Giants Conquered by Grasshoppers

You know that they call it church here the church militant You like that word? militant and I know the Christian life can be described as other things but The fact that we are in warfare is a reality. We're to gird ourselves with the armor of God We know that the church and the church isn't just supposed to stand in doing all to stand We actually have been told that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church It's it's not just a stagnation in a standing still there is a sense in which the church is to advance We don't we have something to conquer I Mean I mean haven't we've been put here and left here for a purpose And so that this is where my message stems from today. And so I hope you'll let me talk about Giants Will you let me talk about Giants here? So we know that it here's what I find interesting Whatever was written in times past Has been written for our instruction whatever so that tells me that my Old Testament is really valuable to me But you know, what's really impressive is that out of? Those kind of statements, you know what it's made there in Romans. It's kind of general whatever But when you go to first Corinthians, it's like there is one thing that the Apostle specifically calls out as Being for our instruction and you know what it is It's the Hebrew children in the wilderness you ever notice that it listen to this I Do not want you to be unaware brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea They drank from the spiritual rock that followed them and the rock was Christ I get did you get that the rock was Christ? Isn't that interesting? The Apostle goes back there and for our instruction This account has been recorded about Israel in the wilderness for our instruction Christ was there Christ was that rock Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness now these things Those specific things with regards to those fathers who were there with Moses out there in the wilderness These things took place as examples for us and we know We know what it is that they're being called out for it says it again in verse 11 of first Corinthians 10 Don't turn there this listen to this now these things happened to them as an example They were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come In what's the purpose they were recorded? Well, it's pretty plain We must not put Christ to the there. He is again We must not put Christ to the test as some of them did and were destroyed Isn't that interesting he keeps calling out that Christ was back there and These things are for our instruction on whom the ends of the world the ends of the ages had come and And this we must not put Christ to the test. You know what Paul uses the same kind of language used back in numbers Where it says this none of the men who had seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in wilderness and yet Have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice and How did they not obey his voice? Well, there's numerous things but one of the main ones is they didn't go up and take the land When God told them to go take the land So that's where I want to go All of this is for our instruction. Okay, so let's go back and take a look at For our instruction So I want to mainly key in on numbers 13 and 14. So if you'll turn back there in your Bibles numbers 13 One of the brothers just told me recently that he was in his in his Bible reading He came to the book of Numbers and he was discouraged you get that way Sometimes when you're reading through the scripture, yeah, I get to certain books and you feel like oh, no No, not these genealogies again And he said but numbers actually has some really really profitable things some really good things. So here we are 13 one the Lord spoke to Moses saying send men now this is for our instruction and I'm going to call out a few things that I just want you to take real notice of That the first thing is here in verse 2 God Spoke and he sends these men to spile the land now notice this the land of Canaan Which I'm giving to the people of Israel now we could find that in a lot of places He promised the land Abraham. There's numerous places where God says I promise this I give this But here it is right here at the beginning Right before the spies are sent out. God has already said I'm giving this Land to the people so so there's a promise here. That's the backdrop To everything that happens and I think what listen when this is for our instruction. I think one of the things we have to remember is What has God promised us So let's keep reading verse 17 1317 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them go And See what the land is Now, you know, what's it? What's really interesting about this is They could have taken the land without sending spies in but God specifically said send the spies in Why they weren't needed they weren't necessary Well, actually they were necessary Not necessary to taking the land but it's it's a necessary part of all this It was really important that they go in and see what kind of enemy they were up against it plays a part in the story See what the land is Specifically whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak Few or many whether the land they dwell in is good or bad whether the cities they dwell in our camps You see what that is. Are they living in tents all exposed or are they behind fortified walls? That's the idea verse 20 whether the land is rich or poor whether there are trees or not But in the midst of all this be of good courage, of course, you should be of good courage Why because God