Stop Being a Grasshopper: See Yourself as God Sees You

Alrighty, done. Last week, I preached on this title, Go and Live in the Power

of It is Finished, to Taylor Stye.

There you go. This week, very similar, and it is Go and See Yourself in God's Eyes.

So as we leave here today, I want us to walk out of here, and I want to encourage

you to see yourself as God sees you.

You will not see yourself in a better way. I can assure you of that.

So let me read the word of God as we start this morning.

Numbers 13 and verse 33 says, we even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak.

Next to them, we felt like grasshoppers and that's what they felt too.

Now, let me start this morning by asking you a question that might hit home for many of us.

Here's the question. Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought,

I'm really not good enough?

A bit of honesty this morning. Anyone thought that? Yep.

Have you ever faced an opportunity perhaps that God has placed in front of view

and allowed fear or self-doubt or insecurity to whisper louder than the promises of God.

Who's ever done that? I think we've all done that, haven't we?

But in Numbers 13, 33, we actually, a similar situation, we find the Israelites

standing on the edge of God's promise.

Now, God's promise to the Israelites was that he was giving them the land of Canaan.

But when they sent 12 spies into the land, 10 came back with a distorted perspective.

They said, next to them, we felt like grasshoppers. And that's what they thought too.

Now, these words are not just descriptive.

They are also deeply prophetic of a problem that actually still haunts us today.

Spiritual inferiority and misplaced identity.

That's why I've called this sermon this morning, Go and See Yourself Through God's Eyes.

Okay. The tragedy of the church today, I believe, is that too many believers

are living like grasshoppers in their own eyes.

When God has already called and anointed them to walk as giants of faith. Yes.

Well, it's time to stop thinking like that.

It's time to stop shrinking back. It's time to stop living small.

It's time to stop calling yourself what God has never called you.

You're not a grasshopper.

Thank goodness. You're more than a conqueror to God.

You are more than a conqueror. You are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

We need to start seeing ourselves like that And through him,

you can face any giant and take hold of every promise in your life.

We need to see beyond the giants by knowing who sent us.

Let's read that again. Numbers 13, 33. We even saw giants there,

the descendants of Anak.

Next to them, we felt like grasshoppers, and that's what they thought too.

Now see this with me. The Hebrew word here for giants is Nephilim,

which conveys the idea of mighty warriors or those who fall upon others.

These men were known for their size and their strength. But notice what the Israelites say.

They say, next to them, we felt like grasshoppers.

Now, what's the point here? the real issue was not the giants.

It was how the Israelites viewed themselves.

Did you hear that? The problem's not the giants.

The problem is how the Israelites saw themselves or viewed themselves.

In Exodus 3 verse 14, God replied to Moses saying, I am who I am.

Exodus 3:14

Say this to the people of Israel. I am, I am has sent me to you.

When Moses doubted, God didn't build up Moses' self-esteem.

He reminded him of who he was.

He was more than a conqueror.

God was saying, it's not about who you are, it's about who I am and who I see you as.

Christine Kane, who's heard of Christine Kane, an Australian creature and teacher, she says,

she's been quoted as saying this, sometimes when you're in a dark place,

you think you've been buried, but you've actually been planted. Grow.

I love that. This is a powerful truth.

So often we mistake the darkness of our trials, the darkness of the injustice

that Angela was talking about as the end of our story, when in fact,

it's actually the beginning of a transformation that's occurring.

As seed in the soil is hidden, but it's certainly not hopeless.

It's surrounded by darkness, but not abandoned by God.

The soil may feel like a grave, but in God's hands, the soil is a garden.

Grow. So don't despair in the darkness.

Lift your eyes to the sun because your season of growth is on the way. Amen?

Imagine a child. Let's talk about children again. Angela spoke about newborn babies.

I'm going to talk about school-age children now. So imagine a child who's feeling

afraid to go to school by themselves, okay?

But when a loving parent takes hold of the hand of that child,

suddenly, more often than not, the fear melts away.

The giants have disappeared.

Sorry, the giants haven't disappeared, but the presence of someone greater,

the parent holding a hand, changes everything.

If you only look at the giants in your life, you'll feel small.

There's no doubt about it. But if you focus on the God who sends you,

you stand tall in strength.

We need to stop measuring ourselves, stop measuring our future by the size of the problem.

Measure it by the power of God. That's what we need to do.

We need to reject the grasshopper identity, and we need to embrace a kingdom

identity, because that's who we are in God.

Judges 6 verse 12 says, The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said,

Judges 6:12

Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.

The New King James Version puts it this way.

It says, and the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said,

the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.

You mighty men of valor. You mighty people of valor.

Gideon was hiding in fear. This is who God was talking to.

Gideon was hiding in fear, but the angel didn't say, hey, coward, what are you doing?

He spoke to Gideon as an identity in God.

God always calls us according to what he sees and not what we fear.

