Conditions For Assuming Leadership-4 Series

CONDITIONS For ASSUMING LEADERSHIP-IV—Joshua 1:1-18

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Attention:

Worms for Supper?

Little Josh was brought to Dr Gill cause he hadn't eaten anything for days. Dr Gill offered him all the goodies he could think of. No luck. He tried a little scolding. It didn't work. A little pleading, to no avail.

Finally he sat down, faced the boy, looked him in the eye. He said "Look young man, if you can be stubborn, so can I. You're not going anywhere till you eat something. You can have whatever you want, but only after you have eaten will you leave.”

Josh just sat & glared for some time, then said “Ok. I'll eat but you have to share with me."

Dr Gill was ok with this. He asked the child what he'd like. "Worms!" said Josh.

Dr Gill was horrified but didn't want to back out & seem like a loser. So, he ordered a plate of nightcrawlers to be brought in. "Not that many, just one," yelled Josh as he saw the plate.

So, everything other than one worm was removed. Josh then demanded that the single worm be cut into two & then Dr Gill eat half. Dr Gill went through the worst ordeal of his life, & after finishing barely managing to keep his cool said, "Ok, now eat!"

Josh refused as he sobbed, "No way! You ate my half!"

Before we assume leadership/take control in anything, we had better be sure conditions are right.

Need:

Resentment/Disappointment/Anger/Uneasy/Frightened/

Confused

—Accepting/Invigorated/New Life

Look to the future with...

Joy/Anticipation/Goal/Purpose/Accomplishment

Upon Moses’ death, God called Joshua to lead Israel.

God always calls capable leaders to lead His people.

What is involved in being an effective leader of God’s people?

We have found some Conditions for Assuming Leadership among God’s people are

A Defined/Decisive...

1. POSITION(:1-2)

2. BOUNDARY(:3-4)

3. ADVANTAGE(:5-6)

4. COURAGE(:6-7, 9)

5. COMMANDMENT(:7-9)

6—A Condition for Assuming leadership among God’s people is

A Defined/Decisive OBLIGATION/Delegation(:10-18)

Explanation:(:10-18)Dedication/Commitment/Obligation

:10—“Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

:11—“Pass through the camp & command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”

—Corporate & Individual Preparation is for a common/shared task.

—Church membership = Commitment/Obligation to responsibility. We may get so caught-up in our obligation to one task that we ‘can’t see the woods for the trees.’

—Obligation/Commitment—Trust; Obligate oneself to.

—Cooperation—Work with one another

Share my 'mess-up' at Mt. Pisgah BC(The van incident).

“Officers”—:10

“...Joshua commanded the officers of the people...”

—Deacons/Church Council/Heads of committees—

—Prior Commitments(:12-15)—“...but you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, & help them...”

You have Commitments & Obligations to this church

He instructed them to enter the camp & command the people(under them) to prepare.

“People”—:11

“...Pass through the midst of the camp & command the people..”

They were given a Preparation Time—“Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days...”

They were given a Goal—“Possess the land.”

We don’t wrestle with flesh & blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness—Eph. 6:12

Today we are still called upon to “possess the land” in Christ. Not politically or forcefully but spiritually & lovingly, sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus.

They were given an initial step to take in accomplishing the goal—“Cross this Jordan.”

They were given encouragement that what they would be attempting would be attainable—“Which the LORD your God is giving you.”

Possession of the land is dependent upon Joshua’s allowing God to give it. Possession is only possible when God grants it. God’s granting it depends on the servant’s willingness & preparation to receive it.

We must Cooperate & Organize around our Obligations!

**Both are more a matter of will than a matter of enthrallment/fascination, charm or ‘how you feel’ at the time.

**Joshua’s call would have been stymied were it not for the officers & people under him.

“Command”(See :9)—hwu tsaw-vaw'—

“Prepare”—Nwk koon—Hiphil(causative) Imperative—To be firm, be stable, be established—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm, 1b2) To fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish, 1b3) To direct toward (moral sense), 1b4) To arrange, order.

“Provisions/Victuals”—hdyu tsay-daw' —Food. Strong—feminine of dyu; Food. Used 10X.

“Possess”2X—vry yaw-rash’—Qal Infinitive—To seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir. Strong—a primitive root; To occupy(by driving out previous tenants, & possessing in their place); by implication--To seize, to rob, to inherit; also--To expel, to impoverish, to ruin.

“Giving”(See :3)—Ntn naw-than’—Qal Participle Active—1) To give, put, set. Strong—a primitive root; To give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.).

:12-15—“And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, & half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest & is giving you this land.’ “Your wives, your little ones, & your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, & help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, & they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession & enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”