already promised I'm giving you the land. Of course, they should be of good courage Bring some of the fruit of the land verse 21. So they went up they spied out the land They went up into the new job and came to Hebron. Did you love this? They came to Hebron? We know this place This is gonna be the place where Caleb is gonna end up dwelling But of course a hymen shush. I and tell my live there Well, who are these guys? descendants of a neck So what is what is that? And then you then you get this Hebron was built seven years before Zohan in Egypt I have no idea why that's there other than Maybe just a footnote that it's an ancient Hebron is ancient. It's old Maybe it was there from not too long after the flood They came to the valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes They carried it on a pole between two of them They also brought some pomegranates and figs verse 25 at the end of 40 days. They returned from spying out the land they came to Moses and Aaron into the congregation of the people of Israel and they brought back to them and to all the congregation Showed the fruit of the land and they verse 27. They told him we came to the land They told Moses we came to the land to which you said us it flows with milk and honey Of course, it flows miss milk and honey. God said he was going to give him a land that flows with milk and honey That's exactly what they should have found there verse 28 However Now, I don't know how that resonates with you. Maybe your Bible says nevertheless or notwithstanding Does anybody get provoked by that word? Do you hear that in the church? well, yes, we know God told us this and we should do this and there's these promises and we see that the church did this and historically with it however, I hope somebody can get upset it seems a brethren I just it feels to me like many professed Christians. They just accept doubting and fearing It's almost just a necessary state of believers. However, however, I mean it's faith left the field They're the champions. I mean, it's like sinful sight carries the day at such a time when when the Faith ought to carry the day and the doubters be put to shame. Look what's happening here The unbelief is always so full of these doubtful. However's Exceptions why we can't do this why we can't do that friends the fact is that the church doesn't have any need of greater numbers and greater size and more machinery To you slip faith Brethren I hope somebody can just get Stirred up about however's I feel that in my own soul. Okay 1328 However The people who dwell in the land are strong The cities are fortified and very large. I mean not only do these guys giants you got the Descendants of a knack there. The people are strong. The cities are fortified. They're very large I mean this whole thing is intimidating Besides it's like these guys are saying that had insult to injury We saw the descendants of a knack there Amalekites Hittites Jebusites Amorites Canaanites verse 30 Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said let us clap at once and occupy it for we're well able to overcome it 31 but the men who had gone up with him said We are not able to go up against the people they're stronger than we are So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out saying the land Through which we have gone to spy it out a lamb that devours its inhabitants. You want to remember that? And all the people we saw in it are of great height. We saw the Nephilim Remember This is this is the one place in Scripture where it attaches Nephilim with the sons of a net and they come from the Nephilim so this group that's called out all the way back in Genesis is is Connected these giants we seem to ourselves like grasshoppers. That's the name of my my sermon the grasshopper complex or a word about giants And notice this we seem to ourselves like grasshoppers and I don't know about you, but this last part jumped out at me and So we seemed To them isn't that interesting that they would put that in there? How did they know that? That's what I asked myself like did they sit down and have coffee with these sons of a net and say what do you guys? Think of us Yeah, you guys are grasshoppers and how they know that it's Understandable to say we felt like grasshoppers in their presence But to actually say and so we appeared to them. Well, how did they even know that? Unless they were dialoguing with these giants, which I mean they very well might have been How else would they know that? so Grasshopper complex now, we know the rest of the story. We know how this thing evolves basically that that The people were grumbling weren't these people always grumbling Grumbling is just such a picture of unbelief. God was angry with their grumbling So the grumbling takes place here and then well, we what we had died in the wilderness we need to pack up and go back to Egypt and like always Moses and Aaron they fall on their faces and that's what's happening here and That's where we pick up in now numbers 14 verse 6 Joshua and Caleb who were among those who spied out the land they tore their clothes They said the land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land If the Lord delights in us He'll bring us into the land and give it to us a land that flows with milk and honey Only do not rebel against the Lord. Don't fear the people of the land For they are bred for us notice there Their protection is removed from them. The Lord is with us do not fear them that all the congregation said to stone them and This is where God shows up the glory of the Lord appeared verse 11 The Lord said how