"ALMOST, IS NOT ENOUGH"
TEXT: JOSHUA 1-4
INTRODUCTION
[1:1-9]
I am sure that most of us have heard the expression that Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. To almost hit your target with a grenade or to almost get a ringer, sometimes is good enough, sometimes it is all you need, to win.
But this "almost rule", is not universal and it does not apply in all areas. A lot of times almost is not good enough, frequently almost is not all we need -- many times almost means we lose.
What good was it for Gary Hall to almost win the gold in swimming against the Russian Rocket.
What good is it to almost hit a home run.
What wife would accept her husbands explanation that he was almost faithful.
If you saw the Mets and Red Sox World Series several years ago, what good would it have been for Bill Buckner to say, "I almost fielded that ground ball."
Nor is it any good to tell the police who pulled you over, "well, officer, I almost was doing the speed limit."
Sometimes almost is not good enough, sometimes it means, you fail the class, miss the bus, get a ticket or have to go back to the bench.
Look how many stories in the Bible would have been different if the people only went half way, and thought that almost was good enough.
David would have almost fought Goliath;
Noah would have almost build the ark;
Abraham would have almost went to Mt. Moriah with Isaac;
Moses would have almost led the Israelites out of Egypt;
Ezra would have almost rebuild the temple;
John the Baptist would have almost prepared the way...
If these men only went part way, it would not have been enough, and more then likely their names would be as familiar to us as; (SHAMMUA, SHAPHAT, IGAL, PALTI, GADDIEL, GADDI, AMMIEL, SETHUR, NAHBI, GEUEL; 10 SPIES WHO ALMOST BROUGHT BACK A GOOD REPORT).
As the book of Joshua opens up God’s people the Israelites are almost to the promise land. They are at the very edge and the promise land lies west, just across the Jordan River.
So there Joshua and all of Israel were, camped on the east side of the Jordan, just waiting to enter the land that was promised to their fathers, nearly 700 years ago. What a journey it was, that God’s people took over those years.
It all started back 2092 BC when Abraham was called by God to father a nation of people who would worship the One True God. God promised Abraham that this nation would be a great nation and would possess a great land, "The Promise Land."
Their journeys would eventually take them to Egypt, where they would spend 430 years, nearly all of which was as slaves, building cities for the pharaohs. Their time in Egypt was not pleasant, Exodus 1:14 reads; "THEY MADE THEIR LIFE BITTER WITH HARD LABOR IN BRICK AND MORTAR AND WITH ALL KINDS OF WORK IN THE FIELDS; IN ALL THEIR HARD LABOR THE EGYPTIANS USED THEM RUTHLESSLY."
But God did not forget them during their hardships, their cries were heard by the Mighty One, and He sent them a deliverer. Moses through he power of God performed great miracles and won the Israelites freedom, bringing the powerful Egyptian Empire to her knees.
But even though the Israelites saw God’s mighty hand, they rejected God shortly after their deliverance and were forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. The entire generation that had rejected God, except for Caleb and Joshua were now dead, and the new generation was only a river away from entering the promise land, they were almost there, after 700 years. But almost was not good enough, they needed to go all the way.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY, Christianity has so little impact on the world. Have you ever wondered why Christians adults and teens don’t seem to be all that different from the world. Many recent studies have shown that the values and ethics of Christians is not at all that different from those in the world. Is that good news? Does that mean that our world is rapidly becoming more moral? I think we all know the answer to that. What the closing of the gap simply means is that, Too many Christians can lie, abuse their families emotionally and physically, steal, drink, cheat ..etc with the best of them.
Today, I’d like to suggest a reason for this decline within Christianity and I will also propose a solution.
The reason, I believe is really very simple. FAR TOO MANY CHRISTIANS, have only gone, "almost" with God. They like the Israelites, have been delivered from bondage, a much more deadly and more powerful bondage, then Egyptian slavery, the bondage of sin, whose wage is death, eternal death.
But though they have been delivered, many Christians like the Israelites have stopped far to short of true spiritual greatness for God. They are at the brink, they are at the cutting edge, they are "almost" there, but "almost" isn’t enough. It certainly isn’t enough to turn the world upside down.
Jesus said in John 10:10, "I HAVE COME THAT THEY (THAT’S US), MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL."
