On Deck (Joshua 1: 1-9)
In baseball, while one person is hitting, another person is next in line to hit
They stand in a circle just before the batters box
They are considered on deck
They warm up by taking a few swings while waiting their turn
When the batter is finished, the guy on deck goes up to hit
In life, God’s will continues on
When God is done with someone, someone who is on deck will step up and continue on
This is how God’s will is done, this will always continue until God calls all of his children home
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
This book opens when the Isralites are camped along the bank of the Jordan River
They are at the very edge of the promise land and Moses who has been their leader is now deceased
They spent the past 40 years wondering b/c they failed to trust God
Moses was a servant to God
Deuteronomy 34: 10-12
God said there is no other like Moses
Moses had his flaws - do we not
God still used Moses
God will still use you despite your flaws, if you are willing
Romans 3:10 - Nobody will ever be perfect
God loved Moses
God personally buried Moses
Deuteronomy 34: 5-7
Moses was such a great leader
God buried him so that the Israelites wouldn’t create a shrine or an idol
He didn’t want this b/c he wanted their focus to stay on him
He knew they would lose focus on him if they knew where he was buried at
But Moses was a servant to God
A servant is a person who is devoted to another’s will, whether that be a human master, king or God himself
Joshua was an assistant to Moses
He trained under Moses
He assisted Moses
Joshua was on Deck
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
God told Joshua that Moses is now with me
I need you to arise, step up to the plate, it is your turn
I am going to need you to take all the people, cross over Jordan into the land that I am giving you all
Joshua wasn’t a rookie
He was born into Egypt as a slave
He got to witness all these great things that God used Moses for
He seen the Red Sea parted, the bitter water turned sweet, the Mana fall from the sky
He was not someone they brought in from a different area to run things like they do now of days - work
He has been raised up and trained up
What you don’t see or realize is that God is raising you up, training you to take you out of the on deck circle
Are you ready to step up to the plate?
It is your turn, your time, you are not a rookie
You are in the fight as we speak
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
I am giving you every square inch of land that you set your foot on
Just as I promised Moses
God said I am going to give you all of this
But you are going to have to arise and lead them across
Let me ask you my friend, are you ready
Are you willing
It’s go time
2 options here, step up to the plate or go sit in the dugout
You are either on deck or you are at the plate
Which one are you today b/c God’s will is always going to happen
We have the choice to participate or not, whether you realize it or not.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
The rest of your life, nobody will be able to hold out against you
They will follow you, they will listen to you, you will lead them
Just as I promised Moses
You will not be alone
I will be with you, I will not fail you nor forsake you
Listen up, God is with you, he will not fail you and he will not forsake you
He is just as faithful as he was in Joshuas time
I know you are scared, it is scary times out here
I know you feel alone, I do sometimes
This is why we have to keep going back to scripture
He is here today, he will be here tomorrow, the next day and every day
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Be strong, be courageous
You are going to have to be
B/C you will lead these people to inherit the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them
If you are afraid, you will not make it
Only the strong will survive
Every watched any action movie
The strong always survive
The reason for this is because the strong will not quit
Even during the hard times, they will not fold
Let me ask you, are you strong today?
If not, I know where you can go for strength
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
Give it everything you have
Don’t hold back anything, I need all of you
Make sure you you carry out what Moses commanded you to do
Don’t get distracted, don’t get off track, stay the course
No matter what, stay the course
Listen church, stay the course. Distractions are there
Make sure you get where you are going
Get to your destination
You will be successful wherever you go
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Never forget the law
Every word you speak, keep it in your mouth
Study it day and night
Never stop with my word
Church, never put your bible down
Never turn on God’s word
He will guide you
As long as you do this, you will never fail, you will prosper
God is speaking to us today through his word
Always keep him near
Don’t get distracted
Get to your destination
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
One of my favorite verses
Carried a coin at the Sheriff’s department, read it every day
Look how many times God says these things
If he says it once, we better pay attention
If he whispers it, we better pay attention
If he says it this many times, you may want to stop what you are doing and get ready
It’s go time
Its time to get out of the on deck circle
Time to step up to the plate
Your choice - do you answer the call?