long will this people despise me? How long will they not? Believe in me truly as I live as the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness It put me to the test these ten times have not obeyed my voice Shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers and none of those who despise me shall see it if you go to 1428 Say to them as I live declares the Lord What you've said in my hearing I will do to you your dead bodies shall fall in the wilderness verse 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun you go to 1436 The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land who returned and made all the congregation Grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land The men who brought up a bad report of the land died by the plague before the Lord Now think about it. I Mean think about the picture. This is this is historical This situation happened and it's an example for us. It's for our instruction We are to be learning from this think about it in the midst of all this panic the congregation I suddenly Caleb Yeah, hey like a great warrior Caleb stands up in the midst of this no hesitation. He says let's go for it We can do this, I don't this is given to us these guys are bred for us Be eaten this way this land swallows up people. Are you guys crazy? God is with us work of it We're the ones that are gonna do the eating. They're bred for us We can go in there the other ten say and we'll be eaten alive the Anakim the Anakim We're gonna be eaten by the Anakim those in that don't you realize there's Giants in there? Caleb hardly hears it. Let's go in there once. Let's go right now. It's a great land Are there Giants in there? Sure fortified cities Of course Brethren What else do you think God's going to do when he means to put his glory on display? What do you want to be in there? Butch? I don't take me women with diseased feet. I mean, but seriously What are you what what should be in there when God is with his people and wanting to to? Work through them empower through them. This is that Where's God's glory in that and brethren? The thing is we're not dealing with a fairy tale here There's Giants. I Mean, do you think about that? There's Giants God wants us to know about Giants why for our instruction. It's recorded listen to this God wants us to know this In Hebron there was a hymn sheshy how my the descendants of a neck were there 1333 there we saw the Nephilim the sons of a neck who come from the Nephilim Now I just kept thinking Giants they capture our imagination What do you know about Giants Jack and the Beanstalk? Is that is do you know that here? Jack the Giant Slayer, I mean where to think about Giants giant despair Bunyan had his Giants token had his Giants CS Lewis had his Giants, right? I understand there's Giants in Cornwall never heard that Is that that is that the lore? I mean when you go to Celtic mythology, it's got Giants Greek mythology He's got Hindu mythology Norse mythology Giants Sometimes they have one eye. Sometimes they had horns in their head, but Giants we think I mean they capture the imagination But the fact is stepping away from legend Ladies and gentlemen, we have Giants in this infallibly inspired Preserved Word of God. They're here and we we know some of these guys Giants Giants exist. What were they called? Well, you we got the word Nephilim We've got the word that the the sons of a neck or the Anakin heard some of the other words the amen the zam zoom in You heard these names and some of these guys are famous. I mean, who's the most famous? They Goliath they say that he was However, you measure the cubit the span, you know that we got different ideas But this guy may have very likely been nine foot nine inches tall just I mean if if you just figure There's question about what that measure and then and then you got what odd the king of Bashan. What was what was he famous for? His bed how big was his bed? This thing was like 13 and a half foot long Which gives you some idea about how big he was and then you know Do you ever think about the guy that had 24 appendages on his hands and feet? Six fingers on each hand. You remember that guy? You remember what some of their names were like sath? Lami, have you ever noticed? I mean some of their names besides Goliath. Some of their names are given to us These Nephilim they were on the earth. Listen to this. They were on the earth in those days These are the days right before the flood but I find this interesting and also afterward Well, that's interesting that means that the Nephilim were here before the world was wiped out by a flood and Afterward so somehow You have eight souls and then from them Somewhere down the line we got more of these Giants When the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them and all there's different theories about that These were the mighty men, you know the Septuagint there says gigantes These are the Giants who were of old the men of renown What's interesting, isn't it interesting that it's in this context specifically that then we're told about Just the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of men being only evil Continuously and there's all this violence and God he regrets the fact that he made man But isn't it interesting that Moses would introduce these Nephilim right in that context almost like these guys Were the what do you know what Nephilim means it comes from the the word Hebrew now fall which means fallen the fallen ones and they have different theories I saw Calvin on this that some some feel like It's it's the idea that they've fallen from the