A Call to Courage
Notes
Transcript
A Call to Courage in the Midst of Change
INTRODUCTION
COVID changed so much in our world.
Big change in our family. -- 2020 Moving to New Mexico- COVID
- change happens whether we like it or not.
Some change we can control.
It takes courage to try something new.
-Hair cut
-menu item
-new church
-foster care - 10 years ago
-Mission trip
Joshua finds himself in forced change. Moses is gone and now he is the leader.
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.
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.”
6 Courageous Steps to Obedience
6 Courageous Steps to Obedience
I. Courageous Enough to Accept the Position (1-2)
I. Courageous Enough to Accept the Position (1-2)
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.
It is hard to follow a legend. Few have been successful at it.
Dr. Brunson, FBC Dallas (1990’s Criswell influence) and FBC Jacksonville (Jerry Vines)
More than a title. Title and responsibility.
Israelites were already in a tough time. Now there was leadership change.
I find more Christians who feel unqualified.
Stop worrying about whether you are qualified. Worry about whether you are called.
If you are called, God will take care of the qualifications.
2. Courageous Enough to Recognize the Mission (3-4)
2. Courageous Enough to Recognize the Mission (3-4)
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.
Big calling.
Vision is large- Levant (Syria to Red Sea- almost Egypt)
Egypt to south and Mesopotamia/Babylon to the north.
God cast this vision 500 years earlier to Abraham.
Joshua is the next leader in line to accomplish it.
David gets close but never all of the area.-- Leaves a prophetic end.
Every position has a greater mission. -- It's not just a title.
3. Courageous Enough to Acknowledge the Power (5)
3. Courageous Enough to Acknowledge the Power (5)
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.
Joshua's power was not from within.
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Holy Spirit's power-- Pentecost. WE are not allowed to serve without relying on the Holy Spirit. If you can do it in your own power it is not from God.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
4. Courageous Enough to Define Success (6)
4. Courageous Enough to Define Success (6)
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
God showed him what success would look like but did not show him every detail of the plan.
Set Goals--
what is it God wants us to accomplish?
What is it God wants you to accomplish?
Successful people are people who set goals and work to accomplish them.
Do you fear failure to the point you fear goals?
It takes courage to put self in a position where there can be failure.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
Define success— set the goals.
5. Courageous Enough to Follow the Rules (7-8)
5. Courageous Enough to Follow the Rules (7-8)
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.
Interesting situation. Joshua was receiving special revelation, God talked to him directly. Yet, God told him to obey the Book of the Law.
We are not given the Word of God to be a burden. We are given it because it is the way to what we need. It is a fulfilled life. It is a healthy life. It is the way to a life with less pain and more joy.
It holds the way to success.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
The world says it is out dated. Times have changed.
Times have changed but God's Word has not changed. God does not change.
Truth does not change!
Culture changes/ the lost change/ church has to change in practice to stay relevant.
Music changes/ names change/ language changes/ dress changes = because we are called to communicate with the world.
However, the truth never changes!
We do not get to make up the rules to what suites us best. Jesus is Lord or he is not. He set the standards of right and wrong or he has not.
God says sex outside of marriage is sin.
God says marriage is between a man and a woman.
God says that only the sanctified are going to heaven.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Our identity is in Jesus, not ourselves. We conform to him.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
6. Courageous Enough to Live in Faith (9)
6. Courageous Enough to Live in Faith (9)
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.”
Compare to our calling in Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Trust that God is with you.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have faith that God can navigate his church through change.
Our salvation is in faith.
Saved by faith, not works.
CONCLUSION
Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ?
Are you courageous enough to live for Jesus?
Are you courageous enough to live for Jesus?