Godsfearlessvictors

Title: God’s fearless victors.

Text: Joshua 1:1-8

Introduction: All of you here today in some way or another, like it or not are in a battle. Small ones big ones lengthy or short they just exist. I believe their purpose is pruning! John 15. Ya know a tree grows the most at the breaking points- where it has been cut so that it bears more fruit. So today I want to talk about realizing who you are in Christ and what that looks like. You see God desires for us to be successful and victorious in our walk. The mistake most people make is that they don’t participate in God’s plans for their life. God made you in His likeness and image. God has never lost a battle. God wants to bring you from survival to revival! He wants you to know that you aren’t your past or who your parents say you are or who your friends say you are or even who you say you are sometimes.

I know a guy that when he was younger had some pretty big hopes and dreams, but he came from very common settings. Everyone around him always told him he would never achieve anything because he wasn’t good enough, or fast or smart enough there was always some excuse or “logic” why it wouldn’t work out for him. As this guy grew older his circumstances didn’t get much better. For a while he held to his hopes but day after day went by and hopes got dashed to doubts and doubts fell to fears. Until a few years ago he really had no hopes or dreams, and the few he did have he had no real expectation of ever seeing the manifestation of his dreams into reality. In fact he became so bad off that he actually started to fear the possibility of succeeding at all. Is this what God would desire for us?

Proposition: If you and I are to experience growth and victory as believers, it is necessary to be fearless.

Transitional Sentence: I took the word fearless and made an acrostic out of it

I. Forsake the past- Vs. 1 – After the death of Moses

A. Mentor/ Predecessor/ Ultimate Goal- background history.

1. Joshua had to get passed taunting of others/

2. Get passed his own self image of “2nd best”

3. Forsake his old identity and embrace his new one (God-Given)

B. Passing the torch – will you be ready?

1. This was not a flippant choice on God’s part

2. This was not a flippant decision on Joshua’s part

C. Even though he wanted it, it was probably difficult to accept

1. Others

2. Friends & Family

3. Self

Transitional Sentence: God is calling us to move from the past onto the new things that have come.

Tell story of Cindy and me and dream @ tooth.

II. Elevate to the task- Vs. 2 – Moses is dead, Arise go over this Jordan.

A. Time will come when God calls you for a work

1. Don’t argue with God – Obey

B. God will generally call you to a work bigger than you are.

1. This shows Gods Glory.

2. It creates obedience and true service to the Lord.

3. It will involve more people and their lives than just you.

Transitional Sentence: The violent take it by force, the weak are trampled.

III. Aggressively pursue the promise – Vs. 3 – Every place of the sole of your feet I give you

A. Action step

1. God can’t give you the all the land under your feet if you are stuck on the couch.

B. This will be a continual process

C. Tread is the key word.

1. Go OVER/ not circumvent but go over the bar

Transitional Sentence: How far can you go with no backing?

IV. Rely on His Word – Vs. 4 – From wilderness to the going down of the sun shall be yours.

A. Know the Promise First – Joshua knew this was a 400 and something year process

1. You can lay past aside

2. You can know you are called and get training to elevate to the task

3. You can even pursue wasting energy and not know what the Word says about the promise you are pursuing

B. Without a Word from God you will fall/fail/flounder

1. Fall - nothing to stand on – Peter and the boat

2. Fail – your will takes precedent not His will

3. Flounder – you will have no root/ ground wire

C. Without a Word no faith- no other reason to believe that ^

1. Rom 10:14 simple as that

2. Heb. w/o faith impossible to please God

Transitional Sentence: even with the backing of the word under-girded with faith what good is the victory unless it carries throughout one’s life?