RISK - Get Out of Your Safe Zone 2

Following going into your future requires some risk does it mean your life will be screened in fear and possibly Jeremiah continues his story of Caleb's life was characterized by boldness and easy is it for his God-given plan as David introduces the conclusion of this message risk get out of the sex always been one of my favorite characters is a gotten older even more favored because Caleb did the greatest work in his whole life. After he was 80 years old and gives hope to everybody doesn't God isn't finished with the students finished with us and Caleb illustrates that when a great champion. He was in Joshua to minorities of the majority report going into Canaan they came back and said we can do it because we have a great God they saw God before they saw the giants and that's what everybody else failed to do. How many of you know that we often have to fight that battle in our lives. We have to see God before we see the Giants we have to know that nothing is too hard for God and there's no giant too big for him to knock down so what encouragement this lesson is it's called risk. Get out of your safe zone and that's my message of encouragement to you today. Let's finish up what we started yesterday were learning how to risk of are safe so don't maximize the opposition don't minimize the opportunities because if you do, you will jeopardize the objective in their unbelief.

Men and women, the Israelites discarded the precious powerful future that God had for them there act of defiance, unbelief incurred a terrible penalty. First of all, the punishment for bringing back an evil report to the people of God was meted out into severe sentences first 10 men who gave the evil report were killed immediately by a plague Numbers 14 now the man whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land. Those very men who brought the evil report about the land they died by the plague before the Lord, but Joshua son of nun and Caleb the son of just unit remain alive of the men who went to spy out the land. Second, not only did the man who brought the report, but all the people who listen to the report. They were sentenced as well listen.

The numbers 1429 and 30. The carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in the wilderness, all of you who were numbered according to your entire number, from 20 years old and above, except for Caleb the son of Joshua the son of nun, you shall by no means the land which I swore I would make you dwell in, very sad. The blessing of God was just waiting to be poured upon his people, and it was forfeited by their unwillingness to risk obedience to his command master question today. What is your Canaan. What does God want you to tackle what is he wants you to process what is he wants you to accomplish for him. Unbelief forfeiture opportunities and jeopardizes your objective so let's keep seizing the moments God provides for us with childlike wonder if God said it, I believe it and that settles it. And I'm going to do it how to live life in the safe so so let's talk now about how to risk life in the faith zone that brings us back to Caleb and Joshua represent the minority opinion among the spies. Caleb had pleaded with the people, he said, let us go up. Let us take possession.

We are well able to overcome it. Imagine Caleb's frustration when the whole nation shouted down his words, God heard as the decades passed one by one the older Israelites passed away and their bodies dotted the desert. Even the agent Moses ascended Mount Pisgah and died Joshua and Caleb were the sole survivors of their generation when the day came to leave Israel into the promised land. They were as young in spirit as four years before Joshua succeeded Moses led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan as we read the book of Joshua we find conquests after conquest and allotment after allotment and then we open our Bibles to Joshua chapter 14 and who should we meet again, but my favorite man. Caleb made a trip to see his old friend and fellow spy Joshua and this is what he said to him you know the word which the Lord said to Moses, the man of God concerning you and me. Katie's party I was four years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Katie's party to spy out the land and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren, who went up with me.

The heart of the people they made them to melt. But I followed the Lord my God so Moses swore on that day, saying, surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever because you have wholly followed the Lord by God friends with the passing of years. Caleb's faith had grown mind was sharp. His spirit was strong. His enthusiasm is like a child's. The promise of God will still be obsession of his heart.

I believe there are four reasons for this, and they help us understand what is involved in living a life of risk if you don't get anything else out what I'm saying to get these four things because these are the key to your living a life out of the safe zone.

First of all, risktakers state exuberant about their lives. The first reason has to do with Caleb's exuberance.

He told Joshua the Lord is kept me alive.

These 45 years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness and now listen it. Here I am the state 85 years old and I am a strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me towards Caleb set on 85, but I should be fully because I have the same energy saving whose he has in the same exuberance about life that I had 45 years ago. Psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison wrote these words.

Exuberance carries us places we would not otherwise go across the savanna to the moon into the imagination by its pleasures. Exuberance lures us from our commonplaces and quieter moods and after the victory.

The harvest, the discovery of a new idea or an unfamiliar place gives ascendant reason to venture forth all over again. That's a description of Caleb my friends and I hope it's description of you. It is very hard to go forward without the kind of joyful zest for life that Caleb had that same joyful this is available to you and to me for me to say yes it is, you can't lose the wonder of the worshipful promise filled life. Christ died to give you. You can ask God for joy.

