pass on that spirit of vision to their children. Another lesson, a fifth lesson. People that live in Egypt live in fear and don't climb mountains. And we need to be careful about that. That was a lesson back over in Joshua 17. I don't think I'll take you into that for time, but we know that those that do not live in faith live in some other kind of fear. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. And we need to be very careful because faith is contagious and unbelief is also. So if you want to make sure you get the right disease, get touched with the right thing, the right bug, we want to be bugged with faith and not unbelief. So people that live in Egypt live in fear. We need to be careful that if God wants to spend a lot of time with them, that we're working and drawing them up or they'll draw us down. Sixth lesson. People of faith that receive visions can see because he had another spirit. You remember God is whispering to us continually? And it really takes discipline to listen. Many have a certain spot where they can go and it's just quiet and they listen to God. A lot of farmers can just hear God while they're out on their tractors just driving, out checking the cows, out doing this and that. Have your spot. Have your times. Men and women of vision. Men and women of vision receive that vision that they can see. Now, there are six reasons Caleb didn't fail. Six reasons that Caleb didn't fail. One, he didn't depend on human wisdom, thinking with his head, looking at the things, the circumstances. But he was depending on God. That's why he didn't fail. Another reason, he was not fearful or discouraged. A few giants didn't bother him because he had his eyes on the Lord. Third thing, he didn't look at his own weakness or Israel's weakness. He said, our eyes, his eyes were on the Lord. Another reason he didn't fail, he didn't doubt God's word. There's verses on that. Numbers 13.2, 13.30. A fifth reason he didn't fail is he didn't doubt God's love. Many believers slip in their faith walk. Don't climb the mountain as high as they can because they begin to doubt God's love. The enemy's going to fight you all the way. There's going to be circumstances, but it's worth it. If God puts a mountain in your heart, in your life, and puts it in your spirit to climb that mountain, then don't doubt his love if it gets tough. I climbed one mountain out in the Adirondacks Mountains out there one summer when I was working at a camp. And me and another friend, we went there on our day off, and we climbed. It was hard. It was four-wheel drive climbing. We didn't have a Jeep. We were climbing just to get up that thing, get up there so we could get the view. We got up there, and it was a nice view, but we were a little bit discouraged. But we were glad, but when we got up there, we saw there was a trail coming right up over there a little ways over where we were climbing up. We didn't know anybody had been up on that mountain. A lot of people would go up there all the time. And many times we go the hard way because we don't ask God to show us his way, and we don't make it, and it's hard. The older I get, the more I'm not asking God to help me. I'm just saying, Lord, show me the way. Many times I don't think God is so much interested in helping us as just showing us how to do it so we'll be dependent on him. So when we get there, boy, God and I climbed this mountain. Nope, I got up on this mountain because God showed me how. Without him, I wouldn't have made it at all. We like to take credit. Another thing, and that was Numbers 14.3 where I got that not to doubt God's love, was simply this. He obeyed. He said, let us go. And he had to wait another 45 years, he said, because of those with unbelief. He had to wait until God killed him off in the desert. But it didn't discourage him. And you may have to wait 45 years to get over your mountain. You say, oh, preacher, I hope not. But it'll be worth the wait. Now, I want to conclude with this. Numbers 14.14. And it has so many passages here. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me, and how long will it be, ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? If you won't take it by faith, you won't possess it. Anything God gives you in your life is a mountain. It always has to be taken by faith. And we like to see with our spirit, with our physical eyes. But many of us have not achieved victories and conquered things that we could, even in our churches, because we will not take it by faith. Faith is the evidence of things unseen. When you feel in your spirit that God wants something to be done, I know of those, I talked to you this morning about revival, revival ministry. I know of men that have got touched by God in such a way, and they've experienced revival, and then they wanted it for another area or their church, and they went after it, and they would not let go. Now, we're not seeing much in our land, but we're seeing spots and touches around in our country. And God is doing a lot more work in India and in Africa than He is here. And He's doing a lot more work in China, where there's a pure church. But we can see God work here. If He puts it in our spirit, and we know that He wants us to do it, then we better grab ahold. But if we won't take it by faith, we won't take it. Why'd He want it then? Why'd He want this mountain so bad? And do you want your mountain as bad as He wanted this one? I'll tell you why He wanted it. There's a clue, and it's in Genesis chapter 13. You say, way back in Genesis 13, there's a clue to this mountain? There sure is. In Genesis 13 and verse 14. Well, you know, Pat, you remember the story how things were getting a little bit cramped between Lot and Abraham, their cattlemen? You remember that? And so Abraham come along and said, well, okay, you go to the right hand, I'll go to the left. You go to the left, I'll go to the right. And so after Lot left, then the scripture says, the Lord, verse 13, Genesis 13, 14, The Lord said unto Abraham, After that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place whence thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward. Everywhere. He can make a full circle around. Everywhere his eyes hit. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre. That's the place of resurrection power. Where is that place? Which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. They would build their altars on the mountains, in the high spots. The heathen would worship in the high places. When Caleb came to that spot, he said, this is where Abraham built his altar. This is where I want to live. Now listen to this. Hebron is the place of fellowship. Remember I told you it meant joining together? Hebron is the spot of fellowship. He had in his spirit, this is where Abraham, my father, fellowship with God. And the same spirit that had drawn Abraham was drawing Caleb also. That spirit was the same spirit. The same spirit, the Holy Spirit that God gives us. Isn't that interesting? It's the place also known of resurrection power. The place of fellowship. Why'd he want it? Why was he willing to wait for it for over 40 years? Why was he willing to fight for it? Matter of fact, Moses said, you can have it, but boy, you're going to have to fight for it. And he said, no problem. He went in there and whooped up on those giants and he took care of them. Matter of fact, name the three sons of Anak. The first one was, I don't know if I can find where I wrote that down, but I thought that was interesting. I was looking up, going through this afternoon, looking up names of the meaning of these guys. I don't know if I can find the spot, but it meant hinderer. He knocked off old hinderer and he went right on down the line, knocking them giants off. Now, altars are built on the tops of mountains. Altars are built where victories are won. When God gets you on the top of your mountain, he builds your altar, give him thanks and praise him. And then you live in the power of that victory. You live in the fellowship that God has drawn you into. So why did Caleb want this mountain? It was a place of fellowship with God. And if God put a mountain in your life, it's so that you can have closer fellowship with him. And also whenever we conquer those mountains, we also obtain victories along the way that bless others. The amount of blessing that we will pass on to others will be in accordance with the amount of zeal and intention that we have in our heart to climb the mountain that God has given us to climb. Don't ever give up. Those that enjoy the view are those that have paid the price. And let me tell you, high mountains are hard to climb. Those fellows that climbed Mount Everest, and I guess there was a gal along too that did it, they paid the price. It was hard. You can't breathe when you get up that high. One guy did it without the oxygen. But the view, the accomplishment must be worth it to them to climb it. Will it be worth it to us to climb the mountain that God has given us? Let's pray. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for speaking to us tonight. Lord, encourage our hearts to believe you, to give us the strength to get this mountain accomplished, this mountain climb that you've given us to do, whether it's a big one or a little one, according to our faith. Father, thank you that you love us enough to stretch us, to draw us. You want us to fellowship with you. You want us to know you. And no wonder the Apostle Paul said that I might know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. He learned that the highest achievement that he could obtain in this life, the highest mountain to climb, would be that to break into the fellowship with the Father. Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, the disciples told us, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you now, Father. I pray for your blessing on this church, on our hearts, in this community. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.