Climbing on Track (Part 2 of 2)

Read the Bible and think about Caleb you think about him as a young man who explored the promised land and trusted God when everyone else doubted today on Truth for Life were looking at Caleb's continued faithfulness in the last years of his life. Alastair Greg is teaching from Joshua 14 with a message titled climbing on track dear ones, you don't ever choose leaders to go back. You don't need leaders to go back just go back. You don't need anybody to lead you back. You can always get a group to go back. You need leaders to go forward to go for there is a tomato for our purposes. Yet in the unfolding of God's plan for our world for our nation that are generations of Christ tarries yet to come and Caleb reveals this spirit young man 40 years old young man of commitment now the commitment of his alley.

Life is matched by his consistency in middle life.

Some of his are the masters of yesterday on all boy you should have been around yesterday.

Now there was a day you know when we were all together and when we were all ready for action, and we were all younger boy did we have a time.

Then, but not Caleb. Caleb's is a classic illustration. The fact that the Christian life is a bit like a cross-country run is not a series of 100 yard sprints is a cross-country. It goes on forever you go over Hillandale and styles and hedges and bridges and streams and you can always find a group of people who begin to lag further and further and further behind and started to grumble to one another and say I wish we never started this thing going to say well I just walk after all we've got our health and strength we could die out here and so they all go on and they eventually encourage one another into a tremendous morass of mediocrity and it takes an individual like Caleb to break out from the group and to keep on. Think of how many people have got off to a flying start in life but in the middle years they lost it. They were well known as a young man or as a young woman, for whatever reason, at age 14 had prominence at age 14 he had clout. The had influence they had status. Whatever it might be in Christian terms.

They were useful to God, but the end of their days. Strangely think of. Even I funeral of the faith.

In some ways a man like AW Pink, whom presumably all of us would want to admire for his writings.

For surely we have benefited from them greatly, and we have absorbed them as we rent them and you. Do you know that AW Pink ended his life and they have ready and islands on the island. Lewis living in Stornoway, not even worshiping in our church. He never went to church for the last two or three years of his life. He couldn't find a church that he was comfortable to worship in our being for me to criticize somebody who's gone on ahead, but something's not right there.

I don't care how well he started something happened in the middle you can finish like that.

It's something happened in the middle years toes of incidentally was similar towards our ended disgruntled ended disgruntled what happened in those middle years… Think about this for a moment because the environment in which he spent his middle years was not exactly fantastic numbers 14 and verses 34 and following give is the illustration of where they where for 40 years, one year for each of the 40 days you explored the land God says you will suffer for your sins and know what it's like to have me against you. I had a Lord of spoken and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community which is banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert, and here they will die. So the man Moses.

It sent to explore the land returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it. These men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord of the men who went to explore the land only Joshua son of nun, and Caleb, son of Jeff Rooney survived. They survived but they still had to live for 40 years wandering around in the wilderness that would give the average person a real challenge. Would it not, he was stuck for 40 years. From the age of 40. Because of the people around him, having failed to see what God is able to do so in the midst of frustration in the midst of wanderings in the midst of disgruntlement. He obviously never became disgruntled as fantastic.

Do you know how many people when at their optimum point of usefulness in the church of Jesus Christ chillout. Do you know how many people who have the greatest resource the greatest energy. The greatest wisdom, the greatest of just about everything decide somehow miraculously that they are on early-retirement where this this is for the young people now let them carry their load.

I've done my bit.

I gave my stuff. I pledge my time is not my responsibility anymore. This is for another generation and along with that so often comes what happened to so many, that is, in betterment and disgruntlement and how remarkable that Caleb remain free of all such used to say that one stage of life is more challenging than another, represents more difficulties than another. I certainly haven't lived long enough to build or speak authoritatively on the subject that I have observed and I have observed so far. To this point in my life experientially, and others. I just look on and why. And I have seen how marriage and the establishment of a home in the concerns of business in the very necessary contingencies of life can so often be accompanied by a loss of spiritual ardor, a loss of spiritual effectiveness and the fervency in the vision with which this individual had begun their life has become insipid has become paltry to the degree that they have lost sight of actually what is really important. The folks who understand that been reading their Bibles now for a long time.

They lived long enough to get their noses put out of joint and put back into place to realize that the church is really a ragbag of people be more sporty face Jones and his wife in the whole group. A funny bunch of people. They lived long enough to get Kenneth stabilized on that they know there ain't no perfect church. There's no perfect pastor that if it only per unit Re: Spurgeon said he only knew one perfect man, and he was a perfect nuisance and these people who are these people are 55 years old.

They've already worked that out. But something is happening to these characters there zoning out now. I don't know whether his eyes doing it to them or they are doing to themselves, but it can and it mustn't happen. This is the very backbone of the church. We always hear this stuff about that that the key to the churches in the youth there. The chart you know there the church of tomorrow. Thank God for the youth and we need him and were going to work with them but that's not the key to the church. The key in the church are mature men and women who have gone through experiences of life and their in their middle years. We need those men and women to live life's of consistency.

Otherwise, how are we going to produce a generation underneath them, who will be marked by commitment it takes consistency in the middle years to produce a generation of commitment in the alley years, so it's a silly idea telling you build your church on a youth ministry or even on a children's ministry you build your church on the quality of leadership that exists in those middle years for some of you who were just planning to announce your retirement. You got a major problem is a result of this message and I haven't even finished whatever come to the last point. Now it would be really difficult to estimate how many people of the point in life whether potential is the greatest of several for disinterest for criticism for cynicism and a failed to see the disintegration in their own spiritual life. That's the saddest part of all didn't even realize they messed up didn't even realize they grew cold because they got in a cold group and they went and had cold meetings and went out for cold coffee and they just Jack just generally chilled each other down and the lowest common denominator prevailed and there was no one in the group prepared to say guys will know what we once where our commitments not where it once was. Our conversation is not edifying to the body of Christ don't you detect that we're getting a critical spirit.

Don't you see that were beginning to eat the man of disgruntlement. Can you see that we are losing our spiritual H.

Caleb amount of commitment in his early years of consistency in his middle years and finally of triumph in his latest years. Our oldest years or old age. We might have expected that 45 years after the reconnaissance and Canon he would've had to be reminded of this people would've been saying to him, don't you remember that Caleb nobody needed to say. Don't you remember that Caleb he'd never forgotten that hadn't been a day gone by. I don't think but Caleb hadn't remembered those events and hadn't look forward to the fulfillment of the promise I will look forward to that parcel of land that would be given to him. I don't think he was in the real estate business. I don't think he was concerned to build a safe heparin's mine. I think he was concerned to be able to see in bodily terms. Is it wet in a tangible evidence the fact that he had proclaimed at the age of 40. God is powerful.

God is great God is true to his promises. And when I take my place and have run I'll know, and so will all look on and what an irony that Annick used to be the king of Habre used to be the big boy and Habre, and Anna gets moved out and little Caleb gets moved triumph in his old age.

What was it that marked amount well noticed two things in them were through.

In verse 10, he was aware of the Lord's preservation now. Then he says, just as the Lord promised he skip me a life for 45 years he kept me alive.

I've said this already. To you, but I honestly believe this every day you get your feet over the edge of the bed is a great day no matter what it whole. It's a great day and all manner lived across the road from Sue and I in Hamilton. He taught me that his name was Alec. And no matter. He walked with a stake some of the time and he was like a grasshopper China wellness process treated by his newspaper, but every day I would see him I see how you doing today Alec said hey son it's a great day. It's a great day when you get feet over the end of the bed. Caleb was aware of the fact that God will come up every morning and he woke him up on this particular morning, it was God who kept to my life and he was assured of the fulfillment of God's promise aware of the Lord's preservation and assured of the Lord's promise now give me this Hill country that the Lord promised me that day. The thing I like best about Caleb is that his life move not towards her termination, but towards a consummation he still it is claiming boots on the age of 85.

He fits the statement in Hebrews 11 what it says all of these people were still living by faith when they die they never quit. It was still going still going. I sat on the platform of the Keswick convention some time ago now with a man who I regarded as it is a great man in the ministry of the word. All since I was a boy of the age of five in Scotland. The man's name is George B.

Duncan and just a tremendous preacher and I sat with him on the Keswick platform. He'd been invited to sit out there. He wasn't preaching he wasn't preaching because frankly he's just not able to cope with everything the way he did as a younger man and as we sat together on the platform. There are about 20 of us all up there as the service came to an end and the benediction was given. I turned to greet him and as I looked out and the tears were running down his face when he composed himself. He said to me you know son, I am done. There is no future for me now. I don't speak here anymore to just invite me to sit on the platform and what use is that I said to Mr. Duncan says in the Bible.

You're not supposed to rebuke an older man but get ready for it because I'm about to disobey the Bible. I said I've known you and I listen to you preach.

Since I was five years old.

Since my dad took me to hear you pretty. I've cheated off most of your sermons and I know many of your outlines better than you. I said Melissa you may not preach year, but you are here and I'm watching you Mr. Duncan because I want to see that you're moving not towards her termination, but you're moving towards a consummation, and I'm wanting to see that you run right through that T rate all the way to the end. Just like Caleb and he looked too many said do you really mean that. And I said I really mean I'm going to be watching you to see how you finish. Can I ask you tonight. How are we going to finish. I'll tell you how were going to finish were going to finish on the basis of how we're doing tonight.

That's how you're going to finish so then let's take it back. One, how are you doing tonight.

