The Cost of Progress

· Good Morning. Welcome to the Black Church at Yale. We have three leaders who make the everyday decisions for our church--students Lauren Okine, Jailon Henry, and Marvin Durogene. My wife and I collaborate with them, and together with our BCAY members, we lead. In school year 1972-73 BCAY was founded by students and has continued to be student-led/initiated. (This academic year marks our 50th anniversary.)

· I am OrLando Yarborough III. My wife Rashele and I are alumni of Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. My wife, additionally, is an alum of Yale School of Medicine. I came to Yale in 2003 as a graduate student, earned my master's, and in 2010 earned my Ph.D. in Genetics.

· At BCAY, our vision is to see you land, learn, and launch your best life. I know that life is in and through Christ Jesus.

· In our opening text, Joshua 1, we enter the story of the Jewish people, the people of Israel. They are on this multi-generational, multi-year journey with God and with each other. (Their journey is both an individual journey of faith (with individual consequences and outcomes) and a collective journey of faith (with collective consequences and outcomes.))

· In this journey over years, generations, and geographical regions, several things are happening, some simultaneously:

· 1. Population-wise, the Israelites are growing from one person to a people. From Abraham to the nation of Israel/Israelites/Children of Israel/Jewish people.

· 2. Faith-wise, they are going from being without God to knowing God personally...knowing God in a hands-on, intimate way.

· 3. Society-wise, They are transitioning relationally/culturally from being strong and free to being enslaved and oppressed, to again being free, and now, shortly, becoming victorious.

· 4. And geographically, from living among themselves as a family to living in a foreign land, and now heading to live in their promised land--the land of Canan--just across the river Jordan. This land God promised their patriarch Abraham to give to Abraham's descendants. This would be a land of abundance (milk, honey), rest and peace from their enemies, and where God's presence would be.

· The Israelites' journey was multi-dimensional...numerous aspects worked together...they were experiences that were formative and formational to the Israelite people--these experiences took Abraham and Sarah's family, multiplied it, and formed them into the people of God.

· The journey began with Abraham saying, by faith, "Yes, God, I believe You, what you say, and will follow You forward."

· (A footnote: it amazes me how God can meet me right where I am and take an experience I thought had nothing to do with Him and use that experience to draw me closer to Him and closer to His will for my life. (If you know what I'm talking about, say, Amen.)

· God has validated for me what the Apostle Paul taught the believers in Rome

· Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

· 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

· God can redeem every experience and move us closer to Him.)

· The opening text picks up at a dramatic moment in time.

· Rewinding some: The Israelite people were a family that entered Egypt. After some time, after a change in leadership, the new Pharoh of Egypt decided to enslave and oppress the Israelite family. Instead of diminishing under that pressure/oppression, the Israelite family grew and multiplied into the Israelite nation. After 400 years of bondage, the Israelites escaped Egypt, miraculously traveling by foot across the Red Sea on dry ground. They wandered in a wilderness for 40 years, trying to get themselves into the right relationship with God to move forward into God's promised land for them.

· The Israelites have come so far, counting by years, from their time of enslavement, yet their attitude has kept them from progressing further(--hence, the wandering in the wilderness for 40 years).

· Today now, is their season to go forward, to progress. But they have experienced tragedy.

· (And I think about us today. Yes, we are progressing (I look at you, and I see progress)--for some progressing in things personal, professional, academic, work-related, perhaps financial...as a church being in person, as a university being able to have Family and Friends Weekend once again, graduations once again. Yet, a lot has happened (with you) leading up to today. Accompanying this progress is, perhaps, much loss...sacrifice. Yes, we praise, but I also want for you to know that it's okay to mourn/grieve...and to acknowledge all you've been through.)

· Israelites, beyond enduring 400 years of enslavement, a whole generation of warriors--of adults--have died during the Israelites' 40 years wandering the wilderness. To top it off, now Moses has died--Moses who led the Israelites from bondage to freedom.

· In the wilderness, a generation is gone; the Israelite children have grown up and now are poised to progress towards what God promised their parents and fore-parents.

· We enter the conversation where God is establishing new leadership--Joshua. This experience is sort of a "change of the guard,"..yet it is more than ceremonial or symbolic. God is re-establishing leadership for Israel and reconstituting a path forward.

Opening Passage: Joshua 1:1-7 ; 10-11; 21:43-45 (NKJV)

Joshua 1:1–7 NKJV

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

Opening Passage: Joshua 1:1-7; 10-11 ; 21:43-45 (NKJV)

Joshua 1:10–11 NKJV

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

Opening Passage: Joshua 1:1-7; 10-11; 21:43-45 (NKJV)

Joshua 21:43–45 NKJV

So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

· Joshua 21:43-45 (CSB) 43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side according to all he had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies were able to stand against them, for the LORD handed over all their enemies to them. 45 None of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.

· Topic: The Cost of Progress. (The Reward of Faith.)

· (Let us pray.)

· ((In the end) I know that you are going to get your degree. I know that your family is going to make it through. I know that you are going to progress towards the thing to which God is calling you, particularly this will be true the closer you walk with God personally, as a friend group, as a family, and we as a church body. I know you are going to progress. I am confident in my God for that. But what I want to validate for you today is that the journey can be tough and the price you pay to make progress can be steep.)

· (There is a cost to progress--a cost that should not be ignored. A cost that God acknowledges even while acknowledging the rewards of your faith.)

