285 ~ TAKING THE LAND ~ PART 4

We welcome you to the Via Zion Sermon podcast.

We are a church based out of Chennai, India.

We are thrilled that you're tuned in today and hope that you

will be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear.

Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of

purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus.

The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess

our promise. We are believing that God is

bringing us into our place of promise.

It is now time to take the land and to do so we need to get our

spiritual posture and place and stop looking back so that we can

face forward with courage and faith.

Let's get going and possess our promise.

Good morning, Church. So let's just quickly say a word

of prayer as we get into the last part of the series, taking

the landlord. We thank you, Lord, for this

time. Lord, even as the series has

been so convicting, Lord Jesus, we many a times discount

ourselves time and again, Lord. And I pray, Lord, even as we

come to a conclusion of this and as you meditate on your word, I

pray if anyone is still having doubt, is still having fear, is

still having confusion in their hearts, I pray they'll be able

to come to a place of spending time with you in quietness.

They'll be able to realize that they need to take the land.

I pray that, Lord, we won't look for significance.

We won't look, Lord Jesus, for things that we can boast about.

But anything, Lord, that we do, we'll do it quietly.

As your children, Lord, we will learn to do it quietly because

You believe that You will lift us up at the right time.

You will come through at the right time.

And when Your promises comes true in our lives, I believe,

Lord, will be a blessing, just not for our time, but for

generations to come. I pray that as we meditate on

Your word, let it store something in US, Lord moving in

through US and You're most holy name we pray Amen.

Amen. I just want to quickly go

through the last three parts because last week we had a

couple of guest speakers here and I just wanted to refresh the

first part. We saw the ABC's of taking the

land. The A was arise, B was B bold, C

was on shoe on God's word. And the second part we saw we

need to unlearn to move forward. We also saw what circumcision of

our hearts look like that God constantly is wanting to remove

the dead parts of our heart so we can receive and be complete

in all that he's called us to do.

The third thing we saw is also shame is rolled over that no

longer are we walking in a previous identity, but shame is

no longer part of the identity that Jesus gives.

The third part we saw was deception, especially in the

when they finish the battle of Jericho and as they go.

We saw what deception happens and we saw that sin thrives in

hiddenness. We also saw that nothing good

grows in darkness. The second thing we saw, the

third part is sin thrives in compromises.

Then we also saw what the deception of the Gibeonites look

like. We believed, I mean, what we

see, we believe what we see, but deception brings us into wrong

alliances also. And as we go today, I will spend

some time with Joshua, but then I also want to go into the life

of Caleb because many a times we discount ourselves.

Like I can't be like that person.

How many of you have said that? How many of you even now feel

this Christian walk is only for a select few?

We all have that narrative in our hearts and in our lives.

But God's asking us today, even as we go through the life of

Caleb, I want us, I want us to be challenged to be like this is

what God's calling us to do. In fact, the entire Promised

Land were for 12 tribes. But Caleb got his portion.

And I believe many of us are in that same journey.

You know, we've been discounting it, but God's like looking in us

whether we'll be able to get that portion.

I believe, I think there's definitely if you look through

the entire year, so many things are tying in together.

So many things are tying in together.

And I believe as we meditate, God definitely reveals so many

things in US. Joshua chapter 12, verses 7 to

Joshua 12:7–8

8. This is what it says.

Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the

Israelites conquered on the West side of the Jordan from Balgarh

in the valley of Lebanon of Mount Hallaq, which rises about

Sia Joseph. I mean, Joshua gave their lands

as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their

tribal divisions. The lands included the Hill

Country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes,

the wilderness, and the Negev. These were the lands of the

Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Pedicites, Hivites, Jebusites.

They were the kings. And in fact, when you go Joshua

Joshua 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9, if you go, it'll go to verse 9.

Sorry, Joshua 12, verse 9, you'll see the next next verse

Joshua 12:9

they were the kings. OK, Next nine, Yeah, you'll see

that there's a tablet column of each of the king that they took.

And when they add up, there's totally 31 kings that Joshua had

fought and taken in his lifetime.

And it says here that Joshua gave their lands in verse 7 as

an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal

divisions. One of the beautiful things that

happens which I wanted to stress on is I don't know how many of

you came across as article or no, but our country on hold

India, you know when you go to the law tribunal offices or to

our courts, what are the number of cases that are actually there

land disputes? This is in 2014, I think there

was a census, there was an article that came out, 68% of

all cases in Indian courts were with regard to land, property.

So if that was in 2014, do you think it's increased or

decreased? Increased.

So which means as a country, as a nation, this is 1 area that we

are struggling in. If you see patterns, if you're

looking at patterns, this is 1 area struggling in the minute

someone in the family passes away, we've heard stories, our

own relatives are there probably even happening in our houses.

Probably we are also in between some kind of litigation, but

this is a beautiful culmination of promise being fulfilled.

What happens here is Moses gave, heard from God and gave the

instruction of how the land had to be split.

Joshua, who comes into position, doesn't take authority.

How many of you sometimes are waiting?

You know, you talk to some of these people who are doing

generational businesses. The Son will always have the

restlessness that the father's not changing as quick as the

times are right now. And he's like, we have to

change, we have to do this. And so he's wanting to change.

But here the clear instruction was given from God to Moses.

And where was Joshua? Most times when Moses was

listening to God, he was at the end of the tent or end of the

mountain. He was waiting there.

So he knew whatever word came from God was final.

So I pray and ask that when sometimes God will speak to you

directly like that, ask God, God if it's from you, help me to let

go. If you're saying Geshom, let go

of this, I'll let go. Geshom, stay on this.

