Joshua, It's Your turn

Pray

Give Honor

Text: Deuteronomy 3:26-29

Deuteronomy 3:26–29 (M:BCL)

26 But God was still angry with me because of you. He wouldn’t listen. He said, “Enough of that. Not another word from you on this. 27 Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look around: look west, north, south, east. Take in the land with your own eyes. Take a good look because you’re not going to cross this Jordan. 28 “Then command Joshua: Give him courage. Give him strength. Single-handed he will lead this people across the river. Single-handed he’ll cause them to inherit the land at which you can only look.” 29 That’s why we have stayed in this valley near Beth Peor.

Ronald regan once said

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things." -

And some of us forfeit our leadership capabilities, by leading and not building

There are two types of people in this context.

The Moses’s

And the Joshua’s

The Moses’ job is to step out of the way, and PASS IT ON

But Joshua’s job is to step up, and TAKE CHARGE

At the setting of this text, Moses is speaking to God asking him when they will go into the promise land.

It’s been 40 years in the wilderness

God tells Moses not to ask about it any longer, for Moses was not going to enter the promise land.

So Moses has a promise from God,

but Moses was now not in a position to walk in it.

What do you do, when God gives you a promise, that has nothing to do with you.

And the truth is, there are some of us who missed the promises of God because we were focused on our position.

When the truth is, you were never meant to go to the promise land in the first place.

Your job was to prepare the next generation to get there. and if we miss out, on preparing the next generation, We may miss out, on the fullness of what God has to offer.

and so my goal this morning is to have a conversation with the next generation. In hopes that they can grasp what they have waiting on them.

Joshua, IT’S your turn.

I want to preface this conversation by stating that “Joshua has nothing to do with Gender or age as much as it has to do with Potential and purpose.”

Joshua is the person, that is next in line.

You have been waiting and waiting for your moment to come, but will you be ready, when the moment gets here?

As a fellow Joshua, I want to give you some tools that you can use while you are waiting to take the people into the promise land.

Joshua, before you lead the people make sure you’re

Prepared and Ready

Mark Cuban once said: "The only thing any entrepreneur, salesperson or anyone in any position can control is their preparation. The only variable is you. When you prepare to the point where opportunity meets the potential you will see success.

At the setting of this text, God assures Moses that Joshua will be the one to take the people into the promise land.

He says Command Joshua.

This command means to give order, to give instruction, let him know, to put it in his ear.

and though it was not going to happen instantly, it gave Joshua time to prepare.

It gave Joshua a starting point but it does not give Joshua a timeline.

Joshua did not know when the oppurtinity would present itself, but Josua knew that at some point, his time was coming.

and the truth is Joshua, your time is coming, but will you be able to handle it when it gets here?

You have to be Prepared and ready.

Theres a lot you can do to prepare for your next.

Prepare by spending time in the word

Prepare by spending time in prayer

Prepare by changing your attitude

Prepare by Looking the part

Prepare by acting the part

Prepare by being the part

Prepare by saying no to some things you want to say yes to

Prepare by studying longer

Prepare by staying up a bit later

Prepare by putting the phones down and picking the books up

Prepare by speaking it into existence

Do not wait, until your oppurtinity gets here to prepare.

but Prepare until your oppurtinity gets here.

Back when I was a sophomore in HighSchool, I was playing football for one of the best schools in the state.

As a sophomore though, I was only on Junior Varsity.

But I knew I wanted to play varsity, that year.

So what I started doing was going to 7am workouts instead of the 9am workouts.

I started staying behind to put all the Jr’s and Sr’s clothes in wash bin, just so they wouldn’t kick me out.

I started skipping 7th period science and going to 7th period meetings with varsity.

I would go to the sunday Practices.

I would study the play book.

One of the second string Defensive ends were out one Sunday and they needed a 2nd string fill in.

As soon as they asked who could do it, I stepped up, and ran the play perfectly.

That Monday, I got called into the principals office.

They had changed my schedule so that I can be in 7th period with varsity.

They had given me a varsity locker

They had traded in my Russel cleats for Nike cleats and I was officially on varsity.

HERE’S THE THING.

HAD I NOT BEEN IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME,

THE OPPURTINITY WOULD HAVE NEVER COME.

AND HAD I NOT BEEN STUDYING THE PLAY BOOK,

I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO WHEN THE OPPURTINITY CAME.

The oppurtinity came as a result of my placement.

But the oppurtinity stayed as a result of my PREPARATION!!

You all will get many oppurtinities, to do many great things,

but that oppurtinity only becomes a lifestyle if you are PREPARED AND READY.

