Ashcroft Song: #516 All The Way My Savior Leads Me Title: Climb Every Mountain
Scripture: Psalm 24:1-3, Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?
A taxi driver reaches the Pearly Gates and announces his presence to Peter, who looks him up in his Book. Peter invites him to grab a silk robe, golden staff and go through the gates. A minister is next in line watching with interest. After looking up the minister’s name, Peter wrinkles his brow, “Oh okay, we'll let you in, but take that towel robe and wooden staff." Minister is astonished, “But I am a preacher! You gave that taxi driver a gold staff and silken robe. I rate higher than a cabby." Peter replied, “Here we’re interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabby drove people in his taxi, the people prayed!”
God’s success does not always look like success. A carpenter built some crates for his church to send clothes to an orphanage in China. Going home, he reached into his shirt pocket for his glasses, but they were gone. The glasses had fallen into one of the crates he nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China! It was the Great Depression and he had six children. He bought those glasses that very week. Upset to buy another pair, he said in frustration, “It's not fair, Lord. I’m faithful in giving time and money to your work, and now this!"
A year later, director of the orphanage visited U.S. He came to the carpenter’s small church in Chicago to thank them. “But most of all," he said, “I must thank you for the eyeglasses you sent last year. Communists had just swept through the orphanage destroying things including my glasses. I was desperate! Even if I had the money, there was no way of replacing those glasses. I got headaches every day because I couldn’t see well. Coworkers and I prayed, then your crates arrived. When we removed covers, we found eyeglasses lying right on top! Folks, when I tried on the glasses, they were custom-made just for me! I want to thank you!" People listened, happy for the miracle glasses, but the missionary surely must confuse their church with another! There were no glasses on list of items to send overseas. Sitting quietly in the back, tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.
How can we discover who we really are? The truth is we do not discover who we are as much as we decide who we are. 12 Israelite spies went to check Promised Land; 10 said the land was full of giants, “There is no way we can possess this land.” Israelites ate bread from heaven, drank water gushing from a rock, saw God’s fiery presence every single day. It wasn’t they didn’t know God’s power. They didn’t have faith God could work through them. Sure, God was great. But they would not believe He could be great and awesome through them.
Numbers 13, Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." And they spoke unto all the company of Israel saying, “The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.” Caleb and Joshua had conviction that since God wanted them to have the land, Canaanites would not be able to stop them.
SONG: GOD ON THE MOUNTAIN
Did Caleb and Joshua see same giants as other spies? Yes, and they saw the same heavily fortified cities, but they look through eyeglasses of faith. Caleb measured giants against God and realized giants were puny. Caleb was an Edomite, which means he was descendent of Esau. He and his clan got assimilated into the tribe of Judah. Caleb followed God "wholeheartedly." How often we follow the Lord when it suits us, but when things get tough, we tremble. Fear sets in, and we follow our fears rather than following God.
Yet we see Caleb leaning on strong arm of God. 45 years later, Caleb still believes when he talks to Joshua who has become new leader after Moses died. Joshua 14:12, “Now therefore give me this mountain, of which the Lord spoke in that day.” In other words, “God promised that Hebron belonged to me. And now I want that mountain!” Caleb claimed what God promised. He lined himself up with God’s purpose and wanted to fully experience what God planned for him. I want that mountain. Our culture aims for success.
What is true success? We have a mind’s image of what we want to be, and desires we want to fulfill. If we reach that image, we feel we’re successful, measuring by our standard. Or we measure success by judgment of others. Pleasing other people may become our main purpose for living. We have to reach their external standards of a certain position, education, income or fame. But true measure of success is an ETERNAL standard, measured not by feelings, opinion of others, society’s standards but only by God. If you please God, it doesn’t matter if you must displease men. If you displease God, it doesn’t matter if you please the whole world. Make sure it’s the mountain that God wants you to have.
Joshua 14:10, “Now then, just as the Lord promised, He has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time He said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!” How old was Caleb now? Caleb had a right to sit down in his easy chair, take off his army boots and put on his slippers at 85. He survived the wilderness and could retire. Yet after a lifetime of following the Lord, he was ready to tackle yet another mountain. Caleb could have decided on plan B, a nice fertile valley already conquered. But he doesn’t want the current generation to make the same mistakes as their fathers, so he shows faith in God by choosing the biggest challenge, exactly where giants are! Caleb’s example says, “If God can use the oldest man to drive out giants, think what God can do with you!” What terrified and emotionally crippled a nation was conquered by the oldest man among them.
Why? Because Caleb trusted God’s power. At 80 years old, Moses was called to free Israelites from Egypt. At 81, Ben Franklin worked on U.S. Constitution. At 82, Winston Churchill wrote 4 volume History of the English-Speaking People. Michelangelo completed greatest art at age 87. Albert Schweitzer still headed his hospital in Africa at 89. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes set down brilliant legal opinions at age 90. Abraham was 100 when his son was born. You are never too old or too young to climb God’s mountain. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Ecclesiastes 12:1. For each person there is a mountain, and God wants us to declare as Caleb did, “Give me that mountain. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me." Caleb said, "As my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in."