Jesus in John chapter 4 said, that who ever comes to him and drinks form His well will never be thirsty again. Yet many Christians are running around with their cups empty and their mouths parched.
Countless Christians trudge through this life, never feeling satisfied, never feeling joyful or content, yet Jesus said, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THEY WILL BE SATISFIED
When we read the accounts of the early Christians, about how they were joyful in spite of what to us seems like unbearable circumstances. How did they do it? Were they better then us? Did God care more about them? Is God unable to do for us what he did for them? Is Jesus not able to do for us what he did for Paul, give us the strength to endure any and every circumstance? Is our God running out of power or just losing concern for His people?
The answer to all of those questions obviously is NO!!!!! The problem is not with God.
The reason many of the first century Christians had joy in spite of hardships and turned their world upside down, is because they did not stop at going "almost", THEY WENT "ALL THE WAY" with God. THEY CROSSED OVER WHAT CAN BE CALLED THEIR SPIRITUAL JORDAN AND they ENTERED THE CHRISTIAN PROMISED LAND.
A land where they realized and enjoyed the forgiveness of sin and no longer let guilt stifle their walk.
A land where they truly knew that Christ was with them, they felt His presence as their Lord, Savior and Friend.
A land where they walked in the newness of life, leaving behind the old.
A land where they had true joy, a joy that was based on the unmovable rock of Jesus Christ and their relationship to Him, a joy resulting in an unquenchable praise and adoration.
A land where they allowed the spirit and the Word to help them be more Christ-like.
A land where they believed, used and saw in action the powerful privilege of prayer.
A land where they gained victory over sin through the blood and power of the Lamb.
A land where their cup was full and their hearts were satisfied.
A land where they could stare death in the face and see it as sweet victory. Because for them TO LIVE WAS CHRIST AND TO DIE WAS GAIN".
SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE DOESN’T IT. ACROSS THE RIVER IS LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY. A LAND WHERE EVERY CHRISTIAN will EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF SALVATION AND RISE ABOVE MEDIOCRITY AND SERVE CHRIST WHOLEHEARTEDLY. LIKE THE ISRAELITES GOD HAS ONLY ONE PLACE THAT HE INTENDS FOR CHRISTIANS TO LIVE AFTER HE DELIVERS THEM FROM BONDAGE.
AS WE STUDY THE EARLY PART OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA TODAY, WE WILL SEE THAT OUR JOURNEY INTO OUR PROMISE LAND IS LIKE THE ISRAELITES JOURNEY IN 4 RESPECTS.
I. WE LIKE THEY, NEED TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND.
Some of you may have heard this story before, but that’s okay you’re going to here it again, because I like it and it makes a powerful point.
BOOT CAMP ILLUSTRATION; SWIMMING-SMILING-WEIGHTS-SINKING
A. Before God’s people could enter the promise land something had to be left behind. When the nation of Israel back in Numbers 14 sinned and rejected God and refused to go into the promised land God said, [Nu 14:21-24]
We read in Deuteronomy 2:14, "THAT ENTIRE GENERATION OF FIGHTING MEN HAD PERISHED FROM THE CAMP AS THE LORD HAD SWORN TO THEM." These sinful men who had rejected God and who had prevented God’s people from entering into the promise land were now gone and could no longer prevent them from entering.
B. One of the main reasons that we never go all the way with God, one of the chief hindrances in the crossing of Our Spiritual Jordan is our sin.
Just as my friend in boot camp couldn’t stop smiling and almost sunk, if we keeping on sinning we too may sink on the way as well.
Now this is does not mean, that we will never sin again, because as long as we live in the flesh we will battle with sin. But sin is not to the characteristic of our life and we are not to excuse any sin in our life, saying "O that’s just the way I am."
In I Corinthians 6 and in Galatians 5 Paul lists several of the acts of the sinful nature: sexual immorality, impurity, slander, greed, idolatry (put anything before God!), hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,, factions and we can add pride, unforgiveness, bitterness...etc.
Too many Christians take a much too apathetic attitude towards there sin, they know they do certain things, have certain thoughts and attitudes, but they exert no significant effort to deal with and remove those sins from their life.
Let me say that if we try to experience the abundant life that Jesus has promised us, if we try to cross Our Spiritual Jordan carrying along this heavy load of sin, we will not make it, we will sink on the way.
