Sermon Central
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Claiming The Promised Land
Contributed by Boomer Phillips on Jan 5, 2022 (message contributor)
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1. Mentoring A Teammate
Contributed on Jan 5, 2022
There are certain tasks in ministry that are too big to handle by yourself, so you need to select and train a teammate. Moses enlisted Joshua as his teammate, and mentored him in envisioning and realizing the dream of the Promised Land.
You have fought the good fight, you have stayed the course, you have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7), and you are now on the precipice of realizing your hard sought-after calling. In pursuit of God’s best you may have wrestled with and overcome some internal spiritual battles, and individually ...read more
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2. Identifying A Peacemaker
Contributed on Jan 5, 2022
What should you do when the Lord calls you to a task that will involve working with a hostile group of people? You must pray for the Lord the lead you to a key individual who is already on the inside of the group you are trying to reach.
Ministry is all about people, and when the Lord lays a calling on your heart it will involve or effect people in some way or another, because it is human beings whom God came to save through Jesus Christ. So, what are you supposed to do when the Lord calls you to a task that will involve working ...read more
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3. Receiving God’s Healing
Contributed on Jan 5, 2022
Maybe you have been pursuing the Promised Land for a while; and much of your journey has been filled with spiritual heartache and pain and you may be wounded. If so, then you need to receive spiritual healing from the Lord.
If God has ever placed a calling on your heart to serve Him, then He is inviting you to enter a spiritual Promised Land. He’s calling you to possess the land, just as He called the Israelites to possess Canaan; but before you can begin possessing the land you need to make sure your heart is right ...read more
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4. Canvassing The Perimeter
Contributed on Jan 5, 2022
In order to possess the Promised Land, it begins by tearing down the walls one stronghold at a time. You must walk the length and breadth of a target area, encircling it repeatedly until you have saturated every part with faith-filled prayer.
If you want to possess the Promised Land of what God has called you to do in ministry, it begins by tearing down the walls one stronghold at a time. Whether you are seeking to claim a city, or looking to impact just a small group of people, you will need to canvass the perimeter. The phrase ...read more
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5. Walking In Integrity
Contributed on Jan 5, 2022
When the Lord begins tearing down the walls of opposition and using you to bring glory to Himself, and to see the lost come to Christ; it is at this point that you need to be ever-mindful of how you stand, and be careful to walk in integrity.
With success comes great responsibility. When the Lord begins tearing down the walls of opposition and using you to bring glory to Himself, and to see the lost come to Christ, then you need to be careful that you do not fall into sin. Lawrence O. Richards says, “Early [devotion to God] leads to ...read more
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6. Casting The Vision
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
In claiming the Promised Land, the toil and strain can begin taking a toll, leading to fatigue and discouragement. We must continually recast the vision, in order to strengthen and motivate people to keep pressing on.
The book of Joshua is about the Israelites doing battle to possess the land of Canaan; and by this point in the book, Joshua had already initiated the process of claiming the Promised Land and establishing new territory for the Lord. We can actually apply what we learn from the book of Joshua to ...read more
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7. Guarding Against Deception
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
Once we cast a vision and begin laying hold of the Promised Land, we need to watch out for deceptive people; those who creep into the fold to snatch away our vision, and plunder our hard-earned spoils in an act of spiritual piracy.
Once we cast a vision and begin laying hold of the Promised Land, we need to watch out for dream catchers! Now, when I speak of dream catchers, I am not referring to the round wooden frame resembling a spider’s web, which was handcrafted by the Ojibwa tribe of Native Americans for the purpose of ...read more
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8. Seizing The Moment
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
In order to walk in victory, we must daily devote ourselves and our time to seeking the Lord and His presence. We must learn to seize every minute and every second, and make the most of it for the Lord while living in the present moment.
When we start claiming new territory for the Lord, as in leading people to faith in Christ, we will more than likely have to fight some spiritual battles; and fighting can be tiresome. Fighting can leave us weary and discouraged wishing the conflict was at an end; wanting to slow down and enjoy ...read more
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9. Staying The Course
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
We might presently feel like we’ve been fighting for our Promised Land a long time. Fighting will wear us out and lead to discouragement. Battle is not a pretty sight, and as we tire of spiritual confrontation, we might be tempted to give up.
