When You Face Tremendous Obstacles

Intro: What tremendous obstacle are you facing this morning? Ex. My best friends son had cancerShare telephone call from Wayne Patton about Luke having cancer; We broke down in prayer over the phone. Praise the Lord, Luke Patton is cancer free today! You are going to face tremendous obstacles in life. The Bible teaches there is no obstacle to big for the Lord. What do you do when you face tremendous obstacles?

I. DEVOTE YOURSELF FULLY TO THE LORD!

A. Joshua is about to lead the people out of their 40 years of wilderness wanderings into the Promised Land! You need to show that same spirit of devotion to the Lord if you are going to live the life of victory that awaits.

B. Devotion - World Cup Soccer, Lebron James, Tim Tebow, the Biggest Loser on TV

C. How do you know you are fully devoted to the Lord?

1. You are a devoted to prayer (Josh. 3:1) – Prayerful people have learned they cannot make it on their own. They need God. The number one priority in your life is your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have a daily time of prayer? Just tell God you love Him and thank Him for who He is and all He’s done. Ex. When you’re faced with a busy day, save precious time by skipping your devotions. Signed, Satan.

Quest: Who or what has your full devotion this morning? God desires and deserves to have your total devotion. Why? He’s Boss. Try going to your boss Monday morning and saying, “Here is your work for the day; assignments I want done by 4 PM!” In reality it’s the opposite. The Boss sets the agenda! You don’t tell Him what to do, He tells you! Many Christians believe they are supposed to tell God what they want to do and then ask Him to bless.

2. You are devoted to obedience to the Lord (Josh. 3:2-3). Obedience to the Lord is what brings the blessing of God. Obedience to the Lord is not always easy, but what’s the alternative? Death, Defeat, Discouragement. What kind of testimony do you want to leave behind? Millions of God’s people had died in the wilderness because they did not walk with God in obedient faith. Hebrews 3:15-19; What could be a sweeter gift to the Lord and to your family that you loved God with full devotion. Ex. Jen Patton, “I devote my whole life to the Lord daily.” Your devotion to the Lord can change your family, church, relationships, etc. Joshua 3:3, “go after it”; What did the Israelites crossing over the Jordan into Canaan represent? It represents victorious Christian living! Victory in the Christian life comes by surrender and obedience to the Lord. God has brought you out of a life of sin (wilderness) and into a life of devotion and service to the One who rescued you. He brings you out of a life of sin and into a life of worshipful service.

3. You are devoted to spiritual preparation. (Josh. 3:4-5). Do you prepare yourself for God’s best? When I think of devotion it’s similar to a strong marriage. Ex. Amy and I preparing for marriage (pastoral counseling, pure, prayed, sought parents blessing), etc. We did our best to prepare ourselves, yet still find that marriage is an adventure! The enemy will do all he can to make you angry, bitter, selfish, etc. The key to is stay totally devoted to one another under the Lordship of Jesus! No one else can have me, just Amy Cook. Just as I’m set apart for Amy alone, I am set apart to the Lord alone. “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Set apart; “Refiner’s fire, my hearts one desire is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord, choose to be holy, set apart for You, My Master, ready to do Your will.”

4. You are devoted to His Lordship. (Josh. 3:3, 3:6). “Ark.” The Ark represented His Presence. When you face tremendous obstacles, remember His Presence is always with you. Three important items were inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible); You must remember God’s Word! The second item that was inside the Ark was a jar of manna – remind them of God’s provision. God will take care of you daily. God gave His people manna every day to eat. The third item in the Ark of Covenant was Aaron’s rod; You remember in the wilderness, God’s people began to rebel, each rod of the leader of 12 tribes were placed near the Holy of Holies; It was Aaron’s rod that flowered and had almonds on it; God declared loud and clear that Aaron was to be the priest in Israel. Pentateuch rep. His Principles, Manna rep. His provision, and the Rod represented His Power. Ark rep. His Presence.