SAFEGUARDING The GOOD LIFE—Joshua 3:1-6
Good Life/Well/Abundant
Pepe Rodriguez was famous outlaw from Mexico. He would sneak into Texas border towns, rob them & return to Mexico. The Texas Rangers were humiliated so they illegally enter Mexico to get their state’s money. They find Pepe alone in a bar with the bartender. The Ranger hold Pepe at gunpoint & demand the money. Pepe didn’t speak English & they didn’t speak Spanish.
Bartender recognizes the predicament & says, ‘Senores, I believe you need a translator, could I do the honors?’...They quickly comply!
They tell the bartender to tell Pepe that if he didn’t disclose the location of the loot, they would kill him on the spot.’ Seeing no way out, Pepe tells the bartender that the abandoned hacienda at the northern edge of town had a doorway in the back. If the rangers were to sweep away the dirt on the floor just inside the back door, they would find a metal door which opened up to reveal a stairway leading down into a room full of the Texas treasure.
The bartender having heard all the details in Spanish & no one else understanding, turned to the Rangers & says, ‘Pepe, he is a very brave man.’ & he wants me to tell you that ‘You all are a bunch of stinking gringo pigs & that he is not afraid to die!’
Some things are worth protecting.
The Good Life we have in Christ is also worth safeguarding/ protecting.
Need:
We all want ‘the good life.’
Joshua prepared the children of Israel for entrance into the promised land.
Christians must be prepared to enter the abundant life.
How can God’s people be prepared for entering the abundant life?
4 safeguards/assurances for entering the promised land/ living the Abundant Life/Good Life
4 preparations for safeguarding the Good Life.
Preparing for the Good Life is Safeguarded at/by/thru...
1—The Good Life is Safeguarded at/by/thru...
The BRINK(:1)
Explanation:(:1)Edge/Border/Verge
:1—“Then Joshua rose early in the morning; & he & all the sons of Israel set out from Acacia Grove & came to the Jordan, he & all the children of Israel, & lodged there before they crossed over.”
“Lodged”—Rest/Physical/Mental/Emotional/Spiritual Preparation
The whole scenario we face is of God—
The Promise/Possessions/People/Peace/Freedom...
*Point of Testing/Questioning.
Faced with...Victory or Failure—Fight or Flight—Trust or Suspicion—Confidence or Waffling/Uncertainty.
Indecisive/Frightened/Nervous/Anxious...
?Why am I really here?
?Is this really what I/we want?
*Decisions are made at the Brink!
Some will turn away...These return to their comfort zone.
Others are strengthened to enter!
“Rose early”—Mkv shaw-kam’—Hiphil(causative) Imperfect—1) To rise or start early—1a) (Hiphil)—1a1) To rise early, make an early start, 1a2) Early(as adverb). Strong—a primitive root; properly--To incline(the shoulder to a burden); but used only as denominative from Mkv shek-em’[The neck(between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively--The spur of a hill]; literally--To load up(on the back of man or beast), i.e. To start early in the morning.
“Morning”—rqb bo'-ker—1) Morning, break of day. Strong—properly--Dawn(as the break of day); generally--Morning.
“Set out/Removed”—eon naw-sah’—Qal Imperfect—1) To pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. Start on a journey.
“Acacia Grove”—Myjv shit-teeym'—Shittim =“the acacias”—1) Place of Israel's encampment between the conquest of the transjordanic region & crossing the Jordan into Canaan; 2) A place west of Jerusalem. Strong—the same as the plural of hjv shit-taw’[feminine of a derivative [only in the plural Myjv; meaning the sticks of wood] from the same as jjv[To pierce]; the acacia (from its scourging thorns)]; Acacia trees; Shittim, a place East of the Jordan.
“Came to”—awb bow’—Qal Imperfect—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in.
“Lodged”—Nwl loown—1) To lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide; 2) To grumble, complain, murmur. Strong—a primitive root; To stop(usually over night); by implication--To stay permanently; hence(in a bad sense)--To be obstinate(especially in words, to complain).
“Crossed over/Passed over”(See :6; :2—“Went”; :4—“Passed”)—rbe aw-bar'—1) To pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress. Strong—a primitive root; To cross over; used very widely of any transition(literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically--To cover(in copulation).
Argumentation:
Ps. 34:8—“Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
1Cor. 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Heb. 6:4-6—“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame.”
Some may have been to the brink & spend their entire lives there, refusing to move ahead!
Josh. 24:2, 13-16—“And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham & the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; & they served other gods.”.....“‘I have given you a land for which you did not labor, & cities which you did not build, & you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards & olive groves which you did not plant.’ “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity & in truth, & put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River & in Egypt. Serve the LORD! “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me & my house, we will serve the LORD.” So the people answered & said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;”
In a crowd when you’re at the brink, it is very tempting to ‘go along with the crowd’ because you are in confident company—though you may not be yourself! BUT the decision is ultimately, individually yours!
Mat. 14:21-29—“Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women & children. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat & go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him & said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
Lk. 14:25-33—“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned & said to them, “If anyone comes to Me & does not hate his father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters, yes, & his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first & count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--lest, after he has laid the foundation, & is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build & was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first & consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation & asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
Illustration:
The BRINK is where people are either made or destroyed/Teens are especially susceptible & prone to failure in this life-changing time/Their entrance into society as adults looms before them/They desperately are caught between the ease of childhood & the responsibility of adulthood/Some take this in stride while others fail miserably, falling into ruin/This is where people are either made or broken!/At The BRINK
Adults do this at major decisions during their lives/Leaving home, Marriage, Children, Career choices, Moving, Retirement, etc./God is always with you At The BRINK!
Rope over creek/High bank/Frightening/Will I wait anticipating the rush of the ride or turn away defeated & ridiculed?/At The BRINK
Waiting for traffic/Don’t pull out in front of someone/Death, Destruction, Failure/At The BRINK
Even thought twice about committing to a loan?/Why?/Is it necessary?/At The BRINK
Application:
?Are you Safeguarding the Good Life at the BRINK?
?Are you Safeguarding the Good Life?...or something else?
Some here have never waited patiently at the Brink....
...What will your decision be today?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Pepe’s Texas treasure
Action:
The Good Life is Safeguarded at/by/thru...
1. The BRINK(:1)
Pt. 1 only! presented 09/13/2015am to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-4 Presented 05/23/06am to:
New Hope Baptist Church
3514 Allen Rd.
Zephyrhills, FL 33541
Pts. 1-4 Presented 12/05/99pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Rd.
Whigham, GA 31797
