Absolute Goal for the Gospel Noble Family – Restoration of the Gospel (12)
God’s Miracle is Classy and Wonderful (Jos 14:1-15)
(Intro)
It’s good to see you. Greet those around you. Have you had a good week? Today’s title is “God’s Miracle is Classy and Wonderful”. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies!” Consider how wildflowers grow without labor. Yet, not even Solomon was dressed like this. Solomon was an iconic individual who was wise. The clothes that he wore were fancy. However, the clothes that he wore, cannot follow God’s creation. You cannot compare God’s creation with Man’s creation. The Gospel is God’s creation and incomparable to religion. It is the loving touch of God. As saved people, we only seek God when we need Him. Our Lord knows us better than us and is close to us. He is close to you. We are easily discouraged and crumble. However, He doesn’t give up on us. He helps us and gives us victory. He is our almighty Father God with unlimited power. Mankind has limitations. He uncovers that limitations. He uncovered the fabrication of religion. The Gospel is amazing. Believing Jesus makes it seem like you’re at a loss. Those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ have fun on Sundays. It seems like those who believe are weak. It seems like they want to do something but are weak. It looks like they gather once a week to gather. The outer shell looks like we are weak, but we contain something great. When you study so much, you have a philosophy. You cannot comprehend it. It contains something deep. The Gospel and philosophy are incomparable. However, the Gospel contains God’s plan and knowledge. God wants to give us Christ. He is revealing Christ through all people and creation. Wife and husband live together and have kids. However, He is revealing Christ and the church through people. He is explaining the Gospel through everything. The father in the household is strict. However, it is representing our Father God. In the world, there’s music and art. Throughout history, love songs move people. Love moves us mentally and physically. However, within that, is the hidden love of God. Only through the love of God, can you change and move the hearts of people. How come the sky is so high? It reveals the deep meaning of God. How come the field is peaceful? That symbolizes the peacefulness of God. When you burn yourself, it might be shocking, so you try not to burn yourself. That symbolizes the fires of hell. Everything is telling us something. That is normal. Honestly speaking, we are not in the right sense. We are busy in our day. People are usually selfish and don’t see everything. God is showing us His height and depth. Before the creation of heaven and earth, God knew us. He chose us and called us. We cannot explain this reason. We cannot explain this with philosophy. All those mysteries are inside of the Gospel. It seems like the walk of faith is nothing. If you look deeply at it, there’s depth and it’s beautiful. Mankind creates art. However, the basic inspiration is from the Gospel. All the works of art are created from God’s inspiration. When Handel created music, people gave him a round of applause. He displayed the savior God through his music. Michelangelo created art pieces about God and people are moved by it. John Burnett wrote “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. This is related to the Gospel. This is the story of God. This is the story of our salvation. God is kind and passionate. Through this undying work of art, God is showing something to us. God is bigger than this universe and is alive now. I expressed the aesthetic of the Gospel. The Gospel is an ensemble of the Father God and the true devotion of Son of God, Jesus Christ. Also, it moves the world and burns the hearts of people. The Holy Spirit is touching our lives. He has a great work of art and is guiding us through that. God’s salvation and Gospel is the ultimate beauty. That is true right? God is classy and beautiful. Those who are guided by God is also beautiful. We are looking at Joshua 14. We can say that Caleb is reporting that he wants to fight in war. If you read the previous chapter, he is a renowned individual. A person of God is classy and beautiful. The work of God’s people is beautiful.
