1. Caleb
Numbers 13:26-30

2. Facts about Caleb

3. He knew the will of God concerning the land.
1. He knew that God wanted the Israelites to leave Egypt.
2. He knew that God expected the people to trust (have faith) in Him.

4. Caleb had Faith.
1. Caleb had faith that they could do what the Lord was asking of them.
2. He had faith in God’s knowledge, power & wisdom.
3. He honored the authority of God.

5. He was able to see the problem
in the situation.
1. He did not deny the battle that would await them, he did not deny the strength of the cities.
2. He did however, know that they could overcome it all.

6. He was able to see the problem
in the situation.
3. Caleb was not afraid to go where God had commanded them to go, unlike the other 10 spies. Where they saw defeat, Caleb saw great victories.

7. He was not swept away by the pleas of others to disobey.
So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
Numbers 14:4

8. He was not swept away by the pleas of others to disobey.
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; 7 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.

9. He was not swept away by the pleas of others to disobey.
8 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.’

10. He was not swept away by the pleas of others to disobey.
9 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.” Numbers 14:6-9

11. Caleb was optimistic
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. 29 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.” Numbers 13:28-29

12. Caleb was optimistic
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.” Numbers 13:30

13. Lessons from Caleb’s faith.

14. Caleb had an “us” faith. 1. We can do it and we can do it together.
a. Caleb said let “us”, not me, but “let us go
up”. (Num 13:30)
2. In Nehemiah 3, every man, had a place in the work of rebuilding the wall.

15. Caleb had an “us” faith.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

16. Caleb had an “us” faith.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” Corinthians 12:14-21

17. Caleb wanted to act at once.
1. He wanted to act and he wanted to do so right away.
2. To many good works and good intentions have died on the “let’s wait” table.
a. Things become forgotten and folks lose
interest when looking at things on this table.

18. Lessons for us today.

19. We can learn from Caleb’s courage.
1. It takes courage to stand up for what the church can do and to do so when others are saying it’s not possible.
2. No work is too great for those who have the will and desire to do it.

20. If we are negative, we will never accomplish anything.
1. Caleb was positive and believed in God’s ability.
2. When we believe and trust God then we can accomplish the work, anything can be done.

21. Conclusion
1. Let us not be like the spies who were negative even while they held the fruit of the land in their hands! To many say we cannot do something or that a goal isn’t being accomplished while at the same time the results are starring us in the face.

22. Conclusion
2. We need to have eyes that see positively and not negatively.
a. Which one do you think Satan wants you
to have?