Paul writing to Timothy, in verse 7 addressed the matter of "fear." Now there are many kinds of fear. The Greek word for "fear" is "phobas" from which we get our word "phobia." Someone has said that there are over 700 different kinds of phobias.

There is claustrophobia, which is the fear of enclosed places. There is acrophobia, which is the fear of high places. There is ergophobia, the fear of work. There is demophobia, the fear of crowds. There is gamophobia, the fear of marriage.

I have a fear of heights and I don’t like ladders.

Because of post war mountaineering developments 15 of the worlds 17 highest peaks had been conquered between 1950-1960.

We have read about a man who conquered a mountain this man was called Caleb.

I would say that modern day Christians have failed in many ways to conquer mountains, there are many Christians who suffer from spiritual acrophobia.

Joshua 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.

Caleb had a mountain in his heart, "Give me this mountain."

I looked at some, "give me’s" in scripture?

Matthew 14:8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

John had told them about their sin. Have you revenge in your heart? Your goal in life is to get your own back.

Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

Judas rejected the Lord

Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

Young person is this all you want, to be free from the shackles of home and live a riotous life?

Acts 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

What is the mountain your heart is set on?

Joshua 14:13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

Hebron, this place is first mentioned in scripture way back in Genesis thirteen.

It was here God spoke to Abraham, it means communion, fellowship, and it speaks of that place of sweet unbroken fellowship with the Lord.

Nothing between you and your God but blue skies, this is the mountain that Caleb wanted, this is the place where he wanted to be.

A place of unbroken, unblemished, unspoiled, unequalled, unhindered communion with the Lord Jesus Christ

The place where the disciple John found himself.

So close you feel his warmth, so close you are in tune with the heartbeat of the Lord, so close you feel his very breath upon you.

So close that there is nothing you wouldn’t do for him.

Oh should this not be our cry?

Keep your power, your prestige, your possessions, your preeminence, and your pleasures, give me this mountain, that place of unbroken fellowship with my Saviour.

I want us to examine the kind of man who reaches this mountain as we consider God’s servant Caleb.

In chapter fourteen Joshua with the help of the priest Eleazar begin to distribute the land among the tribes.

Joshua 14:1 And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.

Caleb interrupts proceedings for a while, he didn’t want his portion being distributed to someone else.

Let us now consider this man Caleb.

We need to go back forty years, the children of Israel had swiftly crossed the wilderness, they came to Kadesh Barnea, and it was decided to send twelve spies into the land of Canaan.

Numbers 13:2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

For six weeks they inspected the land.

Numbers 13:27-28 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. [28] Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

Caleb and Joshua had a different perspective on the land.

But they were in the minority.

Still Joshua and Caleb persisted.

Numbers 14:6-9 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: [7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. [8] If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. [9] Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

God was angry with Israel because of their unbelief, the generation that refused to enter the land perished in the wilderness, with two exceptions.

Numbers 32:11-12 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: [12] Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.

Caleb also received a promise from Moses.

Deut. 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.

This is what we find in Joshua chapter fourteen; Caleb is claiming his inheritance.

Caleb looked at the giants from God’s viewpoint, when we look down everything is smaller.

Let us notice the trust that Caleb had in God’s word.

Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea.

He knew God’s word, He knew what the Lord had said, and he understood God’s promise.

If you want to get this mountain, you must know God’s word, understand his wonderful promises.

Consider the life that Caleb had.

For forty years he wandered through the wilderness with unbelievers.

He wholly followed the Lord, how did he do it?

When he was faced with all the trials and struggles, discouragement and disappointments, this kept him going, this promise.

Oh dear saints of God what a blessed hope we have today.

The Lord’s return, a home in Heaven, eternity with Christ, what a blessed inheritance.

Caleb knew God’s word, he knew God’s promises, and he wholly followed the Lord and he had his heart set on this mountain.

Have you taken your eye off God’s word, God’s promises, is this why you have faltered and failed?

Again and again Caleb looks to the promises of God.

If we want to get to this mountain we need to trust the Lord.

If we want to get this mountain there must be truth in our hearts.

Joshua 14:7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

Caleb was a man of integrity, he told them as it was in his heart.

He ignored the majority; he sided with the minority for the sake of the truth.

Cant you see the sort of man, woman or young person who gets to this mountain?

One who trusts one who has the truth in his heart and will declare the whole counsel of God, even if he finds himself in great danger.

Numbers 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Not only that we see how a man like this treats other people.

Joshua 14:8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

We see that those who told lies and gave a dishonest report, made the hearts of the people melt, there is no doubt that discouragement is infectious.

But just notice what Caleb said about these faltering brethren.

Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. [2] Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

1 John 4:10-11 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

1 Cor. 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Oh dear friend unless there is that genuine love in our hearts for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we will never get to this mountain of close communion with the Lord.

Notice what a man who wholly follows the Lord tells.

Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

Joshua 14:11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

Joshua 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.

For the past he had God’s faithfulness, for today he had God’s goodness for tomorrow he looked to God’s power.

Can’t you see the spirit of man who reaches this mountain?

Adoniram Judson said, "The future is as bright as the promises of God".

What happened Abraham before he got to Hebron?

Genesis 13:14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

Genesis 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

There had to be separation.

How did David get to Hebron?

2 Samuel 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

There was supplication.

Judges 16:1-2 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. [2] And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.

Notice where he was, in a place of sinfulness.

Judges 16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

He had to flee from sin.

For Caleb to get to Hebron it was a sacrificial life.

He wholly followed the Lord.

This mountainous area was the most difficult to take, it was occupied by giants, and dear saint of God, when you want to reach that point of close communion with the Lord, Satan will try every deceitful move in his book and make it as difficult as possible.

But like Caleb if we wholly follow the Lord, we will reach this mountain.

Joshua 14:14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.

Are you going mountain claiming?

Give me this mountain.

I hope I am not stretching things but let me mention Hebron again.

Genesis 23:2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Sarah died and was buried in Hebron, dear child of God, listen to what the word of God says:

Sarah died in communion with the Lord, no doubt to anyone that she wholly followed the Lord.

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Wouldn’t we like to end our days in a position of close communion with the Lord?

Look at the effect Caleb had on his family.

Joshua 15:16-19 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. [17] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. [18] And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? [19] Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.

They shared in his inheritance.

Remember Rahab, while other homes fell hers stood on, mums what about your home?

Remember Achan he led his family to destruction, Dad where are you leading your family?

Caleb wholly followed the Lord, was greatly blessed and it flowed through to his family.

May we follow his example, this mountain is more important that you imagine.

Give me this mountain.