FOLLOWING AFTER GOD (series) BY FOLLOWING AFTER GOD COMPLETELY/FULLY

“But My servant, Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, AND HAS FOLLOWED ME FULLY, him I will bring into the land where he went; and his seed shall possess it” Numbers 14:24

THE BACKGROUND “When the spies returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of Israel; and they brouht back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. And they said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey and this is its fruit.”

“Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and we saw the descendants of Anak (giants) there…” THEN CALEB QUIETED THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES, AND SAID, ‘WE SHOULD BY ALL MEANS GO UP AND TAKE POSSESSION OF IT, FOR WE SHALL SURELY OVERCOME IT.”

“But the men who had gone up ith him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the men whom we saw in it are men of great size… and we became like grasshoppers in their sight.” Numbers 13:25-33

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW AFTER GOD FULLY? ANSWER: FOLLOWING AFTER GOD FULLY MEANS FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT!

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A WHOLE-HEARTED COMMITMENT INVOLVES: FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE LIFE! “I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord sent me to spy out the land, and I brought back to him as it was in my heart” Caleb (Joshua 14:7)

“And now, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years…and now I am eighty-five years old today. So now, give me the hill country where the giants are and the fortified cities, and I will drive them out!” So Joshua blessed him and gave him the land because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully.” Joshua 14:10-14

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT INVOLVES: FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A SINCERE HEART! “But all the congregation said to stone them (Joshua and Caleb) with stones…” Numbers 14:10

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT INVOLVES: FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH OBEDIENCE! “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees, then I will keep them to the end… and I will OBEY WITH ALL MY HEART.” (Psalm 119:33,34)

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH A WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT INVOLVES: FOLLOWING AFTER GOD EXCLUSIVELY! ‘My servant, Caleb….’ (Numbers 14:24)

II. WHAT IS THE KEY TO FOLLOWING AFTER GOD FULLY? “But my servant, Caleb, because he has another spirit with him, and has followed Me fully…” Numbers 14:24 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God…” I Corinthians 2:12

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES A ‘RIGHT SPIRIT’ MAKE IN A PERSON’S LIFE? THE 10 SPIES CALEB/JOSHUA spirit of unbelief spirit of faith spirit of fear spirit of boldness spirit of weakness spirit of strength spirit of defeat spirit of victory negative spirit positive spirit

III. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DARE TO FOLLOW AFTER GOD FULLY? “But my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit with him, and HAS FOLLOWED ME FULLY, him I will bring into the land where he went (to spy it out) and his seed shall possess it” Numbers 14:24

WHEN WE FOLLOW GOD FULLY, GOD TAKES NOTICE OF IT! “But my servant, Caleb…has followed Me fully.” Numbers 14:24

WHEN WE FOLLOW GOD FULLY, GOD REWARDS OUR FAITHFULNESS! “Now he gave Caleb a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the Lord to Joshua… and Caleb drove out the giants” Joshua 15;13,14

WHEN WE FOLLOW GOD FULLY, GOD BLESSES OTHERS BECAUSE OF US (starting with our own family) “…I will bring him into the land, AND HIS SEED SHALL POSSESS IT.” Numbers 14:24

TRUTH TO LIVE BY 1. YOU CAN ONLY FOLLOW GOD FULLY BY HAVING HIS SPIRIT, AND YOU CAN ONLY HAVE HIS SPIRIT BY HAVING HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE!

TRUTH TO LIVE BY 2. FOLLOWING AFTER GOD FULLY IS FOR EVERYBODY! PEOPLE OF ALL AGES – YOUNG AND OLD - AND IT IS FOR US TODAY!

TRUTH TO LIVE BY 3. FOLLOWING AFTER GOD FULLY IS THE PATHWAY TO BLESSING AND REWARD – NOT ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND OTHERS!

TRUTH TO LIVE BY FOLLOWING AFTER GOD IS ROOTED IN AN ANWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW GOD – ‘NO MATTER WHAT…’