Max Lucado - Let's Talk About Your Inheritance
Summary:
The preacher encourages believers to live confidently out of their spiritual inheritance as God’s children and co-heirs with Christ, rather than being paralyzed by difficult circumstances. Drawing from the stories of the Israelites in Numbers 13, Joshua 1, and the book of Joshua, he shows how God freely gives the Promised Land as an inheritance to those who trust His promises over apparent obstacles. The heartfelt conclusion is that we too can face fears, confusion, and challenges boldly by choosing to receive and stand on our rich inheritance secured through Christ’s sacrifice, celebrated in communion.
From My Home to Yours
Hello, my friend. From my home to yours, God bless you. God bless you. Beginning on Monday, September 14th, we’re going to do something that I think is really special. We’re going to journey through the Gospel of John together. We’re going to base that study in part on a brand new book of mine that releases on September 14th, called «You Are Never Alone.»
You Are Never Alone
«You Are Never Alone»—don’t we need that promise today? We’re going to spend the entire fall walking through the wonderful Gospel of John together. Now, if you want to get the book, that’s easy to do wherever you like to get books, either at a store or online. You can do that. If you don’t want to get the book, hey, please don’t worry, but still, please be a part of the study.
Stay Focused on Christ
It will still be a great conversation. What we have to do, folks, during these days is stay focused on Christ, stay encouraged, and all that begins on September 14th. Now, today we’re going to have an online church service as we’ve done many times before. We’re going to celebrate communion with wine, and we’re going to celebrate communion with bread.
Prepare for Communion
If you would like to get wine and bread, please go ahead and do so, and participate in this with us. At the end of this brief message, you’re going to have an opportunity to do that, and at the end of this message, you’re going to have the opportunity to hear the most wonderful song from The Bridge Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
Back in the Pulpit
Okay, one more announcement before I begin today’s message. Beginning on Sunday, September 13th, I’ll be back in our pulpit in San Antonio, Texas, preaching to our church. So rather than have online church services, I’m just going to post the church service from Oak Hills Church. We’re going to be studying through the most fascinating book in the Old Testament.
The Book of Esther
Oh my, it’s a delight—the book of Esther. Have you ever studied the book of Esther? We’re going to work our way through this book at Oak Hills Church throughout the fall. Okay, so enough announcements, right? Why don’t we get started? I want to talk to you about your inheritance. Interested?
Your Place in the Family
If not, post your prayer needs. Let us know how to pray for you. If you’d like to understand your place in the family, then I’d like about five minutes to remind you that you come to God not as a stranger but as an heir. You approach God’s throne not as an interloper but as His child, the child in whom the Spirit of God dwells, prays to His name.
Inheritance in the Bible
Inheritance is a great theme in the Bible. In fact, one of the most famous stories in the Bible has to do with inheritance. Let me just recount it to you. The Hebrews had just been delivered from Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses. God led Moses and the children of Israel right up to the edge of the Promised Land, and He made them a promise.
The Promised Land Offer
He made them an offer. The Lord God said to Moses, «Send some men in to explore the land, the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.» Isn’t that an interesting statement? He said, «I’m giving it to them.» So He instructed Moses to send leaders in to spy out the land. That’s in Numbers chapter 13.
Trust Promises Over Circumstances
God did not tell Moses and the Israelites to conquer the land, to take the land, to invade the land, to subject the land, to secure the land. He told them He was giving them the land. He was giving it to them. Their choice simply came down to one of two options: they could trust the promises of God or the circumstances of life.
The Bad Decision
The circumstances said, «No way, man! Stay out of there! There’s giants in that land! I’m staying away!» But God’s promise said, «You know there are giants, but the land is yours. The victory is yours. The victory is secure. Take it!» All they had to do was trust in His promise despite the circumstances and receive the gift—receive the inheritance.
Forty Years in the Wilderness
But you know the story—they didn’t, and they made a bad decision, and that decision came with a 40-year probation penalty. God left them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years—for a generation—until a new breed of followers surfaced, and this new breed of followers would trust the promise of God.
Joshua’s Leadership
Joshua, you recall, was the leader of that generation, and upon Moses' death, God reissued the Promised Land invitation—the Promised Land offer. You remember, after the death of Moses, this servant of the Lord, he’s called Joshua, stood before the Lord, and the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, «Moses, my servant, is dead.»
Every Place You Set Your Foot
«Now you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.» That’s in Joshua chapter 1. So wherever they were to set their foot, they would receive that land.
Taking God at His Word
Now, we typically think of Joshua as taking the land. It’s really more precise to think of Joshua as taking God at His word. He took the land, for sure, he did, but he did so because he trusted God’s promise. The great accomplishment of Joshua, the great accomplishment of the Hebrew people, was this: they lived out of their inheritance.
Each to Their Own Inheritance
They lived out of their inheritance. In fact, do you remember that the story ends with the declaration, «Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance»? That’s toward the end of the book, chapter 24, verse 28. Now, is that to say that they had no challenges? Oh, the book of Joshua begs to differ!
Facing the Challenges
The Jordan River was wide, the Jericho walls were tall and high and strong, and the evil inhabitants of the land of Canaan were not giving up their land without a fight. Still, Joshua crossed the Jordan, he marched around the walls of Jericho, he took on the enemies of Canaan, and he defeated those 30 enemy kings, emboldened with the confidence that he was receiving his inheritance.
What If You Did the Same?
He did so with faith because he trusted his inheritance. Now you know what I’m about to ask: what if you did the same? What if you did the same? Standing before you is a Jericho wall of fear, brick upon brick of anxiety and dread. It’s a stronghold in your life, and it keeps you from pressing forward into the Promised Land that God says.
Choose Your Inheritance
Circumstances say, «No! You just cower to your fears!» But your inheritance says otherwise. Your inheritance says you’re a child of the King, and His perfect love casts out fear. You can move forward. You can choose your inheritance instead of your circumstances. Or haunting you are the kings of confusion.
Heirs of Truth
Joshua had to face 30 kings; you have to face maybe more. Thanks to your kings of confusion, you struggle with your identity, maybe with your destiny, and you’ve bought the lie that life has no absolutes, purpose, or reason. But then you remember your inheritance! You remember your inheritance! You’re an heir of truth, of guidance from God’s Word, and His Word instructs you.
Co-Heirs with Christ
You choose to stand not upon your circumstance but upon your inheritance. It always comes down to this simple decision: to believe and receive your position as an heir of God and co-heir with Christ. You know, the Scripture says in this world we are like Jesus (1 John 4:17). We’re not slaves, we’re not distant relatives; our inheritance is every bit as abundant as that of Jesus Himself.
Receive Your Inheritance
What He receives, we receive. That’s why we can have the confidence to press into this difficult season, absolutely sure that our good God will get us through it. Would you receive your inheritance? Again, we celebrate our inheritance with this simple act of communion. The bread reminds us of the body of Christ; the cup reminds us of the shed blood of Christ.
Celebrating Communion
Let’s celebrate together. Thank you, precious Lord. Church, receive the body of Christ and receive yet again the blood of Christ, shed for the remission of sin. Through Christ, we pray. And now, receive this beautiful song from The Bridge Church in Nashville, Tennessee.