Sunday October 17, 2021
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INTRODUCTION: Today we’re going to talk about a story in the Old Testament that many of us are familiar with.
Before they were to enter the Promised Land Moses sent twelve spies, or scouts, to review the land before entering.
Now let’s read about their report they returned with.
Numbers 13:25-33 “At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. 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. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
When the spies came back their reports were contradictory! Ten men had a bad report and two had a good report.
Ten doubted God and two believed God!
Ten had a victim mentality and two had a victor mentality!
SADLY THE NATION OF ISRAEL LISTENED TO THE BAD REPORT AND TOOK ON A VICTIM MENTALITY AND THIS GENERATION MISSED THE PROMISED LAND!
THEY MISSED MOVING FORWARD. THEY MISSED NEXT LEVEL LIVING!
1. Recognize and Confront Doubt
Ignoring the giants is not what made their report evil or good. All twelve recognized the giants in the land.
Faith is not ignoring the obvious! Some people think if you recognize a problem situation, you are admitting doubt. THAT IS INCORRECT!
When David defeated Goliath (the giant) he didn’t do it by not recognizing the giant. He recognized Goliath and confronted him!
ALL TWELVE SPIES HAD FAITH!
But there was a difference! Ten had faith in the giants and two had faith in God!
Ten were giant-conscious and two were God conscious! They had a different way of thinking.
If you are giant-conscious you will run from your giants. If you are God-conscious you will confront your giants!
If you’re not confronting your giants, your giants are controlling you! IN YOUR THOUGHTS!
Ten spies came back moaning, “did you see the size of those giants?” Joshua and Caleb came back saying, “Did you see the size of those grapes?”
WHERE WAS THE DIFFERENCE? IN THEIR THOUGHTS!
TEN WERE VICTIMS WHO DOUBTED GOD!
TWO WERE VICTORS WHO BELIEVED GOD!
Recognize and confront the doubt!
2. Watch Your Words
Victims discuss their obstacles and victors talk about their opportunities.
Victims have a “slaveship” mentality and victors have a “Sonship” mentality!
YOU’RE WORDS REVEAL WHETHER YOU ARE VICTIM OR A VICTOR!
The ten spies said, “In our opinion, we are like grasshoppers. Even the giants think we are like grasshoppers.”
Proverbs 18:20,21 “From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
NOTICE THE WORDS COMING OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS
Numbers 14:1-4- “That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
3. Daily Cultivate the Mind of Christ
Matthew 6:11- “Give us today our daily bread.”
Say it out loud, I have the mind of Christ.
You’re not a grasshopper! Stop THINKING like one and living like one!
1Corinthians 2:16“……..But we have the mind of Christ.”
Quit magnifying your problems and quit exaggerating the power of the devil!
Start emphasizing the power of your God! Start testifying about the greatness of God, and what He is planning for today!
START PLANNING TOMORROW’S VICTORIES!
CONCLUSION: What’s the Holy Spirit saying to you today?