Have you begun the race are younger starters. Orders do you know the Lord, are you on track. Have you been cleared for takeoff to mix my metaphors and you're on your way and you know that you're heading towards a destination or frankly are you standing is aware on the observation deck and you're watching the planes come out and go on your sink, you know, I don't really know what you're on about Sir because I don't know this, Lord, that Caleb knew and I would love to know him, hate I'd love to introduce you to Solomon is another message altogether. Solomon even finish so well.

He was another guy got off to a great start, but you can go home and do your homework and read in first Kings 11 you will discover that's what set of Solomon. Towards the end of his life is as a Solomon grew old. His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord is God. Solomon finish with an inflated ego, a corrupted worship in a divided allegiance and made a great start.

You know the reason that so many end up in mediocrity is because we discover that in order to get to the top.

We gotta let go of a lot of stuff that were not prepared to let go, let me tell a story and I'm through a group are going to climb on belong in Switzerland meet together in the evening with a guide. The Swiss guide who's going to take them up.

This part of the French Alps. The guide gets the group in the room and he says listen let me tell you something if you make the top of this mountain and you're coming with me. You can only bring what I'm telling is what I'm telling show up with your boots shortly your ropes shortly your ice ax and on shore with anything else and the young Englishman.

This is a true story of a young Englishman announced to the group and to the guide that he was going to go to the tall of mom long, but he was going to do it his way and he had already put together all the things that he was taking with them to the top and he had already decided he was taking a multitude of camera equipment he was going to take lots of stuff to drink big bars of chocolate and big blocks of cheese and blankets because he said that he liked to sit down every so often on his journey so the guide unable to dissuade him told the guy you're outta here you come under my rules. You don't, tall, good night. The Englishman went away and 1/2 and the guy turned to the group and he said, let me tell you nobody ever makes the top of mom long carrying all that stuff. So they set off the following day the Englishman ahead of them, the group with a guide following on and as they make their ascent. The starts discovering all this guys nonsense, blankets and cheese in old bottles and things and camera lenses and everything else and when they finally reached the summit, there is the Englishman dressed in his clothes with his boots is ice ax in his ropes and ST Gordon who first told the story said. So it is in the Christian life. Many find that when they cannot make the summit with all that they hold in their hands. Let the summit go and pitch their tents in the plane and the plane is so very full of tents. The cry from Caleb down through the centuries is let go of the baggage and go for the mount committed in youth consistent in the middle and triumphant at the climbing on track.

That's the title of her message today from Alastair Greg listing to Truth for Life. If you'd like to share today's message with a friend or group would like to request the entire series. It's available on USB. Be sure to visit us online at Truth for Life.for the study, called jars of Clay Alastair will be back in a minute to close with prayer. But first I want to tell you about a book that we have available right now. It's a natural follow-up to today's message in the same way that Caleb's commitment in his youth provided a foundation that carried him through life. All of us should be committed to strengthening and training the next generation spiritually setting them on the course for a lifetime of faithfulness. The book we've selected today is designed to do just that. It's a book that is titled simply ask pastor and apologist David Robertson polled teams from 15 different countries around the world gathering some of the most pressing and relevant questions teenagers are facing as they seek to defend their faith to others. The topics run the gamut from questions about popular novels to sexual ethics along with the theological questions about the nature of God.

If you're a parent or youth leader or teacher, or if you interact with young people in any other area of life.

This is a book you want to read and absorb. It provides straightforward biblical answers so you can be prepared for those engaging conversations, or you may consider gifting a copy of this book to a team you know the book comes as our way of saying thanks for your essential support of this ministry Truth for Life is entirely listener funded and actually, your donation is a gift to your fellow listeners you bring them clear relevant Bible teaching without the barrier of cost donating is quick, it's easy to do online go to Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888-588-7884. Don't forget to mention the title of the book again. It's called ask case you missed our phone number again is 888-588-7884 can also mail your donation along with your request for the book right to Truth for Life PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139. Now here's Alastair to close with prayer, but I thank you for the inspiration and example that so many of the people are here tonight even as I walk around and am greeted by them look into their eyes and see the illustrations of your grace in your favor towards them, listen to their testimony of your provision for them down through the years. I'm simply encouraging them even as they encourage me to keep going to keep on to resist the temptations of disgruntlement and cynicism and despair to Luke as it were, towards the end as if it were a cul-de-sac. Instead of seeing it as a great and glorious gateway into your presence where we will rejoice with you for ever and ever for young people here tonight. I pray that you will forge in their life's the kind of character that makes them committed against the crowd so that they may grow into maturity, consistency, and eventually to triumph get our prayer and let Arkwright come unto you, for we ask it with the forgiveness of all our sin. In Jesus name, amen, Bob Lapine hope you can join us Thursday as we turn our attention to a lesser-known character from the New Testament, Ananias, this is part of a series called jars of clay as we learn how God uses ordinary people in some extraordinary ways. The Bible teaching of Alastair Beck is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living