Spirit Walkers: Following a Unique Gospel

January 15, 2018                                     NOTES NOT EDITED
Spirit Walkers—The Book of Galatians
Following a Unique Gospel

Galatians 1:1-9

Sermon-in-a-Sentence:  The Christian “gospel” (good news about salvation through Jesus Christ) is unique among all the religions of the world.

One of the most memorable pictures of me is with my older and younger brother at my Dad’s mother’s house at Christmas.  It was 1964; I must have been about eight years old. My Grandmother gave us three boys the same gift:  transistor radios.  Portable transistor radios were a rage in the 60’s and early 70’s.  By the mid sixties, the good ones were both AM and FM.  These are two distinct ways to receive radio broadcasts.  An AM radio cannot receive FM signals and vice versa.  You had to move a switch to change back and forth.  Then, you had to carefully turn a dial to just the right place to receive a signal.  I might add, these were Mickey Mouse radios—when Mickey Mouse was every child’s hero.

Humans are like transistor radios.  The switch determines what “life signals” we receive.  AM stands for “Adam Man.”  When Adam disobeyed God and ate the apple in the garden, he brought the nature of sin to every child that will ever be born.  When we are in the AM mode, we only receive signals of sin through our flesh.  When we switch to FM, that stands for “Forgiven Man.”  In the FM mode we receive our signals not through our flesh, but through our Spirit.  “Spirit Walkers” are tuned into God through the Holy Spirit.  Paul says it like this in the Book of Romans (5:17).

¹⁷ Since by the one man’s trespass [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life  through the one man, Jesus Christ.

All of eternity depends upon whether you are tuned into the Devil through the “flesh”—an Adam Man—or, whether you are tuned into God through grace—a Forgiven Man.  That’s the essence of the gospel.

Every event, activity, or circumstance in life must be measured by eternity.  Whether you miss heaven by an inch or by a mile, you miss it altogether—and forever.  Because eternity awaits every man and woman, and because eternity will be spent in eternal torment or eternal bliss depending upon your relationship to God, nothing is more important that tuning into God’s direction for our lives and “Walking in the Spirit.”

Easily, providing background for a study of Galatians could take several sermons.  It is such a rich and unique book.  It is special if for no other reason than being one of the earliest epistles written by Paul.

Here is a very brief summary of the background to Galatians.

The problem Paul was addressing is referred to as “Judaizers.”  These were Jewish converts to Christianity who felt that keeping the law, particularly circumcision, ceremonies, and calendar events, was essential to “being a Christian.”  It was a matter of adding Jewish law to a Christian experience.  Paul shows that this actually is a matter of “subtracting by adding.”  By adding “to” the gospel of salvation by grace through Christ alone, they in fact had created a different “gospel” which is no gospel whatsoever—it is a curse, an anathema, or right from the pit of hell.  It is either salvation by keeping the law, or salvation by grace—but it cannot be any mixture of the two. 

Galatians is a book of contrasts.  It contrasts the Spirit with the flesh.  It contrasts the grace with Law.  It contrasts freedom with bondage.  It contrasts Moses with Jesus.  In summary, Galatians contrast “Worldly Walkers” with “Spirit Walkers.”

One further note of introduction to these lessons from Galatians.  These are “sermons.”  It is not my intent to simply convey to you the information available in commentaries.  You can read them for yourself.  In the next 13 weeks or so, I will communicate just under 10 hours of information.  It will represent hundreds of hours of reading, praying, and study.  When I am done, I will still have only scratched the surface of what Galatians has to say.  My goal is to give you enough information, inspiration, and motivation to pursue life as a “Spirit Walker.”  This sermon series is a diving board.  Galatians (and the Bible in general) is the ocean.  Let’s dive in.

In his instruction for Spirit Walkers, Paul addresses Issues in regard to the UNIQUENESS of the Gospel: unique authority, unique product, unique purpose, uniqueness in exclusivity.

1.  Unique AUTHORITY (1-2)

1  Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

Authority is a key issue in any religion.  Who, or what is the final arbiter of what is true or false, good or evil, etc.?  For example, the authority in the Mormon Church is the President.  He speaks for the church and when he so indicates, his words are taken as authoritative.  In regard to there written authorities, they have several.  The Bible is included, but not with any real authority.  According to Mormonism, “The Bible is inspired only as it is translated correctly,” meaning in large part, according to the Book of Mormon.  Similarly, in the Catholic Church, the Pope is the ultimate authority.

