Safeguarding The Good Life-3 Series

SAFEGUARDING The GOOD LIFE-III—Joshua 3:1-6

Good Life/Well/Abundant

Attention:

Some things are worth protecting.

The Good Life we have in Christ is particularly worth safeguarding/ protecting.

Need:

We all want ‘the good life.’

Joshua prepared the children of Israel for entrance into the promised land.

Christians must be prepared to enter the abundant life.

How can God’s people be prepared for entering the abundant life?

4 safeguards/assurances for entering the promised land/ living the Abundant Life/Good Life

We found earlier that The Good Life is Safeguarded at/by/thru...

1. The BRINK(:1)

2. The LORD(:2-4)

3—The Good Life is Safeguarded at/by/thru...

PERMISSIVE ENABLING(:5)

Explanation:(:5)Respect/Humility/Prepare/Cleanse/Sanctify/Allow

:5—“And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.””

In order to prepare for the crossing, the people were to consecrate themselves.

Joshua knew that the LORD would do something miraculous in the sight of all the people. It would happen the next day. They were to be prepared for the events of the following day.

?Do you Prepare for worship? or ?How do you prepare for worship?

The Lord is going to do something for you, so you must personally ready yourself to receive its full benefits!

Some of you don’t have the first clue how to give God permission to use you. Let it begin here for you...with receiving the truth! God requires your permission!

He will never force Himself upon you, But...you will also have to live with the consequences of your own choice(s).

“Sanctify/Consecrate”—vdq kaw-dash’—Hitpael(reflexive/reciprocal) Imperative—to “Sanctify” or ‘Holify’[the noun ‘Holy’ made into a verb]—1) To consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. Strong—a primitive root; To be(causatively--Make, pronounce or observe as) clean(ceremonially or morally).

“Wonders”—alp paw-law'—1) To be marvelous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action. Strong—a primitive root; properly--Perhaps to separate, i.e. Distinguish(literally or figuratively); by implication--To be(causatively--Make) great, difficult, wonderful.

Argumentation:

Ex. 3:4-5—[Moses at the burning bush]—“So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush & said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Don’t even bring the dust of your travels for you are in the presence of utter holiness!

Lev. 11:45, 19:2, 20:7, 26—“‘For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”.....“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, & say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”.....“‘Consecrate yourselves therefore, & be holy, for I am the LORD your God.....“‘And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, & have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”

1Pet. 1:14-16—“as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

2Cor. 6:16-7:1—“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Jn. 17:14-21—“I have given them Your word; & the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, & I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Acts 26:15-18—[Paul’s testimony to King Agrippa]—“So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ‘But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’”