(Youth Bible School 2007) Let Us Go in and Possess the Land — Denny Kenaston

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

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The Calling to Glory and Virtue

I do so want to say the right things in the right way. So appreciated the words that we've already heard. Oh, young people, do you know how rich you are? Do you know, do you have any idea how rich you are?

That God would love you so much to feed you. You're so loved, so loved by God. All right. Who's going to give the scripture this morning? Micah Cassidy. Can you stand and give those two verses for us?

Are you in here? Yes. He was telling us last night he's got him. So good and loud. Hannah said this morning on the phone, Papa, you're not going to ask the girls to do this, are you? Molly, why don't you try?

Good and loud. Right. It's three verses for the next three days. So the next three verses is what you want from here. Let's pray. Oh, Lord, we just want to commit this time to you, Lord. You know how much needs to be said and you know how that clock moves.

Father, how time goes by. Lord, I pray that you will refine my words, my heart, Lord, that I might say exactly what needs to be said and leave the rest unsaid. Father, I pray that you'll help me to say it all in the right way.

Lord, fill me with your spirit. Father, I can't do this. Lord, you know I can't do it. I ask you to fill me with your spirit, Father. And every one of these young people also, that they may hear your voice above my voice today.

In Jesus' name, Amen. All right, the title of the message this morning is, Let Us Go In and Possess the Land. Let us go in and possess the land. These are the words of Caleb. You'll find them in the book of Numbers.

God's Purpose in Deliverance and the Promise of 2 Peter

I'm going to try to tie a little bit of today's message with some of what I didn't get yesterday, and I believe God gave the wisdom to do that. We are looking at 2 Peter 1, and we're at the end of verse 3.

When God delivered the children of Israel at the Red Sea and brought them into the land of Canaan, He had a purpose for them. Whenever God does something, God does it with His own purposes in mind, with His own glory in mind.

And it was that way with the children of Israel. He didn't have in mind that they would settle down and enjoy a good life of ease in the land of Canaan. In fact, whenever Israel lost sight of God's purpose, the reason why they were there in the land of Canaan, they began to go backward.

And even so with us. God has a blessed life in store for each and every one of us, but that blessed life hinges on His purposes. This beautiful life that we're speaking about, young people, it's not about us.

It's about Him. It has nothing to do with us except that we make the choices to enter into the blessed purposes of God, and when we choose to do that, we reap the glorious benefits of it. But as soon as we begin to settle down and say, Oh, it's so good to be a Christian and just enjoy all the blessings of it, we begin at that moment to go backwards.

The true Christian life is filled with purpose, young people. These purposes flow out of the person of Jesus Christ who hath called us to glory and virtue. And that brings us to the last part of our text here.

In verse 3, Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Young people, this morning, do you see your calling? He has called us to glory and virtue. Yes, we are the ekklesia. We are the called out ones.

We are called out of that world. And we are called into a glorious fellowship with God. We are called out of that world. And we are called into the glorious purposes of God. Do you see your calling, young people?

The God of heaven, the God of the universe, hath called you. What a privileged bunch you are! Do you see your calling? Called to glory and virtue. Oh, what a calling that is! Amen? Jesus says unto us, Come unto Me, leave your life behind, and receive My glorious, virtuous life, and I'll fill your life with so much purpose and blessings you'll not be able to contain it all.

And that's a promise. Young people, we are not called so that we can go to heaven. We are not called so that we can go to heaven. The more I begin to meditate on the purposes of God in the Scriptures, the more it seems like a pretty weak presentation of the gospel to stand up in front of a crowd and say, Wouldn't you like to go to heaven?

Come to Jesus and repent of your sins. That seems so shallow to me. The longer I meditate on the deeper principles and the purposes in the Word of God, we are not called to heaven. Bless God, if we're faithful, we'll get to go there someday.

But we're not called just so that we can go to heaven and have a good life up there. There's a God who has called us. He's the God of the universe. And He's called us with purpose, young people. We are not called to escape hell.

