By Ronald E.
George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church
We have recently purchased an
old bedroom suit that we want to try to refinish.
At one time it was a beautiful piece of wood, but somewhere along the
way someone decided that it would look better painted.
So, now we find ourselves trying to figure out how to strip off the old
and restore the beautiful wood that lay beneath the layers of old paint and
varnish. That is a lot like the
way God wants to restore us. Created
in his image Adam and Eve were the pinnacle of God’s wonderful creation.
Sin scarred that image, so that now only the blood of the Lamb of God
can effectively erase the scars of sin. Now,
we are invited by the Lord to come along with Him to this wonderful place He
calls the promise land. The way
is rough and we will have to go against the grain.
God wants to invite you to go to
the Promised Land, but the way is often rough and the road is hard.
To make it to that place, you will have to go against the grain.
The grain is the natural way of things.
Most often we associate the grain with the lines in a piece of wood
that are created when the tree grows. Whenever
you sand or work a piece of wood the easiest and best way is generally with
the grain and not against it. When
God calls us to go with him to the Promised Land it is always against the
natural ways of the flesh, the world, and the devil.
Today’s message from the Lord is an invitation to go with him against
the natural grain of life to believe in him and not fear what may happen.
What is it that God has
challenged you to be? Has He
asked you to become one of His children?
Has He asked you to take a part in the church and in his work?
Has He invited you to follow Him in baptism and service?
Has He asked you to preach the gospel or to become one of His
missionaries? Whatever it is you
can be sure that God knows where the Promised Land is and He invites you to go
with Him. The land of promise is
the place where you may go in your life to live with the Lord in all of his
glory and power. This is the
place in your life where you will find peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment.
God commands us to go into the Promised Land, but will we go?
There are obstacles to our journey.
There will be giants, walled cities, people who are stronger than you,
and people who will try to dissuade you from going, but the Lord invites you
and I to become one of his champions and go with Him.
The road to the Promised Land
will not be the easiest road. But
it will be the best road you can travel.
You will have to overcome difficulties and problems.
You will be faced with the greatest decision of life.
Will you allow the fear of the unknown to be stronger than your faith
in the power and reality of the only true living God?
God’s Champions go with the Lord.
In today’s scripture text we discover the difficulty we face when
invited by the Lord to go into the Promised Land.
The Israelites had been delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of the
Lord. But, when faced with the
final decision to enter into the place God had prepared for them they balked.
Fear overcame their faith and they decided that they were not able to
go into the land. All but two of
the twelve spies agreed.
Scripture
Text: Numbers 13:27 And
they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and
surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it. 28
Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities
[are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak
there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites,
and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the
Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb
stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess
it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with
him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they [are]
stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which
they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through
which we have gone to search it, [is] a land that eateth up the inhabitants
thereof; and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, [which come] of the
giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in
their sight.
Numbers 14:5 Then Moses and
Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the
children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of
Jephunneh, [which were] of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The
land, which we passed through to search it, [is] an exceeding good land. 8
If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it
us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against
the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] bread for
us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear
them not. 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the
glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all
the children of Israel.
Sermon purpose: To Show that God’s Champions often
go against the grain of human wisdom with the Lord to become his champions.
Today’s Champions are Caleb and Joshua.
God’s Champions are smart and often think of these things.
Going with God often goes against common sense but this decision is
divinely inspired. Before we make
our decision concerning life journey with or without God, would we should stop
and consider the following.
1.
Consider the divine initiator.
While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
He came to us when we wouldn’t and couldn’t go to Him.
He always goes first. He
comes to you today to invite you to go with him.
2.
Consider the divine innovator. He
is experienced in creating things to work out according to his plan.
He is the one who created the universe from nothing and he will create
whatever you will need to accomplish his purpose in your life. He created a path for the Israelites to tread through the Red
Sea; therefore He does have the invention you need to carry through to the
Promised Land.
3.
Consider the divine, invisible power.
He cannot only initiate and plan the progress He desires for us to
make, but He is also strong enough and powerful enough to carry it out.
The Holy Spirit will work in your life to accomplish that which He
wants for you. To access power
you must step out and try the impossible.
4.
Consider the divine intention and purpose.
He only wants to bless his people.
He wants to give you the best he has.
He not only knows the way, He is the way.
Today’s invitation:
Will you go against the grain of life to the Promised Land with God?
Matt 7:9 (KJS) Or
what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the
strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {strait: or, narrow}
14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.