Joshua 24:15 – It’s Time to Make A Decision – Bible study

Joshua 14:6-15 I Want that Mountain Most know the story of Joshua and Caleb. When the children of Israel came to the Promised Land, Israel sent out 12 spies to investigate the land. 10 came back with a negative report, saying that Israel could not take the land. Two came back saying it would be easyif God was on their side. Joshua and Caleb were those two; but because of the negative report of the 10 spies, the peoples heart melted within them and Israel refused to go take the land. As a result, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. But God promised to bring Joshua and Caleb into the land and to give it to them. Nu 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. De 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. By Calebs own testimony, God had made those promises forty-five years ago. Josh 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. So, 45 years after Gods promise was made, Caleb comes to collect. "I want that mountain," he says. "You were there. You know what God said. Now I want my reward." That reminds me of what the writer in Hebrews said. To some, Caleb may have seem forward, cocky, demanding; but he wasnt. He was owed. He had believed God and Gods promises. Now he wanted what God had promised. It was his. It was due. His attitude reminds me of what the writer in Hebrews said. Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Come how? Come boldly, expecting to the throne, not timidly. God has made some promises to you. If you have lived godly and faithfully, you have every right not only to expect God to do what He promised but to boldly expect God to do what He promised. That is not being forward or cocky. That is faith. Come boldly, not as though you were asking for something you had not been promised, not as though you doubted God would do what He has promised; but with boldness, expecting. Come boldly. I will tell you this morning that I want my mountains, and you should want yours too. God has made us some promises. If we have lived clean and pure, there are some mountains to claim. What mountains? I. I want the mountain of SOUND FINANCES! A. Governments and most people are foolish in their finances. 1. Governments ask, tell, and demand that their people build a house of credit cards and then wonder why it falls. 2. They set up monetary policies on the principals of borrowing then have to prop it up with stimulus and bail out programs. 3. The people who get something for nothing dont mind it; but the people who do the actual work have to pay for it. 4. Most people dont question it since the "experts" say that is the way it is so supposed to be. 5. It seems to me that no matter what field we pick these days, they are arent very bright! B. The Bible tells us Gods way. Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 1. God gives a four-fold plan. a. Honor God. b. Work hard. c. Live within your means. d. Be generous to others. 2. If we do these things, God promises blessings. C. I want that mountain! 1. I dont like what is happening in our country or in the world. a. Things are tough and they are going to get tougher. (1) How do I know that? (2) The Bible: Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. b. But even in these days, if you have honored and served God, there is a mountain out there that you can claim. (1) Does that mean you wont lose your job? Not necessarily. (2) Does that mean you will not have to get by with much less? No. (3) But it does mean you have the promises of God! Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need According to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 2. The problem a lot of people have is that they dont know WHEN to measure their riches. a. The time to measure your riches is NOT in times of affluence. b. Those are the riches that will burn in the judgment of God. c. The time to measure your riches is in times of Gods judgment. (1) God parked Elijah by a brook for months and had ravens to bring him food! (2) Then God sent Elijah to a widows house that had only a small bottle of oil and enough flour to cover a portion of the bottom of the barrel; but God made it last until a three-year drought was over. (3) I would rather have been with Elijah and the ravens than with Ahaz in the palace! II. I want the mountain of a SOLID, GODLY HOME. A. Now, you may think me foolish, but of all the things that God has promised me for my earthly travels, I want this more than anything else. 1. I love the ministry. I love to see souls saved, lives touched by the spirit of God. I enjoying watching new new converts grow. I enjoy reliving my first days with Christ with them. 2. But, I do not want to minister to others and my family become castaways! I must have the mountain of a godly home! B. I must have the blessing of a wife and children that love and respect me. 1. I believe God has promised it to me, and I want it. Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 2. I know that is not a specific promise to me. a. It is a general statement about the roles of the home. b. But as far as I am concerned that means every man who will live godly has a right to expect this mountain! c. But it is not limited to men only. d. Gods women have the same type of statement and so should have the same expectation. Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. C. I know I expect a lot from God here, but I dont think I am disconnected from reality. 1. I Know it is their choice to give us their love and respect, but I am counting on God to influence both them and me and to give us all the right kind of hearts. 2. I also know that many far more godly than I shall ever be have had to endure the sorrow of a broken home. a. But I dont care! b. I want this mountain of a solid, godly, home. c. I have claimed this mountain, and by the grace of God, I expect this mountain. D. The Bible says: Pr 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 1. In recent days, we have seen all our grandchildren. 2. While we are always looking for a reason to see any and all of the family, this trip was mainly because our oldest granddaughter, Evvie, was graduating. a. That is the same child who some years ago called to ask me to baptize her while we were on a similar trip. b. On this trip, I watched an older grandson (Micah) who came late to breakfast silently bow his head and thank Jesus for his food while the rest of us were talking and cutting up. (1) No one told him to do that. (2) He did it because he wanted to talk to Jesus. c. I got to sit with a granddaughter (Madalyn) during church, look through her Bible, and worship with her. d. I watched my oldest grandson and his girl friend pray together, and then asked the whole family to gather around the piano to sing favorite hymns him leading and all the children calling out their favorite hymns. 3. This is the kind of mountain I expect to live upon. a. Friend, I expect all of my grandchildren to be saved! I have asked God that if He were not going to save and keep my children, dont give them to us! b. I meant it, and I have come boldly to Gods through expecting this mountain 4. But it can be your mountain too! Live godly for Christ Jesus and claim your mountain! III. I want the mountain of SPIRITUAL POWER. A. God promises certain powers, certain privileges, certain abilities to those who are saved, right with Him, and doing what He has commanded. B. What are they? 1. Gods presence Ex 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. a. Do you see what Moses wanted? b. He wanted God to go with him. c. If God wasnt going to go, Moses didnt want to go either! 2. The leadership of the Holy Spirit Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 3. I want my victory over the devil. Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 4. I want freedom from guilt. Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. There are mountains to be claimed by the child of God who lives faithfully before God. Caleb said, "You all know what God promised me. Now, I want my mountain!" Child of God, claim the mountains that God has promised you.