Although you will. We are not called for ourselves, young people. We are not called so that we can have all kinds of blessings. Though you will have blessings if you take God seriously and take off down that path, the calling which God has for you, there will be blessings.

But we're not called to that. We are called unto Him. Amen? Like He said, Come unto Me, Jesus said. Come unto Me personally. We are called to a holy and a sanctified life. We are called to God's glory and God's purposes and none of our own.

We are called to serve the living God. And yes, someday we are even called to higher purposes in eternity, which I can't even begin to explain today. But I know this. They're good. They're beautiful. Do you see your calling, young people?

A Chosen Generation and a Holy Nation

Through the knowledge of Him who has called us unto glory and virtue. If you just flip over, you have your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. Brother Dean has been focusing a bit on this verse. But I just want you to see, young people, that this is our calling.

This is why God called you. If you're sitting here this morning and you're truly born again by the Spirit of God, this was what was in the heart of God when He rang your number. This is it. Verse 9. Ye are a chosen generation.

Ye are a chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. A peculiar people. Why, God? Why? That ye should show forth the praises or the virtues of Him who hath called you. Out of darkness into His marvelous light.

That's why you're here, brothers, sisters. That's why you're here. A chosen generation. That word generation means race. A new race of people. Now, all the other races of this world, it's real clear, you know.

You know this race. You know that one. You are a chosen generation. You are a new race of people. A royal priesthood. A nation of priests. And I know that Brother Dean is going to preach on this, but it flows with what I want to say and what God says here in 2 Peter chapter 1.

A nation of priests. Think about it. A holy nation. Or a holy people. Or a race within all the other races of the world. God has made a new creation. God has created a new race of people upon this earth.

And they are called Christians. Little anointed ones. To produce a culture within the cultures of this world. And that's why we're here. To produce a culture within the cultures of this world. A Christian culture.

A holy culture. A sanctified culture. A culture which is based on the Word of God. A culture within the cultures of this world. That's what we're called to. And why? Do you see the heart of God here, young people?

That you may show forth or display the holy, righteous character of the God who called you. That's why. Do you see the heart of God? Do you see how God is... Like our Brother Dean said this morning, God has always wanted a people.

He has always been longing for a people. I wonder how God's heart must break in as He continues to long for that people who will rightly represent His holy character. And He tries again. And again. And then there's this falling away.

And then He tries again. And He reaches out. And He touches another group. And begins to raise it up. And then it begins to go down. And He goes looking where else can He put His hand that He can have a people who will rightly represent His holy character.

Showing forth the praises, the virtues, the character of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Oh, do we see our calling, young people? Can we embrace it wholeheartedly? That's the challenge this morning.

Can you embrace that calling wholeheartedly? That's what I want. Or, do we react to such words as that? You know, we don't want to be different. We don't want to look different. I've heard many young people say that.

Hundreds and hundreds of them have said it to their parents. A few of them say it to the preacher. I don't want to be different. I don't want to look different. I don't want to sound different. I don't want to stand out in the world.

Do we react to such words as this? God wants us to raise up a holy, sanctified culture within the cultures of this world. And it's not something that we just do. It's the life of Christ within us. But our hearts must say, Yes, Lord!

Our hearts must say that. Or it will never come to pass in our life. Oh, may the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering. Young people, that's not just heathen getting converted on the other side of the world.

That's a sanctified people right here in U .S. America. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering. That's the reward of His suffering! A holy nation! A generation of sanctified people!

That's the reward of His suffering. That's the joy that was set before Him, young people. And you have been called. Hallelujah! Let's move on to verse 4. With these glorious purposes in mind, God gives us promises.

The Great and Precious Promises of God

In verse 4, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. These are sure words, young people.

But I want you to see what is motivating these promises that are flowing to us out of the person and promises of Jesus Christ. These are sure words. You can count on them. You don't need to worry about whether those promises are true or not.

