Joshua (Part 11): A Whole-Hearted Follower — Richard Sipley

Good morning. I want to express my thanks again to all of those who are involved in our praise time in our Sunday services. I am so blessed by the music in this church and those who minister Christ to us in our praise time every Sunday, and that includes the musicians and the sound people and everyone who's involved.

It is just a great blessing to me personally. Just expressing my own appreciation and I get so involved in the praise and the worship sometimes I get all choked up and teary eyed and I'm not ready to preach.

It's just great. So thank you so much. I want us to think together this morning for a few minutes about what it means to follow the Lord with all my heart. All my heart. And of course we have the greatest commandment that Jesus expressed when he was asked, what's the greatest commandment?

He said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophet.

There isn't anything that God has said to us that is not summed up as far as our responsibility and our response to him is concerned. But it's so easy to take on our lips the confession of loving God with all our heart.

And I know I've said it. I've heard many of you say it. I love God with all my heart. And you're sincere in that. When you say that, of course you mean that. But when the chips are down, I wonder how it would stack up.

And the man we're going to look at this morning found himself in that position. And what challenges my heart is that he came through, that he really did wholly follow the Lord. He was a wholehearted follower of the Lord.

John Wesley said, give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God and I will shake the world. I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen and such alone will overthrow the kingdom of Satan and build the kingdom of God on earth.

Was he right? Maybe. The Bible states that Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly. It says it twice in the book of Numbers, once in Deuteronomy and three times in Joshua 14. So I'm going to read those passages to you and you can follow along if you're quick with your Bibles.

Caleb’s Wholehearted Faith in the Wilderness

Beginning with Numbers chapter 32 and verses 10 to 12. The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath because they have not followed me wholeheartedly. He's talking about the nation of Israel as a whole.

They have not followed me wholeheartedly. Not one of the men 20 years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now that's an absolutely terrible thing because they had been led by Moses out of Egypt with great miracles, fantastic miracles.

And God had brought them forth and and here they were ready to go on into the promised land redeemed by God's grace and power from the hand of the enemy and all their slavery and bondage. And here they are a nation of two to three million people ready to go in to the land and now God is saying not one man 20 years old and older will ever go in.

Terrible. God is very angry in this particular instance. Then in verse 12 it says, Not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly. That's scary.

That's not a picture of people entering into heaven or not, it's a picture of people entering into the land of victory or not. It's a picture of God's people entering the land of victory that God has promised.

And all these people that died in the wilderness that put their trust in the Lord are in heaven and you'll see them someday. But they failed to go into the land of victory and triumph that God had for them.

And there are only two, two, I don't know what percentage that is, one of you mathematicians figure it out, out of three million people, two. But there were two, Caleb and Joshua. Deuteronomy chapter 1, 34 to 36.

This is Moses speaking. When the Lord heard what you said he was angry and solemnly swore not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers except Caleb son of Jephunneh.

He will see it and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. There it is again. Then you come down to Joshua 14 and we've been in the book of Joshua.

Joshua 14 verses 6 to 14. Now they have, they have gone all the way and they have crossed the Jordan and they have defeated king after king and taken city after city and five more years have passed and they are in the land settling in the cities taking over the land of Palestine.

Now the men of Judah approached Joshua Gilgal and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him you know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me Joshua now who is now leading the nation.

I was 40 years old when Moses a servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land and I brought him back a report according to my convictions. Now the scene was that Moses sent 12 spies into the land to spy it out and they came back and they said they're great walled cities, they're great armies, there are giants eight nine feet tall, we look like grasshoppers next to them and ten of the spies said it's a wonderful land but there's no way we can go in there and Caleb and Joshua said God will be with us and we can do it.

You get the picture? Now 40 years wandering in the wilderness then five years of invasion into Palestine and here they are and Caleb is saying I brought 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 with 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 45 years that's longer than he had been alive before he went into the land since the time he said this to Moses while Israel moved about in the desert so here I am today 85 years old and this next one really throws me.

I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me. I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this mountain. Oh I love that. I feel like I'm way back behind there somewhere but what a man huh?

Whoa now give me this mountain that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Giants were there their cities were large and fortified but the Lord helping me I will drive them out just as he said.

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance so Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since because he followed the Lord the God of Israel wholeheartedly.

Now I hope I've run that word into the ground but God is the one who ran it into the ground. He said it in three different books of the Old Testament. He said it again and again. He said it in the mouth of Moses and he said it in the mouth of Joshua.