In Christianity, God is the Ultimate Authority, and the Bible is the complete and inspired record of His decrees to man.  No man or woman is “inspired” in Christianity in the way that Mormons, Catholics or others regard some men or women to be inspired.  Any authority any man or woman might claim can only come as a man or woman acts directly on behalf of God.

That’s the essence of the second word in the Book of Galatians.  Paul declares that he is an “apostle” (ἀπόστολος).  This word has a very defined meaning in Scripture.  The Greek word, “apostolos” parallels the Hebrew word in the O.T., “shaliach.”  The basic, biblical understanding describes, “a messenger sent with a message.”  Originally, the word apostolos conveyed no idea of a transfer of authority.  It was a simple messenger.  The word in Classical Greek was used of a ship’s crew sent on a mission.  It was in later developments of the Greek language that apostle came to refer to “divine authority” (Stoics, katascopos, or literally, a spy).  This development influenced the N.T. use of the word.  The N.T use combines the Classical ideas being informed by the Hebrew idea of a “messenger sent with a message—and a message with divine authority.”

Paul will have much more to say about his apostleship, but the key issue in regard to Paul’s defense of the gospel is that he has “divine authority.”  Any other so-called gospel, is a fraud.  Paul very strongly asserts that as an apostle, or “sent one,” he is sent from God and not any “agency of man but through the agency of Jesus Christ and God the Father.”  The gospel is a “divine message” and apostles are “divine messengers” with “divine authority.”

Verse 2 adds the words, “and all the brethren (adelphoi, brothers and sisters).”  The gospel message does not exist in some philosophical vacuum.  The gospel message is “communal.”  The gospel not only infuses individuals with “spiritual life,” but also imbues individuals with spiritual power to live out that life in and with a community of other “Spirit Walkers.”

The power of the Church (verse 2, “churches”) derives from the gospel—good news about salvation through Christ—and the power of the gospel comes directly from the very throne of God, Himself.  To highlight the awesome power coming from the divine source of the gospel, Paul says in verse 2, that the God Who is the source of the gospel is the One who, “raised [Jesus] from the dead!”  That’s powerful.  Death is our greatest enemy, through the gospel’s power, death is annihilated for those who believe. 

Divine Authority is a major factor in the uniqueness of the gospel.

Today, if the news coverage is any indication, just about anybody can be an authority on just about anything.  We as a society seem to worship at that alter of celebrity, and so style has become synonymous with substance—monetary success has become the standard of expertise on nearly anything.  A case in point is the recent vitriolic speech against the President of the United States by actor Robert DeNiro.  He is just one of many Hollywood celebrities that also work as expert political commentators in their spare time.  Even Oprah Winfree seems to be throwing her hat in a ring for a run at the presidency in 2020.  Society worships celebrity and we easily and often confuse “fame” with “authority.”

The only source for authority for any message: political, spiritual, or otherwise is God, through the message of His apostles and prophets.

2.  Unique PRODUCT (1:3)

3            Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

The word, “grace,” begins and ends every one of Paul’s letters.  Grace (charis, χάρις) would take a small book to completely define but can be summed up as, “the undeserved favor of God toward those who had forfeited any claim on it by becoming enemies of God.”  Grace is not merely favor toward those who have done nothing wrong, it is favor toward those who have done “everything wrong” and continue to do wrong.  Grace produces “Spirit Walkers.”  Grace not only initiates one’s walk with God, but grace also produces the power to continue to walk with God.  My Scripture Memory Verse a couple months ago describes how grace produces both “new birth” and “new life” toward the end of a “new eternity.”

6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [that is, by grace] walk in Him, [by grace] ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.

Grace produces people who are full of “peace” and “overflowing with gratitude,” among other fruits we will examine later on in Galatians.  God’s grace is the very transforming power of God operating in and through our lives that at first, births us into the Spiritual life, and thereafter, empowers us as Spirit Walkers.  The gospel of grace produces a unique and peculiar people.  Peter said,

2:9         But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Ephesians 2:8-10 teaches that Spirit Walkers following the gospel of grace are on a path to becoming a “marvelous work of God.”