I'll stay on because it's very important.

Because when you're talking about taking the land today,

God's not asking us about physical land.

We saw on the first part it's something to do with the

spiritually and so when we take God it is what what he's called

as. In fact, in Numbers 34 was 13.

It goes on to say Moses commanded the Israelites

assigned the land by lot as an inheritance.

The Lord has ordered that it will be given to the given to 9

1/2 tribes. In fact, if you look the when

Joshua split 9 1/2 tribes from the from the West of Jordan and

the east of Jordan had the rest 2 1/2 tribes, Joshua 14 versus 1

to 5. You can see over there in versus

2, it says the inheritance was assigned by Lot to 9 and half

tribes as a Lot had commanded through Moses.

Moses had granted the two and half tribes the other

inheritance east of the Jordan, but had not granted the Levites

and inheritance among the rest. It's interesting as we read

through this entire five books of the New Testament, God really

wanted his people, the Levite, the entire clan of Levites.

He said you don't get lands as you you'll be taken care of.

They went into houses, they got fields and I was as I was

meditating was interesting. The tribe that was appointed by

God, he solely wanted them to do what he was had assigned for

them to do. The only job was to go be at the

temple, do worship, do that wholeheartedly.

And so sometimes if you're in the crossroads today of what is

God asking you to do, remember he will also take care of you.

He will take care of you if if if it feels like a little bit of

stretching God's asking you to step in these places, do this

thing. He will take care of you. 900 of

tribes West of Jordan, 200 of tribes east of Jordan.

And we see that God takes care of his people.

And when we when we see this, there's this because I don't

know how many of you have noticed.

I'm starting to, I think or probably the people around me

are having all these conversations about succession

plan. Probably in offices you've had

this succession plan is when one person is leaving or especially

now in the Christian world or in the spaces that I'm moving,

pretty much all the older people, 25, at least around 65

heading to 70, they're transitioning into retirement

and the next set of leaders are rising and all are rising across

my age group. They're all moving into places

of and so they're talking about what does good succession

planning look like? But even here when we see one

thing, Moses, I mean one thing Joshua did is he wholeheartedly

did what God had commanded Moses to do.

There are some things that Joshua probably couldn't step

out and that's what we saw. He lacked courage.

God told don't be afraid, I am with you.

He said I will be with you everywhere you go.

So I believe today some of the things that even when we are

getting transitioned to do certain things, especially with

generations passing on something, what, what, what are

some of the things that were a cornerstone for your father and

mother should become a cornerstone for you eventually.

Make the main things the main things don't make the main

things the side things. What worked well for your

parents, pick it up, start using it.

If you know some things didn't work well course corrected in

your life and make the main things mean.

As I as I as I was reading through that, I realized the

reason Joshua knew who Moses got it from was very vital,

especially for those of you who are struggling with what some of

the things your parents have said.

I love God to walk in and through you so that you'll be

able to see the wisdom that comes through that.

I'm starting to see the wisdom that has come through some of

the older people that have talked into my life added he

also would have known right how God dealt with it.

He saw Moses following wholeheartedly and Joshua knew

he had to follow God wholeheartedly.

There was nothing that Joshua did half heartedly because he'd

seen so much. He was with Moses from the Egypt

all the way to the Red Sea, all the way to seeing God in the

mountain, the idolatry, then the whole 40 years.

He saw what Moses did was done wholly towards God.

So I pray that as we journey in this life, as we are in this

place of taking certain things in our lives, we will do it from

a place of wholeheartedly that we won't, we won't, we won't be

half hearted about it. You know, I know how many of

you, but when when I was in college over here, we were that

time staying in a room in T Nagar and there was this buy

outside us and he'll, he'll bring this thing.

And so usually, typically like how you stay in college, you

know, the first two weeks you'll blow your money, you know, and

that's when you'll go and eat wherever possible.

That time, that time, I don't know.

We used to go and there was this thing called US pizza back in

2002. Buy one, get 1.

You know, that's the places we'll go or we'll have all you

can eat offers. Typical college student life.

But then when we come to the last week, you're really

counting pennies. You know, even that time you

won't go and eat it that time. I think 2002 is when it Morgan

at least started in T Nagar And I remember we won't go.

We would go first week, second week, but third and 4th week

we'll be in eating from a like from a because that Italy was

more affordable for us. But I remember when we wanted to

eat lunch, we can't afford the biryani.

So we'll ask him for Kuska. What is that?

Biryani flavored rice? That's it.

You should imagine that there's a piece and eat it, you know.

And so I'm that is, and I feel a lot of us are operating like

that where we are half hearted. We are saying, Lord, yes, God, I

believe you're calling me to take the land.

But the minute I first see the first hurdle, everything's

empty. We think we've got the flavour

of Christianity, but we aren't Christian at all.

We have the flavour of Christ because we lift our hands and

say Christ is my firm foundation, but it's really

hollowing. So then I pray when God wants

us. That's the reason I think even

our healing has to be whole. A redemption has to be whole.

When we give our lives to Jesus, he doesn't save us part he

covers us completely. He just doesn't save us from

that addiction. He also goes to the root issue

of that he doesn't save, he doesn't heal us just in the tip

he moves into the whole area of that's why we've been asking

God, God take us back to original design.

We are we've been talking. We are me and Tina have been

talking God autoimmune diseases are running across and today

what is the first thing the doctor asks you when you go did

your does your mother have sugar?

Does your father have sugar? Does your mother's mother have

sugar? And then suddenly you realize

it's running across generations. But here we're saying, God, we

want to take control of that. Change it.

