Following the Lord Fully

Introduction

Thanks, Rao. Appreciate it, brother. Well, I feel privileged to add my voice to the young men who’ve led in our assembly today. What a powerful job and what wonderful work they’ve done in leading us before the throne of God. And I know you’re proud of them. But I also want to recognize alongside of them the godly young women that you have as teenagers here and the work that they are doing in the Lord to encourage these young men and to do all the things that God would have them to do and to be. And so I recognize all of them and thank you again for giving me the honor of working with them this weekend. And I hope that I’m able to leave a small part of what I’ll be taking back to Texas with me from what I’ve received from them.

Thank you again for the invitation to come. Even though I’m a visitor this morning, it’s funny you can always tell who the Disney visitors are at uh Bumby. They’re the ones who come in and ask if we have a fast pass service available. So I’m going to go about my work and allow you to go about your things today as we conclude our series on fight the good fight of faith. To do that, I want to read from Joshua, the 14th chapter, and ask you to turn there in your Bible and follow along the reading from the Word of God. Joshua chapter 14. We’re going to start reading at verse 6. Joshua 14, verse 6. The sons of Judah drew near to Joshua and Gilgal, and Caleb, the son of Jephana the Kennesite, said to him, You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses, the man of God concerning you and me and Kadesh Barneah.

I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear, but I followed the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully. If I were to ask you this morning to name the two good spies of the twelve, the two spies who along with the other ten spent forty days in the land of Canaan, spying out the land.

The two spies who came back and gave a good report, saying, The Lord will help us, and we can take the land. You would probably say them in this order. Joshua and Caleb. Joshua is always listed first. And it’s likely because he was the successor to Moses. He was the one on whom the mantle of leadership was given after Moses died. He was the great military general who led the conquest of Canaan across the Jordan. He was the one who has a book named after him, from which we just read. And so it’s Joshua and Caleb. But I want you to think about me with me this morning, his counterpart. The one who’s overshadowed. And I especially want you to notice something that is said about Caleb twice in our reading just now, but six times total in the Old Testament.

Something that is not said about any other character in the Bible. And that phrase is this.

1. It Takes Vision

That the Death Star is fully operational. But what does it mean to follow the Lord fully? Well, I see it expressed in three ways about Caleb. His vision, his devotion, his completion. And I want to encourage you this morning to follow him who followed the Lord fully. It takes vision to do this. We’re going to have to see things from a different perspective. Not just our own limited perspective, but to see things from the perspective of God. That’s what Caleb did when he gave the report. All twelve spies saw the same thing. Each man was chosen to represent his tribe. And they crossed over the Jordan and they spent 40 days looking at the land. And they all saw the same thing. None of them disagreed.

Yes, the cities are large. Yes, the people are huge, and they live in fortified cities. But we can overcome this, was Caleb’s perspective. Look back in Numbers chapter 13. And notice what Caleb, the representative representative of Judah said as he became the spokesman of the minority. Now they saw that the land did flow with milk and honey. They had heard that, and they even brought back produce of the land to show to all the people, to say, yes, this is an accurate report. One of the best ways I ever saw this illustrated was in a children’s Bible class. And the teacher had taken a broomstick and blown up some purple balloons and tied them to the broomstick and had the kids carry them around the classroom to show.

That’s what the spies did with the grapes they found in the land. That’s how fruitful the land was that God had prepared for his people. And yes, the cities were strong and fortified, and the people were large. But I want you to notice in verse 30 that Caleb quieted the people in Numbers 13 and 30 and said, we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it. We shall surely overcome it. He did not disagree. He didn’t say, well, the people are large, but they’re not that big. He didn’t say, well, the cities are fortified, but they’re not that strong. Yes, they are exactly as it reported. But the cities are not as strong as God. And the people are not as big as God.

And when you add him, they’re the ones who look like grasshoppers. He saw things from a different perspective. It’s going to require vision for you to follow the Lord fully. This is not a sermon about positive thinking. This is not a sermon about seeing the glass half full. This is not just being optimistic. This is about having faith in God. And the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water in the middle of the sea in the middle of the storm. Peter wanted to do what his master was doing. And so he said, Lord, command me to come to you on the water. And he did. And Peter walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, Matthew said. He began to sing. What happened?

He changed his vision. Took his eyes off the Lord. And started looking at the storms of life. Several years ago, when my kids were much younger, my daughter Morgan had a fever for several days. And because of that, she wasn’t able to play with her little brother. And so he wanted her to get better. And one day we were taking her temperature in the morning, and David was sitting there, and he was ready to find out what her fever was. And so he said, Morgan, I hope your temperature is zero. You know that we’re having him tested.

Oh, we think we do. We have what we can see around us. But we need to change our vision. We need to start seeing things as God sees them. And how small and insignificant will become the issues of our life. Do you think it’s impossible for you to make your marriage work?

2. It Takes Devotion, Not to People, but to God

Then you better change your vision. You think it’s impossible for you to be a Christian where you go to school? You better change your vision. Is it possible for you to be in the workplace where you are and be an influence? You better change your vision. With men, things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible. You want to follow the Lord fully? It takes vision of seeing things from God’s throne and remembering he’s in control. Not only does it take vision, number two, this takes devotion. A devotion not to people, but to God. When they were ready to choose twelve spies, they had each tribe select from their own princes and rulers and chieftains one man who would represent the tribe. For the tribe of Judah, they chose Caleb, the son of Jephana.

Now in Numbers chapter 1 in verse 27, we find that of the able men of Judah, there were 74,600. And they were going to pick one. 74,600. Think about that. If you were applying for a job and they said, we’re going to take 74,600 applications and choose one. Would you sit and wait for the call? They chose Caleb. I remember my wife Melissa and I always used to get a report from our kids about how many people who were older than us who had better phones than we did. And I had my little flip phone for a long time. And so I was going to crunch the numbers here. I wanted to find out what is the percentage, one out of 74,600. What’s the number that I could give people that we could get our minds wrapped around that?

