Jentezen Franklin - The Power of a Proper Perspective
In Numbers 13, I want you to see this. "Then they came to the valley of Eshcol, and they cut down the branch of the cluster of grapes; and they carried it between them on a pole. They also brought some pomegranates and figs". I want to talk to you about the two mentalities that people have. Moses sends the children of Israel, he actually says, "Give me 12 spies". Moses get 12 spies, 12 because there were 12 tribes. One from each tribe and send them over into the promised land. I want them to get a foretaste of what I have for them. They go to Eschol, and they find grapes, and figs, and pomegranates, and they're so huge-it's so big, it's so amazing that they say, "We've got to take two of them," the Bible said, "Two of them had to carry it".
I can't prove this, but I think I know which two carried it. I think it was Joshua and Caleb, 'cause the other ten were a bunch of losers, amen. They were leaving, Israel was leaving Egypt, the failure zone, headed to the promised land, the success zone, and before they could get into the land of dreams, because the old covenant, they have a land of promise, but under the new covenant we have a book of promises. So, Canaan does not represent to the Israelites then, it did not represent heaven, and it doesn't represent heaven to us, it represents the place where we dream to be with our families. Your dream may be to see your son off of drugs, your dream may be to see your family restored, your dream may be to be healed in your body, to see your business prosper.
God enjoys seeing His people living in a land flowing with milk and honey. This was God's dream that His people. We know natural Israel, for us, in our faith, is a type of spiritual Israel, the church. And we've been engrafted in. And so, I want you to understand, Canaan was not a type of Heaven it's a type of victory here, in some area of your life, that you need a victory. Moses sent 12 men, and the and God said, "I have three objectives that I want to get into these spies". Number one, God said, "I want them to get a vision of where they're going". You got to see it before you can get there. I want them to get over there, and I want them to get a picture, a photograph of what God wants them to be, and to do, the purpose that they are to have. You will never achieve beyond where you are until you get a picture, a photograph of where you're going.
Why, Proverbs 29:18 said, "Without a vision the people perish". Without a vision young people become unrestrained. If you don't know who you are, and what your purpose is, that's why you just go with anything and everything. You have to have a vision. God wanted His people to have a vision. What kind of vision do you have of yourself? What kind of vision do you have of your future? What kind of vision do you have? God is a God of vision. God is a God who says, "If you can see it, you can do it. If you can see it, you can be it".
When I look at this church and all these people here, I had to get a photograph of what God wanted me to do with my life. Or I would still be in a cornfield in eastern North Carolina. Nothing wrong with a cornfield in eastern North Carolina, that's a good place to start for what God had for me. I love that. But what I'm saying is I began to catch glimpses of what God could do if I would just believe Him. And it all begins with a picture. You got to see yourself beyond where you are, the power of a picture. "Gideon, go down to the enemy's camp, and listen to what they are seeing, and what they're saying, they're more afraid of you than you realize. You are a mighty man of valor". You've got to see yourself as a good dad, you've got to see yourself, just because you never had one doesn't mean you can't be one. You've got to see yourself as a blessed family.
My family is not cursed. My family is not just gonna suffer trials and tribulations. I call down the blessing of Abraham on my family, and I see my family blessed. Give God a praise if you believe it. The children of Israel, here's the point, God let them bring those grapes back from Eshcol to get a picture in their minds. Of all the people who didn't see it, oh if I can, I want that now. Because God works through pictures. Get a picture of yourself free from alcoholism if you're addicted to it. Get a picture of yourself free from depression. Get a picture that you're free from drugs if you're struggling with it. It all begins in a service like this where God begins to say, "There's so much more that I have for you than you can imagine". Get in your mind a photograph of God's promise.
See it first. Secondly, the second reason that He wanted them to go over into the promised land, this is a big one, He wanted them to taste the grapes. He wanted to give them a foretaste of what God was going to do. He wanted them to have an appetizer, a sample platter. No more leeks and garlics from Egypt for you. You're moving into a better life. You're moving into a land of dreams. You're moving into something greater than you can produce. I'm your God, I'm Jehovah Jireh, I'm Jehovah Shaddai. I am your source, I want good for you, and not evil. I know the plans that I have for you, plans of good and not evil, to give you hope to give you a future. Hallelujah. God knows how to motivate us to not give up. And when He wants you, He'll get you in a service like this, and He'll give you a picture, a glimpse of who you can be. He'll give you a glimpse of a marriage that is healed.
