Be Courageous
Joshua
Introduction
This month our theme is SIGNPOSTS FOR THE JOURNEY. Last week we talked about the ten commands and the underlying truth that we need to BE OBEDIENT. Today we want to think about the journey we are on and how it calls for us to BE COURAGEOUS.
Swindoll: “Courage - another word for the inner strength, presence of mind against odds, determination to hang in there, to venture, persevere, withstand hardship.” There are many courageous people in the Bible. Joshua is one we think about in regards to courage because ten times in the Bible the word ‘courage’ is associated with him.
It takes courage to be a Christian in a post-Christian society in which we live. Values, Morals, and Way of Life are much different from those who live around us. We have a needed message for the world. Sometimes, though, the pressures of the world make it hard for us to continue on the right track. Helen Keller: “We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.” That’s why today’s signpost is BE COURAGEOUS!
When I look at the life of Joshua, I see some qualities that helped him to be the courageous follower of God that he was - and these qualities will help us to be courageous disciples of Jesus as well.
1. JOSHUA: COURAGEOUS FAITH-FILLED LEADER!
-He believed God along with Caleb that they should conquer the promised land! The other ten spies were faithless. Yet Joshua and Caleb stood firm in spite of the fearful majority (Numbers 13). The promises of God are dependable far above the negative influences of those who will not believe!
-He received God’s word and followed it.
Joshua 1:8-9 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” We encourage often a regular and purposeful reading of Scripture - it’s one habit that so many have a hard time developing - but it is vital to the Christian journey.
-He believed in God’s ability when he was instructed to march around Jericho for six days. On the seventh day they marched around seven times. On the seventh time they blew their trumpets and shouted to the Lord and the walls came down. (Joshua 6:2-5)
-He believed God would hear and act upon his prayers! In fighting the Gibeonites Joshua prayed that the sun would stand still.
Joshua 10:13, 14 “The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel.”
What boldness in prayer! Courage comes when we know that our King hears our weakest prayers and answers!
Joshua is a champion of Courageous Living! We can learn from him and grow in our commitment.
2. ENCOURAGEMENTS FROM JOSHUA’S LAST WORDS (Josh 24)
-Remember (Joshua 24:13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ ) Joshua is near the end of his 110 years of life. He gathers Israel together for a final renewal and reminder of the covenant they have with God. Joshua recounts the history of God’s dealings with Israel. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Key battles. God was with Israel every step of the way and every victory they had was because of Him.
-Focus Upward
Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Have a single-minded focus on the One God of Israel! What gods are trying to gain the upper hand today? Choose today to serve the Lord!
-Move Forward!
Joshua 24:16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!”
So many things keep us from moving forward in life. Old habits, friends, apathy, procrastination, busyness. Move forward and do not let anything hold you back!
-Faith in Action!
Joshua 24:23-24 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
Faith and action go together. They were to throw away their idols, and yield their hearts to the Lord. We can’t just be believers - we need to make decisions and ‘choose this day’ how to live like believers!
Conclusion
There were Three Graves in the Promised Land (Joshua 24:29-33)
-Joshua helped Israel to attain the promised land.
-Joseph, at the time of his death, had looked forward in faith to the future fulfillment of God's promise (Gen. 50:24-26), and in that confidence he had ordered his bones to be taken out of Egypt, once the promised deliverance had come.
-Eleazar, Aaron’s son, had played a part in the distribution of the promised land to the tribes.
The remains of all these men were now laid to rest in the land that God had promised to the fathers.
One day we will be laid to rest. Will our friends and family relate the ways that we were committed to the Lord as they remember us?
In what way is God moving you today toward a courageous faith today? What kind of spiritual decisions do you need to make?
-To be fully committed to God
-To be a more prayerful person
-To be willing to share the gospel with others
-To have a heart for serving others
-To overcome habits that destroy your spiritual life
-To lead your family in a spiritual direction
-To forgive someone who has hurt you
-To study God’s Word seriously
-To obey the gospel and be baptized into Jesus
Joshua teaches us to Remember, Focus Upward, Move Forward, and live in Faith! That’s a courageous life in the Lord!
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Video of this message will be available on our YouTube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
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LifeGroup Questions
1. Every worthwhile pursuit in life requires commitment. Let’s brainstorm some things about the Christian walk that require commitment.
2. Joshua recalls an epic story of courage in his speech. How important, to you, is your faith heritage? How has the faith story of people of the past helped you to be more committed today? Is our faith heritage something to overcome or something in which to rejoice? Share with the group the reasons for your answer.
3. In 24:19 Joshua says to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.” In verse 21 the people respond, “No! We will serve the Lord.” What do you make of this exchange? What is Joshua trying to do here?
4. Israel is encouraged to throw away their gods. They may have had icons or something physical that they were holding on to that needed to be discarded because of their faith in God. There are many gods today … we could name them … but how would one go about throwing away their gods?
5. One might argue that the best known verse in Joshua is 24:15 which ends with the iconic statement: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” What are the important family traditions that helped your family’s faith? What are the challenges and some ways to hang on to faith when not everyone in the family is committed to Christ?
6. The book of Joshua ends with a notation of three graves in the Promised Land. Each one of these men were examples courage in their own way. But a notation is made in verse 31 that “Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him. We know that a period of abandonment of faith is ahead for Israel. What does this tell us about the influence of our own commitment to the Lord?How can we work toward being a significant influence on the faith of the generation behind us?