Sin is serious Paul also told those Christians in Corinth not to be deceived, that those who habitually practice these sins will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
If their is sin in our lives/your life that is keeping us/you from realizing your full Christian potential, let’s deal with it now, let’s leave it behind so that we/you can cross over into spiritual greatness for God.
Hebrews 12:1, "LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES - AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US."
II. WE LIKE THEY, MUST DEVELOP GENUINE FAITH
A. Joshua had a deep faith in God, if he didn’t have faith he never would have crossed the Jordan River to begin with.
Crossing the Jordan took faith on Joshua’s part because there were many obstacles and plenty of reasons not to go, some of which were:
1. THE RIVER ITSELF; 90-100 feet wide
3- 12 feet deep
The time of the year that they were crossing would find the river at flood stage, ragging and swollen from the melting snow up in the mountains. (no bridge no boat and millions of people)
2. THE CITIES; OVER THERE WERE WELL FORTIFIED AND THEY HAD WEAPONS - AND TRAINED SOLDIERS; WHAT DID JOSHUA HAVE? NOT MUCH.
3. THE PEOPLE HE WAS LEADING; were an obstacle as well, they did not have a very good track record, when you study Exodus through Deuteronomy -- you see just how on and off these people were).
I’m sure in the back of Joshua’s mind was the question as to whether they would quit when the going got tough. (lead a charge on the city and be left standing alone).
4. HIMSELF; Am I really a strong enough leader, can I really fill the shoes of Moses.
B. Sounds like an awful lot of reasons not to go, the odds seem to be stacked against him.
What was he going to do? Did he have anything going for him?
Joshua had an undying faith in God, and His faith was real and not lip service.
1. what is real faith?
Real faith is what a young man had when he went out armed with just 5 smooth stones and a sling, to fight the 10 foot giant goliath in the Valley of Elah.
What happened to the faith of the hundreds of soldiers now cowering in the shadows. Before they met Goliath they probably bragged about their faith, but only one walked into the valley. Only one had real faith, even the King stayed in the mountains.
Real faith is what Noah had, when he built an ark for himself and his family, in a land the had never seen rain and when he did not even have any children.
Real faith is what the people of Old had when they continued to follow God even though they did not receive the things promised....
Real faith is a faith that is lived, and not merely talked.
2. where do we get real faith?
We live in a society that wants things fast, we want things now, and we want things easy.
Christians even want their faith fast and easy. Many dream of the day when a former chemist turned preacher will invent a faith pill, just pop one of those babies each day and you’ll have the faith you need.
But there is no quick way to have faith but to develop it and use, exercise it. We need to work it out like a muscle (grow and strength).
That’s what Joshua and the Israelites did when they crossed the Jordan river. [Joshua 3:14-15]
Joshua put his faith in God, if God said it, he believed it and he knew that God would deliver.
He did not look to his own obstacles and calculate that the odds where not in his favor ("I’m staying home) but rather he looked to God and his strength and stepped out in faith.
If we are ever to go all the way with God, we must develop a genuine faith in God, and we must have unwavering confidence that the path he calls us to is the best, and is for our best.
If we don’t have genuine faith we’ll quit as soon as the road starts uphill and the ride gets bumpy.
III. WE LIKE THEY, MUST BE FULLY ARMED
[1;14]
A. If a soldier reported to the front lines wearing just his underwear, he would look pretty silly wouldn’t he, and besides that he would probably get himself killed.
When a soldier goes to battle he reports fully armed.
B. If we ever want to go all the way with God, if we want to live up to our full Christian potential, if we want to cross Our Spiritual Jordan, we need to be fully armed.
You may ask, Why do we need to be fully armed? Because our enemy has been in hot pursuit after us ever since we were delivered. And just as the mighty Pharaoh pursued the Israelites, satan pursues the Christian. And Satan does not want us to go all the way with God. As a matter of fact one of his best weapons is: half-hearted, non committed- lukewarm, casual, mediocre Christians. And he wants all Christians to stay that way.
And if we try to go over without being fully armed he’ll blow us right out of the water, one fiery dart and we’ve had it. For many Christians that is exactly what happens, they make an attempt to cross over to Spiritual greatness for God but because they show up for battle wearing only spiritual underwear they get sunk on the way.
What kind of armor is a Christian to wear; where do we find out what it is? (if we don’t know what it is - how we can’t put it on). [Eph 6:10-18]
"truth", our personal integrity is important
And our righteous life, like a Roman breast plate is a chief defensive weapon against Satan.