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  9        not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10              For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Years ago, a great travelling preacher by the name of Vance Havner, recounted an event that took place in his country church.  Havner tells of a little boy who attended Sunday School and was an absolute terror.  Nobody knew what to do with him.  Finally, he just stopped coming.  Even this beloved evangelist confessed, “I am ashamed to say it, but I think we were all glad of it.”  A few months went by, perhaps nearly a year.  One day, the church was having a series of revival meetings.  Through the door burst this little boy, running down the aisle with a small instrument case tucked under his arm.  The little boy’s smile wrapped nearly all the way around his head.  “Dr. Turner (the pastor),” the little boy squeaked with excitement, “they gave me this fiddle for being good.”  Apparently, the little boy had found a new Sunday School.  Dr. Turner remarked to Vance Havner, “In the first place, I couldn’t imagine anyone giving this boy a fiddle; and, in the second place, certainly not for being good!”  The little boy continued his story, “You see Dr. Turner.  I am gooder than I used to be.”  As the little boy scampered down the hallway to the children’s area, Dr. Turner thought, “Yes, thank God, by the grace of God, a lot of us are ‘gooder’ than we used to be.”

Grace, the essence of the gospel, produces Spirit Walkers who are becoming “gooder” than we used to be.

3.  Spirit Walkers Follow a gospel with a Unique PURPOSE (4-5)

4            who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,   
5            to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

The gospel Spirit Walkers follow is a “simple” gospel, and a “sovereign” gospel.

The true gospel is not complicated.  It has one simple, central purpose.  It may accomplish a multitude of things, but it is decreed by God to accomplish one “main” thing.  Look again a verse 4:  “so that He might rescue us from this present evil age.”  Now, if you listen to the preaching commonly heard in the vast majority of pulpits, you might think that God sent Jesus Christ to “make us happy.”  I’ve even heard one person describe the Plan of Salvation as, “Five Happy Hops to Heaven!”  In other pulpits, you might think that God decreed the gospel as a “How To” book on life.  Certainly, the Bible contains much helpful information about how to live, but it is not primarily a “how to” book, but a “Survival Manual.”  It is like that laminated folder on a plane that gives you all the “rescue tips” on how to survive a plane crash—you know, that folder nobody every reads!

The purpose of the gospel is a “rescue” manual, not a “how to” manual.  The word, “rescue” necessarily implies that we are in a desperate situation.  We are always a moment away from some disaster in life.  We are never more than a heartbeat away from death.  When disaster strikes, we need a “Rescuer.”  The True Gospel tells us that we have a “Rescuer, a Deliverer, or a Savior,” Who is Christ, the Lord.

I think most people fail to realize just how “desperate” they really are.  It is hard to feel desperate when we don’t have to wonder where our next meal is coming from.  It is hard to feel desperate when we drive a nice car while some people live in a cardboard box.  It is hard to feel desperation when our biggest concern is how to lower the taxes on the money we make, rather than worry how we can make enough money to feed our family and pay or bills.  Prosperity has a way of masking our desperate condition; but, we are desperate nonetheless. 

No, we don’t     FEEL “desperate or in need of a rescue,” but we are.  Notice in verse 4 that our desperation doesn’t come from needing more money, better health, or greater status.  We aren’t desperate because we need “rescued” from bad finances, bad health, or even bad thinking—though we may experience one or all of these circumstances and more.  We are desperate and need rescue, “from this present EVIL age!” (v4).  This recalls to my mind how Jesus taught us to pray (Mt. 6:13)

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver [or rescue] us from evil.

If you check the footnotes in many of your Bibles, you will see that they give the literal translation as, “evil one,” not just “evil.”  This verse could read, “Rescue us from the Devil!”

You may not feel like you need to be “rescued” but you most certainly do.  You don’t need God to make you rich.  Many evil men and women have lots and lots of money.  You don’t need God to make you famous.  Just go look at the name of famous reprobates that have a Star on the Hollywood walk of fame.  It is an unmistakable fact of life that “good things happen for bad people.”  This is why the Psalmist cried out: 

^73:3For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

But do not be mistaken by appearances.  The only real problem any person has is, “sin”—that is, living as a “Flesh Walker,” a spiritual zombie.  You look alive—sort of—but you are nothing but a rotting bag of sin without God.  And, there is only one solution to your desperate situation—the gospel of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ.  The simple purpose of the gospel is “to rescue us from eternal damnation.”