We are mighty men of valor. Romans 8.37 says, no, despite all these things,

overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us.

Now notice there, Paul doesn't say we might win.

He says we are overwhelming victors in Christ.

He says we are more than conquerors through Christ.

Louis Giglio, who's heard of Louis Giglio. There's a few quotes I'm giving you this morning.

It says this, Louis says this, God's plans for you are better than your dreams for yourself.

Your true identity is found in him, not in your fear and not in your past.

That speaks the truth that echoes the very heart of God's word.

God's plans for you are better than your dreams for yourself.

I've preached about this not long ago and I quoted Jeremiah 29 11 which says

for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord they are plans for good and

not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.

You may have dreams in your life. Who's got dreams? Who's got dreams?

Yeah, everyone's got dreams.

But God's blueprint for your life is far greater than anything your heart could ever imagine or dream.

God's plans are so much bigger. And hear this, your true identity is not rooted

in your fear or your failure or your past,

but your true identity is Christ alone. Is Christ alone.

Don't stay trapped by the echoes of yesterday.

Rise and live anchored in the eternal truth of who God says you are today.

Who's got a $50 note on them? Anyone got a $50? Actually, there's probably one

right in here for me. Go in here.

Now, $50 note. If I crumple it up, screw it up, and throw it on the ground like

that, that crumpled piece of paper, that crumpled $50 note lying on the floor

there, How much is it still worth?

It's still worth $50, even though it's crumpled up and it's lying on the floor.

I'm going to pick that up and straighten it up and put it back into God's offering.

So, yeah, do you get my point? A $50 note that is crumpled or stained doesn't lose its value.

And you, child of God, have not

lost your worth either because of past failures, battles, or fear. Amen?

Yeah, that's a good point, that one. Good preaching, Tim. Yeah, yeah.

Stop calling yourself what your past has labeled you.

Stop agreeing with fear's narrative over your life. You are a child of the King.

You are chosen. You are redeemed. You're called and you are anointed.

We need to receive that. And we need to walk out of here knowing that's what God thinks of us.

So faith sees a promise, not just a problem.

Let's read more about these 12 spies that went into Canaan.

Numbers 14, verses 6 to 9, two of the men who had explored the land,

Numbers 14:6–9

Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh.

We've got a Joshua and a Caleb right here this morning, very close to each other, right there.

Where am I? Tore their clothing. Caleb. No, no, not Caleb.

Helm, sorry. Caleb, they'd probably say meaning, you know, probably.

I hate that.

So Joshua, son of Nun, and Callum, son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.

They said to all the people of Israel, the land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land.

And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into the land and give it all to us.

It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord

and don't be afraid of the people in the land.

They are only helpless prey to us.

They are only helpless prey to us. They have no protection, but the Lord is with us.

Don't be afraid of them. Notice that Joshua and Caleb didn't deny the existence of giants.

They just had faith in a greater reality, God's presence.

Okay. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 7, for we live by believing and not by seeing.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Let's talk about faith for a little while. Okay.

Faith walks forward even when sight says to us, turn back. Okay.

Faith steps into the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. go.

Faith slings a stone at a giant, just like David did.

Faith builds an ark before rain has ever fallen, like Noah.

Faith leaves home, not knowing where to go, like Abraham.

Faith stretches out a rod and sees the Red Sea split, like Moses. This is faith.

Faith circles the walls of Jericho until they fall flat.

Faith reaches through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus' garment.

Faith tears open a roof to lower a friend before Jesus.

Faith walks on water when Jesus says, come.

Faith stands at an empty tomb and believes the words of the risen Lord.

That's all faith, because in the end, faith is not just a principle, it's a person.

Faith is Christ in us, the hope of glory. That's faith in our lives.

Fear has a way of exposing the cracks in our faith, however.

What you fear the most actually reveals perhaps where you trust God the least.

Okay? If you fear for your future, it may be because you haven't fully trusted him with your plans.

If you fear lack in your life, it may be because you haven't trusted God as your provider.

If you fear rejection in your life, it may be because you haven't trusted God's

unconditional love for you.

Fear points us to the very area where God is inviting us deeper into faith.

Yeah, that will work. That will work.

That's a powerful and deeply convicting statement. If it cuts to the heart,

it cuts to the heart, that statement, doesn't it?

It cuts to the heart that fear points to a very area where God is inviting us

into deeper faith. Because if we're honest, and if we're honest,

fear often exposes cracks in our faith.

The places where anxiety rises, where we hesitate to step out,

where we cling to control, those are the very areas where our trust in God hasn't taken root.

I challenge you to look at fear not as a weakness to hide in,

but as a diagnostic tool that reveals the corners of our heart still in need of surrender.

When we fear for our finances, perhaps we've not fully trusted Jehovah Jireh,

our provider. I love that song.

When we fear our future maybe we've not fully embraced the one who declares

I know the plans I have for you,

When we fear failure, we're trusting more in our own performance than God's grace.

