Living A Life Of Victory Series

Strategy for Living in Victory

LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s Covenants and behave God’s Commands.

TEXT: Joshua 1:1-9

HOOK: Because of my sordid professional background, I like to read interesting and unusual legal cases. I read recently of a story where a barrister in London, England probated a will. They could not find heirs. After 2 years, found heir in U.S. Found him through obituaries - he had died destitute in an abandoned building.

He had inheritance he never possessed

He had inheritance that would have provided for his needs

He had inheritance that would have saved his life

So many Christians live this same way.

We have so much available to us - yet we don’t possess it and even struggle in poverty without ever possessing it.

 John 10:10 - RECITE

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

God has planned for us a victorious life - BUT we must learn to possess this inheritance He has created for us.

LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s covenants and behave God’s commands.

The book of Joshua tells the story of God’s people possessing God’s promised inheritance for them.

Book of Joshua tells story of:

• God’s deliverer for His people - Joshua

• the inheritance God provided His people

• His plan for victory of their enemies

• His instructions for possessing all He had created for them

Book of Joshua is a key book for us because it teaches us how to possess victory in our lives. Book of Joshua is a primer, a painting, a parable, and a prophecy for Jesus’ redemption of His people and the plan for appropriating the abundant life He promises.

Book of Joshua foretells of:

• God’s promised deliverance - Jesus

• this abundance He has promised for our life

• His plan for living in Victory

• His instructions for life

Book of Joshua teaches us:

LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s covenants and behave God’s commands.

Explanation of the Joshua sermon series = 24 chapters, only 6 weeks.

Week 1 = “The Big Picture”

Week 5-6 = the individual battles which combine together to equal a life of victory.

Let’s begin today by defining the “big picture” or the main theme for Joshua – Living in Victory. It is defined for us in Joshua 1:1-9. Let’s read together this passage.

A. The Battle Commenced

Read verses 1-2 again.

• God says arise and go over the Jordan to Canaan

-----easier said than done

• Canaan = same Canaan filled with “giants which made them look like grasshoppers” the first time they arrived here. Don’t think Joshua has forgotten that either.

• Main road leading through the land of Canaan was guarded by the fortress city of Jericho.

• Boy, some “gift” huh?

You may ask the question: “What kind of gift is this that you have to fight for it?” What was God’s purpose in telling the children of Israel Canaan was a gift, but requiring them to engage in battle to possess it? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for God to wipe out all the Canaanites with fire from

Heaven and then let the children of Israel walk into Canaan?

(as with Elijah)

Wouldn’t it have been a better gift if He had simply flooded Canaan and killed all of those evil nations?

(as with Noah)

The answer: The battle was necessary to teach Israel to give God the glory for the victory and to teach them the necessity of obedience. It was to allow time for them to develop so they can appreciate and appropriate the blessings of Canaan.

Read Exodus 23:22-30

Remember, this is the same people who fled at the sight of the giant Canaanites 40 years earlier. This is the Israel that doubted repeatedly during their wandering in the wilderness. This is the same Israel that turned away from God despite His continued miraculous deliverance time and time again.

• Bible Scholars have deduced the campaign to conquer Canaan was approx. 7 years. During that 7 years, people again had periods of doubt or disobedience. Each time they failed to believe God’s covenants or behave God’s commands they suffered a loss. I.e. Ai - the defeat following the victory at Jericho

• In fact, God deeded over 300,000 square miles of land to Israel. At the apex of their power they only conquered only 30,000 square miles. The battle was necessary to teach them what to believe and how to behave.

APPLICATION OF POINT:

Today, we are no different than the children of Israel. God requires of us that we believe His covenants and behave His commands. In order to live in victory.