You can only change it in the DNA level.

Start asking what those things? And so if that's the healing,

when we move into spaces where God's calling us to take things,

if God's calling you to run an NGO, if God's calling you to

take in a walk into certain segments of society, you'll have

to do things wholeheartedly because you're going to start

changing things inside out. And that's what Joshua is

wholeheartedly is what you're completely immersed in it, fully

committed to it. You have no reservation and no

hesitation. You have no doubt in the one

who's called you to it. You are fully committed to it.

So today I want to encourage you, Moses and Joshua were

encouraged by God constantly maybe be increased and maybe

operate out of a place of being whole.

And as we move that, I want to move to a place of looking to

the life of Caleb specifically. Joshua 14 was the 6 to 8 and

this is what it says. Now the people of Judah

approached Joshua Gilgal and Caleb son of Jeffrey the

kinesite said to him, You know what the Lord said to Moses the

man of God at Kadash Barnia, about you and me.

I was 40 years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord sent me

from Kadesh Barnia to explore the land, and I brought him back

a report according to my convictions.

But my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts

of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my

God wholeheartedly. And so I've titled the sermon

today as following God wholeheartedly.

Because if we have to see anything change in US and in the

generations to come, it'll happen only when we follow

wholeheartedly. I as I look back, are some of

the miracles not happening in my life because I'm not fully

committed to it? Are some of the breakthroughs in

my life not coming through because I'm not fully committed

to it? Are some of the things that I'm

not able to overcome because I'm not fully committed to

redemption and breaking free from those addictions because if

we are not committed to it wholeheartedly, Jesus didn't go

and die on the cross half heartedly.

No, in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was there, he said,

Lord, let not my will, but your will be done.

He didn't have a sketch over there saying Lord, this is my

will. He completely removed that and

said let on my will, but your will be done.

Your will be done. And so today I want us to come

to a place of saying God the same way I want to ask, let not

my will, but your will be done. And we see here what is what the

back story of this entire thing was Joshua and Caleb and twelve

others were, I mean, and ten others were sent to go and spy

the land in Numbers chapter 13, verses one to four and verse 6.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention

This is what it says the Lord said to Moses, send some men to

explore the land of Canaan, which I'm giving to the

Israelites from each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.

So who is he sending? He's sending leaders.

So at the Lord's command, Moses sent out from the desert of

Bahran all who are leaders of the Israelites.

These are their names was 4. Now we go to verse 6 from the

tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Gefne was sent.

And in fact, if you go a couple of chapters earlier, you'll

realize some of these elders were called to the mountain of

the Lord and God's glory descended upon them and they all

started to prophecy. So these were not just ordinary

leaders. They were also leaders who had

witnessed the glory of God. They were not just people who

were just leaders in their community.

They had also seen what God had done and what they were and how

they were LED through. So Caleb is one among the

leaders who's who's being sent into and go and spy the land.

What land were they going and spying?

The land that was promised to Abraham that he'll take them to

a promised land and just be flowing with milk and honey.

And that's what he's going back and saying if like he's saying

40 years later when the time of division is coming, he's saying

God said he has a promise for me.

I'm now coming and taking claim and I want us to move to to that

place where if we want to be like Caleb today, taking the

land as much as it sounds nice is hard work.

Home, if you can agree, it's time consuming.

Home if you can agree, might also take 10 years, 20 years,

but the goal is the same. Amen.

And so there are three things I want to go from Caleb's life,

which I think we need to adapt into our into our own lives,

which, and if you do it quickly, the better it is.

The first thing is wholehearted pursuit of God and not man.

First thing, wholehearted pursuit of God and not man.

Caleb wholeheartedly pursued God and he in that verse, it says he

was 40 years old when he was sent out to go as a spy.

He had witnessed the entire nation walking out of freedom

from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and the provision that was done

in the desert. He was also one of the elders

that experienced the glory of God.

It's interesting that he was a elder in a tribe, but he knew

who God was. He knew who Moses was.

And that's what I want to come down.

A lot of you today will come and say, you know what?

This, this is my spiritual father.

The I'm the spiritual daughter of this person.

This is my Papa. This is my Mama, spiritual Papa,

Mama. All that is good.

But do you really know who God is?

Do you really know who God is? Caleb could have come under the

glory cloud of Moses, but no, he went notch above.

He went, Who is Moses talking to?

He's my God today. It's very important.

I'll be wholeheartedly pursuing God and not man.

Because if you want to take the land, if you're having someone

else, if you're pursuing someone else, you'll only be pursuing

what they want today. What is God calling you?

What is God calling you? Numbers Chapter 11, verses 24 to

Numbers 11:24–25

25. This is the place where he gets

the glory of God comes down, it says.

So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said.

He brought together 70 of the elders and had them stand around

the tent. When the Lord came down in the

cloud and spoke with them, he took some of the power of the

Spirit that was on him and put it on the 70 elders.

When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did

not sow Again, our encounter with God is very important.

If you haven't encountered God, you can't pursue God.

If you haven't encountered God, you can't run after the things

that God's deposited in your hearts.

And so today I want to ask you, are you marked wholeheartedly by

God? Are you marked wholeheartedly by

God? I'm time and again talking to a

lot of people. I know why God brings them in my

life. They come and say, I want to

have coffee with you and I'd start the conversation and

they'll start, I'm really hurt with the church.

I'm really hurt with this. I'm really hurt with that.

And then I have to say, hey, you can be hurt at the end of the

day by people, but if you're pursuing God, you will soon

realize you are doing it for God alone.