Those promises, they have been spoken by the God who spoke the world into existence. And I mean when God says something, things happen, young people. And He spoke these promises out of a motivation to raise up a people of glory and virtue.

Just a few thoughts about promises as I was meditating upon them. Promises mean nothing unless they are backed up by a person. Amen? Promises standing by their self mean nothing at all unless they are backed up by a person.

That brings us right back to the person of Christ again, doesn't it? He is the person behind the promise. So I believe a promise based on the person who made that promise. Amen? We all do that. We understand that.

Now, if I told you this morning, if I sat you down this morning and said, I'm going to give you ten million dollars, you would probably scratch your head and wonder at me. Let me tell you something. If Bill Gates called you into his office and sat you down behind his desk and said, I'm going to give you ten million dollars that you can use for the work of Christ, you would sit up on the edge of your seat because a promise is based on the person who said it.

Isn't that right? These promises are backed by the all-powerful, unchanging God of the universe. God has promised you all that you need to live this separated holy life and an eternity in heaven besides.

He's promised you everything you need. All the provisions have been made. You can count on it. Just as sure as you can count on Bill Gates giving you ten million dollars, which is pocket change for him.

In fact, when you consider who's behind the promises that have been spoken to us and the eternity that is promised at the end of it all, it makes ten million dollars look like pocket change. Amen? And we get to go there.

We. This is why it's so important to have a right view of God. Just like A .W. Tozer says, you can tell a whole lot about a person based on their view of God. If we see God for who He is, we will rest surely in His promises.

But if we do not see Him for who He is, we'll have a hard time resting in those promises. But when you know God and who He is, it is easy to believe His promises. And young people, if I were you, and I mean this, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I gave the series, but if I were you and I was a young person, I'd get that series on the attributes of God and I'd get the book by A .W. Tozer and I'd get my Bible and I would digest those things until God changed my view of God.

Because your view of God is affecting everything you do and say and how you act and the spirit by which you conduct yourself in life. If I were you and I was a young person, I would digest those things.

Let's just look at a few promises real quick. Can we do that? Colossians chapter 1. Listen to these beautiful words which God has... These are some of the exceeding great and precious promises that Peter is speaking about.

God promises us in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 22 to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight. He has already made the promise. If you will trust in Him, He will someday and every day of your life present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight.

That is a promise from the Word of God. Hear this one. You probably heard it yesterday. Being confident of this very thing that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

You can count on that word, young people. That thing is in concrete, written in eternity. God will carry you through. It's a promise. You can count on it. Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20,. Now unto Him that is able...

That word able is the word dunamis, power. Now unto Him who is full of power, able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. That's a promise from the Word of God.

2 Corinthians, turn there. Just real quickly, we'll just run through a few of these. 2 Corinthians 9, verse 8,. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Did you get those all's and every's? I mean, that's all inclusive. That covers your every need. That covers every situation that's going to come your way. That covers every temptation. That covers your every need, physical, spiritual, and emotional.

God is able to make all grace abound that's bursting forth in every direction, abound toward you. These are the exceeding great and precious promises as Peter begins to share his heart, and as God says to us, I have called you to glory and virtue.

And by the way, I've backed my calling up with promises which are sure. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5. And there are many, many more. I just took a few. Chapter 5, verse 23,. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly in every area of your life.

And I pray, God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And by the way, faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it. Do you believe it?

He called you. He'll do it. Ezekiel, chapter 36. God says these words, speaking prophetically of the days of the gospel which we now live in now. And God says, I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them.

These are promises. They're sure words of promise backed up by the all-powerful God of the universe. It shall surely come to pass if you will lean with your whole being and put your trust and confidence in this God and His promises, He will bring it to pass.

He will do it. Now, there's two things that these promises focus on. Number one, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust. Anyone like to escape that? And number two, being partakers of the divine nature.

Would you like some of that? These promises are given with these two things in mind. Escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust. You cannot do it on your own, but by the grace of God, you can escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And it's very interesting, when you look at that word escape, it's a very interesting word. I mean, if you just let your mind think a little bit, you'll realize what that word means. It's a word which means flight!