He said it in the mouth of Caleb. He said I have followed the Lord with all my heart nothing held back. Now what did this mean in the life of Caleb and as we look at it may help us I think from the words of my text it meant three things mainly convictions and courage and constancy.

Christian Convictions Grounded in God’s Word

Now convictions, godly convictions are commitments based on the Word of God and the character and attributes of God. I want to say that again slowly please let this sink in. You say I have convictions I hope you do.

Christian convictions, Christian convictions are commitments based on the Word of God and the character and attributes of God. Real Christian convictions have to be based on the Word of God and who God is and what he is and what he is like.

It's easy to talk about our convictions but sometimes what we discover all of us is that the things that we thought were convictions were not real convictions because when the chips were down we didn't hold.

Huh? Come on we've all been there and it's one of the things that bothers me the most because one of the one of the pillars in my life is I believe this book. Do you? I believe this book. I have committed my life to believing this book.

I believe everything in it from one end to the other. Amen? But when the chips are down then do I really believe it? How deep are my convictions? What is the process to these convictions about God and about what he has said and what he will do?

Well first of all you have to search out the situation. They spied out the land like they didn't just close their eyes they didn't bury their head in the sand they actually went in they spied out the land they they saw what was there they knew the situation.

There isn't any thing as real blind faith. Faith is not blind. Faith is based on God. It's based on knowing the circumstances and knowing God and so yes they they faced the situation honestly. Ten of them said we can't do it.

Two of them said of course we can't do it but God can do it and so we're gonna trust God and we're going forward trusting him and we're going to obey him and we're going to put our confidence in him and we're going to expect him to work in our lives and so they saw the situation clearly they understood it.

Then they searched the scriptures that is they looked at God's promises. What had God said? God had said I've given you this land. I've given it to you. It's yours take it and ten of them said we don't really believe that.

Now if you'd asked them do you believe God and believe his word they would have said oh yes oh absolutely I believe God and all his word and everything he said but then if you said all right God said I have given you this land go in and take it they would have said well wait a minute you haven't seen the walls of those cities and you haven't seen those giants and you haven't seen you know the armies and all the problems and everything.

So our convictions are put to the test and we have to compare what God has said with what we see. You don't close your eyes to what you see but you look at it honestly and squarely and sincerely and but you also look at God over against it and what he has said what his promises are his character his attributes and you trust his word and then you follow real convictions always produce action.

If you don't act on your convictions you probably don't really have the convictions. See you can have convictions up here but they don't get to your feet. Somebody says I believe that God you know God's word says that I believe God could use me to lead somebody to Christ but they've been a Christian 40 years and never tried it.

Oh it's getting quiet. You know when I it's have you ever stopped to think how hard it is for people to preach things with God's finger pointing at them and when I preach about something like this it really it really is hard to do because all the time when I'm getting ready when I'm preparing the sermon and I am praying and I know I'm going to preach it and God is searching my heart and he's saying and and where are you?

You know the things you have as convictions that you say you believe how much do you believe them and are you willing to put yourself on the line? It's heart-searching isn't it? So convictions what are our convictions?

I came across a little poem that says should all the forms that men devise attack my faith with treacherous art I'll call them vanities and lies and bind God's truth upon my heart. I am convinced that one of the greatest problems among God's people and I mean God's people born again on their way to heaven is a lack of real deep conviction because we live in a day of shallowness great shallowness especially of commitment people are not committed to anything and and and they're very shallow for instance I I've watched the news on CNN for a long time I am angry at them and I'm not going to watch them anymore because they stabbed Aaron Brown in the back and took away his job and put a young guy in his place who doesn't compare with him and I'm mad at him.

Got to find somebody else to watch the news from because they had a man of integrity and and they couldn't put up with him. Oh you check it out my wife did all the research she has that gift. I was I kept worrying and grumbling about it and so she did the research and they fired him.

Now if you haven't been listening to him it doesn't make you mad but you see people don't have any convictions all they want to know is let's see how many listeners do we have can we make more money if we get a if we put somebody younger and you know a little sillier and so forth in there right?

People I believe that God wants us to explore our convictions and see how deep we believe what we say we believe. So Caleb had convictions then he had courage he had the courage of his convictions you've heard people say the courage of your convictions yes.

Courage to Stand on Biblical Convictions

Courage what is courage it doesn't mean you're not afraid it means you do it anyway. People that aren't afraid don't need courage right? If you're not afraid it doesn't take any courage to do it but if you're afraid it takes courage to do it and he had courage.