Paul adds something else important to the purpose of the gospel.  Not only is it simple, but it is sovereign.  You could miss this if you don’t read carefully.  Look at verse 5 again,

our God and Father,  5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Circle the word, “Amen.”  Most people think that the word, “Amen,” means, “and now we can eat!”  In fact it means, “truly, or this is true, or absolutely.”  It affirms the absolute credibility and reliability of what has been stated.  The authority, as we learned earlier, of the gospel comes from its Divine Origin with Almighty God.  God is absolutely “sovereign” and nothing can—and therefore nothing will—prevent the gospel from accomplishing its purpose to “rescue those God choose to rescue!”

The gospel has a purpose that is simple and sovereign:  rescue from the evil control and damning activity of the Devil, those who put their trust in Jesus.

This brings us to a very important aspect of the gospel that Spirit Walkers follow.  It is a gospel

4.  Unique in its EXCLUSIVITY (1:6-9)

6         I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

7         which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8         But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

9         As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

One of the characteristics of Galatians that many scholars note, is the strong tone that Paul uses right off the bat.  Essentially, he is beginning this sermon by saying, “I’m shocked at your behavior!”

Could you imagine how a congregation would feel if a preacher started the sermon that way?

And, think how Paul ends this introduction to Galatians.  Basically, he says bluntly, “and let me repeat myself, if you believe anything different from what I have just preached, then you can go straight to hell!”

This is strong language.  Certainly, you don’t hear this language much in pulpits today.  It is a surefire way to reactivate a dormant “Pastor Search Committee.”  Most preachers are more like Rodney King than the Apostle Paul.

Some of you young folk may not know about Rodney King.  He was the center of a police brutality case in 1991.  He was driving while drunk and tried to outrun the police.  They caught him and a confrontation ensued.  He won his police brutality case, but it sparked a bloody, violent riot in L.A.  Later, in an interview his, now proverbial statement, was, “Can’t we all just get along?”  While this sentiment can be praised for its call to accept others and live with them in peace, it is a horrible sentiment to apply to the gospel.

No, we cannot “just get along” with Muslims.  No, we cannot just “get along” with Mormons.  No, we cannot live in peace with abortionists.  No, we cannot just “get along” with homosexuality.  The gospel is an exclusive message that makes an absolute and all-encompassing call upon the life of those that declare to be saved.  We cannot get along with error.  We cannot get along with sin.  Paul said such an attempt to “just get along with error” was, “anathema,” that is, worthy of nothing but the fires of hell itself.  That’s tough talk!

What is at stake in regard to the gospel?  Eternity.  Eternity will either be defined as forever punishment or forever bliss.  Following the “true” gospel determines whether one will be “blessed” or whether one will be “accursed;” whether one spends eternity WITH God, or WithOUT Him.

Paul begs the Galatians, and through them, everyone of us:  “Don’t follow the wrong gospel!  If you do, you will end up “anathema!”

I know it is politically incorrect to state that “Jesus is the ONLY Way, and that Jesus is the ONLY Truth, and Jesus is the ONLY Life,” but that’s what the Bible clearly teaches from Genesis to Revelation.

The True Gospel requires the True Jesus—and only Jesus.  The Jehovah Witnesses have a Jesus, but he is “a” god, not Almighty God, God the Son and the Son of God, or the Second Person of the Godhead.  Mormons have a Jesus, but he is not the Jesus of the Bible.  The Mormon Jesus was a polygamist secretly married to Mary and Martha. The Catholics have a Jesus; but, He is not an All-Sufficient Savior “once for all crucified for our sin” (Heb. 7:27), but must be crucified at mass again and again.  Furthermore, the work of the Catholic Jesus is incomplete and must be supplemented by hundreds of church rituals added over the years.  Jews have a Jesus—well, they have one but just don’t know and prefer endless ceremonies and cultural events to a Messiah.  Even the Muslims have a Jesus, but their Jesus not only is NOT Almighty God as in the Bible, but the Muslim Jesus even comes in “second” as a prophet!

In verse 6, the True Gospel is identified as the “gospel of grace.”  In verse 7, the True Gospel is called the “gospel of Christ.”  Any gospel that adds anything to “grace”—such as Jewish rituals, Catholic rituals, or even Baptist rituals; and yes, Baptists have their sacred rituals they often incorrectly try to add to the grace of God—that is, any different gospel that requires more than grace, or grace plus anything else is a “false gospel.”  Likewise, any different gospel that takes away from the centrality of Jesus to the gospel, or subtracts the full claim of deity from Jesus, is a different gospel Paul says, “is really no gospel at all” (verse 7). 