truth. They've fallen from God. They've fallen there. They're just epitomes of the fallenness Others say it had to do with the fact that other men's helton inces fell when they saw these guys Some say that others fell on their faces because of the magnificence Some say it's like a storm falls upon the land and creates devastation So these guys fell in that capacity, but basically the the fallen ones the Nephilim Now C.s. Lewis describes good Giants the Bible never does You notice that all the Giants in Scripture are enemies to the people of God. You never find a friendly one Now no matter what might have happened between the spies and if they were interacting. I mean the fact is that The Bible knows nothing about that One of them had a name ish be but knob you remember that another one was called sit by Now look what we don't want to do is gloss over the references to Giants in the Bible Why because Giants play an important part in the biblical story? Particularly in relationship to the occupation of the promised land and that's no small thing Listen, if you think about any piece of property Anywhere in this world That is more Promised than the land of Canaan there is it I mean the portion of land most promised Throughout Scripture is this promised land and isn't it? Absolutely amazing. Remember it's all recorded for our instruction Isn't amazing that the most promised piece of real estate in our Bibles When the people finally get there to take it the place is inhabited by Giants Do you know something about that? It's not an accident Do you know what happened when the pilgrim fathers left? The old world and went to the new world. Do you know what happened in 1620 when the Mayflower? Arrived in the new world. Do you know what they were met with? Disease had wiped out 90% of the native population Before they got there. Oh There was Indian resistance, but not near what it would have been. It's like God cleared the way but not here Now when God's God's given a promise he's gonna give this land and you better be sure of it he put Giants in the land and Not only did he put Giants in the land He sent the spies in there ahead of time to go See that there's Giants in the land and then to go back out and take the report to the people So let's let's come down from the Nephilim the Anakim Who are these guys? Well, they're descendants of the Nephilim. They're descendants of this man named Anak We know that there was a father somewhere in there of Anak named Arba Because had Hebron used to be called curry at Arba So we know about we know about this and in this Anak had three sons a hymen. Shush. I tell my now Here's what we're told in Joshua, we're told Joshua cut off the Anakim Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel only in Gaza in Gath and in the ash God did some remain Where was Goliath from You see who he was related to you see where he came from Of course some Giants had to be left in Gath Why? Because David's day was coming and God had other things to teach not only David But it's all done for our instruction. Those Giants are left there for a reason folks Because you know what the Giants they face back then have a lot to do with the Giants we face today Just for our instruction. You see we're supposed to draw parallels out of this. We're supposed to learn from this brethren Moses 40 years later, you know Israel has to walk around the wilderness and all their corpses of those 20 years and older except Caleb and Joshua They fall dead in the wilderness after 40 years goes by Moses now comes to those who are left alive when it's time to go back in there again and this is what he says as He readies them to go take the promised land now. He reminds them who is in there a People great and tall The sons of the Anakim whom you know and of whom you have heard it said Who can stand before the sons of Anak? Now in my Bible my ESV There are some quotation marks Listen to this listen to how this says Whom you know and of whom you have heard it said Who can stand before the sons of Anak now that really jumped out at me, isn't that amazing? It's a proverb There is a proverb in Israel that Moses takes for granted that all these folks in Israel knew Who can stand before the sons of Anak? Brethren, that's like in our day saying what who who can beat pancreatic cancer? Well in a time of recession who can get a job? We're so small who can actually take the gospel to other nations I mean you recognize we can get we can get these proverbial sayings among us that oh I wonder how this resonated in the ears of the righteous a Proverb like but brethren, there's something awful about that. There's something insulting Can you imagine this a people whose God is God Almighty? Who has given the kind of promises and who has demonstrated his power over Egypt For them to actually have a proverb among themselves I mean That's the kind of thing that I'm sure of Caleb or Joshua ever heard it They just spit and they they were in disgust and they kicked the dirt Like how could that be a proverb in Israel? But we can't get proverbs like that things we say well we can't do that It just becomes so commonplace just flows off our tongue. Well, you know Who can stand before the sons of Anak? It's like Caleb would have said are you kidding me? Do you ever see that pillar of fire over there? I mean, are you guys serious? Oh right, I Can't believe it. And then now my next point here is the irrelevance of being grasshoppers Can you imagine the scene? ten men pathetically announced The promised land, you know the one that God promised our father Abraham The one that God