Leave a Legacy of Faith
Joshua 14
- I am often teased among the ministerial staff for being the old goat – guy – in the room; you see, at least 3 of the staff could be my children, and I’m SO much older than Ellie
- In addition to my 4 children, as of this week, I now have 10 grands – John Rock Kline; Mother and baby are doing well…
- I will officially be eligible for Medicaid in May!
- I have found myself not only thinking about the end of the year and what God might have for me in 2024, but the birth of another grandson has me thinking about what kind of legacy do I want to leave with my family? Materially – who knows, I’ve never been really good with that. Emotionally – of course I want them to remember me with fondness
- But it’s the spiritual component that drives me most, and to that end, I find myself returning to another “old guy” in Scripture – the one and only Caleb
- By the time we begin reading Joshua 14, all the men of war in Israel have fought together for 5 years, conquering large portions of Canaan as a single, whole army; now they are winding up the corporate campaign and beginning to plan how each tribe will take their individual areas – read vv. 1-5
- When you read the whole context of the surrounding chapters, you quickly discern that this is a time of great trepidation for Israel – they’ve always been together, they’re in a land that is still unfamiliar, and they’ve certainly never launched out on their own to do anything
- For 45 years they’ve wandered in the wilderness, set up tents next to each other, enjoyed meals together, and seen God work through the army for great victories together
- But now… fear of the unknown begins to take hold and the people seem frozen to move forward
- That is, until into this arena of fear steps the old warrior Caleb, 85 years young… vv. 6-15
I only have 2 main points today, and the first is as simple as the second, that is…
- If you would leave a legacy of faith, you must have lived a life of faithfulness
- This was particularly true of Caleb, for let us remember…
- Caleb was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and was around 38 years old when he witnessed God’s great miracles of deliverance from the tyrannical slavery in Egypt
- Caleb’s life of faith and zeal for God must have been evident enough that he was one of the 12 men chosen to go and spy out the land of Canaan for Israel the 1st time Israel approached Canaan
- So, at the age of 40, he and 11 others went throughout the land of the Negev and southern Judah, stealthily spying out the enemy and seeking a report to bring back to Moses and all Israel
- And you remember the report, right? The 10 men spoke up first and described the terrain and the armies and the belief that there was no way Israel could conquer the land
- And remember that it was Caleb who couldn’t contain himself but shouted out, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it!”
- But the people’s hearts were turned by the majority’s negative report, and because of their unbelief, God punished them by causing them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness until all the men above the age of 20 had died & a new generation was born who would trust in God’s power to claim God’s promise of the land and victory over their enemies
- That is, all the men except Joshua… and Caleb
- It was their faithfulness, obedience and belief in God’s promises that prompted God to spare their lives and lead out in the eventual military campaign
- What was it about Caleb that made him so exceptional?
- Was he big and strong? Who knows, for it doesn’t say one word…
- Was he a bold personality and born leader? Again, Scripture is silent about that aspect of his life; but I would point you to the fact that even if he had that kind of personality, it is NOT what Caleb trusted in…
- V. 8, yet I wholly followed the LORD my God
- V. 9, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God
- V. 14, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel
Caleb was exceptional only because his faith was wholly in His God
It is right that we should love this episode in Israel’s life and 85-year-old Caleb’s bold desire to lead out in this new phase of the conquest. But hear me, you younger men and women of our church – if you want to be this kind of valiant warrior of faith, you have to have grown into that mold in these, your younger days. You can’t wait until you’re old to finally teach the next generation about the importance of faith if you haven’t lived that life of faith before then! It begins now…
- …when your family sees you daily committing your way to the Lord through your spiritual disciplines
- …when your children see you prioritizing spiritual matters over the material world
- …when you prioritize spiritual growth as you lead your family’s choices in activities, time and money
- …when your church family sees you living a life of authentic faith and integrity, serving faithfully in the ministry of our church
Sherri and I were reflecting that it was in our 30’s when the truths that we claimed to believe in our 20’s were deeply sealed into our hearts and changed our very souls. We faced major challenges in our 40’s and 50’s, but, the basis for our victories then, were rooted deeply in the heartfelt commitments of faith we made in our 30’s. Now, as we face our 60’s and beyond, I cannot describe how deeply we desire to pass on to our children and grands the primacy of following God with our whole hearts.
- But what if we had become angry and bitter and trashed people in front of our children? What would we have passed on about their attitude towards God’s people?
- Or what if I had become disillusioned and quit the ministry, which, frankly, I seriously considered on two occasions – what would they think about the sufficiency of Christ to uphold us in all seasons?
- Or what if Sherri continued on in her legalistic upbringing of believing a person had to earn God’s favor instead of delving deeply into the doctrines of grace and understanding the unmerited favor of God – how would that have affected the view of God that she passed on to the children and now to the grands?
My point is to ensure you younger individuals and families understand – the making of an 85-year-old Caleb is happening in your choices now; it’s happening in your building of faith now. The legacy begins now.
But what is a legacy of faith? What do we see in Caleb that makes him so uniquely admirable? Well, again, simply put…
- If you would leave a legacy of faith, you must live by… faith
- Caleb was not limited by others’ sight, but yielded himself to God’s vision
- When others only saw why they could NOT take the country, Caleb saw what God had promised – that was true when he was 40, and it was still true at 85
- He believed God could do it back then, and he believed God could do it again through him even in his old age
- Why? Not his strength, but because of God’s promises!