It may make us uncomfortable, or it may be political incorrect, but there is only ONE TRUE GOSPEL and it declares that salvation is “exclusively” through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Son.  Nothing added. Nothing subtracted.  Exclusively through Jesus.

Recall the Mickey Mouse transistor radios I told you my Grandmother bought for my brothers and I one Christmas.  These were special gifts that receive all kinds of programs if you were “tuned into the right channel.”  There were AM channels, and FM channels.  You could not get FM channels if you were “tuned into” AM.  I said AM could be thought of as Adam Man channels.  When tuned into AM, we follow the ways of Adam, who brought sin into the world.  Tuned into Adam’s way we become Fleshly Walkers, only seeking to gratify our own wants and needs with no thought of bringing glory to God.  On the other hand, if we switch to FM, or the Forgiven Man channels, then we tune into God’s way through faith in Jesus Christ.  We then become Spirit Walkers, walking in the way of the One True Gospel.

That One True Gospel is unique in authority, unique in its product, unique in its purpose, and is unique according to its exclusivity.

Everything in the Bible is black and white (except for the words of Jesus that are sometimes in red).  The Bible only speaks of blessing or cursing, of grace or of law, of a narrow road or a wide road, of light or of dark, of a true gospel or a false gospel.

Spirit Walkers follow the True Gospel.

Becoming Promised Land People

January 7, 2018

New Life at First Baptist:  Becoming Promised Land People

Numbers 14:1-38, esp. vv 7-8                    NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS: If we as individuals, families, and the church want to experience something new in the New Year, then we need to think and act in new ways.

READ NUMBERS 14:1-10

**  This is an archetypal passage:  it is a pivotal text that is used to give context to the rest of the Bible.  For example, Paul uses this story in Hebrews, chapter 3.

**  The force of this passage is supported by the “divine revelatory formula” in verse one of chapter one, that is used throughout the Book of Numbers.  It is in fact the Hebrew title for the Book.  The Hebrew titles (like many book titles) sets forth the major theme of the Book.  This formula:  “And the Lord spoke,” is used 65 times in the Book of Numbers.

**  Additional force is given to this text in the use of the “piel” stem in the Hebrew word for, “He spoke.”  The piel stem is commonly referred to as the “intensive stem.”  To make a word more forceful, the Hebrews would use the “piel” stem.  It would be correct to translate these words literally as, “God spoke with intensity and forcefulness” to Moses.  You could even say, “God SHOUTED to Moses.”  This passage deserves very, very careful consideration by God’s congregation.

**  Having said that, let me quickly say, “that even if God came and spoke face to face with most people (as Jesus in fact did) they still would reject His guidance and control of their lives.”  To reject God’s clear command to move forward as a congregation is to invoke God’s wrath and condemnation on our lives.  I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO COMPREHEND AND EMBRACE THIS MESSAGE.

**  One more important piece of background:  the Promised Land in this passage is not a picture of “heaven.”  It is a picture (a model) of what it means to experience the power and providence of God in the here and now.  Heaven will come soon enough and all you have to do to possess it is accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life.  Becoming a Promised Land Believer is a different matter entirely.  This is what theologians refer to as “sanctification.”  This is what I refer to as “Victorious Christian Living.”

There are three pieces to the puzzle of becoming a “Promised Land Believer.”  We need to put something BEHIND us, look forward to something BEFORE us, and experience the power of someBODY WITH us.

1.  Putting something BEHIND us (1-4)

Someone posted a statement on my FB page that sums up what I am trying to say:  “We cannot experience a new chapter in our lives if we continue to re-read the last chapter!”

You cannot harvest happiness by sowing seeds of regret.  Likewise, you cannot experience “new joys” relying on past successes.  A new experience requires “forward” motion.  Even if you fall, you can make progress if you simply “fall forward!”

You cannot possibly move forward if you keep making a “U-turn” in your life to go back to what is familiar and comfortable.   Like most men, I hate to make “U-turns.”  This is an indication I made a wrong turn in the first place – and I just don’t like admitting I’m wrong.  And, I don’t like going “backwards.”