said he he's gonna give to us Well, we're just not eat We can't do it. We can't go in there the Anakin. Yeah, I either have you not seen these guys We're gonna be swallowed by them. We're gonna be eaten up. Can you imagine Caleb and Joshua? I Can you can imagine them standing there and they're looking at these ten? Can you imagine them look at each other in unbelief? They glance over at Moses Like what? What is going on here? It's gonna kill so what? What what does the comparative strength of Giants to us have to do with anything in this? Have you have you noticed in the church that Christians a trust in a big big God They just tend to be baffled by the practical atheism exuded by so many in the church I think brethren if God told us to go up and take the land It's absolutely irrelevant if we resemble grasshoppers If we feel like we're grasshoppers or if we actually are grasshoppers, what does it matter? It's totally irrelevant and you know what the beauty of all of it is God put Giants in there on purpose why? because The whole thing brethren is about our weakness, but trusting is greatness Of course, you know what the beauty is that when we go and take the land and we recognize Yeah, we did look like grasshoppers compared to those guys But look we've got the victory and you know what they did they put there and you met they put their feet on the necks at these guys They threw rocks over their carcasses they covered caves over I mean you can imagine the dead bodies of these three sons of a neck and they're standing there Caleb and Joshua still preserved through all of this time the beauty is that when you get to that point you look at the size of this guy and it's like Then you just look up Because the thing about grasshoppers and grasshoppers can't boast There's no boasting It's the what grasshopper can boast when God arises and gives the victory It's like hadn't God said I Promise that I'll bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt the land of the Canaanites a land flowing with milk and honey I promise So what if the Nephilim are in the way God's promised? Everything's in God's control And you know, we can look at Providence and we can say, you know, the fact is he's in control of who's in that land I Mean you can see he had specific plans He told Abraham 400 years since of the Amorites is not God's in total control. Yeah, it's all in his timeline He puts in there who he wants to I Just you know what? I did. I just think about I imagine warfare in Israel You can imagine this Isn't it a contest of faith? Because one of the things Specifically that God's people were told you know what when they went up they didn't have horses. They didn't have chariots In fact, they were specifically told when you see those horses and you see those chariots coming and you see that the masses in the hordes Coming against you far outnumber. You do not fear. Oh Can you imagine the roar of chariots You ever seen some of those that have blades coming off the axles Chop the guy's legs off here. They come horses Stampeding at you and God says don't be I'll tell you out on the battlefield at such a time Is that it tested your faith? It absolutely tested what you believe You come up against a guy that might be nine foot nine inches tall Where are the ones that are gonna say? You know what the Paul the lion the Paul of the bear didn't triumph over me and God gave them to me and you Philistine you're gonna be just like them. There is a God in Israel. There's a God he is a Lord of hosts and you've defied him and His confidence was not in his aim. His confidence was in his God. We're the ones who speak like that. I'll tell you When you see the giant it tests What you believe about the unseen But I'll tell you what David senses on that day they saw the mountains they say he saw the ridges He saw the giant. He saw his armor. He saw his sword. He saw a sword his shield bearer He saw the javelin. He saw the spear But you know what his eyes look past it was like what Mac was telling us about yesterday There's a there's a perceiving his eyes his eyes go Brethren when you're in a position like that It tells you what you believe about your God about his presence and about his promises You just think You just think about combat in those days. You remember I was I was thinking Back back when I I was I got saved in 1990. So in the 80s, I was lost. I Didn't remember going and seeing Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark Remember the scene some of you probably Any of you see that movie They had a couple hands. Some of you are saying this guy's pagan fun Listen, there's a scene where all the sudden the crowd parts and This Arab swordsman steps out He's just whipping the sword around Harrison Ford just pulls out his Smith and Wesson boom drops him So much for but you know what you didn't have guns fighting Giants and that day it was hand-to-hand combat largely It was your strength and your skill against his Well, some of the guys they slung rocks They had bow and arrow. I'll tell you even the bow and arrow those long bows You ever seen the long bows that they have here in England? I mean it took all your might to pull that thing back and you didn't just sit there like with a compound where it came Off release easy brethren warfare was tough. You didn't just shoot a guy out there at 200 yards You imagine what it would be to face a giant it's like you see him coming at you it's like Hard this guy is scary This guy has six fingers on each hand This guy has a javelin that's like a weavers beam, I mean I'm feeling pretty grasshopper ish right