Beyond the Inheritance

Introduction:

Contemporary need

What is your responsibility as a child of God?

Since Jesus Christ has already won the victory over sin, Satan, and the world — what do I need to believe and do?

Since I am an inheritor of eternal life, of God’s Holy Spirit, of an adopted status through Christ, what more is expected of me?

These three questions are designed to get us to think about the “what now?” of the Christian life.

Some followers of Jesus Christ are apparently confused today. The confusion is one regarding an honest evaluation of their status and the resulting responsibility which they have. There are Christian teens today who are wasting significant amounts of their life with an average of 3 - 4 hours of gaming or screen time daily. The term for this is “screen-agers.” The screen has become the ultimate source of pleasure.

There are believing career professionals who are giving what little flexible time they have to moving up the corporate ladder. Some of these Christian professionals have been confused by the lust for more money. Others have been lured by the lust for more pleasure for which they need more money.

There are Christian parents of babies who joyfully have a desire for their children to grow up and love Jesus but who are making decisions which devalue the lordship of Jesus and supremely value the lordship of God’s gifts. Consequently, there is a supremacy of biological family but not the supremacy of Christological family in their hearts and lives.

There are empty nesters and retirees who penny pinch for the next get away, but who seem to be confused about their status in Christ and the ongoing responsibility they have.

Then, there are those of you are not confused at all. You know that you have been adopted into the family of God, and you know what your ongoing responsibility is. You are increasing in faith and work.

But in each of the confused cases I just mentioned above, it is not that you and I don’t love the Lord or that we don’t want Him to be glorified. The problem is deeper. In the depths of our heart, we know that we are inheritors of eternal life, but we are confused about what my status really means right now and how this reality should manifest itself in every stage of my life upon this earth. I would say that the confusion is not necessarily intentional but really an area in which all of us need to grow.

Transition:

The passage before us seems to be one which may seem completely irrelevant to us but it actually helps Israel to take a closer look at the inheritance by giving details, but the passage also serves to show Israel their responsibilities as inheritors. It is a passage that serves to give clarity to God’s people about the details of inheritance and the responsibility they have moving forward.

Kid’s Pause

Map

Statement: Children of God have ongoing responsibilities to God.

Theme Stmt:

The LORD gives concrete inheritance, but there is more the LORD wants his people to possess.

Body:

(1) v. 1 - 12 Evaluate the concrete inheritance

(a) It was a prioritized inheritance (Judah)

This passage shows us the priority of Judah as a tribe by giving them the first allotment in Canaan. This prioritization connects us backwards and forwards in the Bible to the Genesis 49:10 blessing of Jacob upon his sons.

Genesis 49:10 KJV 1900

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

It connects us forwards to King David who came through this lineage. So, these connections are prioritizing something greater — the faithfulness and integrity of God. The LORD is truthful and unchanging. He keeps His covenant. This is the real story of Judah being first — that God keeps His word.

(b) It was a land inheritance (borders)

Secondly, the inheritance includes a lot of borders. These borders are designed to demarcate the place where God’s people would dwell with God. It would be another kind of Garden of Eden, where God’s people would have the presence of God.

Kid’s Pause

Map

Statement: What we are reading about is a real place on the earth.

(c) It was a concrete inheritance

Lastly, it was a concrete inheritance as opposed to an abstract inheritance. The writer wants the people to know that these are real places with real people.

Illustration:

The newer Monopoly game does not have paper money, which we all know does not have the same worth as real currency. Rather, the new Monopoly has credit cards that you slide into a machine, and each player begins with 2 million dollars in his/her account. As adults we know that this is merely a game. At the end of the game, you don’t really have millions of dollars. We put the game away and then go on living real lives, yet many of us seem to treat the Christian life like it is a game of Monopoly. We make real, sacrificial decisions about our time, our money, our family when it comes to “real” life; but when it comes to the spiritual life, it’s just like the game of Monopoly.

Part of the confusion that Christians have is that they live their lives in a compartmental fashion - like there is the spiritual part of their life and the physical part of their life. A passage like this helps to clear up the confusion because it shows us that God does real activity with real places and real people.

Kid’s Pause

Map

Statement: Believing on Jesus Christ is not just about where I get to go in the future. Believing on Jesus Christ changes my life right now here on the earth.

Thus, we should not see salvation as something that just impacts the invisible realm. The salvation we have received has begun a new creation work that one day will be visibly evident with a new Heaven and a new Earth; but the impact is not just about the “there and then”. The salvation we have received should be visibly and physically evident within our families, our churches, our jobs, our entertainments, but this is precisely where the confusion lies. We are not quite sure what this looks like?

How does an invisible inheritance become visible right now?

For that, let’s look at the rest of the chapter.

(2) v. 13 - 63 Earnestly seek more inheritance

(a) Caleb expands the borders (v. 13-14)

Caleb expands the borders by defeating the giants. By expanding the borders, what I mean is that the place where God was previously NOT being worshipped is now under the dominion of God’s people. He has expanded the borders of the worship of the one true God.

(b) Caleb offers the gift of His daughter in marriage (v. 15 - 17)

An interesting exchange happens here between Caleb, Othniel, and Caleb’s daughter Achsah. The exchange includes several events: (1) there is more border expansion that is needed (2) there is a gift for border expansion (3) the gift is Caleb’s daughter.