Flee! I mean, it's like this building is on fire. Escape to the outside! And that's the kind of spirit and attitude in which you must look at this world and the corruption that is in this world through lust.

It is a dangerous thing out there, and you shouldn't go out there and think that you can handle it unless you are resting in and abiding in the blessed person and promises of Jesus Christ our Lord. But if you are in that place, you can walk out into that world and be kept by the power of God through faith.

Escaping Worldly Corruption Through Faith

These promises focus on these two things. Many Americans seek the positive side of these promises, but want little or nothing to do with the negative side. What a typical picture of American Christianity.

Tell me what sounds good. Tell me what feels good. Tell me what will make me feel good about myself, and I'll come to your church. But don't tell me anything negative. Like some preacher said not long ago, who has literally tens of thousands of people in his church, he said, we don't say anything negative to the people.

The people want to feel good about themselves. There is enough negative in the world out there. We only say positive things to the people. Yeah, well, it's not hard to fill a building with people that way.

American Christianity. Oh, they are all excited about the promises. I mean the prayer of J .A .Baz and The Purpose Driven Life and all these wonderful books about positive things. They are excited about it.

They buy millions of copies. But young people, these promises are about calling out a people to glory and virtue and to be filled with glory and virtue. You must free the corruptions that are in this world through lust.

You must free them like you would free a burning house. It's about to fall on your head. So, some people, they don't want much to do with the negative side of this focus on these promises. However, it's not really negative if you are the sincere and the God-fearing.

That's some of the best news you could ever hear. There's a way to escape the corruptions of that world out there. That's good news, isn't it? That's wonderful news. We want to be delivered from this present evil world, Galatians chapter 1.

We want to be delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, Colossians chapter 1. You see, it is a fleeing, a leaving, a flight, and at the same time it is an embracing, a cleaving to our bridegroom.

Do you know the principle of leaving and cleaving? We speak about it all the time at weddings. There is a leaving and cleaving. There is a separation from this world, a fleeing from this world. But that's not enough.

Don't just leave it over there. Don't just say that. That will just make another religion. But then there's this cleaving to the Lord, an embracing of the reality of Christ in your life. Those two go together.

Growth Beyond Conversion: Adding to Faith

Amen? Well, young people, as glorious as all that is that we've been looking at this last day and then here again today so far, that's only the beginning. It's only the beginning. God wants you to go on unto perfection.

Yes, it's wonderful to be saved. It's wonderful to sit here today and have the witness of the Spirit in your heart saying, Abba, Father, and knowing that you're a child of God. But, dear young people, that's only the beginning.

There's a whole glorious life out in front of you. I was thinking about those first converts in the book of Acts, you know, who stood there and listened to that sermon that Peter so fearlessly preached after the Holy Ghost came upon him.

And the Bible says that 3 ,000 of them were saved. And I believe that they were people from all the known nations of the world. They had all come to Jerusalem for the worship. And they heard those 120 disciples speaking in their own languages the mighty works of God.

They were arrested by that. God got their attention. Peter stood up and preached to them Jesus Christ and told them what they need to do. And 3 ,000 of them stepped into the water and were baptized, forsaking everything in their past, losing their reputation, probably even their inheritance as a Jew.

They stepped into the water and they were baptized, washing away their sins. And I believe that day they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Probably the apostles baptized them and laid hands on them and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now, as wonderful as that is, as glorious as that is, that's only the beginning. Many of them stayed in Jerusalem to sit at the feet of the apostles and that's why they had to put all their money together and sell lands and all that, to take care of all the people that were there.

They stayed in the city of Jerusalem. And by the way, I would have too, wouldn't you? If all of a sudden I got born again, my whole life was changed, the Spirit of God came into me and I found out there's twelve men here, not twelve, a hundred and twenty people who have been with Jesus for three and a half years, I wouldn't leave those people.

