1.0 God Makes Promises (Joshua 14:6-13)

1.1 God’s promises are powerful!

  1. They are answers to your present trials.
  2. God’s promises are solutions to your problems-the current and future ones.

 Psalm 119:50-”My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

  1. God’s promises guide you how to pray, how to stand, and how to respond to what you’re going through.
  2. God’s promises are gifts-priceless gifts.
  3. They tell you what God thinks and planning in respect to you.

Gen. 28:15-”I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

The Backstory About Caleb

(1) This moment captures the period in Israel’s history under Joshua’s leadership after they had defeated all the countries occupying the Promised Land.

(2) As lands were being assigned by a ballot system to each tribe, Caleb stepped up to remind Joshua of a promise given to him 45 years ago by Moses and God (cf. Num. 14:24, 30).

(3) As a reward for being one of two spies who gave a positive report about the Promised Land, God made two promises to Caleb. First, he would enter the Promised Land and his descendants would inherit it. Second, he would be given Hebron.

(4) The timing was never right for the past 45 years for Caleb to occupy Hebron. But, now it was.

Caleb said, ”Now therefore, give me this Mountain!”

2.0 Give Me My Mountain!

2.1 God’s Promises Are Captivating!

Note: Captivating means to attract and hold the attention or interest of. God’s promises are mesmerizing, bewitching, alluring, and fascinating.

 Example: I stayed at a hotel in Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. They had me sign a hold harmless waiver that they wouldn’t be sued if I jumped. The mountain is so captivating.

  1. Caleb couldn’t get Hebron out of his mind.
  2. God’s promises appeal to something deep down inside of us (14:14).
  3. They get into our hearts, our souls.

Our lives would not be complete without them.

God’s promises are conditional. Caleb ”followed the Lord wholeheartedly”.

Caleb was captivated by what he saw.

The Appeal of Hebron

(1) Mt. Hebron stood 3,040 feet above sea level. It overlooks a fertile valley having an unusual supply of wells and springs.

(2) He couldn’t forget the image of the huge cluster of grapes he saw 45 years ago. In fact, two men used a pole to carry a cluster back to camp. Their hope was to captivate the Israelites with what awaits them in the Promised Land (Num. 13:23).

He was captivated by what he learned.

(1) Hebron was the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah.

(2) Hebron was named by Joshua as one of the Cities of Refuge-a place where you can run to for safety when something happen that was not easily explainable such as an accidental murder, etc.

B) Don’t ignore what your soul craves when it aligns with God’s promises. Let God’s promises captivate you!

Psalm 119:103-”How sweet are your promises to my taste, more than honey to my mouth!”

Example: Have you ever bought ice cream from Cold Stone? They offer three sizes, small, regular and large. But they don’t call them that; rather, the small is called, ”Like It”. The regular is: ”Love It”; and the large is ‘Gotta Have It”. God’s promises should be LARGE to you.

God’s promises hook us! We get mesmerized by them. They captivate us.

L. Moody said, ”God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”

Caleb never thought for a moment that God’s promise was a lie. He had been waiting 45 years for this moment.

Caleb said: ”Give me my Mountain!”

Are God’s Promises CAPTIVTING to YOU?

Action

(1) Interface with the Promise box, showing how it’s a priceless gift from God.

(2) Speak of its relevance and how when your life has a need-a real need, God’s promises are not only invaluable, they are a lifeline. You must love them!

(3) Never lose sight of God’s captivating gifts wrapped in longings, dreams, ambitions, and hopes.

2.2 God’s Promise Are Worth Fighting for!

Joshua 14:11-Caleb said, ”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.”’

  1. Some of God’s promises must be fought for!
  2. Caleb didn’t fall into the trap labeled, ”Since God promised I don’t need to fight for it.”

This is a fatal theological proposition. It strips you of faith and of the ability to exercise spiritual authority and experience personal development and growth.

This position keeps you in a perpetual state of weakness. It’s akin to giving your kids everything they want, having never to stress, work hard, or fight for it. If that’s the type of parent you are, you’re hurting your kids!

If you’ve fallen into this trap, the way out is by saying: ”God forgive me for getting tricked into thinking such unscriptural thoughts.

I’m ready to fight now!”

  1. Caleb stayed in fighting shape (14:10)!
  2. He did not blame God for anything, even the time it took to get to this moment in history. He was thankful!
  3. Caleb kept his mind alert and fixed on God’s promise.
  4. It had been 45 years but he was still focused on what God said.

It had been 45 years but he was still captivated by Hebron.

iii. It had been 45 years but he did what he had to in order to keep his mind and physical strength up because of the PROMISE.

It had been 45 years but he still had the WILL to fight.

Do you still have the will to fight for God’s promises?

Comedic example: The book, ”Satan, you can’t have my kids” became a bestseller while the sequel, ‘Satan, you can’t have my marriage’ fell flat on its face.” What are you saying when you don’t aggressively pursue God’s promises?

You must have a picture in your mind of something that stirs you to fight for God’s promises.

2.3 Make Time to Fight!

Joshua 14:12-Caleb said, ”Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and tier cities were large and fortified, but the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

  1. Set aside time to fight for God’s promises.
  2. Caleb knew that it would take time and force to drive out the Anakites from Hebron.

The devil will not want to dispossess your property. You have to force him out! Drive out your Anakities!

 Matt. 11:12-”From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

Through prayer Caleb invited God into the fight to acquire what was promised.

Joshua 14:12-Caleb said, ”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.”

 Set aside time to fight for God’s promises!

(1) I’m calling for three days of fasting over the next 10 days in order to see God move in our nation, our cities, and our lives. Join me!

(2) Schedule a personal day off. Don’t delay. Friday, Oct. 21st at the West Campus is a day where we’ve scheduled time to fight for God’s promises. You have to do your own fighting!

(3) It’s time to cry, ”Give me my mountain!”

  1. B) Use God’s WORD to fight.
  2. Caleb confessed what God had promised (14:10, 12).
  3. God’s word will align your heart, hopes, dreams, plans, and actions with His revealed will. That’s what God’s promises do.

God’s promise gave him the strongest footing on which to stand. Do the same!

Action

(1) Select and read the 4 Bible promises in gift box.

Psalm 29:11-”The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

Phil. 4:19-”And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 37:4-”Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Acts 2:38-39-”Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…The promise is for you and your children.”

  1. Locate a Bible promise as your foundation to rest your faith and prayers.
  2. Read it over and over until you own it.
  3. Claim it.
  4. Memorize it.
  5. Pray it section by section.
  6. Praise God with it.
  7. Leave room for the Holy Spirit to move how He wants to move.
  8. Wait for it with eagerness and delight.
  9. Fight using the weapon of prayer.
  10. Before you pray let God’s promises do something in your heart.
  11. Caleb spoke with a sense of urgency.
  12. He spoke with a warrior’s mentality. Denial was not an option. Delay was unacceptable.
  13. The promise awakens a deep sense of faith.
  14. I cannot be denied!
  15. God has to show up, show off, show out…for me.

iii. I will be victorious was Caleb’s attitude.

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