What is your promised land?

Announcements

Men’s group next Saturday

Men’s hangout at Dan’s house. We will be throwing some darts and life sized Jenja. You can come whenever but we will be starting at 5.

Womens painting party 18th 6pm

Soul Winning. Bring up Robert and Bryan

Offering Mark 12

The scarlet ribbon

I saw a scarlet ribbon floating around the room last Sunday. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions so I did some studying about the red cord. I immediately went to Joshua with Rahab and I’ll share what I believe God was showing me at the end.

But more than that, I want to walk through the first chapter of Joshua. It’s been a while since we have gone through a book but I want to go through this. It’s so rich.

Intro to Joshua

Before we can talk about Joshua we first have to go back to the death of Moses.

In Deuteronomy 34 we see that Moses went to the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo which is on the opposite side of Jericho. The bible says that God showed him all the land that He swore to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. In vs 4 God tells him that he wanted him to see it with his own eyes but he couldn’t go over there.

Part of me hurts for Moses. He did so much for the nation of Israel only to get soooooo close. I’m sure Moses in his pride wanted to be able to march this children of Israel into the promised land. Then I wonder if part of Moses was grateful that he could at least see it. I wonder if he looked at the promised land and smiled and then looked over at the children of Israel and smiled even more. Knowing that he did everything that he could do to prepare them to walk into the promised land.

You see, I believe that Christians can become so short sighted. It’s all about us. What can God do for us. But can I let you in on a little secret.....your life is not your own and you aren’t suppose to live for yourself.

What if we lived in a way to set up the generation that follows us. What if it’s not about us.

Joshua 1

Joshua 1:1–5 ESV

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Imagine Joshua at this point. Not knowing what to do. He walked with Moses who was such an incredible leader. Moses stood face to face with God as a friends do and now he’s gone.

God in His graciousness comes to Joshua and has a little pep talk. God lays out the plan for Joshua and gives him strict instructions. He tells them that step on is to cross the Jordan river and that every place the sole of your foot will tread upon is yours.

Joshua 1:6–9 (ESV)

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In this passage of scripture God talks about the book of the law and to not depart from in, to not let it depart from his mouth, to meditate on it day and night and to do all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.

But God also tells Joshua 3 times to be strong and courageous. If I were him I would wonder what the heck is coming.

In vs 10-15 Joshua rallies the people and tells them to get the provisions ready. For in 3 days they will cross the Jordan. Let’s pick it up in vs 16. Joshua 1:16-18

Joshua 1:16–18 ESV

16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Joshua chapter 2

In the beginning of chapter 2 we see that Joshua sends out 2 spies to Jericho. Now if you remember Joshua and Caleb were the first original spies to spy out the promised land.

They end up going there and staying with a prostitute named Rahab. The king of Jericho finds out and sends men to Rahabs house and commands her to bring them out but she had hidden them under some bundles of flax but tells them that the men did come but they left and to go and pursue them. The men take off and she goes and has a conversation with the two men.

Joshua 2:8–11 ESV

8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

Our lives are marked by miracles. I think that the hardest part with christians is getting them to see the miracles in their lives. I listen to christians all the time and can see the finger prints of God all over their lives but most of the time they don’t see it.

I want to give you some homework. Write down at least one miracle that God has done in your life.

Have worship team come up

Joshua 2:12–20 ESV

12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.”

So let’s talk about the scarlet rope and a place of favor.

I believe that we have honored the Lord in this house and I believe that we will have his favor.