Sermon Brief
Date Written: May 14, 2014
Date Preached: May 18, 2014
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Series Title: Recognition of Graduates
Sermon Title: Be Faithful (Strong & Courageous)
Sermon Text: Joshua 1:1-9 [ESV]
TEXT:
Essence of the Text: Joshua is challenged to be faithful in his service and walk with God. . .
Essence of the Sermon: We too are challenged to be faithful in our service and walk with God. . .
Applicable Objective of the Sermon: The hearers will:
Know God is with them
Know they are called to be faithful in their Christian walk
Know God is with them in this walk, take courage and be bold no matter the opposition
Know that God’s word is the key element in having the bold spirit and courageous heart to serve God in this world
Introduction:
Courage and boldness are terms and characteristics we reserve for heroes. We think about the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and how they go out and lay their lives on the line every day...
We think about the men and women of the our police force who protect and serve and do their best to keep our city streets safe for all of us… they lay their lives on the line every day…
We think about the men and women of the Fire Dept, who brave dangerous situation to save the homes of total strangers, laying their lives on the line to help others!
We think about the missionary on the international mission field who is serving in a country where Christianity is illegal and if they are caught, their lives are in danger for serving God. They lay their lives on the line to bring the Gospel to the world…
But when you think about ‘bold & courageous’ do you ever think about YOURSELF? This monring I want us to take a look at a character in the Bible who WAS bold and who WAS courageous, but I believe he NEVER really thought those were his traits!
Turn with me to the book of Joshua 1:1-9 (ESV) READ ALL VERSES HERE – SHOW ON SCREEN NOW – FOLLOW ME AS I READ!
1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you & all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4From the wilderness & 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. 5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6Be strong & courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong & very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day & 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, & then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong & courageous. Do not be frightened, & do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Now Moses had died… Moses was an ENORMOUS figure in the Jewish nation. He was iconic in nature. He had been to the mountain and had fellowshipped with God…
Moses had been God’s instrument to challenge Pharoah and to lead the people out of slavery! Moses had stood bravely before the most powerful man in the world – Pharoah and courageously spoken the Word of the Lord!
Joshua had been his right hand man for a long time, but now Moses was gone and God was elevating Joshua to the leader of the nation. In this passage God comes to Joshua and gives him encouragement that HE is God’s chosen leader for the nation.
So often we discount our own roles in service to God. We think to ourselves, “what can I do?” “who am I in God’s plan” … we put ourselves down by thinking “I am a nobody” or “who is going to listen to me?”
People I am here to tell you that there are NO un-important servants within the Kingdom of God! God’s redemptive calling on your life begins with SALVATION but it continues with your service to Him thru your obedience and faithfulness to His calling!
God calls on Joshua to lead His people and to be strong in courageous in his actions. I believe God has called us ALL to be obedient to His calling and to be strong and courageous in our service to Him. BUT… how can YOU be strong and courageous in your service to the Lord?
I believe our passage of Scripture this morning lays out what we need to be the strong and courageous follower of Christ that we are called to be… let’s take a look:
Know that you are God’s Chosen & God is with you!
2“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you & all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 5…Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
I can remember as a child being afraid of the dark. I can remember the fear of NOT knowing or seeing anything.
What was out there… what was that noise… did I just see something move? I can remember crying out to my mom and dad that I was afraid… and mom or dad would come to my room and calm my fears!
When they opened the door and walked into my room… my fear was gone! All I needed was their presence in my room to rid me of the fear in my heart!
My brothers and sisters we live in a world today that is filled with fear and trouble! It is a world of evil that seeks to destroy what we believe as truth!
This world is NOT a place for those who follow Christ, but we are called by Him to serve Him in this world because we are His instruments to win others to Him!
Our witness in this world is used by God to bring others to His redeeming grace! But for many of us, we live in a constant state of fear when it comes to this world… when it comes to living OUT our faith in this world.
We fear evil, we fear opposition, we fear the enemy, we fear failure… Fear is a tool of Satan and he uses it with the utmost of skill and precision. If you have a fear, you can bet that our enemy knows it and is going to attempt to use that fear against you and cripple your witness and walk in Christ!
But as Paul told Timothy, ‘we do not have the spirit of fear…” Our life of service to God is NOT to be lived a state of fear, but is to be lived KNOWING that God is with us! Jesus told his disciples just before He ascended into heaven that He would be with them always!
God is WITH us in the person of the Holy Spirit… when we come to Christ in salvation the Holy Spirit indwells our soul and infuses our spirit with His presence! We are no longer alone in the spiritual realm but guided and directed by God himself!
So when you feel alone… know that God is there and God is with you!
So when you feel like a failure… know that God is there and God is with you!
So when you feel inadequate or unimportant for kingdom work, know that God has called you just as he called Joshua in our passage of Scripture this morning…He has called you!
For our two graduates this morning, I want you to know that God has called you to serve Him…and as you begin this new chapter in your life, know that God is WITH you!
Josh you have been chosen by God. We have convened an ordination council that has affirmed God’s calling on your life! I challenge you today to go forward in your life, as you seek to move forward in your walk in Christ and BE STRONG… BE COURAGEOUS… you have been chosen by God and because He has chosen you… HE IS WITH YOU!