So, He wanted them to taste the grapes, and really that's the deal, that's where I'm trying to get to. There's only two mentalities, you're either a grape taster or you're a giant talker. There's only two kinds of people I pastor, grape tasters or giant talkers. Because ten of the spies came back, they saw the exact same thing as the two who were positive and said, we can take the land, we're well able. And notice they didn't come back and talk about their God, they came back and said, "We are as grasshoppers in their sight. There are people and they have giants in the land, and we are as grasshoppers". They had a grasshopper mentality. You either have a grasshopper mentality or a grape taster mentality.
And so, they were talking about how big the grapes were, but here comes Joshua and Caleb. And they're talking about, one is talking about the giants are huge, the other two are coming and stand up, and I could see Joshua and Caleb say, "Yeah, but the grapes are huge". Oh, but the devil's so big. Oh, but our God is so big. Oh, but there's a lot of sickness and disease going around, but here's how grape tasters talk, you can tell a grasshopper by their vocabulary. "We can't, it's not possible. Everybody else can, but me, nothing good ever happens to me. Woe is me. Woe is me". We are not called to be grasshoppers, we're called to be grape tasters, come on, don't give up, don't quit, don't lay down. And this is what I want you to see. Giants never showed up until they got to the land of promise. When God allows you to have to confront gigantic problems, it's just God's signpost that you're at the beginning of your miracle. We take that as a negative, see it's all about your perception.
That's the third reason why God sent them over. He wanted to check out their perception. What was their perception of themselves? What was their perception of their enemy? What was the perception of their God? And that's the three things you're gonna have to deal with if you're ever gonna walk by faith and do what God has put you on this planet to do. Number one, what is your perception of yourself? They said, "We are as grasshoppers". I'm nobody, I'm nothing. You know, the Lord really spoke to me this week about this, and he said you need to work on that one. Because I have a lot of insecurities, even 61 years old. I can't hardly take a compliment, my mind races. I play the sax or something, and somebody will say, "That was amazing". And my mind's thinking, "boy, you must not listen to really great saxophone players". I'll play the piano and somebody will say, "Boy, you can really play".
I always compare myself with somebody else. "You preached a great sermon". I'm learning, I'm just now learning that you know what, never apologize, never belittle what God blesses you with. It may not be as good and as great as, but I'm not a grasshopper. And what I do, nobody else can do just like me. And so, I think I'll just be me, and God, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I need you to give God a praise. Turn to somebody, and say, "I'm not a grasshopper. I'm a grape taster". My goodness young people when you meet somebody don't give 'em a little dead fish handshake. Don't even know how to shake. I mean grab that hand like a cowboy, grab that hand like a man, grab that hand firm. Look them right in the eye. Uh-uh not over here, not over there, uh-uh. Look 'em straight in the eye and say, "I know who I am. I know who my God is. I know that the one in me is greater than he that is in th..."
If God be for us who can be against us. God's not about you always, listen, I believe in humility, but humility is not putting yourself down. Humility is lifting God up in your life and giving Him all the glory. And there's a difference between humility, and just belittling yourself, grasshopper complex. "I'm nothing, I'm nobody, I'll never be", I'm just now learning, in a good way, not in an arrogant way that if God has blessed me, if I murmur about what God has blessed me with, God takes it as murmuring about Him. If God's blessed you with a wife, you better bless God for that wife. If God's blessed you with a husband, you better bless God, if you murmur about it, you'll never taste the grapes.
Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, they just complain, they just say we can't, they just put, they said we are, listen to this, they said, "We are as grasshoppers in our own sight, and we ask our enemy, (read it, it's on) and we ask them, and they agreed". Never consult your enemy for a faith report. Never go to your enemies, and haters, and ask them how they feel, especially if you start it by saying, "I feel like a nobody and a nothing. How do you feel about me"? Never expect them to come back and say, "Oh, you're so wrong let me build you up". I want you to understand that grasshoppers see obstacles, but grape tasters see opportunities. Grasshoppers see sickness and disease, but grape tasters see healing and long life. Grasshoppers have slave mentality, grape tasters have sonship mentality. Grasshoppers talk like victims, but grape tasters talk like victors. And you can always tell a grasshopper by how they talk.
Turn to somebody and say, "I already know what you are". Tell them, "You're not a grasshopper, so stop talking like one". That's what I'm trying to preach here, get a photograph from God of who you are, and why you're here. And don't belittle yourself, maybe you're not as talented as somebody else and this and that, but you know what? God uses people who say, "I believe in myself, I believe in God, and I'm not gon' brag on the devil. I'm gonna brag on God, and His ability". Quit going around lollygagging in the mulligrubs. You are talking, "Well, I'm old now nobody cares about", shut up, grasshopper. Become a grape taster and say, "I'm older now, I'mma to get to enjoy all the stuff I've worked so hard, I'mma go play golf one day, I'mma go out, I'mma have myself a time. I'mma grow me a gray beard".
They saw the giants and backed up from the grapes because when they got there, they thought that they would just step into the promised land. But any time you get God's provision, it comes with demonic resistance and problems. There will never be a clear coast straight to the land flowing with milk and honey. You may have, but notice this, see, they were comparing themselves to the giants, not comparing their God to the giants. Because who's the giant then? God is greater and they are weaker. Hallelujah. I still believe that we're supposed to have life and have it more abundantly, that life isn't supposed to be a bunch of trials all the time. Life isn't supposed to be a bunch of tears all the time. Life isn't supposed to be just some, going through another thing and worrying about our children all the time.
And what's gon' happen and, oh God. God's gon' be on the throne, and He's gon' take care of it and it's all gon' turn out fine. When it's all said and done, He is, all things work together for the good to them that are called according to His purpose. So, eat some grapes and enjoy your life. This is the day the Lord has made, I'mma eat grapes. I'm not sitting around, "Ooh, I feel a little pain. I probably got cancer back there, and oh my God my hip's about to come out of joint". No, I'mma eat the grapes, I'm alive, hallelujah.
Oh, come on somebody. Turn to somebody and say, "God's still got some grapes in your life". Grapes of favor, grapes of salvation, household healing, grapes of prosperity and blessing. We need to hear about the grapes. I appreciate preaching all kinds, we need it all in different seasons, we need a good balance. But don't just preach to me about hell, preach to me about the grapes, heaven. Don't just preach to me about judgment, I need to hear some mercy every once in a while. I need a little balance. Don't just preach to me about defeat, and it's hard, and we're just pilgrims struggling through life. I need to hear about victory every now and then, I need to hear about dream, your dream and vision, and how God can do anything and He's looking for vessels. Self-perception is contagious because those ten men talked two million Israelites out of the promised land, and they were confined to the wilderness because grasshopper mentality is contagious.
What are you passing down to your children? What are you passing down about church, and about God, and about faith? Are they gonna be grasshoppers or are they going to be grape tasters? The Lord is good, oh taste and see that the Lord, He is good. And I don't know who you are today, I believe God ordered every person's step in every campus that I'm preaching to right now and online. But the Lord wants you to hear that He still has grapes in life, that life is hills and mountains, it's valleys and mountains. And you don't get shaken, and whatever situation you're in, you just hold on to that photograph that God has shown you. You will come to vision, you will see His goodness in the land of the living. I want you to stand to your feet, still and quiet, just one moment. And I'm gonna ask you to lift your hand toward heaven, and receive this blessing. I want you to pray out loud:
Lord Jesus, I give you my life. I surrender to you. I give you this family. I give you my mind. Show me who I am. Give me the picture of your plan for my children. Of your plan for my grandchildren. Give me a generational vision and picture. I want to be a grape taster. I don't want to be a grasshopper, because they never eat grapes. And Lord today enlarge my vision. Help me to still dream in the season I'm in for greater things. Bless my family and use us for the glory of God. I ask it all in your name.