1. The reason why we trust God is because He fulfills His covenant
(1) The Covenant that was given to God was relayed to Joshua, then relayed and took place in Israel (Jos 14:2-3)
(2) No Matter how people, situations and the age changes, God’s word will absolutely be fulfilled (Num 23:19)
(3) When you have the faith and patience within His Covenant, you will absolutely see His work (Heb 11:6)
As we live our walk of faith, we hear that we need to believe in God and have faith. As time passes, you will realize the content of belief. God is alive and working. He is with me now. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, have the Holy Spirit. You will realize that God does anything. He works for the good. We will realize these things. As He works, He surpasses the standard of mankind. Whatever He speaks with His lips, He will fulfill it with His time schedule. Sometimes we make promises and forget it, but God doesn’t. It’s in the Bible and church history. God never fails. When you hold onto the word of God, He answers. We are looking at the book of Joshua. God orders Moses to conquer Canaan. Distribute the land to the Israelites. Joshua is the successor of Moses and received those words. It says in chapter 14:1, they’re distributing the land. There are repeating words in verse 2 and 5. Their inheritance was assigned. Moses passed away. The word of God is continuing. The leader is replaced. The age has changed. They went into the wilderness and conquered. The age and people continue to change. God’s word never changes. God’s word is being fulfilled. The word of God and man cannot be compared. Whatever happens, God’s covenant will be fulfilled. This is the reason why we believe in God. If we have the covenant of God, we can do anything. Have faith in God’s covenant. God will bless you. God will fulfill His word. You will see the work of God. Honestly, the first mankind Adam committed sin before God. However, God gave the way of salvation. He has given the promise of salvation. He has given the prophecy that will be fulfilled. The offspring of woman will crush the head of the serpent. What serpent? Satan entered inside a cunning snake and deceived Adam. He made Adam disobey the word of God. Mankind became the enemy of God. Mankind is now under the control of Satan. They live according to fate. God promise to send a savior to overcome Satan. Despite the hindrance of Satan, after 4,000 years, He came. He is Jesus of Nazareth Jesus. He completed the works of Christ. He became our savior. What is the work of Christ? Christ means the anointed one, the one who is anointed with oil. Prophets, priests and kings are anointed with oil. Jesus is the way to meet God. Mankind has sinned. So we need to repay that sin. What are the wages of sin? you are cursed on this earth and you suffer in hell. Jesus freed us from that. Christ gave us the authority to overcome Satan. Jesus is the Christ and when you believe and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, He will become your Lord and master. When you experience that, you will experience amazing things. He will be with those who confess the fact that Jesus is the Christ. He is the most powerful and will be with you. It is the blessing of Immanuel. He would not leave you like an orphan. Also, Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” Someone may leave you. Also, the children that you raise could go out. Even though God is invisible to our eyes, He is with us. It is the blessing of Immanuel. We will not be afraid. Even if you go to hell, God will rise you from the dead. Even though your physical body is dead, He will give you eternal life. You might be in poverty, but He will make you hold onto the covenant of God and be rich. No matter how much we try, we are at fault. However, you accept Jesus as your Lord. He will free you from sins and curses. He has no sin. He has freed you from sin and death. It is a relief because this is a special blessing. No matter how smart or nice you are, you cannot overcome Satan. We see it. There are many people who study so well but cannot graduate from college. People say that they love one another, but just depart. You thought that person was smart and kind, but they’re not. It may seem like this person is nice, but they’re a terrorist. If you are not seized by Satan, they cannot do those things. You cannot overcome Satan with good education nor money. When you are in the midst of curses, you are at a loss. When you pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Satan will flee. This is an amazing and special blessing. Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. You know Jesus and have accepted Him. When you order in the name of Jesus, the evil spirits will flee. In the name of Jesus Christ, the forces of darkness will flee. Do you believe? That is how you use the name of Christ. As it was prophesized, He died, resurrected and ascended into heaven. It is also prophesized that He will come again. He came as a baby Jesus. He will return as king. With that promise, you will live your walk of faith. God has power. He will keep His promise. He is truly amazing. He will make everything beautiful. He is not fickle. He will consistently be with us. You need to prepare a whole-hearted faith. When you have faith in God, He will be happy.