Fernando, today I want to affirm to you that you have ALSO been chosen by God. God has called you to His salvation through the grace of His Son Jesus Christ! You have been called to serve Him as His witness to the world aroun you!
You may not realize this but you are about to launch out on a journy that will take you to places you NEVER thought you would see… to experience things you never thought you would experience…
You are going to face challenges that WILL scare and intimidate you! You will run into people who will ridicule your faith & mock you for your stance on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
I encourage you both this morning to BE STRONG… BE COURAGEOUS… you both have been chosen by God, set aside for His purposes… AND because He chose you… He is going to be WITH you!
Josh… Fernando… never forget that God is with you:
even when you don’t feel important,
even when you don’t feel worthy,
even when you don’t feel like you are making a difference,
even when others ridicule & mock you…
Remember thatYOU have been chosen by God! He is with you!
God has chosen us just as He chose Joshua in this time within the nation of Israel. If God has chosen us like Joshua then we have to trust that He is going equip us and guide us like He did with Joshua…
However, we must also know that God’s choice of us does not remove any personal responsibility toward God! God’s sovereignty does NOT remove our responsibility to being obedient to His calling on our lives… let’s look where God called Joshua to step up… to get into the game… to begin to ACT and be obedient!
Know that obedience (action) = faithfulness (trust in God)
6Be strong & courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
There is NOT a more difficult step than the 1st step of obedience! There is an ancient saying that a journy of 1,000 miles begins with the 1st step…
In the sports world, winning is the name of the game, but winning does not just happen. It begins with doing the small things… it begins with taking those first steps toward getting better!
In our Christian walk… we ALL want to be considered as faithful Christians, but that only comes when we are willing to do the small things… when we are willing to DO what God has called us to do! Faithfulness can only be realized thru obedience!
Joshua was called by God, but God called Joshua to lead… to take action… to be obedient. He says in v6, “…be strong and courageous for YOU shall cause this people…” This was God telling Joshua to step up… to take action… to be obedient to his call to leadership!
Josh you have been called by God to preach the Gospel to the lost and to teach His word to those who are saved! Your faithfulness will be judged by your obedience to God’s calling on your life! My brother, you have been called and it is time to step up and take action! Be faithful by being obedient!
There are going to be times over the next few years as you pursue your PhD when all seems hopeless or it is just NOT worth it, but remain obedient to the calling on your life.
God has called you to this degree program and to be the BEST preacher and proclaimer of the Word that you can be… be faithful by remaining obedient to His calling!
Fernando, you have been called by God to serve Him… He called you out of sin and saved you 2 yrs ago when the Strength Team was here. He is calling you to BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS now as you head OUT of High School and enter into the college life!
The college life is going to throw many things your way. There are going to be times when people are going to challenge what you believe and the God you profess to serve!
Be strong and courageous… remain faithful to Him by being obedient to his calling… He has called you to be His witness… to share His love… to tell of His salvation!
My friends we are ALL called by God out of sin to serve Him in the area where He has placed us… for us to be FAITHFUL we must be OBEDIENT to that calling!
I encourage you this morning to BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS by being faithful where God has placed you … by being obedient in your calling to Him!
You are called BY God and so He is going to be WITH you!
You must realize that to be faithful requires Obedience to God’s calling on your life…
Now I want us ALL to know that God called Joshua in v6 and told him that he was to ‘cause the people to go…’ BUT that was NOT God telling Joshua that it was up to him…it was NOT God telling Joshua that he had to buck up and get stronger on his own!
God was telling Joshua that his place was the place of leadership and that his calling would affect the lives of others… but God was NOT telling Joshua that he was to lean on HIS own power!
God wanted Joshua to BE faithful…to BE strong…to BE courageous… But what we see is God telling Joshua that for him to be strong and courageous that he have HIS word within him! Look with me to v7-8
Know God’s word is crucial for having a bold spirit & courageous heart
7Only be strong & very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day & 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, & then you will have good success.
Obedience to the calling of the Lord requires courage and strength of character… but that does not come from within our own heart, but it is instilled in us thru the presence of the God in our lives and the power of His word in our hearts!
God was calling Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into a land where they were going to have to drive out the people who did not serve God!
This was going to be a HARD thing… a thing that most of the people believed to be impossible, and because of their unbelief they had wondered in the wilderness for 40yrs
God calls us to do what we may believe to be IMPOSSIBLE… He calls you to share His love, mercy and salvation with your neighbor, but you think, God have you met my neighbor?
God is calling you to drive out of your own heart all the doubt and disbelief that prevents you from fully surrendering to His calling for your life… so many of us are afraid to drive out what we know to be harmful to our walk in Christ… we are afraid because it is new ground, it is uncharted territory!
The children of Israel were afraid as they crossed the Jordan. I can assure you that Joshua had his doubts, but God knew that if Joshua had the Word of God in his heart, he would NOT doubt the God he professed to serve!
In Joshua 24:15 we find Joshua making a very BOLD and COURAGEOUS statement when he said, “As for me and my house we are going to serve the Lord!”