I recently read about an experience of an elderly couple that illustrates what I mean.  An elderly couple was travelling on vacation and stopped to eat.  After a leisurely meal, the couple got back into the car and continued onto their destination.  About an hour into the drive, the women noticed she had forgotten her glasses at the restaurant.  This really aggravated her husband who acted in the typical grumpy manner and began to scold her tirelessly.  It didn’t help that they had to drive several miles before they found an off ramp they could take to turn around.  Then, the old geezer berated his wife for the entire hour long trip back to the restaurant.  The woman was nearly in tears.  Finally, they arrived at the restaurant.  The woman was glad that her hour long scolding was about over.  Yet, as she was walking into the restaurant the old geezer rolled down the window to yell at her one last time.  He screamed at the top of his lungs:  “Woman, I guess while you are getting your glasses you might as well pick up my hat and our credit card!

Maybe, we shouldn’t be an “old geezer” about turning around to get our wife’s glasses, but we SHOULD detest the very thought of ever going back to old habits, old ways, or the slavery of a life of sin.  The direction of the Christian life should always be forward.

Here, we observe the sad reality of how so many Christians, and so many churches, react to change.  Read with me verses 1-4:

Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. ² All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron,  and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and little children will become plunder.  Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”  ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Egypt represents sin and the bondage it brings into our lives.  The Jews, by this time, had been slaves in Egypt for over 430 years. There lives were characterized by bitterness, disappointment, and a total lack of freedom.  The same condition we live under (and worse) when we are slaves to sin.

God heard the cries of His people and sent them a Deliverer—Moses.  Moses miraculously led the entire (up to 2 million) nation out of Egypt, the most powerful dynasty in the ancient world.  Now, they were at a point of decision.  Do we move forward into the Promised Land, or do we go back to our old, tired, disappointing lives.

Like most people:  they voted for a return to status quo (the way things were).  They voted to “go back.”  The result would be that the entire nation would wander in the barren wilderness of Zin for the next 40 years! 

This is typical of many people who get saved.  They start out great, but soon their taste for the “old ways” gets the best of them and they slide back into old habits, old ways, and an old life of bondage.

Friend, if you hear nothing else this morning hear this:  “You can never make progress in your life if you go back to your old ways.”  If you want to experience something really new in the New Year, you have to put your old life BEHIND you.

Here’s a picture of the national seal for Australia. The two animals holding up the coat of arms are iconic to Australia.  In fact, the kangaroo and the emu are only found on this continent. Common lore states that the kangaroo and emu were chosen for the national emblem because they “cannot move backward.”  In fact, they “can” move backward, but only with great difficulty, and they seldom ever move backward.  The kangaroo and emu, then, symbolize the on-going progress and success of Australia.

Unfortunately, humans can and do move backward.  However, if you want to experience the “full blessing of God’s presence” in your life in the New Year, you need to once and for all, put yesterday BEHIND you.  You need to once and for all, with all the enthusiasm and sincerity a human can muster, forsake your life of sin and put it BEHIND you.  Shed all of yesterdays, failures as well as successes, and move steadily forward toward the Promised Land.

2.  You need to have something BEFORE you.  (7)

We work a lot like the old donkeys that would turn a millstone to grind grain.  We need a “carrot” dangling in front of us to motivate us to move forward.  SLIDE OF DONKEY AND CARROT

Notice this same type of motivation taking place in verse 7:

The land we passed through and explored
is an extremely good land.

Literally the verse reads, “very, very good land.”  There is nothing “second rate about” the gifts God gives.  James says:

^1:17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights.

A major theme of the Bible is “gift-giving” with God leading the way.  Dr. Henry Morris points out:  The theme of giving is strong in the Scriptures. The words "give," "giving," "gift" and other such words occur at least 2100 times. The very first occurrence, however, is in connection with the giving of light. God placed the great lights in the heavens "to give light upon the earth" (Genesis 1:15). Then, of course, we know God not only gave the “first gift” (of creation) but gave the “best”gift in His Son:

¹⁶ “For God loved  the world in this way:  He gave His One and Only  Son,  so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Because God is the Greatest Gift Giver, we can look forward to heaven (and eternal life) “some” day.  What most Christians overlook, however, is that we can also look for a “little taste of heaven, today.”  The Bible speaks abundantly of how God blesses people with all kinds of blessings right here—right now!

