An interesting article that I found. “Age changes things.” Who changed everything when I wasn’t looking? I’ve noticed lately that everything is farther away than it used to be. It’s even twice as far to the corner now, and they’ve added a hill! I’ve given up running for the bus; it leaves much earlier than it used to. And it seems to me that they are making the stairs steeper than in the old days, and have you noticed the smaller print the newspapers are now using? And there’s no sense in asking anyone to read aloud anymore, as everyone speaks so softly that I can hardly hear them. The material in clothes s so skimpy now, especially around the waist and hips, and the way they size the clothes is much smaller than it used to be. Why, I have to buy clothes two sizes larger than what I wear just so they will fit me right! Even people are changing. They are so much younger than they used to be when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are much older than I am. I ran into an old classmate of mine the other day, and she had aged so much that she didn’t recognize me! I got to thinking about my poor dear friend while I was combing my hair this morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection in the mirror…. Really now! They don’t even make good mirrors anymore. So tell me now… Who CHANGED things?
You have probably heard the quote, “The good ole days were not so good.” Our memory has a tendency to remember things in a way that makes us feel good, and maybe isn’t necessarily true to reality. As a matter of fact, most of us think that our churches are okay. Statistically however, we see that this isn’t true. Did you know that 80% of churches in America are either at a plateau or are in a decline? Out of the other 20%, 5% are only baptizing 5 per year. So you can see that the church today is in a time of transition. Some are transitioning from pastor to pastor. But all churches are transitioning to change that must be made in order for us to be faithful to the Great Commission. Understanding that things change is biblical. Let’s look at how God’s early church a change that enabled them to receive the promises of God. Tell story and pray.
1After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
A church in transition must:
I. Deal with it’s past. (1-2)
Max Lucado tells a story of Chippie the parrot. Chippie was just purchased by a proud owner. She wanted to take good care of Chippie. To show her love she decided to clean Chippie’s cage. She started from the top and worked her way down to the bottom. She started cleaning the bottom of the cage using a vacuum cleaner. The phone rang and instinctively she answered it. Paying no attention to her hose on the vacuum. When she heard whoosh. She looked, and her worst fears were confirmed. She had sucked Chippie into the vacuum. In a panic she turns the vacuum off, opens it up to find Chippie in the middle of the bag covered in dust and dirt. Immediately she picks him up and rushes to the bathroom sink. She turns on the water and immerses him. Believing she has done the right thing to clean him up, she now looks at him and realizes that he is shivering and soaked. Realizing where she is and recognizing what is available, she picks up her hair dryer and turns it on high. A reporter gets wind of the incident. After the interview he asks, “So how’s Chippie?” The owners reply, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore.” Neither do we when we have been “sucked in, washed up, and blown away”. We all have been. However when this happens to us, it is important that we become like the jockey hired by a Kentucky horse farmer.
You see there were these two Kentucky horse farmers who raced each other once a year. This race very competitive and they both wanted to win so badly. One year one of the farmers found a jockey to ride his horse. This professional jockey filled his farmer so with hopes of winning. The race was off. It was a muddy day. They were neck and neck all the way until the last turn. That is when one slipped knocking both horses to the ground. The professional jockey gets back up, gets on the horse, and wins the race.
He rides over to the owner who is mad. The jockey is so excited and says, “We won!” The owner says, “You don’t know what you did do you?” The jockey replied, “I know that I fell. That happens, the important thing is that I got back up and on the horse finished the race and won!” By this time the owner is mad enough to bite nails and screams, “You got back up and on the horse alright, but you got on the wrong horse!”
When we fall we often get on the wrong horse. The horse of anger, jealousy, pride, wealth, when we need to get on God’s horse of success!
Israel had to deal with it’s past. “Moses my servant is dead”. The leader that they had followed for 40 years was now dead. The man God used to free them from their bondage, to feed them, to do all sorts of mighty miracles is now dead. God says deal with your past. It wasn’t the man Moses, it was Me.
Churches depend too much on their leaders or pastors and not enough on God. When God pulls the leaders away, they panic. God continues to call us forth into the “promised land”. God had led them from Egypt to the desert, from the desert into the wilderness. Now He wanted to lead them from the wilderness to crossing over the Jordan. God is leading His church to new horizons all the time. One thing is for sure; we can’t stay in Egypt and still get to the Promised Land. If we are going to be obedient, we must follow God. That means we can’t stay where we are, we must faithfully move out.
However we can’t move out until we deal with our past. Israel had to mourn Moses’ death. God gives us grace and time to deal with our past. It’s okay to mourn our past leaders, it’s okay to mourn our past sins, however there is a time when God says, deal with it. It’s time to move!
II. Develop His plan. (3-6)
President Ulysses S. Grant was taken to the golf course one day. A golfer wanted him to experience what golf was about. The golfer went into extensive explanations of the swing. Then he wanted to model the golf swing for President Grant. He teed up the ball, swung, and missed the ball completely taking a huge divot and leaving the ball in place. He repeated this three times. On the third time the President said, “This game seems exciting, but I am not sure what the ball is for.” We need to discover what the ball is for. Too many churches are like the farmer who had a visitor stop and ask him directions on how to get to town. His reply was, “Doesn’t matter to me which road you take.” It does matter, and it should matter to the church!
To develop His plan we must:
1. Find His plan. (3-4)
God had already given them the territory. But they hadn’t discovered it yet. They had to find where God was working. Church, God has already given us things, but we still have to find it and develop it.
2. Finish His plan. (5)
They were promised, “No man shall be able to stand…” Did this mean that there wouldn’t be a war? No. It meant that God would provide victory! We aren’t promised peace as the world knows it, but we are promised the peace of God in the midst of any crisis. Our calling is not one of ease, but of endurance.
3. Have Faith in His plan. (6)
God tells Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage”. Why? Joshua could be strong and of good courage because God is with Him and God is giving this land to Israel. Joshua must have faith in God’s plan. When we start implementing God’s plan, the going will get rough. We must have faith that God will do what He said.
III. Discover His power. (7)
The end of verse 7 says, “that you may prosper wherever you go.” Joshua discovered God’s power. God prospered His people by allowing them to experience His power. Are we prospering wherever we go? How do we prosper? We prosper when we do what Joshua did. We prosper when we obey God’s word, we don’t turn from it at all! God told Moses what to do, God told Joshua, and God will tell us!
IV. Determine His principles. (8)
Israel was able to determine God’s principles. To determine God’s principles we must:
1. Comprehend His word. “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth”. In order for us to determine God’s principles we must spend time in His word. Read to understand.
2. Consider His word. “Meditate day and night”. The second step is to meditate. Meditation causes us to think about what God is saying. Take it to heart. Allowing our minds to be transformed and renewed. (Rom. 12:2)
3. Carryout His word. To determine God’s principles is totally meaningless if we don’t apply them. It is an act of futility unless we carry them our, “be doers of the word.”
V. Depart with His purpose. (9)
1. Our purpose is to be motivated by His command. Who is sending us? “Have not I commanded you?” Self did not motivate them God motivated them.
2. Our purpose is strengthened by His commission. “Have not I commanded you?” Jesus said, “Go into all the world”. We are not affected by what others say or think.
3. Our purpose is solidified by His Company. Who is with us? We unite in the promise that if God is for us, who can be against us?”
Our church becomes motivated by His purpose and His presence! But before we jump the gun, let me ask: Have you dealt with your past? Have you developed His plan? Have you discovered His power for your life? Have you determined His principles? Do you have His purpose? You can experience all these and more today! The first step is to be saved. The second step could be to join this church. The third step is to meet on Tuesday night and help us determine where God is leading us.