The In-between Space

· In between God establishing Joshua as leader and the children of Israel fighting battles to claim their promised land, God directs the Israelites to do several things. Four of which I will highlight for you today.

1. Prepare Your Testimony

· God instructed:

· Joshua 4:1–6 (NKJV)

Joshua 4:1–6 NKJV

And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ” Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

· I don't have to know you well to know that you have stories to share...about where you have been and what you have done, and how you have overcome. Moreover, you have testimonies of God moving in your life.

· I want to encourage you today to clarify your story. Don't let a season and experience with God get away from you without capturing what it means to you.

· Because you are going to need to remind yourself and remind those around you and those who will come after you what your journey has been and who your God is.

· People look at me now and think that life has always been easy for me but they don't know the sleepless nights and troubled thoughts. They don't know what price I paid to progress or what relationships I lost to make it through.

· Similarly, people will look at you and assume you didn't pay much to get to where you are.

· But I recognize that you sitting here today may reflect sacrifice, determination, tremendous loss, hopeful gain, pain, hurt, joy, discomfort, devotion, and disagreement.

· I don't want to sit up here and pretend everything has been a walk in the park. Even when things worked out it came at a cost. Yes, you are here, but what did you have to leave behind to get here? What did you have to pickup to make the trip?

· Look at your neighbor and say, "If you knew my journey..."

· -you just might help me praise Him.

· -you just might help me cry.

· -you just might help me shout.

· (Someone said dreaming is cheap. Executing that dream costs you something.)

· Don't let a season pass without capturing your testimony.

· One of the first things God had the children of Israel do when they made progress toward their promise was prepare their testimony.

· Today:

· 1. Clarity your story. What is your story? (Write your testimony as it's unfolding. Don't worry about trying to make people, yourself, God look good. Let God take care of that through how much He blesses you. Your responsibility is to remember the journey by writing the story.)

· (Take 60 seconds right now and begin to jot down your testimony. Write key elements of your story.) (Take 30 seconds with your neighbor to share how you got here today.) (Tell your neighbor, "To be continued."

2. Circumcise Your Heart.

· A second thing God had Joshua do was circumcise the young men who were born in the wilderness. Circumcision was evidence of their covenant with God. In the wilderness, the parents did not circumcise the sons born along the way to the promise. Before going any further, God had Joshua renew the new generation's covenant through circumcision.

· (Joshua 5:1–7)

· 2. Circumcise your heart.

· Welcome the Holy Spirit to work in your heart to commit yourself to God, to be loyal to Him.

· Romans 2:29 (NKJV)

· 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

3. Allow Yourself And Others To Heal.

· 3. Allow yourself and others to heal.

· Joshua 5:8 (NKJV)

Joshua 5:8 NKJV

So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed.

· One of the most difficult things I find, when trying to progress, is a commitment to heal and be whole.

· When your heart is circumcised and you commit yourself to God, you are asking God's Spirit to remove from you selfish ambition, deceit, sin, and anything that takes you away from God.

· That cutting away can leave you tender. Give yourself time to heal.

· God, before going straight into battle, gave space and time for the people to heal.

4. Latch On To The Provider

· 4. Latch on to the Provider (not the provision)

· Joshua 5:10–12 (NKJV)

Joshua 5:10–12 NKJV

Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

· Manna was God's provision in the wilderness. The manna sustained the people on their journey.

· When the people went from a land of lack--the wilderness--to a land of plenty--Cannan, their promised land--God had the people switch their diet. He ended one provision to establish another.

· As you make progress, what sustained you in a prior season may not be what God will use to sustain you in the new season.

· Don't get caught up on the provision. Latch onto the Provider.

· Scripture says the manna ceased. It was no longer available to the children of Israel. If they were insistent on keeping things as they previously were, they would search for manna to no avail and would have missed out on the new provision God had for them.

· In every leg of your journey, God has the provision you need. (to sustain, strengthen, establish)

· Don't get stuck pursuing that which no longer sustains you.

· Music.

· Relationship.

· Lifestyles.

· Entertainment and Recreation.

· Q: what are some things that worked for you in another season that are no longer working for you now?

· Perhaps, God has made something (someone) else available to you that you have yet to accept.

· If you will thrive on this new leg of your journey, latch onto the Provider and not the provision. Stay vigilant about what God has for you.

What We Covered Today:

· Opening passage: Joshua 1:1-7; 10-11; 21:43-45 (NKJV)

· The in-between space

· 1. Prepare your testimony

· 2. Circumcise your heart.

· 3. Allow yourself and others to heal.

· 4. Latch on to the Provider

Big Idea Summary:

· Your progress, both spiritual and natural, has cost you something.

· God is aware that you have paid a price to move forward.

· Before you move further in this next season:

· Clarify your story so that you and others remember how far you have come, what it has cost you, and that it is God Who is bringing you a nightly long way.

· Circumcise your heart to bring your loyalty to God.

· Allow yourself and others around you to heal. The change you are going through is transformational.

· Latch on to the Provider, not any specific provision. God has for you what will work in this season.

Additional Information and Resources:

· Nourishment centers Handout

· Http://bcay.church/nourishmentcenters

Conclusion / Final Thoughts:

· There is a reward to our faith journey, and I often talk about it.

· There is also a cost to this progress we make.

· Give yourself space to embrace and own the price you have paid.

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