Now 5

INTRO

1. Control

Influence

2. Courage

Joshua 1:6-9

6"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Be = Command

Courageous

* God knew Joshua would have to be strong and courageous to reach his flow

* There might be some fear

* But feel the fear and do it anyway

* Fear false, evidence, appearing ,real Kills faith

* And I can't get my 'flow' without faith

* Because without faith I can't please God

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

* When I hear God's word I get faith

* When I obey His word, I get love

1 John 2:5

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

* And love casts out fear

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

* Everyone faces fear of something

* Every generation has something to fear

* The Bible is only 66 verses long when we see Adam have fear

* I knew a guy who said I am never going to fly or swim

* Why?

* Because I don't want to do anything that if you stop you die

* He was already partly dead

* His fear was preventing him from:

„X Experiences

„X Places

„X People

„X Opportunities

* Don't let fear keep you paralyzed

* Doctor Samuel Johnson

o Had a fear of entering a room with his left foot

* Peter-the-Great

o Had a fear of crossing bridges

o He would tremble and cry

* Julius Caesar

o Feared thunder

* A line-man that played for Vince Lombardi said when Coach Lombardi said 'sit down'

o I didn't even look for a chair

* We misunderstand courage

o Courage is feeling the fear but doing it anyway

C - Continue to Pursue God

Joshua 1:3

O - Obey God's Word

Joshua 1:7

U - Unify with Leaders

Joshua 1:10

R - Remember God's Praise

Genesis 17:

A - Act on His Authority

Joshua 1:9

G - Grow in Grace

Joshua 1:4

E - Enter His Word

Joshua 1:8

3. Compassion

Joshua 2:1

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

COMPASSION = A deep awareness of suffering of another

Coupled with the wish to relieve it

ƒ{ Christians are often viewed as the least compassionate people in society

„X Portray a closed circle

* Harder to become a member of a church than of heaven

„X We only have time for church events

„X Church people are viewed as mudslingers:

o Bombing abortion clinics

o Hating homosexuals

o Judgmental

o Arrogant

o Closed minded

o Hateful

ƒ{ Yet Jesus said "love one another"

o "By this all men will know you are my disciples

ƒ{ This verse always gets me in trouble with legalistic 'suchy much' types

„X Two spies

„X Two = witness

„X Spies = mature

ƒ{ Went and spent the night with a prostitute

ƒ{ Today we would throw them out of the church

ƒ{ If we're going to live in "FLOW"...

o Then we've got to have a compassion that gets us out of the "church camp"!

o AND into the lives of everyday people

„X Without our overbearing desire to save them

ƒ{ My friend who owns the tattoo shop

o Remodeling his tattoo shop

o Hanging out at J.R. Cycle

o Doc -- calling me

„X (remember influence)

o Feed the Multitude

„X No ulterior motive

o Bike Giveaway

„X No ulterior motive

ƒ{ Too many hounds of heaven have no life

ƒ{ So they mess up everyone else's life

ƒ{ Many of today's Christians would be