Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · October 26, 2008

Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord, we know that the fears of life can often overwhelm us. We pray that we may always know that you have given us a measure of faith. Help us to rely on our faith to overcome our fears and to build a life based on our belief in Jesus Christ our Lord. Strengthen us in difficult time and encourage us to look toward your promised future. Amen.

Scripture

Numbers 13:25-33

At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites 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. And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large; and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the land of the Negeb; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites live by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.” So they brought to the Israelites an unfavorable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Message

A Self-Image Based on God

Larry Gallamore

In a recent poll of Americans taken in their twenties, the question was asked, “What is the basic feeling you have about life?” Sixty percent said “Fear.” The fact that fear runs high in America is not surprising. The people in their twenties aren’t the only ones whose basic feeling about life is one of fear. Many people spend a great deal of time fearful of what’s happening in their lives in the present and fearful of what might happen in the future.

We live in an age of tension, worry, and nervous strain. Look in the faces of people on the street, in offices, in church, or wherever you meet them. It would be wonderful if we could roll up our sleeves, clench our fists, and with one mighty swing put an end to all this fear. Then we could relax in a state of serenity and confidence. But the problem is too deep for that.

Our fear is symptomatic of a sickly way of life. We need something that will help us heal and give us inner peace. The answer to our fears is faith. Our faith in God can help us overcome our fears. This is why I’ve chosen our Scripture lesson from the Old Testament book of Numbers 13:26-33. It shows a stark difference between fearful and faithful people. 

Here is what we have. We have a tribe of 600,000 Israelites who have been migrating for about 40 years from Egypt to Canaan. They are going in the right direction, because they headed for the Promised Land. Moses, their leader, sends out 12 spies into Canaan to explore the land and the people. After 40 days, the spies return. They unanimously report that the land is rich and productive as they expected it to be. In their minds this is how they had imagined it. But, being fearful of whether or not they could overcome the Canaanites, ten of the spies saw the people of Canaan as huge giants who have actually fortified their cities. In other words, they are afraid of their opponents. Ten of the spies supersized their competition and microsized themselves. They said, “We’ll never be able to compete with them.” How’s that for low self-esteem?

Here is where the story changes. Two of the 12 spies, Joshua and Caleb, said, “Let us enter Canaan at once. We are able to overcome them. The Lord is with us. We do not fear the people of Canaan.”

Now, you know what happened. The ten spies disagreed violently. They cried out, “Compared to those giants, we are like grasshoppers. Joshua and Caleb are just looking through rose-colored glasses. They are not facing reality.” 

You know what I mean. Positive-thinking people hear this all the time. When anyone is positive, people say, “Oh, he’s not facing reality.” I know what I’m talking about; I’m a positive thinker. I’m one of those strange people who believe we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13). I firmly believe people need to wake up and consult God when they face incredible odds. What a difference that makes! God can do anything. God doesn’t give anyone a “grasshopper” mentality. We create a “grasshopper” mentality when we allow fear to control us.

I love the story about the Texan who was being shown around a vast ranch in Australia. The proud Texan refused to be impressed, believing that everything back home was better. The Texan said to his host, “This whole spread would be just a teensy little corner of my place back home.” When he was shown a huge herd of cattle, he said, “This is nice, but it’s just a fraction of my herd back home.” Just then a kangaroo came up behind the Texan and bounded by. The startled Texan said, “What in tarnation is that?” His Australian host responded, “You don’t have grasshoppers out in Texas?” A grasshopper, even a big one, is still a grasshopper. We feel like one when our fears and problems dominate our thinking.

To overcome a “grasshopper” mentality, we must rise above the image we have of ourselves in our own mind. Often when facing giants, we forget who we are and whose we are. Our self-image must be based on God. We are disciples; we are followers of Christ. Some of you have experienced the “grasshopper” mentality. I have. 

In my younger days, I suffered unspeakable anxiety because of my inability to deliver a speech in class without my voice trembling or my knees shaking. During my sophomore year in college, I accepted an invitation to speak at an evening meeting at my church. When I learned that one of my teachers was going to be there, I was petrified. But I was determined to go through with it or die on the spot.

That night I learned the secret that, in time, would free me from the dread of public speaking. I prayed with all my might for divine strength that I might speak for God and forget myself entirely. I imagined making the speech in my mind. I knew I was God’s child. I knew I was made in God’s image. I trusted Jesus Christ as my savior, and I knew Jesus died for me on the cross. I knew God was my refuge and my strength. I let the greatest power of the universe work inside of me. God gave me the faith I needed. After the speech, the people applauded. I don’t remember what I said, but I remember how I felt. I had finally come to realize that God was working in me to overcome my fear. 