A lot of musicians come and tell me, you know what, that church

just used me and I said, hey, they used you, but your glory

was going for God. So at the end of the day, if

you're crying that that church to use you, your heart was not

in the right place, don't come and complain to me.

Oh, I'm not this camera guy. I was doing camera, but they

didn't, they didn't even acknowledge me.

I said, who do you do it for? You did it for God.

What's the joy of the Lord in your serving?

In fact, today I was talking to a couple of the musicians.

They are choosing churches which will allow them to have a

keyboard Cam and a drum Cam so that they'll have content for

their social media. If you're running after this,

the reason why I'm saying this, these are human tendencies.

If we don't run after what God's calling us wholeheartedly, we

will pursue what the world is calling us to pursue.

We will pursue what the world is calling us to pursue.

Caleb was marked by God in the mountain and he knew that if he

had to enter the promised land, he has to follow God's command,

not event Moses's command. So I pray that we will have the

our, our, our vision will be set on the right person.

You know, there's this song which says, Lord, I don't want

to seek your hand, but I want to see your face.

How many of you really sing it with your heart?

It's hard because every time you go to God, there is a list that

we have got. I need this breakthrough.

I need we need to see this come through all that.

But God said seek my face. How many of you know seeking

face won't there's a limitation. How many of you actually even

dating your wife or having coffee have just looked at the

face after like you know maximum what you can do till the coffee

lasts? Because what happens when you're

looking at your face? They start asking you

uncomfortable questions. They start going to the root

issues of the problem. They start saying hey, that day

what you said really hurt me. Hey that day, the way you acted

like that didn't didn't sit with me.

The minute your eyes move from the hand to the face is when you

get into the reality of life is when you get into the reality of

the issues. And today, may we pursue God

wholeheartedly. Caleb knew what he was doing.

Not wholeheartedly marked by men.

A lot of us are serving the, you know, you need to do the things

that you've planned to do, yes, so that you're all moving in One

Direction. But for your own life, are you

marked out by God? Because that is where it'll

come. Because what happens is when

Moses sends these 12 spies out, they come back, ten of them see

the land and what do they see? They see giants.

What else do they see? They see defeat.

They see that they won't be able to conquer it.

But what was the response that came from Caleb is very

important. I pray if you're marked the way

you see certain things will be different.

So the Numbers chapter 13, verses 26 to 33, it says they

Numbers 13:26–33

came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community

and Kadesh in the desert of Paran.

They had, they reported to them and to the whole assembly and

showed them the fruit of the land.

They gave Moses this account. We went into the land to which

you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey.

Here is its fruit. But the people who live there

are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large.

We even saw descendants of Anak there.

The Amalekites live in the Negev, the Hittites, Jebusites,

Amorites live in the Hill Country, and the Canaanites live

near the sea and along the Jordan.

Now just make a note of the descendants of an arc in verse

28. Let's go to verse 30.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said we should

go and take a position of the land, for we can certainly do

it. I'm going to read it again.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said we should

go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do

it. That's why you'll realize when

you're marked out to taking your land, you'll be only a fewer

number. You'll be only a few.

And you know, these are some management principles.

If you're listening to this in a Ted talk, you're willing to

receive it, isn't it? How many of you have done that

Ted type talk? You're listening.

Even if it's Ted X Bangalore or something else also, you're

listening to that. But why are we failing to

receive the person who's encountered God and was

challenging by the life that he's lived?

You know, yesterday we were in a conference.

I was producing the conference and the guy we had a speaker who

the, the guy who started Burrito Bowl.

You know, he's an American who came here to 21 and then fell in

love, started the business and now has 100 outlets, $100

million business. And he's he, he came, he's a

person of the Christian faith and he was sharing of how God

led him here and how he's built this entire thing.

And I just realized the immediate attention of everyone

in the room changed. The questions that came out was

how do you know you could do this, all that.

And I was, I think I was also meditating on my sermon because

I was like, man, look it up. You know, the minute it's about

valuation, it's about this, it's about the idea for the world.

You're like, man, how can I get on that bandwagon?

But God is asking you, how can I mock you so that when time comes

you'll be boldly able to claim the land?

Just imagine this, two out of the 10, two out of the two out

of the 12 are actually just standing there and sing and it's

and it and it says in verse 31. But the men who had gone up with

him said we can't attack those people, they are stronger than

we are. And they spread among the

Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.

They said the land we explored devours those living in it.

All the people we saw there are of great size.

We saw the Nephilim, that the descendants of Anak come from

Nephilim. So verse 33, Nephilim, if you go

back out in Genesis where they were, they made daughters of

man. And then you can see that they

were all giants at that time. They did evil and all that.

And so we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes,

and we looked the same to them. If you're wholeheartedly marked,

we'll see what God wants us to see and not what man is wanting

us to see. It might sound like a minority

report that we're giving, but it is minority because our

dependency is entirely on God. Caleb knew the God that he

worship. He saw a pillar of clouder by

day and a fire by night. He saw the seas open and he knew

that anything that had brought them out of captivity from Egypt

all the way here can only be done by a living God.

And I want to go back to a response of what he says in

Joshua 14. So this is when he was 40 years

old and 45 years old, and then 40 years later when he's 85.

This is what Caleb's response is to Joshua when he asks him for

the land in Joshua 14 was 10 to 15.

This is what it says now. Then, just as the Lord promised,

he has kept me alive. This is what Caleb is telling

Joshua. He's kept me alive for 45 years,

since the time he said this to Moses while Israel moved about

in the wilderness. So here I am today, 85 years

old. I am still as strong today as

the day Moses sent me out. I'm just as vigorous to go out

to battle now as I was then. Now give me this Hill Country

that the Lord promised me that day.