Actions that flow from true convictions it means to stand by my convictions and carry them out in spite of opposition rejection and personal danger and these men were in danger in fact back when they made this commitment and said we can go in and do it the Israelites and there were a lot of them they were going to stone them to death.

I'll tell you if you have convictions based on God's Word you will find sometimes not only your enemies are against you but your friends. You'll find some of your Christian friends that won't agree because it makes them feel uncomfortable because you took a stand for the Word of God and that takes courage absolutely.

He dared to stand against both enemies and friends never be afraid to stand with the minority when they are right for the minority which is right will someday be the majority and the majority which is wrong will someday be the minority.

Remember one man and God are a majority. I love that statement that's why it's not in the Bible but it's one of my favorite statements you go hear me say it over and over you have already I hope that it bugs you.

One man and God are a majority right? You better believe this. Absolutely. So when it's right and I don't mean when it's just your own personal belief or your own personal theology or some book you just read or some preacher you like to listen to but when it's the Word of God and it's clear you need to stand.

Frederick the Great a great king by the way of great power was a scoffer but his great-general Von Zeland was a Christian. One day at a gathering the kind that pardon me one day at a gathering the king was making coarse jokes about Jesus Christ and the whole place was ringing with laughter.

Von Zeland arose stiffly and said sire you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man I shall soon have to go into the presence of the one greater than you the Almighty God who saved me from my sin the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming against.

I salute you sire as an old man who loves his Savior on the edge of eternity good for you. With trembling voice King Frederick replied General Von Zeland I beg your pardon I beg your pardon I beg your pardon.

Then the company quietly dispersed. A man with the courage of his convictions. How is my courage in public? How is my courage on the job when the people around me who aren't Christians are there? How's my courage out in the world when I'm participating in sports or when I'm doing something else that people of the world are doing and they don't believe in Christ and they don't have any reverence for God or his Word and things come up what is my courage then?

There are many memorials inscribed in Westminster Abbey in England there is none that gives a more noble thought than the one inscribed to Lord Lawrence it has simply his name the date of his death in these words he feared man so little because he feared God so much.

One of the Reformers was told all the world is against you he replied then I'm against all the world yes get some steel in your back. When John Knox landed on the coast of Scotland just a preacher Mary Queen of Scots trembled and turned white just a preacher afraid of the preacher she had right to be by the power of God he turned Scotland inside out.

Seeing God’s Power Beyond Human Weakness

So what is the process? Well we see the facts we see ourselves and our weakness but more than anything else we see God. Don't get defeated by the grasshopper complex in Numbers 1333 those ten spies said 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 the grasshopper complex.

So don't don't look at don't look at yourself brother sister don't look at yourself. Are you weak. Of course you're weak. Can you do it. No you can't do it. Keep your eyes where? On the Lord keep your eyes on the Lord if you then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ is seated on the right hand of God set your mind on things above not on things in the earth for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Get your eyes on God and his word and have the convictions that are real to give you the courage to obey God. Christ is bigger than any problem. One of the Reformers wrote do not pray for easy lives but pray for strength equal to the task.

Constancy Through Decades of Faithfulness

The third thing in the life of Caleb I'm impressed with is his constancy his stick to it-ness that's not a real word but what you still believe it after 45 years. I mean by now you should have given this up long ago.

What. But here he is 45 years later and he says to Joshua you remember what God said and nothing has changed and I'm now 85 but I want to tell you that I still believe God and I still believe with his help that I can take that mountain.

Oh this is good news for all you old people. I'm glad I'm not old but it's good news for you elderly folks 85 my 85 and he says give me this mountain. You say what happened. He took it. He took it. He says I'm just as ready now 45 years later and I was ready then.

I'm ready now. Why. Because God doesn't change. Do people change. Yes. Do the circumstances change. Yes. But do I change. Yes. He said he hadn't changed. That's fantastic. I have. I certainly don't have the strength I had when I was 40.

I have a little more sense but don't have the same strength. I'll tell you though I still have the same faith in God that hasn't changed. Amen hasn't changed at all. Why. Because God hasn't changed Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever.

I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. He's the same God's promises never change. He is the same God. Hmm. Why not go. Why not keep on. Why stop. I once heard dr. Robert G Lee preaches great sermon payday someday.

If you never heard him preach it's one of the things you missed in life. Somehow. Great orator. Fantastic payday someday. Oh I can still see him pastored a great church in Memphis Tennessee on his 84th birthday.