With God’s help, you can rise above the image you have of yourself in your own mind and get in touch with the image God has of you. God knows we’re not perfect, that we all have faults and weaknesses, and that we all make mistakes. But the good news is God loves us anyway. Consequently, we must learn to love ourselves. God’s love is not based on who you are or what you do. God believes more in you than you believe in yourself.

Secondly, don’t focus on your weaknesses; focus on God. In our story of the 12 spies, only two, Joshua and Caleb, were focused on God. The others focused on the giants. The fastest way I know to increase your self-image is to focus on God instead of focusing on yourself. Let’s examine what happens when you focus on yourself. You start backing away from challenges, because you doubt you are adequate. Ask yourself the question, “What would you attempt tomorrow if you were sure God would help you?” For example, is God calling you to enter a new vocation, to go to graduate school, to run for public office, to go on a mission trip, to start a business, or to teach Sunday School? Whatever God is calling you to do, you can do it. Focus on God, not on your own weaknesses, if you ever hope to do anything significant.

The greatest example of this in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. You know the story, but let me refresh your memory. I’ll tell it in a new, new way.

David, a little puny boy, goes up against a giant. This is better than Pay-Per-View. David, just a Teenage Mutant Ninja Shepherd, goes up against Goliath who is 9 feet, 6 inches tall. That’s taller than the tallest living man, Leonid Stadnyk, who is 8 feet, 4 inches tall and lives in the Ukraine.

Every day, Goliath came out to harass the Israelites. He looked like Leonid Stadnyk in Munchkin Land. The total weight of his armor was over 200 lbs. The guy was massive. He said to David, “You little scrawny punk! I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the field.” That might not be theologically correct, but you get the message. Goliath scared the “hee-bee-gee-bees” out of Saul and the Israelite soldiers. The guy was just too big! If he were alive today, imagine the scholarships he would have gotten at Mizzou.

When David came on the scene to bring some cheese and crackers to Saul’s army, the only sound he heard was knees knocking. It sounded like 20 out-of-tune tubas hitting wrong notes. David immediately started talking. The soldiers couldn’t get him to shut up. By the time he got to Saul, David had talked the giant down to a manageable size. David was talking to Saul and his army, but he was also talking to himself and God. He said, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him (the giant). I’ll go fight the giant” (1 Samuel 17:32).

Saul said, “You are just a boy.” But David kept talking. Talking helps, especially when you are facing a giant. Talking to others is always good. Even talking to yourself is better than not talking at all. You can talk yourself out of fear if you focus on God.

Saul finally said to David, “If you are determined to go, here’s my armor. Put it on, pick up the biggest sword in sight, and go bang away at Goliath.”

But David said, “No, I have to do it my way. I’ll use my sling and these five stones.” 

Things haven’t changed much. The younger generation still has to do it their way.

Note that the Israelites saw Goliath and thought how small we are. David saw Goliath and thought what a puny giant compared to God. Do you see the difference? While the Israelites saw Goliath as too big to hit, David saw him as too big to miss. How’s that for focusing on God?

David ran at Goliath. Goliath just stood there. He had never had anyone come at him before. He didn’t know what to do. He froze up. He was watching the hand where David carried his staff. It was the sling in David’s other hand he should have been worried about. The rock from David’s sling, traveling at about 200 feet per second, hit Goliath with about 5,000 pounds of energy. That’s bone-crushing energy. Goliath took a great fall. The biggest battles in life are always won first in the mind and then on the battlefield.

If you want to overcome the giants in your life, develop a self-image based on God. See yourself as God sees you. Remember who you are and whose you are and where your power comes from. Focus on God, and turn your fears over to God.

Years ago, as I was writing in my study in St. Louis, I heard a most distressing noise. A pigeon, in trying to escape from a previous day’s storm, took refuge in a cold air vent that emerged on the church roof. Finding no sure footing, it slipped down and down, until it struck bottom on a level with the floor of our fellowship hall. There, in a one-foot square prison, it began to frantically beat its wings in what must have been an agony of despair. I removed the grate, carried my little, feathered friend to the door, and let it go. With a swish of its wings, it was gone, circling freely in its native element, presently coming to rest on the highest point of the church roof.

There are thousands of imprisoned souls in this world. Many are beating their wings against a prison house of fear. What better release can be found than to shift the burden to one who understands and is not afraid? God loves you and wants you to love yourself. God can change the circumstances in your life. You may have some big obstacles in your life, but I assure you, God is much, much bigger.

So be it. Amen.

Benediction

Your words are true, O God. You lead us, and ask us to follow unashamed and unafraid. Keep our heads up, keep our chins up, and our eyes focused on your plans and promises. Fill us with your Spirit, that we might see ourselves through the eyes of our hearts and your heart. Amen.