The Future: Won By Some, Lost By Others

THE FUTURE: A Race Won By Some, Lost By Others

Joshua 23

How many of you, young people of today will one day in the future, find yourselves sitting in a dark corner of your rented and very small room, looking at your 3 hungry but sleeping children and wondering about the source of their food for the following day?

How many of us today parents will one day, at 80 years old, sit down in an old, squeaky and retirable wooden rocking chair, wondering about whether we have in fact, become victors or casualties in the ever deepening struggle of parenthood?

Read Joshua 23

With Regards to the future, each one of our generation now, and each of those who come after us, will each have a label which would not only describe our status at that time but also describe the life that we have had.

IN THE FUTURE, EACH ONE WILL HAVE ONE OF THESE LABELS:

THE PERSON WHO DID NOT MAKE IT- The people who were supposed to have been given the assurance of a very good future, given the ability to earn their future and given the resources to get to their future but failed along the way and did not recover.

THE PERSON WHO ALMOST MADE IT- are people who have actually started to enjoy life. Life looked very promising and then something happened. They were not able to finish the race.

THE PERSON WHO ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT. These are people who also, like us, have their own share of failures but got to the their future, recovered from their sins and mistakes and enjoyed their life and also guaranteed a good life for their children.

Men who almost made it to their future

• Moses- allowed to see the promised land but not allowed to enter. The Promised Land was the biggest of all the dreams of the Israelites. Moses sw the land but, by God’s will, died without touching the soil of the Promised Land.

• Achan- was in the promised land but was punished with death. His sin cost him his entire future.

• Saul- was given a kingdom but was not allowed to continue as king.

Men who almost did not make it to their future

• Joshua- failed in Ai. Deceived by the Gibeonites, but recovered and became a great leader. He got to his future.

• David- failed in personal purity but recovered and died an old man.

• Solomon- failed for being “too loving” (relating with 1,000 women) but was allowed to finish his term. He also got to his future.

• Peter- denied ever knowing Jesus 3 times in just one night but recovered and became the leader of the apostles

“future-determinants”

• Whether you will make it or not depends on whether you are willing to take to heart or not the three (3) unchanging “future determining principles”

What exactly are these 3 unchanging FUTURE-DETERMINING PRINCIPLES?

I-THE LORD FIGHTS FOR HIS PEOPLE

• HE FOUGHT FOR YOU- Josh 23:3. “…it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

Josh 23:3. 3 You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. Josh 23:9.

9 "The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.

• HE FIGHTS FOR YOU- Josh 23:10. “…the LORD your God fights for you,”

Josh 23:10. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised.

• HE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU- Josh 23:5. “…He will push them out before you,”

Josh 23:5. The LORD your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

II-THE LORD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES

Josh 23:14. "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

• THESE WERE COVENANTAL PROMISES INTENDED TO BENEFIT ALL BELIEVERS OF ALL GENERATIONS. See chapter 24. Gen. 12. Gen 12:1-3

12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."