Dr. Lee pastor emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Memphis Tennessee said. A friend asked me are you going to keep on preaching. I said why not. I am physically able mentally sound spiritually desirous and in love with Jesus.

Why not keep on preaching as I've done for 62 years. Good for you. So I keep my eyes on the Lord. And the goal. William Wilberforce early became inflamed with the idea of stopping the slave trade and slavery in England.

He succeeded in becoming a member of Parliament goaded by William Pitt great man of God. He spoke often against slavery and the slave trade but suffered repeated defeats in Parliament. This is in England.

In 1807 he persuaded his colleagues to ban the slave trade but not until 1833 did both houses of Parliament finally abolish slavery in Britain. The news of total victory came to Wilberforce on his deathbed.

He was motivated in his life's career by an idea whose time had fully come. And just before he stepped through the gates into heaven he got the news. After all those years we keep our eyes on the Lord and we keep taking the next step of obedience by faith.

Persevering by Faith Until the Finish

We used to sing my Lord knows the way through the wilderness. It's an old way by remember. All I have to do is follow. Yes I have to give you this. It's kind of cute. Two frogs fell in a can of cream or so.

I've heard it told the sides of the can were slippery and steep. The cream was deep and cold. Oh what's the use. Croak number one tis fate. No helps around. Goodbye my friends. Goodbye cruel world. And weeping still he drowned.

But number two of sterner stuff dog paddled in surprise. And while he wiped his creamy face and dried his creamy eyes. I'll swim a while at least. Why not. Or so. I've heard he said he really would not help the world if one more frog were dead an hour or two.

He kicked and swam. Not once he stopped to mutter but kicked and kicked and swam and kicked then hopped out from the butter. See that's when your problem becomes your rescue. You just have to keep kicking.

That's all. And then. Our commitment has to be unchanged. Unchanged our convictions our courage. Our commitment remains unchanged. John Wesley traveled 250 miles a day average for 40 years on horseback.

He preached 40 ,000 sermons produced 400 books and knew 10 languages. At 83 he was annoyed that he could not write more than 15 hours in a day when he was writing without hurting his eyes. When I type too long at the computer it doesn't only hurt my eyes it hurts my neck and my shoulder.

Everything else. He complained in his diary that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 530 in the morning on his 85th birthday he wrote in his diary. I find some decay in my memory with regard to names and things lately past but not at all with what I read 20 to 60 years ago.

Nor do I feel any weariness either in traveling or preaching. Wow. There have been giants in the earth. Sometimes that were God's giants. Even spiritual giants. What a challenge they are to us. I want to close with a story out of the Olympic gatherings.

The sweeping expanse of Tokyo's Yoyogi pool held more than 10 ,000 spectators. 17 year old Dick Roth did not see them. He did not notice the doctors hovering on the pool deck as he took his place for the final men's 400 meter individual medley in the 1964 Olympics.

The world record holder from California was concentrating on just one thing victory. Three days before Roth had been diagnosed as having acute appendicitis. Only he had believed he could swim in this race.

Now only he believed he could win it. Ross pain and started slowly after he returned to the village following the opening exercises dr. Hanley of the u .s. Olympic Committee put him in the hospital and started having him prepared for immediate emergency surgery.

They were only waiting for Ross parents to be found who were out sightseeing while they searched. Roth made up his mind. He was not going to have that operation. He was going to swim. When Ross parents arrived he was in tears and begged them to let him swim.

He took some new blood tests which indicated that his white blood counted stabilized and so against all medical advice his parents supported Ross wishes. Ross spent the next three days in bed with his abdomen packed in ice.

He was allowed no solid food for three days. He refused all pain medication for fear it would affect his performance. On race day the pain seemed to subside. There's a point in athletic competition says Roth where you become so focused that nothing else interferes.

Roth lay in bed listening to the other events. In the 10 ,000 meter track event Billy Mills of the u .s. was leading heading into the final 600 meters. He was knocked to the ground. Unbelievably. Mills picked himself up and sprinted to victory and an Olympic record.

When Billy Mills won that race. Suddenly Roth knew he could do the same in the race. Roth was unbeatable. He tore through the water to a world record and won the race. Going away. After receiving his medals Roth was flown home and had his appendectomy.

I read that story and I thought of another statement this time from the Word of God. 1st Corinthians 9 24 to 27. God says do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets a prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly.

I do not fight like a man beating the air. No I beat my body and make it my slaves so that after I have preached to others I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. So run to win by the power of Christ within us.

May we all have the convictions and the courage and the constancy to become wholehearted followers of our dear Lord amen.