Sermon Tone Analysis

Several years ago there was a flight on a 4-engine jet plane.

It was going to be a lengthy flight and the pilot encouraged the passengers to relax and enjoy the flight.

Not long into the flight, the co-pilot came on the intercom and said, 'Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, we have lost power on our number 2 engine but don’t worry we have 3 engines and can fly with no problem.

We’ll just be about an hour late arriving.

Sorry for the delay.'

An hour later the pilot came on the intercom and said: 'Well, folks, we have hate to inform you but we just lost power in our number 4 engine.

But nothing to worry about, we still have two engines that work and we’ll be fine.

Sorry for the delay again but it we will be at least two hours late to our destination now.'

A short time later, the now nervous co-pilot announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to inform you, but we have lost our number 1 engine.

Now our plane is built to fly on just one engine.

However, we are projecting a three-hour delay to our destination.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience."

Now with a fearful and extremely nervous cabin now coming to life, one passenger shouted, "If we lose that last engine, we are going to be up here all day."

Oh my!

I’ve been preaching on FACING THE GIANT OF FEAR over the past 7 weeks and we’ve looked at several different ways to overcome them!

Today as I conclude this series, I want us to focus on 1 more way to overcome the Giants of Fear in your life.

Turn with me to Numbers 13:1-3 , 25-33 …read...

So Moses selected 12 men – 1 from each Tribe of Israel.

I want you to notice…

1. THE CHARGE GIVEN.

(Numbers 13:1-3, 17-23)

- Go spy out the land (Numbers 13:17-20 )

1) See what kind of land it is.

2) See what the people are like who inhabit it.

3) Bring back some of the produce

- They completed the mission (Numbers 13:21-24 )

TS – Next I want you to notice…

2. THE REPORT PRESENTED.

(Numbers 13:25-33)

1 The positive

- Affirmed indeed the goodness of the land - a land flowing with milk and honey!

2 The negative

- Giving way to the positive was the negative – no longer did they point to plenty but to people – no longer to joy but to fear!

- They described the cities as inaccessible, impregnable – said the cities were beyond reach of the people.

- The listing of all the nations there were another reason for terror.

- At this point their words became exaggerations/distortions.

- It’s interesting/significant how the 10 spies identified Canaan: as “the land to which you sent us” (Num.

13:27) and “the land through which we have gone” (v.

32), but not as “the land the Lord our God is giving us.”

3 The assessment: (Numbers 13:30-33 )

(1) 2 said “Let’s go!”

(2) 10 said “No way Hosea!”

- No way we can overcome – these men were walking by sight and did not believe God’s promises!

- They looked at the land and saw GIANTS!

– looked at the cities and saw high walls/locked gates – looked at themselves and saw grasshoppers!

- What were they saying?

God isn’t sufficient to complete the task – conquer the land.

- What a state of denial of the power of God and presence of God!

- What had God just done in delivering them from Egypt and the mighty hand of Pharaoh?

Conclusion

What was the problem?

The 10 spies didn’t understand that their God was bigger and greater than any stinking giants!

Absolutely amazing since these guys had seen the power their God had just recently displayed – dramatically, gloriously, magnificently when He delivered them from Pharaoh!

We do the same thing don’t we?

The giants of fear come – the fear of disease, sickness, losing your job, not being able to make it financially, a relationship, dying, loneliness, failure, uncertainty about your future, conflict, making decisions, rejection, losing your most important relationships, success – and you/I fall into the same plight of the 10 spies!

You become focused upon the GIANT(S) and not GOD!

Need to be more like the 2 spies Joshua and Caleb!

They spied out the land – they saw the giants – but they didn’t focus on the giants – they focused on God!!!

You have to do the same!

Get your eyes off your GIANTS – THE ONE’S THAT FILL YOU WITH FEAR! AND GET YOUR EYES FIXED/FASTENED ON GOD!!! Heb.

12:2 !!! 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And build into the fabric of your life the principles we’ve covered in this sermon series…and you will overcome the GIANT OF FEAR!

Video: Faith over Fear