I'd want to find out everything about this blessed Jesus that I could find from them. And they stayed in Jerusalem. Why? It was time to grow. It was time to go on unto perfection. It was time to add to their faith.

And young people, it's time to grow. It's time to go on unto perfection, which means maturity. It's time to add to your faith. On to verse 5,. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge.

And we won't get to those words until tomorrow. Because of this. Because of this person. Because of this glorious salvation. Because of this light, precious faith. Because you've been called out and called into the people of God.

Because of the promises of this glorious person. For this reason, all these things flow through the person and promise of Jesus Christ. Young people, there's no room for casual Christians in the household of God.

Can I say that? Casual Christians. You know, that's a word that is popping up more and more all the time. Do you know, that is a misnomer. You know what a misnomer is? That is misnamed. Casual Christian.

Sorry, but I'm a soldier. There's no such thing as casual Christianity. And if you're going to go on under perfection, young people, you have to put away this casual mindset. It's not casual. It's not at ease in Zion.

It's not sitting here in the glorious land of Canaan, and enjoying all the good things of God. There's a war to fight. There's battles to be won. And it's time for you to prepare, because someday God's going to put a sword in your hand and give you something to do.

Practical Sanctification and Diligent Pursuit

Let's get busy about personal sanctification, young people. That's what Peter is speaking about here. That's what we've been building up to as we're going down these beautiful verses. We're building up to this, taking this task on of personal sanctification.

This little phrase, add to your faith, it's a very interesting phrase. This is the picture. This is what it means. Like a choir director setting all the parts in order, the soprano, the high and low alto, the high and low tenor, the bass, just like Brother Earl was setting you all in order yesterday.

That's what God means when He says, add to your faith all these beautiful character qualities of the Lord Jesus Christ. Set the choir of your life in order, God says. And Brother Earl, you know yesterday, he was very diligent about it.

Was he not? He was very diligent. He's a choir director! He wants that thing to sound beautiful on Sunday night. And so the choir director, he's setting all this in order. And the sopranos, and the high alto, low alto, and I'm going to have these words right because I don't know music very well, but I know he was just putting all those things in place.

And yet the goal of his heart is a beautiful, glorious blend and harmony of voices praising and glorifying God. That is exactly what add to your faith means, young people. God says to each one of you, I want your life to glorify My holy name.

Set in order all the glorious character of Jesus Christ in your life so that your life is a beautiful, harmonious display of My glory. That's what God wants. That's what He's calling you to do. All for the sake of His name.

For the sake of His name, young people. And all this is done by faith. With desire. Those two must go together. All this is done by faith. With desire. From God's perspective, the provisions have been made, the promises are sure.

But from man's perspective, God wants you to engage your heart to pursue godliness in your life. That's your part. God's part, He has poured out abundantly in Christ Jesus all that you need. Your part?

I want it. That's all your part is. Just a heart that says, let us go in and possess the land, young people. So, the word diligence, just a little bit here. This is a very active word, diligence. It means eager swiftness, making haste.

No casualness about that, is there? With eager swiftness. Make haste to add to your faith all these beautiful characters of the Lord Jesus Christ. It means earnest care. It means zeal. It means to exert oneself.

Thus, the title of this series, Pursuit of Godliness. See, that's your part. That's your part. God has done His part. Now He's waiting on us to engage our hearts and say, that's what I want. Don't wait another year, young people.

Make haste! Maybe you're here and you're 15, 16 years old. If you're 15 or 16 years old, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed at some of this. And my heart goes out to some of you. You know, it's like, whoa!

This is heavy stuff. And it is. This isn't milk. But let me tell you something. You will never be sorry, 15, 16 year old you, if you engage your heart in this direction at your age. You will never be sorry.

Multitudes said, another day, another year. I'll fling a bit. I'm going to enjoy life a bit. Then I'll engage. Don't play games with God. It is God who called you unto glory and virtue. Make haste! Employ every effort in exercising faith to develop virtue in your life.