This is hard for us to understand in a culture that is so sensitive to women’s rights, but I want you to see how significant this is. To give Othniel a piece of land if he conquers it is a big deal — it established Othniel in a place for the rest of his life. But to give him a wife so that they could be fruitful and multiply presented Othniel the opportunity to maintain this inheritance from generation to generation in his family. You see, it is one thing to sign a lease, but it is another thing to receive the deed that could be passed down in the will from generation to generation. Othniel was receiving the privilege of an ongoing heritage.

Secondly, Achsah is the wife who is a gift. The gifting of this wife reminds us how God accomplish the first marriage — God brought the woman unto the man. Marriage is a good thing and to be honored by God’s people. He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord.

Marriage is not easy, but a perspective of marriage as a gift should cause us to desire to battle for the integrity of our marriages.

(c) Caleb's daughter asks and receives the blessing (v. 18-19)

Achsah’s request is for a blessing. It is a practical blessing — to receive springs of water for the dry, arid Negev land she’d received. Her father Caleb gives her the blessing, and he gives more than just her request.

Slide/Theme:

Asking & Receiving Blessing from the Father

This theme of asking of the Father and receiving from the Father is beautiful. It is a theme that we see continued in Psalms like Psalm 2:7-8 in a conversation between the LORD and his Son.

Psalm 2:7–8 KJV 1900

7 I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Slide/Theme:

Asking & Receiving Blessing from the Father in Jesus Christ

We see this theme most evidently manifested in the life of Jesus Christ in multiple instances, but one key instance that I want to point out is found in Luke 11:1-4, 9 - 13

Luke 11:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Slide/Theme:

Asking & Receiving Blessing from the Father Luke 11:9-13

Luke 11:9–13 KJV 1900

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Here, we see that Jesus is not only the Son but there are other sons of God whom Jesus is instructing in the matter of prayer. This matter of prayer was regarding the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed them to pray that their Father would give them the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit.

Luke continues the story of the children/disciples in Acts 1:14 where they are continuing in prayer.

Acts 1:14 KJV 1900

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Slide/Theme:

The Father gives the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ Followers

It is not long after this that we see the answer to their prayers. In Acts 2:1-4. The Father did give the Holy Spirit. What a gift! Both the asking and the receiving was done.

Acts 2:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This blessing of God’s Spirit is received by faith in Christ when an individual is redeemed — meaning, when an individual believes on Jesus Christ alone as the sufficient, substitution for his/her sin payment and receives Jesus as Lord. Galatians 3:13-14

Galatians 3:13–14 KJV 1900

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The story of Caleb’s daughter asking her Father is really a glimpse to the greater relationship which we have with our heavenly Father. Our Father in Heaven has saved us from our sins, adopted us into His family. When we ask anything according to His will — He will perform it. He delights to perform it.

But this leads us to an obvious question and the point of the message. If I have already inherited the Holy Spirit, if I am already a child of God, if Jesus is already victorious, what is my responsibility as a teenager, a single, a young parent, an empty nester or retiree?

This is where the rest of Joshua 15 is instructive for us.

(d) Judah possesses much but not all (v. 20 - 63)

The rest of the chapter gives both detail and breadth. The detail is seen in the name of each city and every village. The breadth is seen when the writer gives sums of the villages. Note: Joshua 15:32, 36, 41, 44,51,54,57,59,60,62.

In spite of the detail and breadth, the final verse confirms our suspicions. Our suspicion is to wonder if victorious people have anything left to do, and the final verse (Joshua 15:63) confirms that there is more to be done.

Illustration: There is the story told of an unbelieving, unsaved man who was tremendously successful in his industry. He was so successful that he did not enough room to store all of his goods, so he decided to upgrade. He upgraded! One fateful evening, this successful man said to himself, “Self, you have many things laid up for many years. Take some time off. Eat. Drink. Be merry.” It was on that fateful not, as the story goes, that God said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou has provided.” - Luke 12

This is not too uncommon for believers today, but with a slight variation. Christians today know that they are saved and have received the inheritance of God’s eternal Spirit and eternal life.

Here is the confusion that I find with some Christians today — a confusion about what their inheritance means for their responsibility. Our idea of inheritance is that we get something so that we can relax by the pool and not have any cares in the world. This is not at all the truth that the scripture sets forth.

SLIDE: As inheritors, we have been blessed because there is more border expansion that must be accomplished. There are people who do not know the true God. There is more territory that needs to be acquired, and the LORD has allowed us to be part of his kingdom expansion plan. Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

For the screen-agers, this means that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the screen is a means to accomplish an end.

For the single, the motto, “I am single and free to live how I want” is not your motto. Your singleness is a means to an end.

For the young parent, you received the gift of your child as a means to an end.

For the empty nester/retiree, this stage of your life is a means to an end.

The end is the expansion of God’s kingdom where He alone is worshiped through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.

Conclusion:

Goal:

To honestly evaluate the inheritance we've received and to earnestly seek more.

Concrete examples:

Jesus is real. His salvation is real. Receive Him today.

Pray for God to give the blessing of repentance and faith to those with whom you come in contact.

Ask God’s forgiveness for times when you have squandered the inheritance because of God’s good gifts.

Make a list of your current activities and then list ways in which those activities can be used for God’s kingdom expansion.

Be committed to God’s kingdom expansion community - the church. Do not look at you to see if the community can use you. See if there is a plan in which the community is committed and find your place within it.

Be concrete in your responses - adjust your schedule, give more, give out tracts, converse with fellow believers, make the phone calls, send the text messages…etc

To inheritance and beyond!