You yourself heard that then, that the Anakites there were

there, and their cities were large and fortified.

But the Lord helping me, I will drive them out.

Just as he said 45 years. When he was 45 years old, he

went and he saw the place the report was.

They all look like grasshoppers. After 40 years of roaming in the

desert, he's going and saying give me this particular Hill

Country. He's not asking for the easy

terrain. He's asking for the very place

where the Analekites are, where it's tough.

How many of you know fighting in a Hill Country is challenging?

You can't just climb up. They can easily do whatever they

want. You're you don't you can't

really be offensive in those places.

But he's saying I still have the vigor that I had when I was 45

years old. So today I pray and ask when we

are mocked holy by God, we will start pursuing him.

And then at the end of the day, what will happen?

We'll be able to see God come to not just in this age, not in

2025, but even in 2065. We'll be able to have that

bigger to say, God, I'm here to take more for you.

Verse 13, it says then the Lord, then Joshua blessed Caleb's son

of Jeffne and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

So Hebron has belonged to Caleb's son of Jeffne the

Kinesite ever since because he followed the Lord, the God of

his wholeheartedly. Hebron used to be called Crea

Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the

Anocrates. The land had rest from war.

So today I would My challenge to us all is, can we be

wholeheartedly pursue? Can we wholeheartedly pursue God

and be marked by God? I think I mentioned this earlier

that we won't be wholeheartedly committed to God just for a

miracle, but to everything that God has wholeheartedly marked

out. I've mentioned this before,

miracles will come, they're just the pit stop, but I'd be pray

that we'll be fueled for what God has called us to do.

The second thing is a whole hearted dependence on God that

this is where faith is unwavering in the midst of

circumstances. The outcome of these 12 spies

was of the 12 spies, if you notice 2 gave a good report but

they were few number. The 10 rebelled and then what

happened as an outcome for the next 40 years?

God told them to turn back and made them go around the desert.

Caleb, in this 40 years, how do you think his position would

have been? Let's let's ask how many of you

have been in class you've completed a homework or you or

because you didn't complete the homework and one that one girl

who completed it. All of you got in position like

5 * 10 times and then what what will be like bitterness.

We we'll be upset human nature is that what do you think Caleb

would have felt frustrated. Yes, I knew this is what God

asked us to do. But because of the disobedience

of these ten other people. We are wandering the desert.

But I believe it's in those seasons of times because he's

marked He's also always learning when you're marked you're also

looking around. He wasn't just a person who saw

things. He's just like you and us.

He was marked out by God. And So what happened?

We see in Numbers, 14 was 2. They grumbled against Moses and

Aaron. First thing he saw them

grumbling. 14 was three. It says they argued why God

brought them. Will God not know best what has

to happen? They they questioned God and 14

four, they wanted to choose a leader.

You saw the immediate decline of when you're not marked by God,

when you start, not when you're unable to see faith in the

journey that God's called you. What do you do?

You start grumbling, you start arguing, and then what happens?

You want to rebel and choose a new leader.

They wanted someone who can assure them and they didn't want

God to lead them. That's what 14-4 says.

It's important what we learn in our 40s because it'll keep us in

track in our 80s. So I mean, I put that in my for

my age, but I want you to put it for your age because it's not

too late to change and unlearn and do things.

What can, what do we, what are we called to learn now?

What are you seeing now that you're like, God?

This is the trajectory we will do from now on.

We're not going to go back. We won't do the old ways, but

we'll depend on you. I pray that we won't grumble, we

won't argue, and I pray that we won't just go about thinking,

you know what this is. God puts people ahead of us, but

we are called to keep our eyes on God.

We are called to keep our eyes on God when we when you go

through that entire thing. I want to read out the promise

that that God gives to Caleb directly.

Numbers 14 was his five to 9. This is what he holds on to that

Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole Israelite

assembly gathered that this is when they started rebelling and

they started They wanted to change the leader and all that

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jeff who were among those who

had explored the land told their clothes.

In fact, just a couple of hours back, Joyce was talking to the

youth and she talked from the beatitudes of what it is to

mourn. And it's interesting, like I

didn't realize that she's talking on that particular

beatitude. But as she was talking, I was

reminded from the same passage. When we are marked by God and

evidence of it is we will tear our clothes and we will mourn.

When there is severe disobedience, when people are

blinded by the enemy, we will mourn so that they'll be.

And I believe Caleb outlived what the New Testament did.

He tore his clothes and he was comforted.

That comfort came from God. That's why 40 years he was able

to wander the wilderness and still make it into the promised

land. And so today it goes on to say

verse 7 and said to the entire, yeah, here God says to the

entire entire assembly, the land we pass through and explode is

exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us,

he will lead us into the oh, so this is Moses telling the land

we pass through the through and export is exceedingly good.

If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land,

a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.

Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not be afraid of

the people of the land, because we will devour them.

Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.

Do not be afraid of them. Let's jump towards 20 to 25.

Then the Lord replied, I've forgiven them because this is

where Moses says God don't wipe us out, because we'll be a

laughing stock to the people around.

They'll think this God LED them into the desert and death them.

And so the Lord replacing I have forgiven them as you asked.

Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as a Lord God

fills the whole earth, Not one of those who saw my glory and

the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but who

disobeyed me and tested me 10 times.

Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to

their ancestors. No one who has treated me with

contempt, If you can circle contempt, that's an important

thing in our Christian walk, will ever see it.

God doesn't like anyone who treats him with contempt.

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows

me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to and

his descendants will inherit it. He was 25.