So instead of letting fear paralyze us, let it drive us deeper into trust, trust in God.

Let every fear become an invitation to draw nearer to the Father who walked

bolder in his promises and to rest more fully in his unfailing love.

There's a story about a tightrope walker, you know, the tightrope walkers, you know them.

And his name was Charles Blondin, and he actually crossed a tightrope spread

across Niagara Falls. Who's ever been to Niagara Falls?

You've been to Niagara Falls, haven't you, Shelley? You've been everywhere, Shelley.

So he stretched a tightrope across Niagara Falls, and he would cross it on this tightrope.

But once he carried a man on his back across the rope, across the tightrope,

yeah, and Blondin, before he did this, Blondin asked, do you believe that I can do this?

And the man replied, yeah, and Blondin replied, then get on.

It's faith. Don't just speak out what you believe, but actually do it.

Do it. If you trust, then get on. That's faith.

Saying yes is not enough. You need to get on board. I don't think I would though.

What giants are you facing today in your life? Okay. Time for some self-examination.

What giants are you facing in your life?

Perhaps is there financial burden?

Is there health crises?

Is there a prodigal child in your life? A calling that perhaps you feel unworthy of?

Don't let fear be greater than God's word.

Step forward in faith, not because the road is easy, but because the God who

walks with you is faithful.

Josh, come on up. So every battle in the Old Testament points forward to the

ultimate victory we find in Christ.

The greatest giant of all was sin and death, but guess who conquered sin and death? Jesus himself.

Colossians 2 verse 15 says this, in this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.

Colossians 2:15

He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Hallelujah.

Praise Jesus. The cross looked like the end, but it was actually the beginning.

The cross looked like weakness, but it was actually God's power and God's control.

The cross looked like darkness, but it was the dawning of the light.

And the cross looked like defeat, but it was actually, in fact, divine triumph.

Jesus was fully God and fully man.

And he took the weight of our sin. He died, was buried, and on the third day he rose in victory.

Church, because of Jesus, we're not grasshoppers. We are children of the resurrected

God, the resurrected son.

We are children of God.

I'm calling you into action today.

I want us to live in God's perspective.

Go and stop agreeing with the enemy's lies.

Go and renew your mind in God's truth.

Go and speak to the giant, not about the giant. speak directly to the giant.

Go and remember this important fact, God is with you.

If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, let today be the day.

The one who defeated death invites you to new life.

In Romans 10 verse 9, it says, if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and

Romans 10:9

believe in your heart that God raised you from the dead, you will be saved.

You don't need to fix the problem yourself. You just need to come to Jesus.

Say yes to him. Come as you are. He loves you too much to leave you there.

If you want to say yes to Jesus, then please come and speak to me after the service.

Please come and speak to me. But a final encouragement to everyone this morning.

We're going to go out and have morning tea in a little while,

but I want to finish with this.

Don't let the enemy define you.

Don't let fear confine you.

Don't let the past assign you. And don't let failure resign you.

You're not a grasshopper. You are God's chosen warriors.

God called to take ground and walk in victory.

So we're going to close now. We're going to have some morning tea and then in

a little while we're going to be going.

How do I want us to go this morning? I want us to go and see yourself through

God's eyes as you leave. Amen.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you.

Thank you, Father. You are our strength. You are our security.

You are our mighty God. You are the one who not only created us, but saved us.

You are the God who provides a way where there is no way.

You are a God who provides answers when through our eyes and our minds, we see no answers.

You are a God that sees us as more than conquerors.

You are the God who sees us as mighty men and women of valor.

Lord, help us to see ourselves like that.

Lord, as we go this week, as we walk out of this place and walk into the week

that will be, Lord, give us eyes to see ourselves as you see us.

As the hope of glory, Christ within us. Help us to see ourselves like that,

that we are more than conquerors,

that we are able to overcome whatever is in front of us because of the Father

that stands with us holding our hands.

And Lord, we thank you for that. We thank you for your son, Jesus,

who laid down his life so that we could do away with fear and sin.

We thank you for Jesus who not only laid his life down but rose from the dead.

As an incredible reward for us in living new life,

so we worship you God we thank you Lord that we can go this week and we can

see ourselves as you see us Lord God and we need to do that,

that we won't see the giants We won't just speak about the giants.

We will speak to the giants and tell them to get behind us where they've already been dealt with.

Whatever those giants are, get behind us. Whatever the giants are in your life, get behind.

You don't belong in the front. You belong behind.

Get behind me, Satan.

Get behind me. Because God sees me as a mighty conqueror. God sees me as a man

of faith who sees answers to every problem.

God sees me as a mighty man of valor.

And Lord, we worship you for that. We thank you, Father, that you've provided

a way where before there may not have been a way.

So we can go this week in the way of God, in the way of Jesus the Saviour,

and know that we will overcome. Come, in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Amen. Bless you. Happy Father's Day again.