now But I'll tell you right at that moment It's going to tell you what you truly believe and this is for our instruction Because I'll tell you there are many scary things that we're faced with even now we fight the devil folks We have our Goliaths. The devil is real and the demons are real and Men's hard hearts are real and sin is real and there are battles to be fought Folks Giants just exuded strength You know what? It says about Goliath when Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine. They were dismayed and greatly afraid folks David took him Joshua took them out Caleb the Giants fell Giants are dead. I Mean one of the things we can glean from this is we just say brother sister if God calls you If God says I'm with you I'll never leave you. Well, I'm with you to the end of the age and he sends you to do something ten times Harder than your own gift than your own strength than your own wisdom can handle. What do we say to that? Go and do it in the strength of the Lord. Don't we read all things are possible. They will believes. Have you never read that? Brethren I've read that I have a friend and He was in the Reformed Baptist circles affiliated with Al Martin for decades in the US and I heard him and he has a very first-hand perspective on The Reformed Baptist Churches in the United States, and he said this He said there's a lack of faith and Reformed Baptist circles he said not a lack of academic comprehension But a lack of personal experiential conviction of the power of God Brethren what I ask is this have you have we been too quick to say we can't do that We need to be men like Joshua and Caleb we can do it God's with us We got many voices We can't do it. Why? We don't have enough money We're not biggin. We don't have enough this. We don't have enough of that. We don't have enough of the other thing We can't do it brother. Do you realize this has to do with the glory of God? I just ask you this was God a little angry About them not believing and trusting him Was he just a little angry Brother, this is such a reflection on our God He takes it very personal You can't you just can't get away from that Brother, none have ever trusted God too much We want to venture into the realm where we're we got to have God's help or we're certainly gonna be lunch for the giant brethren Have we not heard from one of the champions that when his before's attempt great things for God Watch him work. You know what happens when the church and its leadership loses faith They dig in for safety Try to conceal their gains. Oh Brethren my next point is is cowardice is contagious Just listen to this in Deuteronomy where Moses recounts what the people of Israel said when the skies when the spies came back Listen to what he said our brothers have made our hearts melt Saying the people are greater and taller than we that's that's one word melt Now another time in Numbers where Moses recounts the same incident He says this when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they Discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. You have those two melt Discourage and I think about these guys you kind of wonder they were in there for 40 days. I Guarantee you this their cowardice didn't just show up when they gave the report in front of Moses These guys were walking through the land for 40 days. You had Joshua and Caleb over here. They're there They're all observing the same things What what happens at that? Can you imagine you're looking you're looking through the land? Wow, they're fortified up to heaven Can you imagine the first time they saw one of the sons of Anak? Folks we're talking giants Perhaps close to 10 feet tall How big do you have to be to have a bed 13 and a half feet? Can you imagine? When you see these guys Michael what goes through your mind? What goes through you know, what you know what goes through the mind of the ten? You see the giant and the first thought is how grasshopper ish you are But you know what when somebody's got faith you see the giant And I need you stick how big your God is You see that's the difference. I Have a feeling these guys had conversations 40 days and 40 nights. There were 40 nights. They drifted off to sleep having seen what they saw in the day and You know what? I think two of the guys probably slept pretty soundly The other ten guys maybe not so much Brethren the thing is that that Boldness and courage. It doesn't mean that there's no fear. I can imagine these Giants look pretty scary We're often confronted by things that looks it's almost like God puts scary guys in the land Sent the spies in to see the scary guys to then come out and give a report about the scary guys all To what it's a test Are you gonna believe me? I can trust me If I put those guys in there on purpose It's all it's all meant to Have us really examine what what is this all about? What do we really believe? Brethren, you know what? in the course of time they actually had a rule in Israel in Deuteronomy 20 the officer shall speak to the people and say is there any man who is fearful and Fainthearted let him go back to his house lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own It's Contagious, do you recognize that because of the unbelief and the lack of courage the cowardice of Ten men a whole nation failed to get the victory What do we say? I mean we get people in the church. Sometimes they blush It's it's like no, I can't go up I can't go out and tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ The Son of God who came from glory and laid down his life and spilled his blood I can't go out and