But I can assure you that his bold and courageous stance on serving God regardless of what came his way did not happen out of the courage of his own heart!
His boldness and courage came from God’s word being instilled in his heart for years and years! People if we want to be BOLD for Christ… if we want to walk STRONG in the Lord, then we must INPUT the Bible into our lives!
We must READ the Bible daily. We must study the Bible on a regular and consistent basis. BUT here is the KEY… it is NOT enough to know what the Bible says, it is about putting WHAT it says into action in your life! Begin to LIVE out what the Bible teaches… this is what God is saying to Joshua!
In v8 we read, “8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day & night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it…”
…[it] shall not depart from your mouth… is God relating to Joshua that the Word of God was to be a part of ALL of who he was! Let it become WHO you are is basically what God is telling Joshua!
…you shall meditate on it day and night… is God insisting that Joshua make reading and studying His word a priority in his life and that it never become something he takes for granted!
But here is the most important thing God tells Joshua about His law: “…be careful to DO according to all that is written [in it]…” This is God telling Joshua that not only is he to study and read His law but He is to put that Law into practice in his life!
People if we are to be the STRONG and COURAGEOUS believers God desires us to be… we must ingest the Word of God into our lives!
Josh and Fernando… let this be a warning to you. You will be tempted to NOT focus on God’s Word, but to rely on your own understanding and your own hearts leading…
I urge you and warn you to NOT turn to the left or right away from God’s Word! Instead, I challenge you to plant God’s Word firmly in your heart and life so that you can serve Him with a boldness of character and strength of faith!
Fernando there are going to be SO many people who will challenge your belief in God! They are going to ridicule your faith in God. They will try to strip you of all your beliefs, but I challenge you to Ground yourself & Guard yourself by building a wall of protection around you through KNOWING God’s Word!
The enemy will try to rip you away, he will use doubt and lies, but you can stand strong and boldly serve God when God’s word is FIXED in your heart! When you focus your life IN the Word of God…Fernando, don’t depart from His Word!
Josh you will be tempted by many different things… things like the lack of time, the desire to get finished with school, your duties as a minister… It will not be JUST the enemy who tempts you to set aside God’s Word.
I charge to you NOT let God’s Word grow cold and distant… Don’t succumb to society’s whim and adjust what your preaching! Don’t allow the enemy to alter your perception of truth! You can do this but ONLY by knowing and adhering to the Word of God…
the Enemy will tempt you with thoughts that God’s word is out of date for today, but plant it in your heart brother and when you do you will become STRONG and COURAGEOUS to serve God in whatever He has called you!
He has called you so KNOW that He is WITH you!
The only way to reveal your faithfulness is thru your obedience!
To be strong and courageous in the Lord, we must instill God’s word into our heart and lives!
Remember this applies to us WHEREVER we are in life! Let’s look at v9 and my final point this morning is that we are called to…
Obedience no matter the situation (wherever you go…)
9Have I not commanded you? Be strong & courageous. Do not be frightened, & do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God has called Joshua to lead the people of Israel, but his calling on Joshua was NOT just for the leadership of the nation, but for ALL of his life… for everywhere he went…for everything he would do!
He encourages Joshua here in this last verse by reminding Joshua about courage and strength that he will be given in serving God… Don’t be afraid to serve, don’t be dismayed when the world around you may NOT react like you think they should…
GOD IS WITH YOU… all the time, no matter WHERE you go! Basically what Joshua is hearing from God here is that there are going to be times when he may doubt his calling or doubt what God is saying, but he needs to remember and trust that God is faithful and will not abandon him… but his promise is to provide strength and courage to our hearts and to be WITH us through the difficult times.
How many days recently have you woke up and immediately you were depressed because the enemy was stealing your joy over this situation or that situation?
How many times do we find ourselves doubting where God has called us? How many times do we find ourselves in a situation where fear rules our hearts… where we are filled with hopelessness and just want to give up?
God calls on Joshua to NEVER GIVE UP! God’s message is for us today as well… things are going to be difficult, but NEVER GIVE UP because I am NEVER going to leave you to the enemy!
People we need the courage of Joshua to serve our world today! We need the boldness of his spirit and the strength of his character as we face our future!
Are you willing to accept the fact you are NOT in control and that God is? Are you willing to turn loose of the wheel and let God take control? You can only give God control of Your life if your are grounded in His Word!
Conclusion:
We must live our lives KNOWING that God has called us, so that means God is WITH us in all we do… be strong… be courageous… BE FAITHFUL!
We must understand that obedience = faithfulness… in other words our faithfulness to God is reflected in our actions!
We must understand that our strength and courage doesn’t come from within us, but it comes from God’s Word IN us! Psalm 119:11 – “…hide your word in my heart so I WON’T sin against you…” We instill God’s word in our hearts so that we can be strong in our walk with Christ… so that we can be courageous in our service to the Savior!
Finally, know that no matter WHERE we go in life or WHAT we do in life, we need the strength and courage we receive from God’s Word, because life is tough, this world is evil and the Enemy is seeking to tear us apart!
Give full invitation here (to believers for confession, to non-believers for salvation)