In fact, he this is where got done.

Since the Amalekites and candidates are living in the

valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along

the route of the Red Sea. It's important over here, as I

said, that contempt. God doesn't like anyone who

treats him. What is contempt?

You're treating him like he's not God.

God says I'll wipe, I literally wipe them out and he and it's

interesting in this journey, which Caleb had to take.

The reason why I said that his dependence was on God was he

knew that he's got the promise from God that he'll see the

promised land. But now he's also having to

journey in this entire journey with community repentance.

They all are walking in the wilderness 40 years it says God

still protected them. Their shoes didn't wither, their

clothings remain intact. And so today, maybe you're in

this journey where you're like you're, you're, it feels like

you're going in circles, but hold on to God.

If you're wholeheartedly looking to God, when that miracle comes,

when that promise comes, you'll be able to see God through it

and you'll see what God's calling you to do through that.

Because it just doesn't stop there.

Caleb participated even in the wilderness journey.

He didn't hold back, He didn't say, no, I'm not, I'll pitch a

tent here. You guys roam for 40 years and

then when you're coming down this road, I'll join you guys,

then I can enter. No, he participated in it.

He was in. When you look at the Israelites

participation, when they actually got all the

instructions, it was heavy. Following the God of Israel was

heavy. They had to go through

purification, go through all the different feasts, everything in

the wilderness for 40 years. He participated wholeheartedly,

and it was because his dependence was on God.

He lasted through the 40 years of roaming in the wilderness,

and I believe he wouldn't have just been quiet.

He would have told the next generation of who this God was.

He would have told them who this group of people are.

It's not a coincidence that Jesus comes from the tribe of

Judah. When you look at Caleb, Caleb

mirrors a lot like Jesus. He was the only one who entered

as a man. If you look, was an appointed

one who because of his faith entered into the promised land.

Jesus was the only one who came and saved us and he was from the

tribe of Judah. The eternal one was from the

tribe of Judah. So today when we are called, may

a wholehearted dependence be on him.

Dependence. Yesterday when I was coming, I

was talking to in the night when we were coming, I was coming as

one of the guys who's a prominent production guy here

and we were just talking and he was telling, I'm really worried

if I can save enough for my daughter because you know, in

this line of work we are highly dependent.

During COVID, I struggled all that I said, yes, we can't, we

have to do our part, but wholeheartedly is our entire

thing on what we've done or is it on God?

Because if it's on God, we'll also teach them how to handle

what has been given to them. And that's the next point which

I wanted to go to because if we're not careful, there'll be

portions in our time when we will treat God with contempt.

Today, what are the areas that we've been treating God with

contempt? I, I, I can sometimes go down

that road very easily. As human as it is, I can

suddenly grumble, God, only if I had that gear.

I think my work life will be better.

If I had that camera, I think it would be nice.

Or if I had this opportunity it would be nice.

But I've realized that many a times my dependence on on the

things that might make it happen and not entirely on God.

Take God at his word. The promised land was filled

with milk and honey. It was right that he saw it with

his eyes. Attitudes could have changed.

He could have become resentful. No, but through that he said he

will depend on God wholeheartedly. 40 years.

Just imagine he's coming back and he's claiming it 40 years

later with vigor. He's not coming defeated.

He's not coming worn out. He's coming with extra vigor to

capture what God's called him to take, which was given to him in

fact. Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10 and

Isaiah 41:10

the passion translations it says do not yield to fear for I'm

always near. Never turn your gaze from me for

I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my

strength and help you in every situation.

I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41 verse 10. And so today, if you are having

Isaiah 41:10

doubt, I pray that if you've, if you've treated God with contempt

to God, I don't think you can work this out.

I'll go and do it. No, maybe move back and say,

God, I'm sorry for treating you with if I've grumbled about you,

if I've grumbled about my life, what you've given to me, Lord,

I'm sorry. I pray that Lord, we would be in

a place where we'll be able to respond, where we will not yield

to fear, but we'll turn our gaze, Lord, from ourselves to

you. Please infuse us with your

strength and help us in this very situation.

So I pray that we'll be in that place where we'll be able to

respond. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 23 to

Hebrews 10:23–25

25 in the NLP. So this is how we can be wholly

dependent on God. It says let us hold tightly

without wavering to the hope we are formed for God can be

trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of the ways to

motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

And let us not neglect our meeting together as some people

do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of

his return is drawing near. So today, if you and I have to

keep this dependence, what we're doing here is point #3 but you

also have to do point #1 which says personally, we need to hold

on to him tightly, not hold on to him tightly.

Only when it when the situation hits through the roof, even in

the everyday, you hold on to Him tightly.

You don't have, you shouldn't have any doubt.

You shouldn't be without wavering constantly reaffirm the

hope that you have in him. Find ways to motivate each

other. The reason why we gather here,

the reason even why we are starting to pray, this is

because we are motivating each other.

This has become a motivating factor for so many things.

The 30 days of miracles is stemming out of this.

A Christmas bazaar is stemming out of this.

If we are not able to see what God's depositing in us to do

then and there for the people, because the gospel is not just

for us, it's for every person, every mankind God's created.

Find ways to motivate. I pray that you'll find ways to

motivate. Don't and don't wait.

If you're spending time, spend equal amount of time as much as

if you listen to 5 minutes of the story of how God didn't come

through. Spend 10 minutes encouraging and

praying. Don't spend one minute praying.

Increase that fold. It changes your perspective

entirely. It changes the narrative you're

writing. It changes the storyboard.

Suddenly the focus, camera focus is not on the problem, It's

suddenly it's on God and you're seeing the problem can be solved

through God. Two people are in agreement.