share that in front of other people. What do we people who blush for the God in the gospel? They have no stomach for the conflict with the enemies of our God with confronting error confronting unbelief Confronting the lost pagan nations confronting the devil and his hordes Confronting sin to those in our midst who count their own lives more dear than their King's cause comprised this world about the next never serious about Grasping, but the promises of God they shrink when devils and Anakin rise up and draw their swords against our master What do we say to such people what we say? courage brother courage sister God Almighty does not want half-hearted trembling service Do you recognize God God is never at a disadvantage because of Giants? Never folks Soldiers of Christ arise find courage man. Put your hand to the heads of your sword Trust that Ryan don't we call him the lion of the tribe of Judah? He's our captain. He's at the head of our ranks He stood toe-to-toe Against the true Goliath and he defeated him again and again and he's crushed his head. He goes at our head We remain in the ranks Don't be among those who make the your fellows melt God help us to be lion-hearted whole nation They were well able. You know what? We know they were well able because 40 years later. They did it They did it in the power of God Caleb said we're well able the other said no, we're not able We you know what the thing is we abhor the idea of being identified with those ten men But I've witnessed more than one professing Christian unwittingly just Discourage God's people and you know what? This is just a general discouragement. This is a discouragement from advance from moving forward from going on brethren in a living God get each of us courageous hearts and Especially in light of the fact that cowards don't ultimately inherit the kingdom of heaven never read that in Revelation Cards find their self in the lake of fire Something even our hero This is a story that I found online It's Spurgeon about Mueller I find this amazing Spurgeon said this some gentlemen Singular said to me I Wish you would ask. Mr. Mueller a question or two if you see him as to the foundation of a new orphan house Which he proposes to build to hold 700 more children now I feel that 300 is quite enough for one man to care for I Think it very absurd For him to have 700 more you see those are the kind of voices Are they not too free he'll never be able to support a thousand as to the present situation I Believe that generous persons hear about it and send him subscriptions for its maintenance, but as to supporting 700 more orphans That's impossible Spurgeon says that he replied to this man I think there's something in what you say. I will ask him when I see him but when I saw him I Could not and I dare not Ask him any such question When I saw what a great work he had done by his faith and began to remark upon it. He said oh It is only a little thing that I have done faith could do far more than that If it were God's will that I should feed the universe on prayer and faith I could do it If I had more faith it could be accomplished Spurgeon says I was just going to say that possibly a Thousand orphans would be more than he could support When Mueller said When I got 300 children I began to pray God to send me money to build an orphan house to hold 700 more and I've already received 17,000 pounds sent in for it Although I've never solicited a contribution from anybody, but the Lord I believe God has made me to be here to be to the world the proof that he hears and answers prayer Spurgeon says I thought so too When I saw the huge building and the many dear children rising up to praise their God brethren advance Think of our God Brethren, I don't want to be a broken record. I I just feel like I'm captivated and captured By the promise that the works that Christ did we're gonna do in greater works than these we're gonna do The power of the church to be unleashed and to advance The promises we have that we can pray for the Holy Spirit. We have a father who is well desirous To grant that listen to this Piper says the whole class flunked their final exam of the wilderness training and they weren't allowed to graduate All the children are sent back to school if two and a half years of human helplessness and divine wonders Does it put trust in the hearts of Israel? Then we'll make it 40 years Spurgeon He's talking about advanced fill work. He says I would that this age would breed a few extravagant men We're getting so dull so cold so commonplace and this This statement just resonates. We all run in the same cart rot imitating one another in The sight of the heroes of all we little men do walk under their huge legs and peep about to find ourselves Dishonorable graves and all this is because we've left off faith Let a man believe that God has called him to a mission let him say forward in God's name and that man will tell upon his times and carve his name in the rock of ages and Leave memorials behind him when angels shall gaze upon while the names of emperors and kings are swept into oblivion Folks the implications clear God's looking for those people who trust him don't lean on their own self The whole thing is just designed to to lay bare our human helplessness brethren We are grasshoppers But we can be grasshoppers. We are we can be empowered by the God we have to be giant slayers What are the giants that lay before us brother we need to think big we need to pray big Why because we have a big God, I mean look around what do you see? I asked myself this question. Is this all that Christ shed his blood for is this all that the mighty? Spirit that we did stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high and we see what happened to these people clothed in the power of the Spirit and they're released into the land and they go out and among the Gentiles and all over and they Turn the world upside down. Oh brethren Reform men can get we get to the place where just it's a kind of reformed guy get through Sunday and listen to another good sermon But brethren, we come together because we're supposed to be equipped for the work of ministry. Yes, we want the good sermons All we want them Oh, all we want is to see how big our God is We want to see how big his Christ is how big the cross is what's been accomplished here? And there's the world set before us Have we not been called to be a people to advance a people to go forward a people onward? Is this really the fullness of God's work? I mean I you know what ruby and I Quite honestly and all the places i've traveled in the world. I have I I will say Not that it's not forced out of me by any measure Your country is one of the most beautiful places that i've ever seen in my life. We've traveled the lakes. We've traveled the peaks It I mean you've seen the mighty oceans off the shores And it's impressive But brethren in creation We see that what we don't want is when it comes to the church And it's kind of littleness little little little is what describes what we see Oh brethren, I hope you detest the idea of that. Oh, how is littleness just spam? I'm, you know what ruby and I went down to the bristol and we saw muller's homes and it's just like whoa What uh, what am I doing? What am I doing with my life? Where are we going? What are we doing? What are we accomplishing because it's all for god's glory I mean muller said god can do this I want to show the world and you see the size of those orphan houses and it just makes me feel like Littleness is just stamped on everything that we're involved with that. We do all god I mean it just needs to be a little leashing Spurgeon said this I'm inclined to think that until we see some great and daring deed attempted some great Marvelous thing done for christ. We shall not see the glory of the lord revealed So that all flesh shall see it together What are we doing here? All of us cooped up on this little island all of us living in england The word lieth in the wicked one How is it our hearts beat not for the heathen? Brethren has god not told us to go What would we do if we would have faith? What would we do? if we would Had the hearts of thadab and joshua we can take those giants. Oh, we live so much on things seeing that we become paralyzed Oh church ledgers bank accounts They paralyze us You say young man I desire for the old men So often young men god does new things to young people You see young warrior God prompts you to dash out into the thick of the battle somewhere I just say to you remember the dead giants We can say where to you go lieth when god's in our camp Do you really do we believe it do we believe it? Only dare it Have you ever found that that god is not greater yet than our daring that god who? Specifically told us that he's able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we think According to the power at work within us It's not just he's talking there about god's general power. It's his power in us That's that's the whole point. It's him. It's working through us brethren By faith this power can be unleashed God you ever noticed god loves to be trusted Yes Yes, we can be like the king of all who said you know what our enemies are great lord We don't know what to do. We don't have any strength. We're we're clueless here. Our eyes are set upon you Have you ever noticed that when you get in that kind of situation the victory is is there it's coming We what we don't want is a little hardship a little difficulty a little danger and we just Slink back into this ignoble sloth and slow death Oh that we would rise to the glory of believing brethren There is an advance advance advance, even if you're older in years, even if your health is declining Can we not take to it? Oh, I I ask you you that are older you that feel like your health can't take you Brethren become more the prayer warrior fight on your knees I ask god to wake you up in the midday of night pray find out where the men are who are Going forth who are out there on the front lines who are doing things like mueller did find those people and pray Oh, I can't I cannot tell you how when through my life ruby's life when we come across people that tell us And we we had a brother over here in england and he had our picture on his mantle. He said we pray for you every day That is so precious that is more precious than gold and silver and so Whatever part we have to play i'm saying a few more rolling stones at most this race is over folks And we we just we don't want to waste our life There are giants in the land and we don't want to be paralyzed by them because our god is big We need to see what the world cannot see our god is big and his promises are big the giants are big But it all that is is comparative what do I need a god who creates the universe with a word They're his creations He can squash him in a moment. He can give the skill of david's arm. I mean you ever tried to sling a rock If I was out there against that guy, I mean i'd probably hit myself in my in the head it's like being able to sling a rock and hit him and But when god's with you advance advance advance Our time is short. This is all for our instruction God wants us to trust him