Last week we saw how becoming tired of incessant battle can lead to becoming impatient and attempting to rush what God is wanting to do in His way and His timing. It can also lead a person to feeling defeated and abandoning the fight. David boldly declared in Psalm 119, “I will run the course of ...read more
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10. Possessing With Confidence
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
Caleb remembered God’s promise, put his hope in it, and allowed it to become the fuel that fanned the flame of faith. Hope is the very thing that strengthens our faith, and provides the confidence to possess the Promised Land.
Joshua divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel (Joshua 11:23) just as God had commanded him (Joshua 1:3, 6); and then some time later, the Lord approached him again, and in Joshua chapter 13, verses 1 and 7, the Bible shares the account of what He instructed Joshua to do. We read, “Now Joshua ...read more
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11. Bestowing The Blessing
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
If we want to possess new territory for the Lord and win the land for Christ, and also leave behind an ever-increasing legacy of faith, then we must bless those whom we are leading so they can go and claim the Promised Land.
In an earlier message, when I spoke about the importance of casting a vision, I briefly touched on the topic of blessing. When we begin claiming new territory for the Lord, and as we invite others to join us to do the same, blessing is a vital component in keeping people motivated to continue ...read more
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12. Incompletion Of Conquest
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
Here, the Israelites became distracted from their purpose by a desire for worldly gain. They sought a more luxurious existence, with the ease of someone else doing all the work, and they ran from battle and confrontation.
In 1797 the governor of Louisiana granted Daniel Boone ten thousand acres of land in Missouri; however, he failed to make the trip to New Orleans to complete the title. He instead became distracted by an opportunity to be appointed chief of the district of St. Charles.(1) While he was ...read more
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13. Refuting The Entitled
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
In entitlement thinking, “title equals entitlement.” Favor is demanded based on one’s status or position. It seems the descendants of Joseph felt entitled to more land because they were a large tribe; but bigger doesn't equal blessing.
When it comes to possessing the land, we can’t just stand around waiting for someone to hand it to us. The same is true for those who are drawn to the work of God in our church and who want to partner with us. When we begin making an impact for the kingdom, and as we start leading others to ...read more
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14. Motivating The Complacent
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
When a ministry grows, there will be those who will hear of the great harvest taking place; but when they see the work that it entails, they will wait for someone else to do the job, hoping to benefit from the hard work of others.
When we communicate a compelling vision for our church and community, we will start seeing people join our fellowship. They will hear of the blessings of the Promised Land and want to become a part of it; however, not everyone will partake of the rewards. It won’t just happen automatically ...read more
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15. Creating A Refuge
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
Claiming new spiritual territory is difficult. All who seek to follow Jesus in faithful obedience while walking in hostile territory need a place of refuge. It’s up to the body of Christ to create that safe haven for both ourselves and others.
Conquering the land, or claiming new spiritual territory, involves grueling spiritual labor. We will encounter resistance, or even minor persecution, when sharing the message of salvation in Jesus Christ; and we can grow weary if we do not have times of refreshing. We’ve got to find a safe haven ...read more
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16. Dealing With Division
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
When people are bound together with a common goal and purpose they are able to get along and work with one another; however, when intentions are unclear and people are lacking direction, they will often begin fighting each other.
The Israelites, in conquest of Canaan, were united in purging the land. They had a purpose that brought them together. However, when they started settling down, then disagreements began erupting. When people are bound together with a common goal in mind and fighting for the same thing, they are ...read more
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17. Establishing A Covenant
Contributed on Jan 7, 2022
When a church begins growing, and when people of differing backgrounds come together, it can result in chaos without established rules. Properly communicated expectations within a membership covenant can hold people accountable.
If and when we begin sharing our faith and as we begin gaining spiritual territory for the Lord, then our church will grow as more and more people are added. This means we will be in charge of leading those who are new to our fellowship; and when people of differing backgrounds come together, it ...read more