Nay – Sayers and Giant Slayers

(Num 13:1-3)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {2} Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. {3} And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

(Num 13:25-28)  And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. {26} And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. {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.

(Num 13:30-33)  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.

(Num 14:1-2)  And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. {2} And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

INTRODUCTION:

A.        God told Moses to send spies.

1.        God wanted Israel to know that the land He had promised them was real, and that it was a land rich in resources and provisions.

2.        God wants us to know about the blessings.

a.         His promises are real.

b.        It is not a blind faith, God has proven Himself through…

(1)       Israel, (1 Cor 10:11) Now  these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

(2)       The early Church. Therein are many examples of Gods care and provisions.

c.         What God promises He shall also accomplish. (Num 23:19) God is not a  man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

B.        Our problem is that we often focus on the challenges and not on the Champion of our faith.

1.        Too often we are defeated before we have even engaged the enemy.

2.        It is so sad when we cannot see what God wants to do because we focus on what He hasn’t done.

3.        We have to remember that while the enemy is like a roaring lion roaming to and fro seeking whom he may devour; no man was ever KILLED BY A ROAR.

C.        Twelve spies were sent, ten spies came back spineless not willing to walk in faith 1.            These Nay-Sayers had their day.

2.        Their negative report moved

a.         The masses to fears and tears.

b.        The people to rebel against God ordained leadership.

D.        How many of you know that anytime God gives a promise, Satan will try to keep us from receiving that promise?

1.        He will try to fill…

a.         Our HEART with fear and

b.        Our MOUTH with doubt. (doubt is rebellion against God)

2.        And do you know how Satan tries to discourage a church?

a.         He raises up the Nay-Sayers and they begin to preach the sermon of doubt and discouragement.

b.        Nay-Sayers never see the possibility.

c.         They are defeated by the roar.

d.        They are conquered by their own fear.

e.         And they will give a thousand reasons why it can't be done-even if God said He would be our helper.

E.         The negativism of the Nay-Sayer is contagious.

1.        They say things like: 'I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.. .And a foundation leaks and a ball game gets rained out and a car rusts."

2.        They say, '~Always take time to stop and smell the roses… and sooner or later, you'll inhale a bee."

3.        They tell you that, "Into every life some rain must fall… Usually when your car windows are down."

I.          LOOK FIRST AT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NAY-SAYERS

A.        To begin with, Nay-Sayers DOUBT.

1.        Twelve men went into Canaan, and twelve men came out

a.         All twelve came back with the testimony that God's promises were real

(1)       Nay-Sayers will often say that they do believe that God can do

what He has promised, but they doubt that He will.

(2)       Nay-Sayers will often claim to worship the same God that created

universe and called life into existence, but they doubt that He can

heal. or provide, or take care of His own.

b.        All twelve men testified that Canaan was everything God had promised.

(1)       They said, "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit."

(2)       (They had even brought back proof of the fruitfulness of the land.)

c.         They weren't done talking yet.

(1)       The ten Nay-Sayers continued, "Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there."

d.        Even after Caleb had quieted the people and encourage them to go on and posses the land, the Nay-Sayers continued their drumbeat of defeat.

(1)       They said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.. . the land through which we have gone… is a land

that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are

men of great stature.

(2)       There we saw giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

2.        Nay-Sayer doubt.

a.         They doubt themselves.

b.        They doubt one-another.

c.         But worst of all, they doubt God.

3.        Furthermore, if we listen to the Nay-sayers, we are likely to become infected with doubt.

4.        That doesn't mean faith is blind.

a.         The two faithful men saw the giants, but they saw the God who stood above the giants and they knew God was on their side.

b.        Faith is not a denial of reality, but the realization that there is a higher law than the natural laws.

c.         There is a spiritual law, a law that can suspend the laws of nature and cause miracles to happen.

B.        The Nay-Sayers could not get their eyes any higher than their problems and so they and the people began to DOUBT and POUT.

1.The people had become infected with doubt and so they all began to fall into depression and despair.

a.         They began to pout and question God.

b.        Doubting leads to pouting not to shouting.

2.        Doubt rips the praise from your lips and leaves you with the bitter taste of fear and discouragement.

3.        In their pouting they began to say foolish things.

a.         Things like, 'We would hove been better off in Egypt."

b.        Or, "We should have just died in the wilderness."

4.        They had lost the song they had sung as they came out of the Red Sea and their enemies were defeated behind them.

5.        They turned on the leadership and would have stoned those who dared believe that it could be done.

C.        Those who doubt and pout, will DO WITHOUT

1.The whole generation who refused to pass over to the promised land, did die in the wilderness.

a.         People without faith are doomed to go through the motion without joy.

b.        People who will not believe dwell in a wilderness of questions and a quagmire of anxiety.

c.         Nay-Sayers never get to taste and see that the Lord, He is good.

d.        Nay-Sayers never get anywhere in their Christian walk.

e.                 Their motto is….,

"Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.

Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.

Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone."

2.        If we are not careful, we will find ourselves following in the footsteps of the Nay-Sayers.

a.   if we listen too long, as they tell us why it can't be done, then before we know it….

(1) Our heart has been filled with fear,

(2) Our praise is silenced, and

(3) Our joy is left bleeding in the desert of despair.

b.  Beware of the Nay-Sayer.

c.   Nay-Sayers, doubt, pout and do without.

II          IN CONTRAST TO THE NAY-SAYER, WE SEE THE GIANT SLAYER

*    Two men who….

1.  Refused to go along with the popular opinion.

2.  Stood their ground.

3.  Had the courage to believe that if God brought them TO the promise, God would  take them into the promise.

4.  Were prepared to take on giants in the name of the Lord.

*    Let's look at the characteristics of Giant Slayers.

A.  First of all, Giant Slayers BEHEVE.

1.  In the face of overwhelming odds, Caleb and Joshua believed.

2.  With the ten other men declaring that it could not be done, they placed their confidence in the Lord and said, "Let's go!"

3.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that "…without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”(Heb 11:6, KJV).

a.   We cannot be a Nay-Sayer and please God.

b.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

4.  The Giant Slayer…

a.   Takes God at His Word.

b.  Does not rush in where angels fear to trod. But the man or woman of faith believes in the promises of God.

c.   Stands on the Word, reads the Word, lives bv the Word, speaks the Word and believes God's Word.

d.  Declares in the face of doubt and discouragement,

(1) "Let God be true and every man a liar."

(2) 11Every promise in the book is mine; every lot, every line!1'

e.   Has the…

(1) Promise in his hand,

(2) Praise on his lips and

(3) Victory stamped on his heart.

B.  The Giant Slayer believes, and the Giant Slayer ACHIEVES.

1.  Only the two names among the twelve are remembered.

a.   The other ten names are written, but no one remembers them.

b.  They faded into the dusty pages of defeated lives.

c.   But Joshua and Caleb are household names.

d.  Some thirty-five hundred years after this event parents are still naming their children Joshua and Caleb.

e.   when is the last time you heard some name their child….

Shaphat   Ammiel   Igal Gaddiel Sethur      Gaddi Nahbi

2.  Joshua and Caleb lived through the wilderness and came back to posses their possessions.

3.  These two men….

a.   Crossed over.

b.  Achieved greatness.

c.   Saw the walls of Jericho fall.

d.  Drove out the enemy before them.

e.   Walked with God and because they did, they achieved what others did not.

The coward dies a thousand deaths, but the man that dares to believe is not easily turned back.

4.  The Giant Slayer achieves greatness because his trust is in the Lord.

a.   David, another famous Giant Slayer, achieved greatness because His confidence was in the Lord.

b.  His own brothers were Nay-Sayers, but David achieved greatness because he dared to walk with God, where lesser men would not go.

C.  Giant Slayers believe, they achieve, and they RECEIVE.

1.Joshua and Caleb received their portion of the promise.

a.   They…

(1) Walked on the ground,

(2) Built and lived in the land.

b.  They

(1) Received blessings from God and

(2) Honor among men.

2.  Now I am not into this "Name it and claim it," or "Blab it and grab it," theology; but when I look into the Word of God and He says, 'Believer, this is for you."

a.   Then my only question is, "Do I believe?"

b.  Because if I do, then it's mine.

c.   If I can believe,…

(1) All things are possible,

(2) I can achieve,

(3) I will receive all that God has in store for me.

3.  Does that mean I will be rich?

a.   Not if that is not God's plan for my life.

b.  But I know that if I walk in His will….

(1) He will not forsake me,

(2) He'll never leave me begging bread.

c.   If I abide in Him, and His Word abides in me,I can ask what I will, and I will receive it.

d.  This is true because if His Word truly abides in me,…

(1) 1 will not ask for anything which God has not willed for my life.

(2) I will not ask amiss that I may consume it upon my own lusts,

(2) e.         Everything I ask for, and everything He supplies will be given that I may

(3) accomplish the ministry He has given me to do.

(4) And if you are a Giant Slayer, He will do the same for you.

CONCLUSION:

A.        Maybe God has been calling you to kill some giants in your life.

1.  Giants of depression.

2.  Giants of lust.

3.  Giants of fear.

a.     Debt

b.     Disease

c.      Sin

4.  Giants that are standing on your promises.

B.        Well, today needs to be the day…

1.  You believe,

2.  You achieve and

3.  You receive.

C.        Today needs to be the day that you…

1.  Stop running from the roar,

2.  Resist the devil and

3.  Send him fleeing from you.

D.  Today you need to stand where David stood-in faith-and watch giants fall!

Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends.

Faith in God does not just believe he exists, but doing what he says because you believe he will keep his promises.