Let's move in more. How many of you really want to

see miracles happen? Amen.

Miracles. So that you will be a testimony

for others. You will be a testimony for

others. In fact, Abby is leaving to

Colombo. Tina was also supposed to go

there. They're having Pan India,

they're having city leaders come in different sections to talk.

And Tina was supposed to go, but then all of a sudden it's the

evening high fever, body pain and everything.

And so she's sick. And so I stayed at night.

When I came back, I came back by 2:13 at night.

And as I was seeing, I was just praying over and I remind and I

was reminded that what she's going through is just because of

the Bible plan going out. Day one just got over.

Day one just got over. And so some of the things that

you're going through ask God, give me clarity.

Why am I going through this? Did I claim a section of your

word? Is that why the struggle has

started? Which means you go back and hold

onto it tightly. So I stayed at night at 2:30,

she took medicine and I prayed over God.

You're going to heal her. You're going to heal her.

You're going to bring her back. You're going to put her.

I mean, we cancel the ticket. I mean, I cancelled because I

didn't want to take the risk of sending her with especially

travel with fever. But as we pray, I know God,

you're doing something today. You're going to do something,

you're going to revive her. So today these struggles will

come, but can you push through to it?

Can you move through it? Whatever it is, if you've

claimed something, it can even be as simple as the worst of the

day. You probably got that worst of

the day and it's resonated with you for the for your office, but

you're being barged in hard. Hold on to push through, push

through it. When you look through Caleb's

life, the Third Point is a bringing is very important

because if we don't push through, we become the stumbling

block for the next generation. Wholehearted, committed,

wholeheartedly committed to the next generation.

The third thing, what Caleb did was just not for himself.

If he had just stopped that, if he had started, you know what,

this 40 years is so hard. And if his story ended that it

would have been the stumbling block for every other generation

that followed after him. You know, sometimes we how many

of you have experienced, sometimes your parents are

living in bitterness in certain areas of their lives.

Life happens. I'm sure my children also will

be able to say mummy and daddy are in certain areas bitter

about certain things because life happens.

And so if we choose to stay there, what is a stumbling

block? It's not a stone that you can

put your leg over. It's literally causing you to

trip. It's causing some kind of

physical damage that you're not able to.

It's making incapacitated so you can't move further.

And I pray and ask that in our generation that we wouldn't

become a stumbling block in whatever.

So if, if hardships come, if struggles come, let's move

through. If you're walking through

corporate repentance and grieving moments, let's move

through that so that God will come through.

God will come through. Caleb was so committed to this

because he saw what his future was.

He's coming at 85 and he's saying, I'll go take the land of

the Analykites. I'll go take that guy down.

And he went ahead and he did it. He was a man with.

The difference between Joshua, 15 was 13 to 9, Teen says in

accordance. Yeah, I think we did that.

Oh, Joshua, 15, was in accordance with Lord's comment.

Joshua gave to Caleb, son of Jeffrey, a portion of Judah from

Hebron. Caleb drew out three Anakites,

Shashi, Ahiam and Thalmay, the sons of Enoch.

From there he marched against the people living in debit

formerly called Kirat Sepha. And Caleb said, I will give my

daughter Aksa in marriage to the man who attacks and captures

Kirat. Sepha Otnil, son of Kanas,

Caleb's brother, took it. So Caleb gave his daughter Aksa

to him in marriage. He was 18.

One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask

her father for a field. When she got off a donkey, Caleb

asked her what can I do for you? She replied, do me a special

favour since you have been, since you have given me land in

the Negev, give me also the springs of water.

So Caleb gave her the upper and the lower springs.

What Caleb does here is he goes, he occupies the land, he clears

the land, and then as he's going, he occupies the land and

his daughter gets it as an inheritance.

But again, when you look at the portion of Negev, it requires

water for sustaining Negev. Is it it's it's what do you say?

It gets dried off fast. It's a it needs water sources

and it's crucial for survival and for the prosperity for

anything to flourish in the land.

And so when she comes to ask what does he do?

He just doesn't give one. He gives both the upper springs

and the lower springs. And so the more I realize is

what when we've gone through this, we'll also know critically

think what will benefit the next generation.

We won't just randomly do things.

We'll be because the Spirit is working and through us.

We'll become critical thinkers. Everything that was done in the

New Testament with regard to all the apostles, when the when the

church actually even sent out call in bar numbers to go and do

the mission work, everything was done critically because they

were sent to cities because cities were places of influence.

So three, you and I as children of God aren't going to shoot 10

different bullets and say God's will happen.

No, they're going to listen, wait, be marked out, be

dependent and we'll go out so that the future generations have

a path to follow. How many of you are saying,

ready God, I want to do that, critical thinker so that God

could do it in and through us. And I pray this will only happen

when we are in this journey where we moan with them, where

we are with them physically. And then we are encouraged to

live it out and say God did this for me and he can also do it for

you. Now when you go to these

springs, it will require you to do something.

Trust God, hold on to God. Let's see how it happens, and

even I say concur. I just want to go back to the

New Testament. The comparison which I threw

previously about Caleb and Jesus.

They were from the tribe of Judah. 1 was entering the

promised land. Jesus was all that was needed to

bring redemption for mankind. He's taken us into the promised

land. What is a promised land?

We're going to spend eternity with them.

We have our names in the book of Heaven and I pray as much as

Caleb was marked out, it said that after that they were not

able to prophecy because at one instance they were marked out.

But Ray, you and I are marked out by God.