Employ every effort in exercising faith to develop virtue in your life. Or, crowd every moment with earnest care to develop virtue. Say, brother, you're taking away my life. You're taking away my free time.

I mean, I've just got on my feet, you know. I'm just beginning to find out who I am. And I can get in the car and go here and go there. And I can stay up later at night and Dad doesn't tell me to go to bed.

You just took my life away! That's right! Bought with a price and that you are not your own? Come on, let's come to grips with reality, young people. Crowd every moment with earnest care. These verses emphasize man's part in growth of holy character.

Verse 1 -4 emphasizes God's part. Verse 5 -7 emphasizes man's part. Since all these things flow from the glorious Person of Jesus Christ, and are obtained by faith in His promises, let us give all diligence to abide in Him.

Let us give all diligence to the issues of a practical, sanctified life. Since it's all been paid for, it's all yours. You can have as much as you want. Let's get serious about it. Give all diligence to bring the beauty of all of Christ's holy character into beautiful, blended order in your life.

Possessing the Land by Faith

Hast thou faith? Light, precious faith? Praise God! But wait a minute. Don't stop there. You have just begun, young people. Don't settle down now. Don't take your seatbelt off. Keep your seatbelt fastened.

You have just begun the journey. Add to your faith. You've just crossed over the Jordan River. The whole land of Canaan is before you. Don't pitch a tent on the banks of the Jordan River when there's a beautiful piece of land out there for you.

I mean, come on! You've just crossed over the Jordan River and all the promises of God for all that is in the land of Canaan is there waiting for you. Why live in a little pup tent on the banks of the River Jordan when there's a piece of land with a nice house on it and vineyards and a stream running by it and olive yards and cattle on a thousand hills out there?

Go get it! When you can live like a spiritual king, let us go up at once and possess the land, young people. These words are the very words of Caleb when he stilled the murmurings of the people. Remember?

When he stilled the murmurings of the people. Now, personally, I don't believe that Canaan is a picture of heaven, although sometimes God's types and shadows have a present tense and a future tense and maybe it's future, but Canaan has giants in it and battles in it and walled cities and idols and groves and all those things to overcome.

My personal opinion is that Canaan is a picture of the glorious life, abundant life that is yours and mine in Jesus Christ. But guess what? You have to go in and possess it. Your heart must say like Caleb, I want that mountain.

And that wasn't a little statement when Caleb said that that mountain had giants all over it. And those giants weren't sitting up there waiting for someone to serve them eviction notices. When Caleb said, I want that mountain, that came from the depths of His being.

Young people, you must also want that mountain. That's your part. Think of Israel and the land of Canaan just for a moment. God promised them a land that flowed with milk and honey. A fruitful land. A land watered by the rain of heaven.

Houses that they did not build. Vineyards that they did not plant. But He didn't say it would be easy. But He simply promised them, I will drive out the enemy before you. But isn't it interesting how God does these things?

You know, oh, wouldn't it be nice if God would have said, oh, by the way, you just park on that side of the Jordan River. I'll go in, clean up the mess. You'll walk right into a beautiful life. That's not how God does it.

God says, I've given you the land. It's all yours. It's bought and paid for. There's a piece over there, a piece of real estate with your name on it. Go get it. I'll help you. I'll do everything you need.

I'll be your sword. I'll be your shield. I'll be your stay. I'll knock the giant down right in front of you. But you go face Him. You go face Him. And it's the same, young people, it's the same thing with going on into maturity.

God says, I promise you all these things. You go get it. And you know what? Only those who step forward and say, okay, Lord, I know what I am. I know my life is unstable and up and down and lacking here and lacking there and I'm filled with all those kind of thoughts.

But I believe You, Lord. And I'm going forward. And you know the people who say that, they're going to look back in a couple of years of time and say, oh my, how God has so changed my life. I guarantee it.

I promise you, young people. And you'll have some glorious battles and victories to talk about that the others that are just sitting back there twiddling their thumbs, waiting for a better day, they'll never have a story.