BECOMING A JOSHUA PEOPLE
Josh 1:1-9 – The commission
Seven attributes of Joshua
Joshua was a faith person.
He had faith to believe God when no one else did
He was faithful to God and the leadership
Joshua had vision
He saw the potential within the promise & God’s people
He could see God’s favor was upon them
Joshua had purpose
He knew God’s desire for the people
He needed to lead the people into the promise
Joshua had training
God called him to lead early on
He learned under Moses
Joshua had patience
He waited for support from the people
He never gave up the possibilities
Joshua had a promise
God gave the land
God gave the resources to do it
Joshua had a work ethic
He understood the task
He rolled up his sleeves
Today’s Application
God gave them the land but he didn’t tell all the other people to get out. God told His people to go in.
Deut 4:1
"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. NKJV
Jesus did the same thing thru the cross.
Rom 8:32; 1 Cor 3:21; 2 Peter 1:3 (Last weeks message… Gave us all things…)
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. NKJV
AMP Mark 16:15 … the whole human race].
CEV Mark 16:15 … to everyone in the world.
NCV Mark 16:15 … "Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.
TLB Mark 16:15 … to everyone, everywhere.
TEV Mark 16:15 … "Go throughout the whole world …
RSV Mark 16:15 … to the whole creation.
SO WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO AND DO
We don’t need a prophecy… it’s already been given through Christ.
God told us but he didn’t tell them.
Here are three simple spiritual laws that you can apply to your life.
1. Before you can change the world around you, you must first change the world within you.
We must drive out the inhabitants (Works of the flesh)
Gal 5:19-21
19 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;
20 trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
21 the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
How? Renew your mind Rom 12:2… Think on Good things Phil 4:8
The results are well worth it.
Gal 5:22-23
22 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard — things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
2. If you want to hear God you need to listen.
If we are going to take this city we need direction & answers from God
Jer 33:3 ’Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ NKJV
Ps 99:6-7 God spoke to his people…
1 Kings 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. NKJV
3. If you want God’s best you must give Him your best.
All of God’s promises are hinged on our willingness to believe and obey.
Gal 6:7-8 – Sowing and Reaping
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, ESV
Conclusion:
You as an individual & We as the Church have what we worked for.
If we stop to admire our small success we’ll miss the greatness God has for us.
We must keep moving into the land God is giving us.
