COURAGEOUS LIVING P.2
Joshua 1:1-9
What You Need Most When Facing A Challenge
Deut. 31:6- Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
INTRODUCTION
The one thing you need when facing an insurmountable challenge, is ENCOURAGEMENT.
When seeking to offer encouragement, you need to be careful for example,
A young couple, very much in love, were getting married in church. However, the bride was very nervous about the big occasion and so the preacher chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. The verse was 1 John 4:18 which says: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."
The preacher asked the best man to read it during the ceremony. The preacher did not know the best man was not a regular churchgoer and did not know the difference between the Gospel of John and the First Letter of John.
During the service the best man introduced the reading by saying that the preacher felt this was a very good verse for the bride and that he would say more about it later in the service and then read John 4:18, which says:
"The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."
(From a sermon by Davon Huss, I Am Bound for the Promised Land, 2/21/2011)
That was an encouragement that went humorously wrong. This is a major reason why I always have the service written out.
Encouragement is the thing we most desire and most need when facing the challengs of life.
What sort of challenge are you facing today?
Is it a challenge in your home, a husband or wife who does not seem to understand you.
Is it a child that constantly pushes all your buttons and you want to pull your hair out.
Perhaps it is a physical challenge you are facing; an unknown challenge that only the doctor and God know about.
Then there is the ever pressing financial challenges we all face with work and careers.
Or maybe it is a challenge that God has placed before you that could change your lfe course forever, such as a new job or educational opportunity.
One thing you know is FEAR. How will all this play out? Do I have the ‘right stuff’ to make it through the challenge?
That is why we are looking at Joshua. Here is a man who was facing a terrific challenge.
As Joshua stands on the edge of the promised land there are a million emotions and thoughts going through his mind.
To begin, his mentor, friend and leader Moses has died leaving Joshua the heir apparent to lead the people.
I wonder if his mind flashed back 40 years where at this very spot he and Caleb tried in vain to convince the people to trust God and move forward. Due to the failure of the nation to believe, Joshua spent 40 needless years wandering in the wilderness, waiting for God’s promise to be realized.
Now, 40 years later Joshua wonders, Would this be a success or just a repeat of past events?
Then there was the size of the task itself. He was left by Moses and commissioned by God to lead a nation of over 2 million people. He was a general yes, but a political and spiritual leader? He had never done anything like this before.
Talk about a daunting task.
In addition, as Joshua gazed over the waters of the Jordon he could see smoke rising from the Cities of Jericho. There was a formidable foe on the other side. Joshua had never faced an enemy as prepared and foreboding as the Canaanites before. Would he have the strength?
You no doubt can identify with some of what Joshua and Isreal were experiencing. You believe God’s word, but you are at the same time afraid.
You fear change.; you fear confrontation; your fear the past; you fear the future; you fear poverty; you fear conflict; you may even fear death.
What you need at times like this is what Joshua received from the Lord and his leaders. You need an incredible infusion of ENCOURAGEMENT.
Someone has said, We should seize every opportunity to give encouragement. Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.
As God’s people today face the challenges that God gives us, we would do well to learn from the threefold encouragement Joshua receives as he begins to embark on his new challenge.
1. SAY GOODBYE TO THE PAST
Joshua’s challenge begins with God’s commission in verse 1-2
1 After the death of Moses the (A)servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' (B)assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Joshua is an unevious position. Can you imagine having to fill the shoes of Moses ? Taking the place of a man...who could speak to God through a burning bush...cast down his rod, and have it turn into a snake, and then retrieve it, and find it a rod again. Can you imagine being the predecessor of a man that could stretch out his rod, and divide the Red Sea....a man that could bring water out of a rock when the people died from thirst ?
One of the dangers you face in facing a challenge is the past. This was Isreals problem. THEY IDOLIZED THE PAST.
The people of Israel, idolized the leadership of Moses. After all he brought them out from under the hand of Pharoah. God did miraculous things through Moses for Israel. He performed wonders, he parted the red sea, struck the rock, led them through the desert...Moses was a phenomenal leader. They put him up on a PEDASTAL. In their minds, he was irreplacible He was the one and only. In fact, listen to what they were saying about Moses...Duet. 34:10 ff.
10 And there has not (A)arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, (B)whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 none like him for all (C)the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,
How do you and I idolize the past?
One way is by holding on to past hurts and disappointments. Joshua and Isreal had been at this spot 40 years earlier, and the people failed to cross the Jordon because of their fear and unbelief in God promise. The result was an entire generation wasted 40 years and died in the desert.
How many people do you and I know who are wasting their days locked in a cocoon of bitterness, unable to let the past go?
