1 We are not Grasshoppers Doubting God Numbers 13:25-33 The Word of God will increase my faith, so then I will follow its precepts and get the Word out to all that will hear! Introduction: Church I want to begin by saying that doubting God is a dangerous thing and that is really what this text is about, doubting God. A. You know to doubt God is the opposite of faith and without faith it is impossible to please God! 1. To ignore God, which is a form of doubting that He is who He is and will do what He says what He will do. Here is what Paul wrote to the Galatians 6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, [a]while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Galatians 6:6-10 According to God s direction Moses sent out the spies to check out the land that God had promised and it was exactly what God said it would be but they came back with a lot of doubt they doubted that they could have what God had promised.
2 Transition: You see God had made a promise to the Israelites and they were looking at the Promised Land it was exactly how God described it but now they were doubting! God said So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:17 So what we see is that it was just like God promised! I. Just Like God Promised vs 25-27 A. God Word tells us that God is not slack concerning His promises church if God promises it, it will happen! 1. Pastor does that mean that if I follow God s direction that I will live in a land that flows with milk and honey? - No this promise was made to the children of Israel when God brought them out of bondage in Egypt. - And God was showing them His promise was good! But what we can see is that God is not slack concerning His promises! B. We too were in bondage, trapped and held by sin, really a slave to sin. 1. Sin was are master! Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [f]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
3 There is not one of us that can say that we were clean before God washed us, sanctified us, and justified us! C. But God delivered us from our bondage, set us free from the slavery of sin through Christ. 1. Now He promises us a land that is all good, that is perfect, where there is no more crying, no more death, no more heartache, and no more darkness! It is easy for us to see and to say to the Israelites can t you believe God s promises the land is just like He said it would be! - But truth is we too often lose track of His promises we simply do not have faith and just as it cost the Israelites God s anger and 40 years in the wilderness it will cost us as well. 2. Ever wonder why you just keep walking around in the wilderness not know what God wants from you, not knowing what to do or to say? D. This is how you get out of wondering around in the wilderness of this world: 1. Don t doubt God! - If He said that He loves you as His child then He does! - If He says He has forgiven you for your sin then He has! - If He says that He has gone to prepare a place for you in Heaven then He has! Church I am telling you if you want to please God then don t doubt Him fully commit your life to trusting Him! 2. There may be times of great trial but you are a child of God and He promised a land, a place of eternal rest, joy unspeakable and full of Glory!
4 Transition: When the spies returned from the land they were all in agreement that it was exactly how God had promised! A. God is faithfull! 1. But there was a problem they believed God concerning the destination but they doubted how to get there! - Even after seeing with own eyes God s promise they doubted God could get them there! - They developed a We can t do it attitude with that attitude they were already defeated! II. We Can t Do It verse 28-29 (31) A. Now there is some truth to that statement there is no way that the Israelites were going to just go in and overpower the land! 1. But God s promise did not say that they could: He said He would give the land! As soon as they see what they were up against, they freaked out there ain t no way! - They say that the cities are to secure, fortified beyond what they could ever penetrate! - They said it is simply too big! - They said that there descendants of Anak there! = This was a race of people that were giants and mighty warriors! - They said that there is too much stack against us! 2. There words were we can t but they were really saying is that I doubt God is going to give us what he promised! B. Church to often that is what happens we even see the promise that God has made but as soon as we run into a couple obstacles we look back at
5 ourselves and see our weaknesses instead of hiding in the strength of Christ! 1. We say can t do this instead of I can t do it but God can do it through me! 2. We say we can t do it instead of clinging to the words All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose! 3. We say we can t when the God has promised that His grace is sufficient! 4. We say we can t when God says that we adopted that we our His children! 5. We say we can t do it but God says that nothing is impossible with God! For the believer when we say we can t do what God is calling us to do then we are doubting God and that is to say we don t believe what He has promise that is a lack of faith and without faith it is impossible to please God! The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12 I will smite them with [a]pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they. Numbers 14:11-12 God take believer s doubt seriously! C. When a believer say s they can t do what God has called them or to received His promise it is clearly not believing that God is able! Transition: You church is not about what you or I can or can t do it is all about what can do in our lives.
6 A. I can t should come out of our vocabulary and replaced with God Can do anything in my life! I can defeat the enemy in the power of Christ! I can overcome the sin in my life in the power of Christ! I can walk away from the argument! I can pray and love those who despitefully use me! I can love my enemies as Christ love me before I loved Him! I can experience the power of the Holy Spirit of God in my life because He promised! I can experience all eternity with Him when I die because He promised He was going to prepare a place for me! Believer don t doubt it, cling to it, and hold on to it! It is truth and the truth will set you free! B. Now this last point I want share has an odd title We are not Grasshoppers There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight. Numbers 13:33 III. We Are Not Grasshoppers verse 30 (32-33) A. The conclusion that the Israelites came to was that they were like grasshoppers in relation to the enemy. 1. When I read that I thought about a story about a boy named David: David was just a boy delivering lunch to his brothers out on the front lines: - Everybody was scared of the giant Goliath - David had a sling shot and few rocks - Goliath was 3x the size of David maybe more and impossible situation David was like a grasshopper compared to Goliath.
7 But then this happened: When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25 The men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father s house [b]free in Israel. 26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:24-226 - Who is it that thinks they can against God army! - Then this happened: 31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them [g]to Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, Let no man s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 Then Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth. 1 Samuel 17:31-33 - Saul told you can t you are just a grasshopper - Then this happened 34 But David said to Saul, Your servant was tending his father s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and [h]attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and [i]struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has [j]killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God. 37 And David said,
8 The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:31-34-37 - God has delivered me before and He will do it again! - Then one more time then this happened! 40 He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. 41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field. 45 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord s and He will give you into our hands.
9 48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. 50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David s hand. 17:31-34-37 Church in power of Christ we are not grasshoppers we are giants in the faith! - Doesn t matter how difficult the obstacle we God s children! B. Greater is He that is in us then He that is in the world! 1. We can t be defeated God is greater than all things. 2. It is easy to look around at our world and get depressed or discouraged. But church we win! Closing: Let me close with these thoughts: A. Church we are not grasshoppers we are not small and insignificant we are children of God! 1. I hear often that we need to have good self-esteem I am not sure that is right at all I think it would be more correct to say we need to have more faith and quit doubting the God that loves us and who is able to do all things through our lives for His glory and our good! = Let me leave with this text that pulls the whole message together: I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my [b]rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
10 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of [c]ungodliness [d]terrified me. 5 The cords of [e]sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. 8 Smoke went up [f]out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. 10 He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His hiding place, His [g]canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice,
11 Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and [h]routed them. 15 Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were [i]laid bare At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16 He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.