You can choose to be exuberant in life based on his promises start a matter of conjuring up emotions. It's a matter of saying Lord help. I'm going to be like Joshua, to be like Caleb not like the other 10 who came back from Canaan so risktakers state exuberant about their lives. Number two Baystate excited about their futures. I was having a discussion with my wife and we were both talking about how you should live as you get older and we both agreed that the way you should live as you get older is the way you lived all your life, always looking to the future always planning on what's next and don't get caught in a defeatist attitude which inhabits so many people as they grow older watch Caleb watch what Caleb told Joshua now therefore sit to me this mountain of which the Lord spoken that day for you in that day how the king were there and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me and I will be able to drive them out as the Lord said not to forget what's going on here, but Caleb is just walked up to his leader and asked for the toughest assignment in the settling of the land. When I read that I felt like shouting yes at age 85.

Caleb was ready to climb the hill country to tame the land provide a lasting inheritance for his children were something here. I don't want you to miss early in this message I told you about heaven and that it was the ancestral home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But now it was inhabited by an evil tribal huge lawyers known as the descendents of Annick the site of these lawyers had terrified the tenant faithful spies like grasshoppers compared to the enemy. This portion of territory was still not taken by Israel. It was on possessed unclaimed and the Giants.

It scared everybody away everybody except Caleb said, in effect, unlock that country as my inheritance ready to take care of those daunting super villains. Let me no matter your age or your circumstance, no matter what hill you need to climb back kind of enthusiasm is what turns you forward Jessica Long was an orphan in Siberia as an infant born with fibular have Amelia she didn't have fibular's and Edward's ankles are heels or most of the bones in her feet, but after much prayer, a Christian couple from Baltimore, Maryland Stephen Beth long adopted her when she was 13 months old. A few months later, Jessica's legs were dictated below the knees growing up. She couldn't do everything of the children did, but she learned to swim without prosthetics in her grandparents pool at age 10, Jessica joined the swim team at age 12 she won three gold medals in the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens and since then she has competed in three more Paralympic games at her medal count is up to 13 gold, six silver and four bronze. She's one of America's most decorated Olympians. She said I was raised the right way, but I still had to come to Christ on my own. Eventually I decided I wanted to give Jesus my whole heart and it was the best decision I've ever made and she has some advice for us, believe you are capable of incredible things and that God has a plan for every individual. I want you to embrace who God made you to be.

I now look at my legs and think of all the people I been able to touch because God made me this way. Embrace who you are, shine bright and never give up on your dreams. Jessica looks back with gratitude, but her focus is on the future. She said I'm so excited for what's next.

That's what she told a reporter. Someone has said, if you can get excited about the future.

The past won't matter much. Even when the world is coming apart at the seams.

When global panics and pandemics are the order of the day when our economy is uncertain in our faith is under assault. Even then, a special event you need to look ahead to the next step that God has for you. Caleb didn't use his gray hair to beg off the heavy lifting.

He asked for a worthy challenge, because he had the wisdom to know that with a powerful quest comes a powerful reward. In other words, not down a giant and you become a giant yourself. He still had a vision for the future. And because of that he accomplish the greatest victory of his life when he was 85 years old, risktakers, state exuberant about their lives. Baystate excited about their futures and Baystate enthusiastic about their assignment. As you can see, Caleb was enthusiastic about his assignment Joshua and the Israelites had not yet succeeded in driving the evil occupants out of the large sections of the promised land.

The business was unfinished but Joshua 15 verse 14 says droll out the three sons of Annick Shasha came in and tell my children of Annick Caleb did exactly what he was told and he did it immediately is one of those success stories whose secret isn't so secret he just did it in the strength of the Lord. That's enthusiasm today. Our ministries are Turning Point cover the globe because of the capabilities of world wide testing.

Much of the technological credit goes to Sir Edward Appleton, who scientific discoveries won him a Nobel Prize in 1947 when asked about the secret of his lasting accomplishments. He said it was enthusiasm I weighed enthusiasm, even above professional skill the word enthusiasm made up of the Greek words for in an God in our schism. It was coined to describe the seal of the early Christians when we have the God of all energy within us. There is a surge of power. That's like an atomic reaction in our hearts. The apostle Paul said it this way.

I strenuously contend with all the energy of Christ so powerfully works in me risktakers state exuberant about their lives.

Baystate excited about their futures. Baystate enthusiastic about their assignment and Baystate energized about their God that brings us back to the consummation of our story. Only the entry of God within us can keep us barreling forward into the remainder of God's will for our lives.

As I said, the story of Caleb's life is told in just 30 verses in the Bible, but six times in those 30 verses we are given the secret to his risk filled risk taking life.

However things before you.

I want you to see these is really stark is really overwhelmingly clear and very powerful.

Just 30 verses and in those verses. Six times where told Caleb's secret. Let me tell you something when you find Caleb secret you will find the secret for your life parodies versus my servant Caleb has a different spirit in him and he has followed me fully. They have not wholly followed me, except Caleb the son of Jeff unit Kevin site and Joshua the son of nun, for they have holy followed the Lord.