A woman went to her doctor with a whole catalog of complaints about her health. He examined her thoroughly and came to the conclusion that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her physically. He was convinced that her problem was due to her negative attitude toward life. She had become filled with bitterness and resentment because some things had gone sour in the past. He took her into a back room where he kept most of his medicine. He showed her a shelf filled with empty bottles. He said to her, "See those bottles. Notice that they are all empty. They are shaped differently from one another, but basically they are all the same. But the most important thing I want you to notice is that they have nothing in them. Now I can take one of these bottles and fill it with enough poison to kill or I can fill one with medicine to heal. I am the one who makes that choice. I can fill it with whatever I want. Each day that God gives us is like one of those empty bottles. We can choose to fill it with love and life-affirming thoughts or we can fill it with destructive thoughts. The choice is ours."
Another way we idolize the past is by giving UNDO ATTENTION TO PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Have you ever known someone who had a fishing story. Have you ever noticed how each time they tell the story, the fish gets bigger and bigger?
There are some people who have made great accomplishments in the past, and instead of building on those achievements, they waste time holding onto the past.
The Apostle Paul gave a challenging testimony in Phiulippians 3. First he recounts his life time achievements,
though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 (J)circumcised on the eighth day, (K)of the people of Israel, (L)of the tribe of Benjamin, (M)a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, (N)a Pharisee; 6 (O)as to zeal, (P)a persecutor of the church; (Q)as to righteousness under the law,[c] blameless.
Paul says, I had it all. Education. Popularity. A sky rocketing career. Popularity. In short, I was the picture of success.
So what did he do,
7 But (R)whatever gain I had, (S)I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of (T)the surpassing worth of (U)knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I (V)have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having (W)a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but(X)that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
When he found Jesus, he found everything that mattered in life. There is nothing that compares to a relationship with the Father through Jesus. So he would not allow anything to get in the way. Listen to his advice,
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: (AE)forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
When I read Pauls words, my first thought is, ya right, Paul. Forget what was said and done to me. That’s easier said than done.
But then I realize it is not the incident Paul is speaking of. The Bible is telling me, not to allow the past to control how I live today and plan for tomorrow.
I can choose to not allow the past to control my decisions today.
We need to forget our worries. Jesus said, Cast all your care on me for I care for YOU.
We need to forget our failures. The Bible encourages us that when we confess and trun from our sin, He is FAITHJFUL AND JUST and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. Not some. Not the sin I think is forgivable. But He forgives us from ALL unrighteousness.
We need to forget our resentments and regrets. The fact is, that person whom you are unforgiving towards and cannot let go of has probably forgotten the incident themselves and has gone on with life. Let go and let God take care of the person. Don’t allow bitterness to put a wedge between you and your spouse or children or friends.
We need to forget about our victories and achievements There is nothing wrong with having pride in the achievements which God has permitted us, if it’s not a gloating pride and we recognise that it was God who was the author of our success. But our achievements have as little bearing on tomorrow as did yesterday’s failures.
Do not let the past get in the way, but rather let it be a foundation for more growth in the kingdom of God.
For Joshua, Moses was dead, but God’s purpose was very much alive.
Did you notice what God said to Joshua?
MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. Joshua it is over, now YOU GO…
God did not want him standing around. It wasn’t a time to be thinking, “We’ll never have another man like Moses.” It was time to keep building. It was time to move forward.. God gave him a new purpose. You will never know God’s purpose for your life if you continue to hold onto the past.
All of us want to be successful pursuing the plans God has for our lives. Here is the first key in achieving this goal,
do not let the past get in the way, but rather let it be a foundation for more growth in the kingdom of God.
2. STAND ON THE PROMISE: ( 3-6)
God gave Joshua a threefold task; lead the people into the land, defeat the enemy and claim the inheritance.
With each commission, God gives a corresponding PROMISE;
First, God promised Joshua that Isreal would enter the land,
3 (C)Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 (D)From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.
Now God affirms He had already given them the land; it was their responsibility to step out by faith and claim it. The promise God gave Moses, he reaffirms to Joshua, and carefully identifies the borders of this new land.
The lesson for you and I in this is clear; God has given us ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS’ as we discover in Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be (F)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (G)in the heavenly places,
We are to step up, step out, and move on in the promise of God.
Why is it that more believers do not seem to step out into God’s promise for their lives?
One reason is the presumption that they do not have to do anything. Notice that God gave the promise, but Isreal had to physically move forward into the promised land in order to expereince God’s provision.
Many Christians take the attitude, “O well I will just wait and if it is God’s will then maybe God will do something to change my circumstance.”
God may have set before you a door of opportunity, but you need to step into htat opportunity by faith. Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary of Joshua,
It is impossible to stand still in the Christian life and service, for when you stand still, you immediately start going backward.’
Hebrews 6:1, exhorts us, LET US GO ON…’ this is the call to every believer in Christ.
Another reason believers fall short of possessing the promise is the fear they have of opposition. Listen to the next promise God gives Joshua.
God also promised Joshua victory over the enemy.
5 (E)No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just (F)as I was with Moses, so (G)I will be with you. (H)I will not leave you or forsake you.
The promise to Isreal that as they walked in obedience to God’s word and will, He would help them defeat their enemies.
Look what is said to Joshua, “AS I WAS WITH MOSES…I WILL BE WITH YOU…’
WOW! Do you know what that says to me?
It means as I move forward in God’s will I am assured of His presence. Romans 8:3 says 31 What then shall we say to these things? (A)If God is for us, who can be[a] against us?
Those are 4 life changing words, GOD IS FOR US!
There are times I am fearful of the call God gives me. The job seems too big and the enemy too strong. Then the Lord encourages me, do not let the size of the task get in your way; instead be excited that God has so much for you to accomplish.
The final promise God gives Joshua is that the land would be portioned out to the Israelites tribes
6 (I)Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
This was Gods assurance that the enemy would be defeated and that Isreal would receive the promised land as an inheritance. God would keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
At the close of his life, Joshua would remind the people ‘ that (B)not one word has failed of all the good things[a] that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.’ ( Joshua 23:14)
But before God could fulfill any of His promises, Joshua had to exercise faith and ‘be strong and of good courage’
The greatest act of faith men can demonstrate is the courage to be men of integrity, husbands who love their wives and fathers who encourage their children.
To do this we need encouragement. God encourages us to let go of the PAST, Stand on the PROMISE, and the third encouragement we are given is
3. STAY THE COURSE
Do not be distracted; keep your focus; and realize that God because God is the With-Us God, there is no challenge that cannot be accepted and accomplished.
There are two resources God gives us beginning with an unwavering commitment to His WORD
7 Only be strong and (J)very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law (K)that Moses my servant commanded you. (L)Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success[a] wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but (M)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 have good success.
Joshua’s strength and courage would come from meditating on God’s word, believing its promises, and obeying its precepts.
If you wish to expereince success and prosper in your faith and Gods purpose for your life, then you have to be wholly obsorbed in reading, studying and applying God’s word.
What was Joshua to do with the Word of God? First he was to SPEAK it. The physical act of speaking God’s word back to Him would inspire faith and embed the commands and promises in his memory.
Second, he was to MEDITATE on it day and night. The reason was simple: meditation was the means by which his mind would be made pure, free from distractions and misdirected fear.
The he was to DO what the Lord commanded. This obedience would result in blessing. He would prosper and become successful.
In summary, speaking God’s word and meditating upon it enables us to PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.
An unwavering commitment to God’s word is the first resource we are gien to be successful The second is an UNCOMPROMSING COMMITMENT TO GOD’s WILL
9 Have I not commanded you? (N)Be strong and courageous.(O)Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
God gave three simple commands to Joshua. He was to face the enemy, fight the enemy and to crush the enemy.
Verse 9 would have been a great comfort to Joshua and the people. God told Joshua that He would be with them wherever they went. Joshua had the very presence of God as he marched through the Promised Land. We, as Christians, have that very same presence with us today. We have the presence of God in our lives given to us by Christ and described to us in the Word of God.
ILUUSTRATION… THE PRESENCE OF HIS LOVE Send by Adams7745P@aol.com
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he’d told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her.
"How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark’s need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn’t working - it was hectic, and costly.
Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I’m blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I’m going? I feel like you’re abandoning me." Mark’s heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened.
For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself! On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn’t sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"
The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."
God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless! Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You - even when you are not looking."
CONCLUSION:
So then let’s summarize quickly. God has placed a challenge before each of us. You know what that challenge is. With the challenge there may be the fear of that you may not be able to succeed. Along with the challenge, God gives you the encouragement to meet it.
When the challenge says, you’re past disqualifies you remember, do not let the past get in the way, but rather let it be a foundation for more growth in the kingdom of God.
When the challenge says, you don’t have enough strength to stand remember, do not let the size of the task get in your way; instead be excited that God has so much for you to accomplish.
When the challenge says, it’s ok to compromise your faith in God, remember do not be distracted; keep your focus; and realize that God because God is the With-Us God, there is no challenge that cannot be accepted and accomplished.