- V. 9 – Moses swore to me…
- V. 10 – the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said
- V. 12
- God had given Caleb a vision, a set of promises, and Caleb was determined to obtain them; it was his life’s passion
- That’s why…
- Caleb was not limited by others’ sight, but yielded himself to God’s vision
- Caleb was not limited by his own abilities, but yielded himself to God’s power
- (To be sure) He had a pretty good view of himself (v. 11!); not like some seniors; favorite hymns:
- Precious Lord, take my hand, and help me up
- Just a slower walk with thee
- Blessed insurance, Medicaid’s mine
- Guide me o thou great Jehovah, I’ve forgotten where I parked
- Also had a realistic view of what up against (v. 12)
- Tough country, fierce opponents (the Anakim!), armed and walled cities
- But at the root of all is a tough faith that was in no way presumptive (v. 12 – It may be…)
- Though a confident and grizzled warrior, his confidence was rightly placed in GOD’s vision and God’s promise for victory
- (To be sure) He had a pretty good view of himself (v. 11!); not like some seniors; favorite hymns:
But for me, as I’ve pondered his legacy, I’m deeply impressed by the fact that…
- Caleb did not quit because of the death of a dream, but yielded himself to God’s timing and ways
- 45 years ago, Caleb had viewed this land, and wanted to lead out in the fight for it
- Through no fault of his own, his dream had been put on hold; therefore, he had a choice – discouragement, anger, even bitterness and grumbling like everyone else around him
- But we don’t see any of that – all we see is his complete faithfulness to God’s service, his leadership in the battles, and his eagerness to be ready for God’s call whenever it came
- During those long wilderness wanderings, I always picture him on the edge of camp, on a hill somewhere, looking towards the promised land; I’m certain he spent a great deal of time envisioning the day when he would finally get there
Herein, we observe the basic elements of a legacy of faith –
- By faith, you yield your vision to His vision for your life and strive to obtain all He has for you
- By faith, you yield your strengths and weaknesses to God’s power, and therefore move through life within the person and power of the Holy Spirit
- By faith, you don’t quit! Instead, you yield to His timing, His way of doing things, and you trust Him to do what is best not only for you, but for everyone else around you
When you persevere by faith in every stage of life to God’s vision, to God’s power and to God’s timing, THEN you leave a legacy of faith
But we love our excuses, don’t we?
- Teens – I’m too busy with school and I have the rest of my life to do spiritual stuff…
- 20’s – I’m finishing school, building a career, in love…
- 30’s – I’ve got small kids, no sleep, a demanding schedule…
- 40’s – I’m raising teenagers and… well… I’m raising teenagers!
- 50’s – I’m the sandwich, pressed between caring for my aging parents and my children and grandchildren; so, when I’m off, and I have some money to travel, it’s “me” time…
- 60’s – preparing for retirement, first time really free in life, pursue my bucket list before I get “really old”
- 70’s & 80’s – health issues, not as strong as I used to be, your best friends are in the doctors’ offices, so you think, “It’s time for the next generation to do their part”
Can we be honest enough with each other and before our Lord this morning to recognize that all these are in fact excuses? A life of faith is to permeate every aspect of our life at every age!
Where are the young Caleb’s of this church??? Ones who will say, no matter the cost, I will say no to the distractions of this world and go where God wants me to go, I will do what He wants me to do, and, yes, I will give what He calls me to give
Where are the middle-aged Caleb’s of this church??? Ones who won’t give in to the grumblings and negativity around them, but will press forward by faith in faithful service to the church and fan the flame of a victorious vision for God’s church in this community and around the world
Where are the old Caleb’s of this church??? Ones who will not be limited by the creeping self-centeredness of physical or emotional pain; ones who will not shrink in fear of a culture awash in secularism; where are the old Caleb’s who will still rise and lead the younger generations in trusting God for great victories over the enemy, saying, “So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day… It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”
Oh church, as we head into 2024, may God grant us Caleb’s of every generation who will lead out in fighting the good fight of faith, and may this be a chapter in the life of this great church that leaves such a legacy of faith that – should the Lord tarry – future members look back on us and say, “Man, those guys had the faith of Caleb!”
Leaving a Legacy of Faith
Joshua 14 (p. 189)
- If you would leave a legacy of faith, you must have lived a life of faithfulness.
If you want to be this kind of valiant warrior of faith, you have to have grown into that mold in these, your younger days – the making of an 85-year-old Caleb is happening in your choices now.
But what is a legacy of faith?
- If you would leave a legacy of faith, you must live by… faith.
- Caleb was not limited by others’ sight, but yielded himself to God’s vision.
- Caleb was not limited by his own abilities, but yielded himself to God’s power.
- Caleb did not quit because of the death of a dream, but yielded himself to God’s timing and ways.
Herein, we observe the basic elements of a legacy of faith –
- By faith, you yield your vision to His vision for your life and strive to obtain all He has for you.
- By faith, you yield your strengths AND weaknesses to God’s power, and therefore move through life within the person and power of the Holy Spirit.
- By faith, you don’t quit! Instead, you yield to His timing, His way of doing things, and you trust Him to do what is best not only for you, but for everyone else around you.