Even though Caleb was in line with God’s purpose, he knew he would have to fight, struggle and work in his uphill climb. Deuteronomy 1: 36, “Caleb shall see it and to him and his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord.” The fertile territory was not open to Caleb unconditionally. His feet must march across before he could call it his. He must be the one who trod there. What if Caleb had lost faith after 44 years? What if he cut himself off before the 45th year? For Caleb to claim his mountain, he would have to run giants out of the land. Caleb gave all he was to all God is.
Solo: STAND AND BE COUNTED
Do we face giants? The giant of adversity. We never attempt anything in life without somebody opposing us. They will stand in our way! Discourage us! Caleb had negative people who were supposed to be on his side and giants waiting on the other side. The Wright brothers had people saying, “If God wanted us to fly He would have given us wings.” Thomas Edison had people saying, “We have candles and kerosene, who needs light bulbs?” Alexander Graham Bell was called a fool for wanting to talk to someone across a building, now the world.
The giant of fear, giant of laziness, procrastination, self pity, and giant of “what will people say?” There’s giant of comparison as others accomplish great things for God while our own energy feels weak. Don’t let comparison distract you from your own mountain. There are mountains plenty enough for everyone! Joshua 14:12, Caleb said, "You yourself heard that the Anakims were there, and their cities were large and fortified, but the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as HE said." Not our strength or weakness, but God’s power in spite of our weakness. “The Lord said, He promised, the Lord helping me.” Here is a man who staked his whole future on God’s promise.
Does it sound like bragging?? It is faith bragging on God. Is our God super? Is He awesome? Deuteronomy 33:25-27, The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across skies in majestic splendor. The God of your fathers is your safe resting-place; under you are His everlasting arms, driving out the forces of your enemies from before you. God unites heaven and earth in your support. Riding across the heavens is unlimited, powerful God, Helper of His people. Everlasting arms are under you! There is no one like our God, majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders!
Have you ever failed at anything? I fall short, but Jesus doesn’t fail. Edmund wanted to climb the world’s tallest mountain. He gave it his best try, but Edmund failed. Later, Edmund walked on stage as everyone clapped. Audience admired his attempt, though Edmund saw himself as a failure. He pointed at a picture of the mountain and made a fist saying, "Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I'll beat you the next time because you've grown all you are going to grow, but I'm still growing!" The very next year, Edmund scaled the highest mountain then known to man 29,000 feet high. They made him a knight and he became Sir Edmund Hillary. He even made American Express card commercials because of it! His book, High Adventure, explains Edmund had to grow into success.
An old man complained to Doc how his wife could hardly hear. Doc suggested a test to find the problem. “Stand far behind her and ask a question. Move up and see how far away you are when she first responds.” Old man goes home to his wife preparing supper. “Honey,” he asks standing 20 feet away, “What's for supper?” Receiving no response, he tried 15 feet away, again no response. Then 10 feet away, no response. Finally, 5 feet away, “Honey, what's for supper?” She replied, “I tell you the fourth time, it’s lasagne!” If you fail at something, never give up said Winston Churchill. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying,” said Michael Jordan.
Moses stood up to Pharaoh and won. Gideon stood up to Midianites and won. David stood up to Goliath and won. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood up to Babylon and won. Daniel stood up to lions and won. Mordecai stood up to Haman and won. Jesus stood up to death and won. Caleb at 85 years old stood up to giants and won. Do we face surgery, health problems, loneliness, economy, uncertainty of a new year? Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
When Herkimer rose to great fame as an artist in London, he had his father, a simple woodchopper, come live with him. Father was fond of molding clay. As years passed, his hands were losing skill. He went to bed with sad heart of an old man who thought his best days were gone. Herkimer’s quick eye of love detected it, so when father was fast asleep, the gifted son would mold the clay father left full of defect. With his own wonderful touch, he made it as beautiful as could be by human hand. When the old man in the morning took up the work he had left all spoiled night before, and held it up in daylight, he’d say, "I can still do it."
IS THAT THE WAY IT IS WITH OUR LIVES? Even when we do our very best, our lives are marked with defect and failure. But God who created our universe out of chaos, He takes our lives and with His own wonderful touch makes them beautiful. When your dreams are shattered, your heart broken, your plans failed, God’s grace still calls you into the Promised Land. Through trials that seem like giants, don’t turn back. Sands of the desert were littered with bodies of those who didn’t believe God could do it through them. But we like Caleb hold God’s promise.
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool, to weep is to risk appearing sentimental, to reach out to others is to risk involvement, to expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self, to place ideas before a crowd is to risk their loss, to love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk despair, to try is to risk failure, but risks must be taken, because greatest hazard in life is to do nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing. They cannot learn, change, grow, love, live. For only he who tries can succeed.
Success doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the little voice at the end of the day, “I’ll try again tomorrow.” You miss 100 % of shots you never take, said Wayne Gretzky. God has a wonderful plan for your life, a mountain for you to claim, a purpose for you, young or old. It won't be easy, but "the Lord helping you," His power working through you, giants fall and you climb God’s mountain. Let us say like Caleb, "Give me that mountain!"
SONG: THE CLIMB
This is the sermon I preached the day before my stroke.