2. God’s kingdom isn’t a democratic nor a communist state
(1) For God’s will, the Levites were excluded from receiving any inheritance (Jos 14:3)
(2) For God’s will, the people of Joseph received double portion of inheritance (Jos 14:4)
(3) God’s absolute sovereignty eventually work together for good (Rom 8:28)
We will look at God. After conquering the land of Canaan, they are distributing the land. In chapter 14, the tribe of Levi was excluded from this. It seems like God is a communist. He excluded them. If God makes you go out, you will feel bad. What about the tribe of Joseph? Joseph had 2 sons and gave the land to 2 of his sons. They are receiving a lot of land and are doing whatever they want. The numbers of the tribe of Levi are small. Looking at their situation, they needed more. What about the tribe of Joseph? He was the governor of Egypt when they first came to Egypt. Because of the support of Joseph, they received privileges. They were supported. That is why they were support to inherit a double portion. It seems democratic, the way the distrusted the land. There is a hidden plan of God. God fulfilled something long ago. In Genesis 49, Jacob is blessing his sons. In the previous chapter, 48, Jacob is blessing his grandsons before his 12 sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph thought that the Father was blessing his sons. Joseph put his right hand on the first and the left on the 2nd. However, Jacob did the opposite and switched hands. Joseph thought that Jacob’s eyes were dim, but that was not true. It is amazing. Jacob had 4 wives. That’s not the case now. Who did he love the most? Rachel was loved the most because she gave birth to Joseph. The ordained robe, is only given to the first son. However, the older brothers were angry about it. They would often be envious and jealous. The step-brothers sold Joseph as a slave. In the heart of Jacob, he was moved to give the birthright to Joseph. Jacob heard the news that Joseph died, but that wasn’t true. Later on, he met Joseph. Realizing that Joseph was alive, he gave thanks to God. Jacob wanted to bless all his children. At this time, he blesses his grandchildren first. Formally, you will see that the 2 tribes of Joseph are receiving a double portion. In reality, he is receiving a birthright. After that, he blesses the rest of his sons. According to their faith, he blesses his children. In chapter 49, there are strange things. Ruben the first son, should’ve have received the first blessing, but he didn’t. Then the 2nd son Simon and the 3rd son Levi were supposed to receive blessings. The father Jacob collaborated with another tribe. He formed unity with that tribe so they can be circumcised by God. The 2nd and 3rd son had a heart of revenge. That tribe harassed their sister. All the men of that tribe were circumcised so they could not move. When the tribe were immobilized, then the 2nd and 3rd son killed them all. Even though the tribe harassed the younger sister, they became one family. 2 weeks ago, we saw that the Gentile came to the Israelites. They should’ve followed God, but fell into humanistic ways. The 2nd and 3rd son were excluded from receiving blessings. Judas received an inheritance. The birthright was given to Judas. He received the first blessing of inheritance. From that family line, the Messiahs will come through the 2 sons of Joseph. The Levi was excluded. Later, they repented. When God needed something, they volunteered themselves. God received their devotion and raised them. One mistake can bring something great. They became a tribe of prophets as a precedent. It was the realistic birthright. God has fulfilled both of those cases. It is an amazing fulfillment. God has set the plan for those who receive it. Without error, God has fulfilled all plans. This is amazing. Mankind gets upset easily. However, if you see the background or meaning of Jesus, you will see correctly. No matter how old you are, God will fulfill it. No matter how old the promise of the covenant is, God will answer it.
3. The person of God serves Him at the most need time and place for His great cause
(1) Caleb scouted Canaan with Joshua and reported his faith together (Jos 14:7)
(2) Caleb volunteered to participate in war when Joshua was in his most difficult time (Jos 14:10)
(3) Caleb volunteered and went on to conquer the region where Joshua was having the most difficulties with (Jos 14:12)
You will see that Caleb fulfilled God’s word. He was renowned and held onto the plan of God. He is a co-worker of Joshua. He was a spy and fulfilled his mission. Other people had reports of disbelief but Caleb had faith. Joshua promoted him as a leader. Caleb was in the same position for 45 years. Normally when these things happen, you might get upset. Caleb was different. He remained in His place and served Joshua like a king. Because Joshua was his friend, he didn’t bribe him. When Joshua was old in age, Caleb volunteered himself. What happens when your friend is in a crisis? You pretend you don’t know him. However, Caleb always volunteers. In the process of conquering the land, they faced a mountain side. They faced an enemy, the Anakites. No one volunteered to go up against them. Even though, Caleb was old, he volunteers. “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!” If it was us, we wouldn’t want to do it. However, Caleb would obey orders. He was a classy person of God. They were at a disadvantage, but Caleb volunteered to fight. “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 then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." Now then, Joshua blessed Caleb. Sincerely, Caleb held onto God’s covenant. Honestly, Caleb was a mixed-blood. He was a minority. He conquered the tribe of Anak. God performed a miracle. A person of God will put down their own will. To save the entire tribe, he gave himself. He sacrificed himself. More importantly, Caleb held onto faith and the promise. He waited 45 years, but we can’t even wait 4. Even though his background was low, his faith is greater than anyone.
(Conc)
May you learn about or complete Lord under our Father. Experience the wonderful working of the Holy Spirit. God, who will fulfill His covenant, is classy. Who is the family known for the Gospel? They are the family of the Covenant. They are classy people. Remember that we are classy and beautiful people of God.
(Prayer)
Precious Father God, thank you for calling us. Help us to make classy and beautiful lifestyles. Help us to be considerate of others and save them. Help us the save the field. Help us to enjoy the blessing of heaven together. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.