Have you ever stopped to think of how many times Jesus blessed someone with an earthly blessing.  At least 65 miracles are recorded in the Gospels.  Many of them were “healings.”  Every one of those 65 or so miracles was an “immediate, right here, right” now blessing.

The Promised Land is not about “pie-in-the-sky-in-the-sweet-by-and-by.”  The Promised Land was a “tangible piece of honest to goodness real estate” that was as “sweet as milk and honey.”

Often, when I think of the possibilities available in my life and in the life of our church, I think of Habakkuk.  He said:

3:2  Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy. (NIV)

“In our day; in our time.”  Here’s a promise that does not require we die to see it fulfilled.  Oh, yes, heaven’s a great gift, and I look forward with great expectation of claiming it someday – JUST NOT TODAY!

Friend, I’m not so much interested in “pie-in-the-sky-in-the-sweet-by-and-by” as I am “tasting a great big slice right here—right now!

Notice how Joshua describes the Promised Land that lay BEFORE the Israelites.  Not only was it “exceedingly good,” but it was “explored.”  That is:  they saw it; they touched it; and they even tasted of it’s fruit.  This was not a “someday promise,” but a “today reality.”

Sadly I must say to you today, “most believers will not take hold of the Promised Land that lies right BEFORE you.”  Most Christians will not change any attitude or take any new action in the New Year and “if they make it to December of 2019,” the year will be very much like last year—maybe even worse.

In order to experience something new in the New Year, you need to think new thoughts and take new actions.  The same is true for our church.

To really change our attitudes and actions, we need to be motivated by the “extremely good land” that lies right before us.  All we need to do is be “obedient” to go in and take what God has already promised to us!-

In order to experience something new in the New Year, you need to think new thoughts and take new actions.  The same is true for our church.

Write that down!  That is a critical component of becoming a Promised Land Believer:  see the extremely good land that lies BEFORE you. 

Now, remember the report from the 10 cowardly spies:

^13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” ³² 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. ³³ We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

There is never a “victory” without a “battle.”  Victorious Christian Living as a Promised Land Believer will require a lot of sacrifice and you will face a lot of challenges.  At the end of your sacrifice and challenge however will lie “an extremely good land.”

To become a Promised Land Believer you need something BEHIND you—all your disappointment, failures, and propensity to sin—and you need something BEFORE you—the extremely good land of God’s promise for obedience—and,

3.  SomeBODY WITH you (8ff)

Here’s the real key to living a Promised Land life.  Joshua points out:

⁸ 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. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Oh, friends, the Bible declares:  “If God be for us, who can be against us!” (Rom 8:31).  That’s a rhetorical question that does not call for a vocal answer because the answer is obvious:  “If God is for us NOBODY can be against us.”

We just celebrated Christmas.  Remember what the angel said the child’s name would be:  “Emmanuel” which means “God with us.”

If we could only bring ourselves to trust what God clearly says in His word, we would march into our world and take back that which the Devil has stolen.

As Charlie Daniels sang:  “We would take back or streets and take back our schools.”

It's gettin' late but the battle ain't lost
He's raising an army at the foot of the cross
With the weapon of prayer and the everlasting power of love
It's time to take off the gloves change all the rules
Take back our streets and take back our schools
(Hey Satan) take your hands off America the beautiful

Don't worry about the darkness for we are the children of light
And we can still win the battle but it's gonna be a whale of a fight.

God never told the Israelites there were not “giants”in the land.  God simply promised that the giants would be defeated!  God promised that He would be ‘WITH’ us, as we move out into obedience.

When all hell breaks lose in your life the safest place to be in right in the middle of God’s will. 

The Israelites thought they would be safer as slaves in Egypt, but in fact they would have been safer fighting the giants in the Promised Land.

The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.  When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

Even when we cannot see God we can know He is there.  His Presence is our protection.  Look at verse 9 again:

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

Without God, a person has no protection against the myriad of evils that ever person must face in life.  A believer has the promise of God’s presence which gives us the protection of God’s power.

We cannot lose in the battle of life as long as we have God on our side—and, we always have God on our side when we are moving forward according to God’s command.

If we want to experience something “new” in the New Year, we must think and act in new ways.  We must put last year BEHIND us, keep God’s Promise BEFORE us, and realize that whatever we face, God is WITH us.

This can be the best year of our lives if we trust God radically.

Let’s Pray For Courage to Become Promised Land Believers.