Pastor Brendan Kelly - Opportunity and Obstacles

Morning Service, January 17 2010

The beginning of the year is often a time of re-evaluation, goal-setting and reprioritising.

Individually and together, a great goal for us to have would be to believe so much in what we are doing, that we enjoy it - even though it's hard work. No matter who we are in contact with, our hearts would be that our actions, words and service brings the best out of them.

This is what Jesus does for us; we ought to give thanks.

OPPORTUNITIES

Just like there is good and evil, night and day, wealth and poverty, there are opportunities and obstacles.

Obstacles cause us to work out whether the opportunity is worth it.

“So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’ “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.’ “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Deuteronomy 1:19-25

This scripture talks of the Israelites journey out of the wilderness into an opportunity (the promise land) that the Lord was giving them. Yet they feared, because they came across very real obstacles which meant taking the opportunity would be hard work.
We have to come to grips with the fact that God will give us opportunities. But are we willing to endure the obstacles?
Often we give opportunities a 'SWOT' Analysis (a term used in business, evaluating the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of any decision) however, the risk of a SWOT Analysis, is it can kill a God-idea because it’s hard and the risks are too great.
If God has promised you, it is worth the risk.

The report:

And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. Now they departed and came back to moses and aaron and all the congregation of the children of israel in the wilderness of paran, at kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “we went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of anak there. The amalekites dwell in the land of the south; the hittites, the jebusites, and the amorites dwell in the mountains; and the canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the jordan.” Then caleb quieted the people before moses, and said, “let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “we are not able to go up against the people, for theyare stronger than we.” And they gave the children of israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:25-33

The above passage gives the account of the 12 men who went to spy out the opportunity.
They acknowledged the benefits of the land (flows with milk and honey and good fruit), yet were not willing to embrace the obstacles as we can see after the word 'nevertheless'.
You have to take opportunities to achieve the desired outcome.
The promise land was God's positioning of His people, yet they had to allow themselves to face obstacles to be put into the right position. God is wanting to position us, and we need to be prepared for the obstacles because they come hand-in-hand.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16

Whatever the outcome is that we are looking for, we need to be fruitful in order to see it. If our motives are right and the outcomes we are looking for are in Him and His will, not our own selfishness, then He'll give us all we need to overcome the obstacles.

THE CALEB SPIRIT

Caleb was a leader of the tribe of Judah, and one of the 12 men who went to spy out the land.
Jesus is described in the book of Revelation as the Lion of Judah, through Him, we are part of that tribe and should have a 'Caleb-spirit'
Caleb saw the obstacles but made his decision based on the opportunity. (Numbers 13:30)

Someone with a Caleb-spirit ...

1. Is Optimistic

Optimism is hard to find these days.
Despite the fact that Caleb (and Joshua) were the only two out of the 12 to have an optimistic report, he self-encouraged.
You have to determine in your heart to be deliberately optimistic; it will not come automatically.

2. Is an Overcomer

We need to remind ourselves what the word of God says, such as 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31) and 'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world' (1 John 4:4)
If you're ever going to take the opportunities presented to you, you have to be optimistic and able to overcome.

3. Is Outrageous with their Faith

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.” Joshua 14:6-10

Caleb and Joshua displayed outrageous faith when defending the promise land the Lord was giving them. They were fixed on the promise, and fixed on God’s ability to give them the land.
Our faith is strong, and fixed on the outcomes (the promises) of the opportunities despite the obstacles.

4. Is Not Overwhelmed by the Opinions of Others

Numbers 14:8) Caleb and Joshua were concerned with God delighting in them, not in the reports, opinions and thoughts of others.

5. Is Obstinate in their faith

Caleb had the mindset - 'If God says it is ours, then it is ours'
God placed us here in Toowoomba - let us be obstinate about it - this is our promise land and it is our burden.
God will give us opportunities in this city. We need to obstinate in our faith and overcome the obstacles to see the desired outcome of God’s will in this city.

6. Is Outstanding in Heart

But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. Numbers 14:24

This reference to a different spirit refers to Caleb's heart being noticeably different to others.
Because of his outanding heart/spirit he stood out from the crowd and inherited the opportunity, not just for himself but for his descendants.

7. Is Willingly Obedient

Caleb was willingly obedient, following the will of God wholeheartedly.

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. Joshua 14:6-8

8. Will Never Grow Old.

Caleb spied out the land when he was 40 years old, but was 80 when he entered it.
You are never too old for the opportunities God has for you.
It may take a long time to overcome, but don't get 'old' in your thinking, despite the reality of growing older.

9. Knows How to Outlast

As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Joshua 14:11

Despite the obstacles and circumstances, Caleb remained strong.
He grew older, yet not weaker because he knew how to outlast.

10. Knew How to Outcast

Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.” Joshua 14:12

It didn't happen straight away, but Caleb learnt how to outcast the obstacles preventing the outcome of the opportunity for he knew the Lord was with Him and it would be as the Lord had said.

CONCLUSION

No obstacle or circumstance ever overtook Caleb. He was intent on finishing the race, and he was intent on seeing every outcome that God intended for him come to pass.
We are people - like Caleb - who get up and have a go.
Our greatest role model is Jesus Christ who had an opportunity to save humanity, but there was an obstacle - the cross. If He wasn't willing to endure the cross, we wouldn't be here today. Our hearts are for Him, and we share His heart.