So I took my flip phone out, did one divided by 74,600, pressed equal, guess what it said? Out of range.

You want to know how special Caleb was? Out of range. But do you know what else that means? That means the representative of all the other tribes.

Men like Joshua. They too were chosen out of thousands to represent their tribe. And so when Joshua and Caleb took their stand, they weren’t taking their stand against the pagan people of Canaan and all those evil nations. They weren’t taking their stand against the rebel rousers of Israel. They were taking their stand against the fellow leaders. You think you might be tempted, if not to speak out just to remain silent. But even when it says they picked up stones to stone them, they would not change what they believed because they were not devoted to people. They were devoted to God. Numbers 14. Look at verse 8. If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.

Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.

Will think about you.

Now, when I was in high school, that absolutely paralyzed me with fear. What are they thinking? What are they saying? But you know, that’s one of the blessings of getting a little older. I don’t care. I don’t care what the neighbors think if I decide to go get the mail wearing black dress socks and crocs. I don’t care what they think. Now there was a time going, I would. But you’ve got to reach the point where your devotion is to God, and if people are upset about them, they’ll have to take that up with the Lord. Because you’re not following them. You’re following him. Your devotion is to him. It’s the difference of when Peter, after Jesus was arrested, they all fled. But Matthew said that Peter followed from a distance.

But if anybody asks, I’m not with him.

3. It Takes Completion

Or follow the Lord fully. Remember, this isn’t just taking your stand against the immorality of our world. We will do that. We’ll stand alone if we have to. But what if it means taking your stand against the fellow leaders of God’s people? Are you ready to be so devoted to God that you would stand up in your household and say, we shouldn’t be watching this. We shouldn’t be talking about them. This is gossip. You ready to do that? You ready to take a stand in the assembly and say, we don’t have authority for this. There’s no book, chapter, verse for this. Follow the Lord fully. It takes vision. It takes devotion. Number three, it takes completion. Fully means to see it all the way through, to complete what you started.

And that’s what Caleb did. Turn back to our opening passage in Joshua chapter 14. Where Caleb reminds Joshua of a promise that God made to them forty-five years ago. Because Israel believed the report of the ten spies and rebelled against the Lord. They were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for every day that the spies had been in Canaan. And everyone who was twenty years old and upward perished in the wilderness wandering. And so at the end of forty years, Joshua and Caleb were allowed to survive because they believed God. And so they spent five years conquering the land. Now forty-five years later. And look what Caleb says to Joshua. Verse 10 of Joshua 14. And now, behold, the Lord has let me live just as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses when Israel walked in the wilderness, and that now behold, I am eighty-five years old today.

As my strength was then, so my strength is now for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there with great fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken. See, at the end of 40 years, and then five years conquering the land, they were ready to apportion the land into the various tribes. And so they said, We need every tribe to choose one spokesman. And so the people of Judah huddled together, and guess who they chose and sent out? Caleb, the son of Jepha. Now an 85-year-old man. Joshua said, Caleb, what part of the land do you want?

When we would play football growing up, we would come to the line of scrimmage on defense. And one of us would say, Man up. And that meant you looked across the line to someone on offense, and you chose you chose the one who you thought you could keep up with. I always chose the girl with a broken arm over here. And uh old Caleb, 85-year-old man. Guess who he chose when Joshua said, man up? He said, I’ve got the giants. You give me the giants. We were supposed to wipe them out 45 years ago, and I was ready then, and I’m ready now. Caleb, where do you want to live? Well, I’ve played my part. I’ve done all I can. I had to suffer through the wilderness wanderings.

Give me a garden and a place where I can retire, and the rest of you can go work. He was ready to complete what he started. He wasn’t about to quit and retire. Now was a time for him to do what God wanted him to do. And so he said, give me the giants. And sure enough, the next chapter tells us in Joshua 15 and verse 14. And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Aheman and Talmai, the children of Anak. He completed the task that he had started 45 years ago. You want to follow the Lord fully. It takes completion. This is not just something you start and do it when it’s easy or convenient or when you feel like it.

You see it all the way through. You don’t ever stop. How many of our people have fought the good fight for a little while? But they’re not fighting on the Lord’s side anymore. They’re fighting against him. They’re fighting a battle that they can never win. Listen, we are still at war. There is immorality that needs to be driven out. We can’t just sit by and allow others to go fight for us. It takes completion. As Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 4, what is thought to be his final epistle as he waited it awaited his own execution. Same apostle that told the young preacher to fight the good fight of faith, said at the end of his life, verse 6 of 2 Timothy 4, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering.

And the time of my departure has come.

He did not say, I have won every battle. I’m undefeated, I never lost. I have fought.

He did not say, I never fell down once. I never took any detours. No, but he got back on and he finished. I have kept the faith. He didn’t say, I never entertained any doubts. Not one. No, he kept the faith. He kept coming back to what he knew. And in the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will award me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearance. This crown of life is promised to those who are faithful until death. That’s completion. That’s all the way through. When you follow the Lord fully, you don’t stop until you’re in his presence. You ready to follow him who followed the Lord fully?

Conclusion

Caleb is not mentioned one time in the New Testament. The only books we have are these books of history. But six times in those three books.

Quit seeing things from your limited perspective and change your vision. Don’t be devoted to people who change and disappoint. Be devoted to God, who is always the same. And complete what you started to receive the crown of life for those who fight the good fight of faith. Can we assist you confessing your faith this morning and being baptized? Can we encourage you to come back to the Lord and be what you ought? If you have a need in the gospel, make it known right now while together we stand and while we sing.