Passing The Baton

Passing the Baton

Numbers 27:15-23

Numbers 27:15-23 (NLT)

Then Moses said to the Lord, [16] "O Lord, the God of the spirits of all living things, please appoint a new leader for the community. [17] Give them someone who will lead them into battle, so the people of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

[18] The Lord replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. [19] Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him with the responsibility of leading the people. [20] Transfer your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. [21] When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will determine the Lord’s will by means of sacred lots. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will discover what they should do."

[22] So Moses did as the Lord commanded and presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. [23] Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to his responsibilities, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

God’s Perfect Plan

• God has a plan for each of us

– To bring glory to His name

• Words

• Actions

• God sees the road ahead

– Obstacles

– Mountains

– Valleys

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 (NLT)

My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. [7] The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. [8] The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. [9] We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God’s field, God’s building—not ours.

Seasons of Service

• Seasons of planting

– Peter & Paul

• Seasons of nurture

– Apollos

• Seasons of rebuilding

– Nehemiah

• Seasons of Battle

– David

• Seasons of Famine

– Joseph

Deuteronomy 34:9 (NLT)

Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Right Man at the Right Time

• God is looking for the willing

– Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"

And I said, "Lord, I’ll go! Send me."

The Right Man at the Right Time

• God is looking for the willing

– Isaiah 6:8

• God uses him as a vessel

The Things that Remain Constant

• Loving God

– Heart, soul, mind and strength

• Loving people

– Where they are

– With the love of Jesus

• Reaching

– With the message of Christ

– To every corner of the world

• Serving

– With the hands of Christ

– Those within and those without

**powerpoint available on request