Thoughts That Keep You Out, Part 1

Thoughts That Keep You Out Part 1 Date: 2021-02-21 by Pastor Mason Phillips Deuteronomy 6:23 NKJV Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. God is always in the process of bringing us out of something so that He can bring us into something new. Out of darkness and into the light (1 Peter 2:9). Out of the darkness and into the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1:13). Out of distress and into wide-open places (Job 36:6). Out of bondage and into the glorious liberty of the children of light (cf. Romans 8:21). Out of the pit and onto the Rock (cf. Psalms 40:2). Out of sorrow and into joy (Psalms 30:11). Out of the house of bondage and affliction and into the land of promise flowing with blessing (cf. Exodus 3:17). Out of the old and into the new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Out of sin and into righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Promises In Numbers 13:1–2 God tells Moses to choose men from the 12 tribes and send them to spy on the land that God was sending them to. He wants them to see that the land was as He promised it would be. Numbers 13:17–20 NKJV 17 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. Throughout the Scripture, and by the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us of His promises and His purposes. He tells us of good things to come (cf. John 16:13). He offers us the promise so that we will step towards Him in faith. It is the goodness of God which leads to a change of mind and a change of life (cf. Romans 2:4). What promises has God given to you? What prophetic words has He declared over your life? What things are you moving toward? What good things has the Spirit called you to so that you will let go of the bad ones? Because the children of Israel didn’t stand on the promises of God. That generation did not enter into the promised land. POINT 1: Stand on the promises. Remember what God has promised you, declare the word of God over your life, and set your focus on what God has said. Making gods of Giants Numbers 13:26–33 NKJV 26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are 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, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” The spies went into the land and saw that it was exactly as God had described it. It flowed with milk and honey and the fruit was abundant. They also saw something else, something that God didn’t tell them about. They saw giants. The truth is that there will always be giants —obstacles— between you and what God has for you. 1 Corinthians 10:13–14 MESSAGE 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. 14 So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can. Sometimes we wonder why we face challenges or difficulties or giants. Sometimes we think that because God was leading us toward His promise, the things that we are facing shouldn’t happen. But God knows there are giants in the way. God knows that there are things that would seek to keep you from His promise. There is a warning here with the promise: don’t get caught up in idolatry. Don’t make a god out of something that isn’t God. In the case of Israel, they elevated their giant above their God. Because the children of Israel made gods out of giants, there was a generation who wandered the wilderness and did not enter into the promised land. POINT 2: Don’t make gods out of giants. If you think your problem is bigger than God, it is. We Were Grasshoppers Numbers 13:33 NKJV There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Not only did they make gods of giants, they also thought less of themselves. Proverbs 23:6–8 NKJV 6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. They said, “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight.” They believed that they weren’t able to do what God had said that they could do. He told them that He would be with them and that they would possess the land. But they did not think they could do it. Then, because they believed that about themselves, they believed that others saw them the same way. And because of this, they did not enter into the promised land. POINT 3: Agree with God. You are who God says you are and can do what God says you can do. Conclusion God brought you out to bring you in. But the thoughts you have about yourself and the way you look at your problems can keep you out of what God has for you. Don’t make gods out of your giants. Don’t give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). Agree with God. Let your worth and identity be according to His word. You are who God says you are. You can do what God says you can do! Stand on the promises. It’s easy to look back. It’s easy to look at the problems or the failures or mistakes. Instead look forward to what God has promised you. Trust in Him. Stand on His word. God is good and He is faithful.