Footgear is important to a soldier. George Washington troops at Valley Forge had bleeding shoeless feet. Such soldiers are nearly helpless. We need to prepare ourselves by having our feet firmly planted in the Word. (know it - study it - live it!!)
Another vital part of our spiritual armor is Prayer; prayer is communication, and communication is vital to any battle. Prayer keeps open the lines of communication with our commander in chief, and provides a way for us to help our fellow soldiers.
IF WE WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY WITH GOD THEIR ARE SOME THINGS WE NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND. AND WE NEED TO DEVELOP A GENUINE FAITH AND WE MUST BE FULLY ARMED.
IV. WE LIKE THEY, MUST FOLLOW GOD
A. When the Israelites went into battle, and when they crossed the Jordan they new who they were following.
[3:3,4] The people were to follow the ark and then they would know which way to go. And the ark represented to them the very presence of God. (2 angels, presence of God in the middle).
God did not leave them without direction, he did not leave them without a leader, He was their leader, and he showed them which way to go.
And as the people began passing through the Jordan, the priests stood firm on dry ground holding up the ark, signifying to the people that God was with them.
B. God has not left us without a leader, He has not left us wondering which way to go.
2000 years ago God came to show us the way, He came and put
on human flesh, to lead the way. And for those 2000 years He has been lifted up so that as we pass through the waters of this life that we too can walk through on dry ground, knowing that Jesus is there, leading the way.
C. Those who want to go all the way with God.
Those who want to cross their spiritual Jordan.
Must follow Jesus, they must be like Jesus, They must walk as Jesus walked. And they must be fully armed, they must develop a deep faith and they must leave behind the sin that so easily entangles and hinders their walk.
CONCLUSION
ACROSS THE RIVER IS A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY. A LAND WHERE EACH CHRISTIAN CAN LIVE UP TO their FULL POTENTIAL and have joy regardless of circumstances. JESUS CAME THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL.
THE FACT THAT TO MANY, THIS SEEMS FAR OUT, UNREALISTIC, SHOWS JUST HOW FAR WAY THEY REALLY ARE FROM GOING "ALL THE WAY" WITH GOD.
IF YOU EVER STUDIED JOSHUA BEFORE YOU know THAT THEY DID CROSS OVER AND THAT THEY DID TAKE POSSESSION OF THE PROMISE LAND. BUT THERE IS A SAD PART IN JOSHUA’S CONQUEST OF THE PROMISE LAND, AND THAT IS THAT NOT ALL OF ISRAEL SETTLED IN THE PROMISE LAND. THE TRIBES OF GAD, REUBEN AND HALF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH WERE CONTENT TO LEAVE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN. TO SPEND THEIR LIFE MERELY GAZING ACROSS THE RIVER AT THE PROMISE LAND BUT NEVER KNOWING WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE TO LIVE THERE.
MANY CHRISTIANS ARE CONTENT, OR AT LEAST THEY CHOOSE TO GO ONLY ALMOST WITH GOD. THEY LIVE THEIR ENTIRE LIFE NEVER KNOWING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO REALLY LIVE A DYNAMIC/JOYFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE, THEY ONLY GAZE AT IT FROM A DISTANCE, BUT NEVER EXPERIENCE IT.
AND CHRISTIANS LIKE THAT HAVE A VERY LITTLE CHANCE OF IMPACTING THEIR WORLD.
ALMOST IS OKAY IN SOME THINGS, BUT NOT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON TODAY? EAST LOOKING -- WEST LIVING
WHICH SIDE DOES JESUS WANT YOU ON?
THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO I HEARD WORDS TO A SONG THAT HAVE REALLY STUCK WITH ME AND HAS CHALLENGED ME OVER THE YEARS, I’LL CLOSE WITH THEM TODAY.
"I DON’T WANT BE, I DON’T WANT TO BE A CASUAL CHRISTIAN.
I DON’T WANT LIVE, I DON’T WANT LIVE A LUKEWARM LIFE,
CAUSE I WANT TO LIGHT UP THE NIGHT WITH AN EVERLASTING LIGHT.
I DON’T WANT TO LIVE A CASUAL CHRISTIAN LIFE.
I DON’T!
DO YOU?
