Without Faith
“Without Faith”
TEXT: Numbers 13/14
INTRO:
I learned this event growing up by singing it. “Twelve men went to spy in Canaan/ Ten were bad and two were good!/ What do you think they saw in Canaan/ Ten were bad and two were good!/ Some saw giants big and strong/ Some saw grapes with clusters long/ Some saw God was in it all/ Ten were bad and two were good.”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you said to yourself, “It can’t be done.” And then somebody does it.
The people of Israel were waiting for a report from the 12 spies that Moses sent to into the land of Canaan. When we read about the plan, it makes sense.
God said he would give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. He tells Moses to send spies to the land he was giving them.
I suspect that Moses, and the people, expected to hear something like this:
“No problem. We can take it. It’s like taking candy from a baby. Easy as pie.”
And the first part of the report sounded good. 10 of the spies said, “this place is nice! It is definitely a land flowing with milk and honey. Here’s some of the fruit we took from there. Look at this stuff! But…”
And then every ear leaned forward just a bit.
Every eye was fixed on these men.
“But there is no way we can just walk in there and take over the land. Do you know who’s there? There’s no way we can do this.”
What if the people and Moses at that point said, “Ok, well it was a good thought.”
What if they just gave up.
Well, they did. The facts were the facts. No arguing about it.
Maybe God meant another Canaan. Maybe we’re at the wrong place.
But then Caleb stands up and says, “Ok, let’s go.”
“Maybe you didn’t just hear the report. You’re obviously not that bright young man. You see, 10 men said this isn’t possible. Weren’t you there? You saw the same things. It was a nice idea, but it ain’t gonna work.”
One of the ten men added to their disappointment. vs. 31
I sense at this point that Joshua, whose name means “God is my salvation”, was getting a bit upset. As he listened, he must have thought, “Where is our faith?”
And so he speaks up. Numbers 14:8-9
How did the people respond to this?
“You’re with Caleb on this? What are trying to do…get us all killed?”
Someone in the audience yells out, “Let’s stone them!”
And then, God appeared.
And he punished the people for their unbelief. Deuteronomy 1:34-2:1
Without faith, they were not going to get to the promised land.
They were punished for this.
I wonder today, how many times Christians have lost the blessing of God.
They have stood right in front of the blessing, but they were unable to obtain it.
I wonder for us today, as this body of believers, will we have the faith to listen to God or will we listen to the reports of those who say it can’t be done.
"Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But he with a chuckle replied "maybe it couldn’t", but he would be one who wouldn’t say so till he tried.So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin on his face.
If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done - and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that; at least no one ever has done it"
But he took off his coat and he took of his hat, and the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin, without any doubting he dove right in,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out - one by one - the dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it.
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing that "cannot be done," and you’ll do it."
This has got to be the attitude of the church today.
If God has led us to a place that looks like it cannot be crossed, then God is telling us to step out in faith, and then and only then, will we cross.
God waits for his church to say, “We can’t do it…without you.”
There are points in our lives where we face the impossible.
But we serve a God who specializes in the impossible.
Jesus has just finished a discussion with a young man who was rich.
In this discussion, the young man wanted to know how he might inherit eternal life.
Jesus tells him the one thing that he lacks in order to do this, that was to follow him.
The young man goes away with a heavy heart, and Jesus turns to his disciples and says this Mark 10:23-27
With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
It is only through the eyes of faith, that we will see this.
Illus. > I can’t see you…
One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, “Jump! I’ll catch you.” He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: “Jump! I will catch you.”
But the boy protested, “Daddy, I can’t see you.” The father replied, “But I can see you and that’s all that matters.” Source unknown
2008 will be a turning point for this church. Without faith, will we be forced to turn around and wander like the Israelites?
The writer of Hebrews lowers the truth when he says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6
He rewards those who seek him.
Though the way may often be unclear, for those who have faith in God, eventually it will become clear, if they have faith.
When budgets, buildings and barriers stand in our way, let us have a faith that says, “it seems impossible, but with God, we can do it.” Let us have a faith like Caleb and Joshua that knows no bounds to what our God can do.
CLOSING:
O for a faith that will not shrink,
‘Tho pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!
That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God;
A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt. - William H. Bathurst, 1831