Elevate To The Next Level - "Living God’s Vision”

Elevate to the Next Level

“Living God’s Vision”

Joshua 1

Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA1NCm2CXEk

God put us on this earth for a reason. Therefore, God has a vision for our lives and wants to use us for His purpose, which is far beyond anything any of us could ever imagine.

However, we have a problem when it comes to God’s purpose for our lives. It involves the barriers we erect in our minds and hearts. Barriers that say, “How could God ever use someone like me?”

But for God to use us, we have to change the way we think. The Bible says that as a person thinks in their heart, that is who they’re going to be (Proverbs 23:7).

Therefore, since God has a vision, that is, a purpose and plan for our lives, we need to find out what that is, because otherwise, if we’re not being used by God, then what are we doing with our lives?

The Bible says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV)

And, through Jeremiah, the Lord says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you … thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do abundantly more for us than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 2:30).

We are made in the image and likeness of God, and since God is the Creator, He has made us creative as well. And in that creativity, He’s given us the ability to imagine. So, imagine what God can do in and through your life?

Unfortunately, many people have no imagination about what God wants to do. Even though we can marvel at human imagination, we still can’t imagine God using us.

But God wants to use us in great and mighty ways. Therefore, we need to employ our imagination. Where is our imagination for the kingdom of God? Can we see God’s vision for our lives? And when God starts revealing it, we need to start living it.

Tonight, I’d like to continue looking at the life of Joshua, something we started this morning in our new sermon series, “Unprecedented  Faith.” And when I finished putting this message together, I realized that it probably should have been the last in our sermon series from last year on “Elevating to the Next Level.”

Now, from Joshua’s life, as we look at Joshua chapter one, there are four things we need to do if we desire to be used by God. And please know this, that God does remarkable things through ordinary people, like you and me, who imagine their lives as being something more.

And so, the first of the four things, so that we can elevate our discipleship to the next level by living God’s vision for our lives, is our need to dump our doubts.

Dump the Doubts

One of the biggest imagination busters is doubt. We must let go of doubt to step into the plans, purposes, and vision of God.

Doubt limits our potential. It causes procrastination, and we miss out on God’s best. We see this doubt when we say, “I doubt that God could use me,” and when we doubt God by using all these excuses about why we can’t be used by God.

The Apostle James says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God, and God will liberally supply whatever wisdom is needed.

But then he adds, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-7 NIV)

Before God can use us, we’ve got to deal with this doubt issue.

Joshua also struggled with doubt. In the military, it would have been said of Joshua that he had a confidence problem. And who wouldn’t? Look who he was following: Moses.

Who among us would want to be the follow-up act to Moses? Moses was like Johnny Carson, with Joshua as Ed McMahon.

And then there’s the assignment Joshua was given. He was to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land, something Moses failed to do.

Joshua had his doubts. Why do I know this? Well, right before the campaign, God had to give Joshua a pep talk, and He told Joshua to be strong and courageous three times.

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NKJV)

The Lord told Joshua to dump his doubts because God would be with him.

Doubt is a choice. People choose to doubt rather than live by faith. What’s even sadder is that people believe their doubts and doubt their beliefs. Instead, let’s begin to doubt our doubts, believe in what we say we believe, and trust that God wants to use us and give us great and precious promises.