Deuteronomy 1 Caleb the son of Jeff unit shall see to him and his children. I am giving the land on which he walked because he holy followed the Lord Joshua 14 I holy followed the Lord my God so Moses swore on that day, saying, surely land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever because you have holy followed the Lord my God, and Joshua 1414 helper and therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jeff unit Kevin site. To this day because he holy followed the Lord God of Israel enough for my voice.

The key phrases in these verses you not listen Caleb holy followed holy, followed holy followed his Lord. By the time he was 85. Most of his generation had given up hope and died but Caleb still had a bright fire burning in his heart he still wanted to risk his life on the greatest possible task that God could give him reflect on what it means to incorporate risk into our walk with God. I want to tell you a story about the church I served the Shadow Mountain Community Church here in El Cajon, California.

By 1990 I had been the pastor there for about 10 years after almost 8 years of struggling. We were finally ready to move into our new worship center and we knew we'd experienced dramatic growth, and we were trying to prepare for it.

One of the things on our minds was finances. We were concerned that are given to worldwide missions would suffer if we didn't do something special. We wanted to increase that number, but we didn't know how to go about it and see if that time in our church when people gave to the offering may have an envelope with two spaces on it and so one space was for missions in one spaces per the church budget and people would usually come in in the church and they would put all the money into the church budget and then along the way they would learn about the importance of missions and they would start allocating some of their funds to mission what we knew if we moved to this new building, which was huge. We would grow. In fact we did, we tripled our size in almost 3 years and what our concern was was that our regular budget would grow missions would be left behind. So we had a business meeting to talk about it. I'll never forget it. During the meeting, someone suggested that we allocate 5% of our general budget commissions and someone else stood up and said we give 10% of our income to God, we ask people to tie why should not the church tied their income to missions that seem like a big risk. Our new building payments are growing ministry were struggling to meet a financial obligation. How would we ever survive if we took 10% of our already not enough money and gave it away and that's what I heard myself get up and say what you think God would do for us. If we gave 20% of our budget commissions going forward long time ago and I still remember how quiet it.that moment in that meeting and it seemed like it stayed quiet for a long time and then a man by the name of Ralph Ledford, one of the Caleb's of our church.

He stood up and he encouraged us to take that challenge. He predicted that God would bless us if we did, and someone also reminded us that missions is the closest thing to the heart of God in the Bible, God has sent his own son into this world as the first missionary we made the decision that kind of risk decision decision not to keep from failing to actually go forward and win.

I've been talking about that decision in this message and we carried out that day that we have been doing it now for over 30 years.

Today, shadow Mountain currently supports 198 missionary families with ministries in 41 countries and over 50 different languages.

We help to underwrite three pregnancy care centers downtown rescue Mission servicemen center at our Spanish, Arabic and Iranian congregation are missionary budget this year will exceed for the first time for million dollars over the years since we took that risk back in the early 90s we have given over $50 million to evangelize the world.

None of that is said to boast I tell you that so you can think how great this church is or how great it's pastor is no it's Thanksgiving. It's gratitude but it's also a lesson for us. We made a decision to take a risk and not just to try and God honored that decision in the magnificent way. One risk is God asking you to take as you go forward. I will tell you flat out you can't go forward without risk what God has done for us. He will do for you as well for you is not earthly comfort but divine courage. Courage in the face of opposition courage in the face of cultural change, courage when confronted with the unknown courage in the midst of a pandemic. God will never choose safety for us if it will cost significance. God created us to count and not to be counted. This is your time to move forward. This is my time to move forward out of the safe zone into the faith.

So going forward.

Thank you so much for listening and for letting us talk about how to risk how to get out of the safe zone. It's a hard first step when you begin to walk with God and trust him every day.

Sometimes when you don't know what's coming next.

It's an adventure you will never forget tomorrow to talk about pursuing chasing your dream. How many of you know that sometimes God gives people a dream and they think that it's all going to just been dumped in their lap and they don't do anything about it. When God gives you a dream. You need to pursue that dream with all of your heart chase your dream. That's our discussion tomorrow. I hope you will be with us. David Jeremiah thanks for listening to Mrs. from Shadow Mountain Community Church with Dr. David Jeremiah serves as senior pastor.

How is the Turning Point enriching your fight, please write and tell us a Turning Point PO Box 38, San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website@jeremiah.org/Palladio, ask for your copy of David's pal discovering God's presence in your tomorrow was for a gift of any amount also fetches the Jeremiah study Bible. The English standard version.

The new international version and the new King James version available in a variety of handsome, options, visit Jeremiah.org/radio Gary hopefully join us tomorrow as we continue the series Turning Point.

Jeremiah, thanks for taking time to listen to the trendy thing