He's with us everyday because the Holy Spirit is within us, is

within us. On Monday we had a meeting here

and Ramesh Richard was here and he was sharing with all the

leaders and a couple of got the opportunity to sit here and he

said this one thing which I want to leave with you as a church.

I, if anything that you're taking out of this.

Remember he said at the end of the day, we are called to be

useful for this Kingdom. You're not looking for

prominence, you're not looking for significance.

We want to be useful for this Kingdom.

He says usefulness is the driving force of the servants of

Christ, not significance, usefulness.

How many of you want to be useful?

Let's turn the in the Christian lingo, Indian Christian lingos

used by God is one thing. No, I want to be useful.

Why? Wherever I'm placed, I want to

be useful because useful. When I'm there was a season in

my life and I had to be useful in this space before that, that

was a useful. That was a stage in my life I

had to be useful. When I had to put lyrics in a

old Windows 95 computer, type words in HTML and make sure that

was the lyrics that we were putting before.

That was setting up chairs, cleaning chairs.

There are seasons stages when you'll be useful.

Don't desire a stage when you've not gone through the course.

You can't be useful. You'd rather become a nuisance

because you've not gone through the process.

Caleb was useful because he had gone through the process.

The only man and his family to get an inheritance.

Rest all went to a tribe. Imagine rest all went to a

tribe. Only one person gets land that's

exclusively for him because of his obedience.

So I pray that usefulness will be the driving force.

How many of you believe you are servants of Christ?

Let's remove the the world. We're not called to be leaders

here. We're all called to be servants.

Jesus didn't wash people's feet because he wanted to set them as

leaders. No, he said be servants.

What do servants do? That all does.

The servant has access. And when your maid comes to

clean the house, is there any place that she doesn't have

access? But if you have a designation,

does your driver go to your bedroom?

If you have a driver, no. Servants of Christ will have

access everywhere. You'll be useful everywhere.

Just imagine that we're looking for titles, we're looking for

things, which has so much limitations.

But if you're servants of Christ, we'll have access

everywhere. Usefulness is profitability to

the master. He concluded that.

And I think we have to come to a place we really need to see who

are we useful to. How many of you have that one

vessel in which you make rice at home?

All the men in the house said Amen, because we've either

washed it or we've made rice. I know at least in COVID that's

what our jobs entailed. But that's useful to who?

To the person in the house. That vessel is useful to the

person in the house. As servants of Christ, we are

called to be useful to Christ alone, Christ alone.

So I pray that we'll be able to do that.

Two things which I want you to take away from this,

specifically when you're taking the land, as you journey on, as

you allow this to sink through, is you'll be useful to God and

you'll also learn to mourn. Because I think one of the one

of the things that Caleb would have done in those forty years

was he would have mourned for his people.

His heartbeat would have been, hey, we had it so close if only

you had faith. He didn't point fingers because

he knew no point pointing fingers.

God said it, but he learned to mourn.

And I think as Christians, we are always looking for messages.

But God will strengthen you. God will make you an overcomer.

God will cause you this. We have not come to a place like

God. I'm ready to mourn.

What is God calling you to mourn today?

It can be different, different things, different things in a

like last week we had two different people come and share

things. What is God calling you to

mourn? Because there's a sense that God

that that entire thing which he did Joshua, Moses, Aaron, they

tore their clothes. We need to be in a place where

we're able to do that. So even as you get, go to that

prayer guide which I was sent to you last Friday day for

yesterday to open it and ask God, God, what are you calling

me to mourn? Lord?

God, if there are 300 flats in my apartment, what should I be

mourning for? Lord, right now, If there's this

place, if I'm going to an office which is so toxic, what are you

wanting me to mourn? You might not be able to change

it, your head may not be able to change it, but your prayers can

definitely change it. Amen.

How many if you believe that? Amen.

Let's just close our eyes. I want us to come to a place

where we move to a place of wholeheartedly wanting to be

marked by God only. If you want to be marked by God

here, God, we want to be marked by you so that we can pursue

you. We can depend on you, Lord

Jesus, and so that we can be committed to the next

generation. Lord, we thank you, Lord, You

are the constant that we can always keep our eyes on.

Lord, I pray, Lord, if we've just had a flavour of you, we

want to be entirely of you, Lord, wholeheartedly following

you, Lord, our emotions, our mind, our heart, You're not one

amongst others, but you're marked out.

I want to be Lord Jesus. If Caleb walked before us, Lord,

he showed us an example. We want to be that example, Lord

Jesus, where we'll speak faith, we will mourn for the things

that are breaking your heart. We'll be solely dependent on

you, Lord, and we'll run after you, Lord Jesus, so that the

next generation has a path to follow, Lord.

I pray, Lord, if there are stumbling box, anything that

we've created, we break it today in the name of Jesus.

Anything natural will be broken today.

Lord, Jesus, we pray, Lord, if there are things that have been

marked out, I pray you will clear the way.

Lord Jesus, we will have a better understanding.

Our vantage point will change to see why you took us through that

journey so that our narratives will now start changing.

To say the Lord took me through this so that he can be glorified

and I'm grateful that he chose me to be useful for him.

Thank you, Lord. Lord, you walk here on this

earth in complete submission. We submit ourselves to you

today, Lord. But I pray that even as we step

out this week, Lord, we step out with the clarity and confidence,

Lord, that we can take the land that you allotted for us, Lord,

because we are wholeheartedly committed to following you.

Lord, strengthen us, Lord Jesus, in everything we give you

thanks, Lord, be glorified and honored.

Strengthen us and be with us. Lord, your most holy name we

pray. Amen, Amen.

Amen. Thanks for listening to this

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