On Deck

On Deck (Joshua 1: 1-9)

In baseball, while one person is hitting, another person is next in line to hit

They stand in a circle just before the batters box

They are considered on deck

They warm up by taking a few swings while waiting their turn

When the batter is finished, the guy on deck goes up to hit

In life, God’s will continues on

When God is done with someone, someone who is on deck will step up and continue on

This is how God’s will is done, this will always continue until God calls all of his children home

1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

This book opens when the Isralites are camped along the bank of the Jordan River

They are at the very edge of the promise land and Moses who has been their leader is now deceased

They spent the past 40 years wondering b/c they failed to trust God

Moses was a servant to God

Deuteronomy 34: 10-12

God said there is no other like Moses

Moses had his flaws - do we not

God still used Moses

God will still use you despite your flaws, if you are willing

Romans 3:10 - Nobody will ever be perfect

God loved Moses

God personally buried Moses

Deuteronomy 34: 5-7

Moses was such a great leader

God buried him so that the Israelites wouldn’t create a shrine or an idol

He didn’t want this b/c he wanted their focus to stay on him

He knew they would lose focus on him if they knew where he was buried at

But Moses was a servant to God

A servant is a person who is devoted to another’s will, whether that be a human master, king or God himself

Joshua was an assistant to Moses

He trained under Moses

He assisted Moses

Joshua was on Deck

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

God told Joshua that Moses is now with me

I need you to arise, step up to the plate, it is your turn

I am going to need you to take all the people, cross over Jordan into the land that I am giving you all

Joshua wasn’t a rookie

He was born into Egypt as a slave

He got to witness all these great things that God used Moses for

He seen the Red Sea parted, the bitter water turned sweet, the Mana fall from the sky

He was not someone they brought in from a different area to run things like they do now of days - work

He has been raised up and trained up

What you don’t see or realize is that God is raising you up, training you to take you out of the on deck circle

Are you ready to step up to the plate?

It is your turn, your time, you are not a rookie

You are in the fight as we speak

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

I am giving you every square inch of land that you set your foot on

Just as I promised Moses

God said I am going to give you all of this

But you are going to have to arise and lead them across

Let me ask you my friend, are you ready

Are you willing

It’s go time

2 options here, step up to the plate or go sit in the dugout

You are either on deck or you are at the plate

Which one are you today b/c God’s will is always going to happen

We have the choice to participate or not, whether you realize it or not.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

The rest of your life, nobody will be able to hold out against you

They will follow you, they will listen to you, you will lead them

Just as I promised Moses

You will not be alone

I will be with you, I will not fail you nor forsake you

Listen up, God is with you, he will not fail you and he will not forsake you