Now therefore give me this mountain. Seize it! This is faith in action.
We will learn in this lesson on how we can be able to acquire new territory using a see it level. Caleb, a person who reached the seize it level. It's 45 years after he spied out the land of Canaan to bring back a good report with perfect 20/20 vision of the land of Canaan. Now the Israelites are in the process of taking the land for their own. The vision began to seize him. It not only got into his head thru his eyes. But it got inside his heart. He began to feel what he had seen 45 years ago.
There are three levels of living by faith in this lesson that we will study.
A. First is the See it Level. This is Faith's opportunity the bottom level. Anybody can live on this level. Everybody can have the opportunity to see. See it level is not visual acuity (sharpness of thought). But it is Faith's opportunity. Opportunity knocks once, grab it! Caleb grabs it by faith in action. Numbers 13:30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and possess it. For we are well able to overcome it. Some of us are visually acute but blind to opportunity. The 10 spies saw the giants but Joshua and Caleb saw the giants as bread (Num 14:9) "Only rebel not ye against the Lord neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us, their defense is departed from them and the Lord is with us, fear them not"
1. Moses (Heb 11:24-27) is a great SEE IT leader, a great visionary. There are four things that Moses vision helped him to accomplish.
a) His vision helps him to make difficult decisions (v24) by faith Moses, when he was come to years, refuses to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He was giving up his royal position, and he was giving up all the pleasures of Egypt. He was able to make a difficult decision because he saw a greater calling, a deliverer, a greater vision.
b) His vision helps him to pay the price (v25) Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The price was enduring cruel treatment with the people of God rather than enjoying the passing pleasures of sin. Moses was going to endure instead of enjoying because he had a vision.
C) His vision helps him to live for the eternal & not for the temporal (v26) esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. The treasure of Egypt is present but he was looking to a future reward. He lived for tomorrow instead of today.
d) His vision helps him overcome fear in his life. (V27) by faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king. For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Moses' obedience in heavenly vision. By faith he left Egypt not fearing the wrath of Pharaoh.
2. Caleb is a great SEE IT leader, a great visionary. Four things Caleb's vision helped him to accomplish.
A) His vision helps him develop conviction. (Num 13:30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. He was able to stand up against the other spies.
B) His vision helps him to obey God (Joshua 14:8) Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt. But I wholly followed the Lord my God. Other's heart began to melt with fear.
C. His vision helps him stay young. (Joshua 14:11) As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me, as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war both to go out and to come in. Vitamin Vision revitalized daily. Age is not an issue.
D) his vision helps him secure the land. Numb 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 whereunto he went, and his seed shall possess it. He possessed it because he first of all saw it.
In Heb 11 there's a list of examples of active faith. First they saw the promises, that is see it faith. Then they confessed, or said that there were strangers and exiles. That's say it faith. There are four steps towards possessing a say it faith by knowing it, doing it, showing it and feeling it, And then you can say it.
1. First you need the confidence knowing it. To say what you believe. I can be a soul winner a Sunday school teacher, I can make the rapture day.
2. Saying it takes commitment doing it. A word that implies a sincere undertaking, involvement, confidence and understanding. Attend the Bible Study and the Sunday School. Pray and share the word of God.
3. The third step to say it faith is good communication. Say it. This is very important. There are 4 ways that people learn. Listening, discussing, watching & discovering or participating. Discovering or participating is the most effective way to learn.
4. If we are going to say it, there's a fourth things we need and that's conviction feel it. There's a difference between commitment and conviction.
a) commitment keeps me going when things get tough. Conviction keeps others going when things get tough.
b) People do not follow a leader because of character. They follow a leader because of conviction.
c) People do not do things because they know it is right. They do things because they feel that it is right.
d) without conviction we may communicate truths. But we will develop no disciples.
e) We will have people who have the right answers. But we won't have people who live the right lives.
C) Third is the seize it. Give me this mountain level. This is Faith's action. This is the level at which the faith becomes action. It's more than verbiage and it's more than vision.
1. I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. It's a vital action within our hearts and lives.
A) everyone starts on level one, the see if level. We all can grab hold of Faith's opportunity. As you climb the steps, however, fewer and fewer people climb with you.
B) When you get the seize it stage. The action stage that you will find yourself in an elite group. Most people never climb this high, they stop, then quit.
C) they missed Faith's opportunity and life's action. Few will cross the river Jordan to seize the prize.
2. There are four reasons on not getting right to the edge of the river Jordan. They don't go on across and possess the land.
A) first we are too close to success to risk failure. Fear of failure probably keeps more people from positive action. Sometimes when we witness somebody, we feel that we are being rejected.
B) the 2nd reason why we don't seize it is that this level requires discipline. We need to pray and fast.
C) the third reason people do not seize it. Is that this level divides the concerned from the committed. We should not only be concerned but we need to be committed.
D) the fourth reason is that this level takes time. Be patient and stay humble.
III. Conclusion. What do you see God challenging you to be in the next year? Whom will you share this victorious vision within the next two weeks? How will you seize this goal and make it in reality? There are many people in this world who see it. There are some people who say it. But there are few people in this world who seize it.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!