Be Strong For God Is With You

Introduction: New minister & Wife-Mother story Let’s look @ someone who did get/accept the call

READ/PRAY

Proposition Statement: When God calls you to a task…

I. Don’t let the size of the task paralyze you (vs. 1-4)

A. The Death of Moses

1. Hard Act to follow (All that Moses did)

2. Those pastors on my office wall

3. Fear of rejection

a. Who does this kid think he is?

B. The succession of Moses

1. It’s easy to freeze up when you consider personal inadequacies

a. Private Ryan Illustration

b. We are not sent out alone

2. The work continues

a. Coleman Young Quote

b. The Promised Land awaits

II. Don’t fret about any obstacles (v. 5)

A. No man (TEXT)

1. Specific meaning for Joshua (12 spies)

2. Athanasius against the world Illustration

B. I AM with you (TEXT)

1. The fear

a. He reminds Josh

2. The reassurance

a. He reminds Joshua of His faithfulness to Moses

b. He assures Jo He’ll be with him as well

C. I will not fail nor forsake you (TEXT)

1. Psalmist – some trust in chariots, horses…

a. What do you trust in? Money, Success, Self

2. Joshua into Jericho

a. Remembering your Jerichos

III. Get to work with bold confidence (vs. 6, 7 and 9)

A. Notice the repetition (3x)

1. Do you think He’s trying to tell us something?

2. Rock climbing illustration

IV. Stay close to Word of God and His righteousness (vs. 7b-8)

A. God has invited us to join Him in His work

1. Used Joshua to give Israel the promised land

2. Wants us to join Him in doing the same for His sheep

B. God has commanded us

1. To stay on the right path (don’t turn to the right or the left)

2. God’s map/agenda, not ours

C. God has commanded us

1. To stay in His Word

2. Moody Quote

Conclusion: You will be successful if you work out of the Lord’s strength instead of your own.

Introductory Illustration

Not too long ago a large seminar was held for ministers in training.

Among the speakers were many well known motivational speakers. One such boldly approached the podium and, gathering the en-tire crowd’s attention said, "The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who wasn’t my wife."

The crowd was shocked! He followed up by saying, "And that woman was my mother." The crowed burst into laugher and he gave his sermon which went over well.

About a week later, one of the ministers who had attended the seminar decided to use that joke in his sermon. As he shyly approached the pulpit one sunny Sunday, he tried to rehearse the joke in his head. It was a bit foggy for him.

Getting to the microphone he said loudly, "The greatest years in my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife!"

His congregation gasped. After standing there for almost 10 seconds trying to remember the second half of the joke, the pastor finally blurted out, "...and I can’t remember who she was!"

Illustration 1

Writer in Private Ryan movie who is paralyzed with fear as he encounters the enemy

Quote

Coleman Young, "One monkey don’t stop no show"

Quote

D.L. Moody said, "The Bible was not written for your information, but for your transformation".

Illustration

An Illinois man left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband has passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen: DEAREST WIFE: JUST GOT CHECKED IN. EVERYTHING IS PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW. PS SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE!