SUNDAY SERMON OF JUNE 30TH 2013.
TOPIC: THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.
TEXT: JOSHUA 1:1-9
SONG :
GOD IS NOT A MAN
HIS WORDS WILL SURLY COME TO PASS, IN MY LIFE
HE WILL NEVER, NEVER LIE.
GOD IS NOT A MAN
HIS PROMISES WILL SURELY COME TO PASS, IN MY LIFE
HE WILL NEVER, NEVER LIE.
God’s faithfulness could be described as the ability of God to keep His Covenant Promises to man.
Faithfulness could be defined as a declaration to do or refrain from doing something specified.
Our thought as we listen to God this morning should be at receiving God’s promises in our lives.
God made a promise to Abraham over 400 years before Joshua, that Abraham’s descendants would receive the land that Abraham lived in for an inheritance, as a home land.
When Jacob, Abraham’s grandson and his children went into Egypt, they were only 70 in number. God blessed them and multiplied them. They lived in Egypt for 430 years. The Egyptians latter enslaved them but when it was time for God to fulfil His word, He sent Moses to deliver them from the land of Egypt. The journey was originally planned to last 4 days, but because of unbelief and disobedience to the word of God, they wondered in the wilderness for 40 years. Before they got to the Promised Land, Moses died. The death of Moses at the time discouraged many but there were two men who stood on the promise of God saying – ‘Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30). These men were Joshua and Caleb. They knew the faithfulness of God that God could be counted on.
One of my favourite hymns is ‘ Great is Thy Faithfulness’. The great hymn was written by Thomas Chisholm. He did not write this hymn because of something great or even miraculous that had happened in his life. No, rather he wrote it because as he looked back at his life, he learned to see the great faithfulness of God. At 75, he wrote these words: ‘My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the early years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant keeping God and He has given me many wonderful display of His providing care for which I am with astonishing gratefulness’.
It is important to see the faithfulness of God in receiving the promises of God. The death of Moses did not mean that the plans of God for His people were dead. God pulls down and God raises up. God raised up Joshua to continue were Moses stopped. God gave Joshua three assurances. The same assurances God is giving us today.
God sets forth what He will do. Gen 17:8 I want you to see this morning that God’s great promises are bound up in His divine nature. God is the giver and the Source of our blessings. Joshua 1:3. Many times we tend to view our job, our boss, or our ability as the key to what we have and to what we shall become/achieve. Like Israel we are on a journey, a journey to receive the fullness of God’s inheritance, a journey that will have ups and downs and like Israel, God wants us to see that He is the one that will help us make it through. James 1:17. Throughout the Bible, you will find God giving:
Gen 28:4 God’s promise to Abraham
Ex 31:18 Law of Moses
Joshua 22:4 Rest to Israel
1 Kings 4:29 Wisdom, honour and wealth to Solomon
2 Chro 13:5 Kingdom to David
2 Chro 20:30 Peace and rest to Jehoshaphat
Dan1:17 Knowledge to Daniel
You cannot read the bible without seeing the giving of God. We need to realise that God is our source. He will be faithful in His promise to us to supply for us as we too receive our inheritance. We have a responsibility to keep our own part of the covenant. If you look at Joshua God gave him assurances. The same assurances are also given to us. And we must be aware of these. In verse 5, God gave him an assurance to be with him as He was with Moses. In verse 9, he was told to be strong.
God’s faithfulness is seen in His promises, His presence and in His precepts. God expected Joshua to walk in his words, to make his word/law a priority in his life. God has not changed, if He expected Joshua to be diligent in His law, He expects the same from us. God’s command should be the guiding focus of our life. The promises of blessing and prosperity are contingent upon the word.
Our problem today as to why we don’t stand on the promises and don’t feel the presence of God in our lives is closely related to what emphasis we place on the word of God. We don’t have enough insight to see God working in our lives.
God is always faithful. He will never disappoint or fail. Any time there is failure, it is man that has failed.
Exodus 23:25-26, Deuteronomy 28:1- 14, Joshua 1:8
SONG:
The steadfastness of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never comes to an end.
They are new every morning, new every morning.
Great is thy faithfulness ooooooh Lord.
Great is thy faithfulness.