JOSHUA, the second thing you have to do is,

Make sure you build

PURPOSEFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Joshua and Moses was a purposeful relationship.

Joshua and Moses was a purposeful relationship because Moses is one who could help Push Joshua into his purpose.

see there are two types of relationships in this world

There are PURPOSE DRIVEN relationships

then

2. There are PURPOSE DESTROYING RELATIONSHIPS

Purpose destroying relationship are just what they sound like.

They are relationships that are committed to keeping you separated from your purpose.

They are relationships that Destroy your purpose.

They don’t care about your values.

There is no level of accountability

They are yes men

They tell you what you want to hear

You can tell you are in a Purpose DESTROYING RELATIONSHIP WHEN YOU DON’T ACT LIKE YOURSELF AROUND THEM.

You don’t start cursing.....until you get around them

You don’t start drinking......until you get around them

You don’t start vaping........until you get around them

You don’t start stressing....until you get around them

Purpose destroying relationships will keep you up at night

keep your anxiety on 10

Keep your pockets empty

and are full of MESS

But. Purpose DRIVEN relationships are relationships that help you execute your purpose. They help implement the purpose that God has on your life.

They hold you accountable.

They are with you in spite of, not because of.

They are not YES MEN.

THEY TELL YOU WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR, I\ EVEN IF IT MAKES YOU MAD.

Purpose DRIVEN relationships pray together

Purpose DRIVEN relationships study together.

Purpose DRIVEN relationships work together

Purpose DRIVEN relationships don’t hate on each other

Purpose DRIVEN relationships celebrate each other

Purpose DRIVEN relationships work to achieve the Goals that God has set before the both of them.

Everybody needs a purpose driven relationship

Joseph had moses

Elijah had Elisha

Timothy had Paul

Jesus had disciples

King had Mays

Kobe had Jordan

Lebron had Kobe

Kirk Houston has Sharon Houston

Michael has Majah

Susan has David

Michael has Sharon

Durrell has Delphine.

Be it through, Mentorship or marriage, Friendship or Family

Everybody needs somebody to push them into their purpose!!!!

JOSHUA, Everyone needs a purposeful relationship.

and of all the relationships I’ve named, the most purposeful relationship you can have, is your relationship with Christ.

Not only should you be prepared and ready

Not only should you build purposeful relationships

But lastly, if you want to make the most of your turn

You have to be

Powerful and Resilient

Joshua is on his way to lead the the Israelites into the promise land. BUT IT WILL NOT BE EASY.

The bible says SINGLE HANDEDLY he will go across the river and Single handedly, he is going to Lead his people in.

But if Joshua’s going to be successful,

There’s a lot of work that must be done.

The ground must be tilled

The land must be conquered

There is so much that He is going to have to do.

He has to do something that the people trusted Moses to do.

It’s going to take power and Resilience to even convince the people that He’s the right one.

POWER- is not just physical.

but power is mental.

You have to be powerful enough to walk away.

You have to be powerful enough to say no.

You have to be powerful enough to be quiet

and You have to be powerful enough to speak

but you also have to be resilient. Resilience means recovering QUICKLY.

You can not sit in your failures.

You must know that “all things work together, for the Good of them who love God and those who are called according to his purpose.”

It take resilience to keep going after they talk about you

to keep pushing when you’re the laughing stock

to keep fighting when there’s no fight left.

Not everything will be peaches and cream. but your resilience will help you make it when you don’t have strength enough to fight.

THE GOOD NEWS IS. YOU HAVE A BLUEPRINT BECAUSE

JESUS SHOWED ALL OF THESE QUALITIES.

JESUS PREPARED HIMSELF BY being about his father’s business at a young age. HE knew what he came on this earth to do.

Jesus built purposeful relationships.

He had 12 disciples

He had 3 that were in his inner circle.

and Jesus was powerful and resilient.

They wanted to kill him.

They wanted to throw him overboard

They wanted him done for good.

But he bounce back quickly.

Nails in his hand but he bounce back

Ribbets in his feet but he bounced back

Crown of thorns on his head but he bounced back

HE DIED but 3 days later, he bounced back!!!!!

SO,

JOSHUA ITS YOUR TURN

IT’S YOUR TURN FOR LEADERSHIP,

ITS YOUR TURN TO TAKE OVER

ITS YOUR TURN TO LEAD THE NEXT GENERATION

MOSES CAN NOT GO

BUT YOU CAN

MICHAEL MAY NOT BE LEADING

BUT YOU WILL

KIRK MAY RETIRE

SO YOU STEP UP

GET READY JOSHUA