May The Lord Be With You

INTRODUCTION:

A couple of Sundays ago was Easter Sunday for those of us who follow Christ and celebrate our risen Lord and those celebrating Spring with the annual hunting of the Easter Eggs left by the Easter bunny. But, to my surprise (or perhaps my horror), I found out that a different group had claimed that day for themselves too as a holiday. Apparently for some April 20th is known as “Most High Day.” No not the Most High God as we might think, but most high as in high on drugs. I guess that is the “most high god” for some. And those people who were so kind to relate this message/announcement to me almost seemed more excited about it than we get over our Lord and Savior risen from the dead or Jesus dying for our sins. One girl at work was just elated over the fact that the next day was “Most High Day!” I can only guess how people celebrate Most High Day. Just shows that there many who live on a completely different path in life.

Does anyone know what today is for some people? Yes, for a certain group of people this is even a special day, believe-it-or-not! It’s amazing what we make into a holiday anymore.

But for all the Star Wars fans out there, today is what? May the Fourth… as in may the fourth be with you… copying the phrase in the movie that started it all “Star Wars: A New Hope”: “May the force be with you… always!”

Some people view the Holy Spirit as kind of like the Force in Star Wars. If you are not familiar with the sci-fi franchise created by George Lucas, the Force in Star Wars is “what gives a Jedi his power. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” But the Holy Spirit is so much more than some mystical, mysterious power or force. The Holy Spirit is God, God with us and in us, guiding us, teaching us, convicting us, renewing our minds and transforming our lives, equipping us for service in the kingdom of God and the mission of the Church.

And God promises to be with us.

After Jesus rose from the dead He met with His disciples before ascending into Heaven.

And He said these words to them- [Mat 28:19-20 NASB20] 19 "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

God promises to be with us as we trust and obey Him.

Today we are going to begin a study/Sermon Series on Followers of the Way Walking with the LORD. Please turn in your Bibles to Joshua chapter one.

BODY:

Moses, the Great Man of God who knew the Lord face-to-face, had faithfully led the people of Israel through the wilderness for forty years not able to enter in to the Promises Land because of the people’s lack of faith. Now Moses, their leader, was dead and Joshua, his servant, would take up the mantle for the new generation.

[Joshua 1:1-9 NASB20]

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, 2 "Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 "Every place on which the sole of your foot steps, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 "No one will [be able to] oppose you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not desert you nor abandon you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."