Praise Chapel Of Anaheim
“Perspectives”
Pastor Albert Garcia
Sunday, May 17, 2009

TEXT: Numbers 13:1-3 / Numbers 13:26-33 / Numbers 14:1-12

INTRODUCTION: In our text something interesting is happening.

Ø God has delivered Israel from 400 years of slavery.

Ø God has promised them a land of their own.

Ø God tells Moses to send out 12 spies to spy out the land in order to take possession.

Ø 11 spies say “WE CANT DO IT”

Ø 1 Spy says “WE CAN”

Ø Today I want to speak on “Perspectives”

o Throuhought the years I have seen two types of people.

§ Those who live in victory because of their perspectives.

§ Those who live in defeat because of their perspectives.

Ø I will cover 4 areas.

o Definition of perspective.

o The two kinds of perspectives.

o Distinctive of a negative perspective.

o The formation of perspectives.

o How to correct negative perspectives.

I. DEFENITION OF PERSPECTIVE.

a. Webster.

1. “The power to see or think of things in their true relationship to each other”

2. “The appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions”

II. TWO KINDS OF PERSPECTIVES. (Negative) – (Positive)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Those with positive and negative perspective behold the same object but interpret the possibilities differently.

a. Positive.

1. Positive perspective sees the cup half full. (Has vision)

a. They see trials and obstacles as opportunities.

b. They see marriage difficulties as opportunities for improvement.

c. They see a job loss as an opportunity for a better job.

d. They see correction as an opportunity for growth.

2. Caleb had a positive perspective. (He could see the victory!)

a. Numbers 13:30 “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.”

b. Negative.

1. Negative perspective sees the same cup half empty. (Lacks vision)

a. They see trials and obstacles as a defeat.

b. They see marriage difficulties as divorce.

c. They see job loss as disaster.

d. They see correction as an offence.

2. Eleven of the twelve spies Moses sent out had a negative perspective. (They saw the same thing but interpreted it as defeat!)

a. Numbers 13:31 “But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

NOTE: Our perspectives in life can affect every facet of life. (The way we view God, pastor, church etc)

III. DISTINCTIVES OF A NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVE.

a. A negative perspective is a common denominator amongst the majority of people.

1. Most people suffer from negative perspectives.

2. Moses sent out twelve spies and eleven were negative..

b. A negative perspective believes the promises of God but lacks the illumination on how to attain those promises for their own lives.

1. They believe God can heal the sick. (But lack the illumination on how to appropriate that healing in their own lives)

2. They believe God can restore marriages. (But lack the illumination on how to appropriate that restoration power in their own lives)

3. They believe in casting out devils. (But lack the illumination on how to defeat the devil in their own lives.)

4. The 11 spies could see the promises of God but lack the illumination on how to appropriate it in their own lives.

a. Numbers 13:26-29 “They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. ²⁸But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

NOTE: The Anak were giants.

NOTE: The name “Anak” means “Long or strong neck”

c. A negative perspective is usually fueled by fear.

1. These 11 spies were negative because they were afraid of the people in the land.

a. Numbers 13:31 “But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.

d. Negative perspective is motivated by inferiority.

1. Israel had been in oppressive slavery for 400 years. (They had no doubt developed a great inferiority complex)

a. Numbers 13:33 “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

e. .Negative perspectives are conduits for rebellion.

1. Wherever you find negativity you will eventually find rebellion.

a. The 11 negative spies spread a negative report among the people.

Numbers 13:31-32 “But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” ³²And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.

NOTE: This negative report eventually started a great rebellion against headship.

Numbers 14:1-10 “¹That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. ²All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! ³Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” ⁴And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. ⁶Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes ⁷and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. ⁸If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ⁹Only do not rebel against the LORD. And 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. Do not be afraid of them.” ¹⁰But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whenever someone speaks negative about the church, pastors, or vision it is usually rooted in rebellion.

1 Timothy 5:19 “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

b. We see this in the life of Judas Iscariot when Mary broke the alabaster box on Jesus feet.

1. Judas objected because there was rebellion in his heart.

John 12:4-6 “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

f. A negative perspective is a deficiency in faith.

1. Those who see things in a negative way have limited faith.

a. They struggle believing the promises of God.

1. Numbers 14:11 “The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

g. A negative perspective will cause a believer to miss the promises of God.

1. The 11 spies and those who followed them never entered the promised land. (Even though God had already promised it to them)

a. Numbers 14:23 “not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

h. A negative perspective is prone to quitting and backsliding in times of trial, difficulty and or challenge.

1. We see Israel wanting to quit and go back to Egypt because of the trial and challenge before them.

a. Numbers 14:4 “And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

2. They like many Christians preferred going back to bondage instead of facing the giants in order to gain their freedom.

IV. THE FORMATION OF PERSPECTIVES. (How they are formed)

a. Perspectives are formed by our lives experiences.

1. Israel was victimized.

2. They were brutally mistreated and enslaved for 400 years.

3. This is what brought on their negative perspective.

a. Fear.

b. Inferiority.

c. Deficiency in faith.

4. Today many suffer from Negative perspectives because of their lives experiences.

a. Some are negative in their marriage. (Because of a biter experience in a prior relationship.)

b. Some are negative about church. (Because of a bitter experience in church)

c. Some lack confidence. (Because of the way you were treated while growing up)

V. HOW TO CORRECT NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVES.

a. Get your perspectives from God’s Word and not from what you feel to be true.

1. Israel’s negative perspective was based on their feelings and not on what God had said.

2. God had already promised them the land many times before.

a. Exodus 3:8 “⁸So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

b. Exodus 3:17 “And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

c. Leviticus 20:24 “But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

3. We see the promise being reiterated in our text.

a. Numbers 13:1-2 “The LORD said to Moses, ²“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites”

IN CLOSING: Today God wants to deal with negative perspectives.

Ø Some have negative perspectives.

o You believe the promises of God but you lack the illumination on how to attain those promises for your own life.

o You are negative because of fear and inferiority.

o Your negativity is a conduit to rebellion.

o Your negativity is a deficiency in faith.

o Your negativity makes you prone to quitting and backsliding in times of trial, difficulty and or challenge.

o Your negativity will cause you to miss the promises of God.

NOTE: All of the Israelites of this generation died in the wilderness and never entered the promised land. (All except Caleb!)

Numbers 14:23-24 “not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. ²⁴But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.