Minutes To Go!! (Hix)

In Jewish history it is recorded of this statement about Joshua… "The face of Moses was like the face of the Sun, while the face of Joshua was like the face of the moon."

This is understood to mean that the greatness of Joshua was reflection of his teacher, Moses, which is a tremendous compliment.

The Israelites entered the Promised Land in 1422 B.C. and that Joshua died in 1372 B.C

Joshua 24:29-Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.

Numbers 32:11-‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’

20 years old-When he went spying out the Promised Land the first time the Israelites came to the Promise Land

40 Years-In the wilderness

50 years-In the Promise Land

110 years

That would make Joshua 60 years old, when they entered the Promise Land.

Him and Caleb are now the old guys!!

Why am I telling you this? God can use people from 2 to 102!!

Don’t ever say, “I’m to young for God to use!” or “I’m to old for God to use!”

Some of our hardest trials, hardest battles, the most difficult situations come to us in the latter years of our life!

I have known people who never went to the doctor or had to stay in the hospital until the reached middle age!

Why would God use Joshua at this stage of his life?

One of the disadvantages of God using him when he was young, is he might have relied on his own strength to accomplish what God had called him to do.

Remember what it was like being young? Being 10 ft tall and bullit proof!!

If God told us to do something we tried doing in our own strength!!

One of the advantages of God using him when he got older is, He would be more apt rely on God!

There is a stage in life when your mind says, “Yes” and your body says, “No”

At that point, we recognize that if we are going to do something for God, we are going to have to have His help!!

Joshua is going to have to teach this young generation that he is leading…How to accomplish God’s will but not doing it by their own strength!!

This was a big step, the past generation had wondered in the wilderness for 40 years and time had run out for them because of their unbelief!

There are to many Christians wondering in the wilderness in other words…Doing things their own way!

They have God’s promises!

They have God’s protection!

They have God’s word!

They have God’s presence!

But keep wandering in the wilderness, they keep going round and round in a circle,(For Israel the wilderness was not there destination, but the promise land was!) they haven’t surrendered to what God has called them to do, they haven’t let God use them!

One of the reasons that Israel was suppose to go to the promise land, was so they could be a witness to the other nations, of what God can accomplish with a nation who will follow Him!!

But even in their rebellion God had used them as a witness…A witness of God’s love, His mercy, His grace, His patience!!

But they miss out on all the blessing that He wanted to pour out on them, if they would have just been obedient!

I am afraid that to many Christians are wondering around in the wilderness and they are running out of time, for them to do anything for the kingdom of God!

You see, God has more time than we do, if you want to be rebellious and not do what God wants, He can wait you out!

We have been given a commission to make disciples out of all men!

If the world is going to hear about the gospel, God is going to use our lives, our money, our talent, our prayers, our testimony, our witness!!

The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty."

So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel.