The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Pray

Give Honor

Text: Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua 1:1–9 NIV

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Beloved I believe it’s safe to say that all of us in our lives, have been faced with various opportunities.

Be it educational or relational

The Ministry or the Marketplace,

We all have been presented with some opportunity that could change the trajectory of our lives as we know it.

and while some may feel it necessary to wait out of fear of what’s to come,

Others may feel its important just to way out all options.

While this may be true, The questions still becomes, what do we do with lifetime opportunities,

The answer is, There’s only one thing to do with an opportunity of a LIFETIME. That’s seize it.

Leonard Ravenhill once stated, “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.”

But a lot of us forfeit our shot out of fear

The fear of the unknown

The fear of failure

The fear of starting over

The fear of not doing it right

The fear of it being a God move

The fear of it affecting your family.

But the truth is, When the oppurtinity of a lifetime presents itself, the best thing to do is seize that opportunity.

We get to take a moment and peak in on a conversation between the Lord and Joshua.

At the setting of this text The Lord is preparing Joshua for the opportunity before him.

Joshua has been working under Moses for years and it’s finally his turn to take over. HE IS THE CHOSEN SUCCESSOR. HE IS NEXT IN LINE.

There is an opportunity before him, BUT IT IS ON HIM, TO SEIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

In the first 5 verses of this text the Lord gives Joshua promises and hope of what is to come.

It’s the end of the Moses era and the Beginning of the Joshua era.

It’s the end of one regime and the beginning of another.

It’s the end of Moses’ time as we know it.

The torch has been passed.

The guards have changed.

It is a new season, and The Lord is making sure he’s ready, to take on this role.

I can only imagine how Joshua must’ve been feeling.

Grief, from the death of moses.

Uncertainty from this new season.

Maybe unsure of himself.

am I the right guy for the job?

am I supposed to be here?

what do I do next?

and God eases his mind with the promises in verses 1-5.

God Promises Joshua territory. He says you are going to take over the land. That everywhere your foot treads, will be yours.

He promises him power. He says no man will be able to take anything from you.

Then he promises him his presence. HE says I WILL BE WITH YOU.

But then God turns a corner.

He gives Joshua his promise. But then he gives Joshua INSTRUCTION.

And let me pause by saying God a God that keeps his promises. He is a promise keeping God.

IF HE SAID IT, HE WILL DO IT.

But God is not just the God of promise. God is the God of instruction.

and a lot of us are waiting on a promise from God, but we have not followed instruction.

God you promised me money, but I instructed you to manage what you have

God you promised me a job, but I instructed you to get to work on time

God you promised me a house, but I instructed you to fix your credit.

GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISES, BUT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTION.

God tells Joshua, to BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

We can not adequately fulfill the instructions of God if we are not strong and courageous.

3 times in this text did God tell Joshua to be strong and courageous.

3 times he mentions this.

3 times he tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.

He keeps telling him.

It’s almost like God is placing emphasis on On strength and courage.

As I’ve said earlier “There’s only one thing to do with an oppurtinity of a life time and that’s Seize it.”

However, IT TAKES STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY.

Because the truth is, God may very well give you a promise, But the enemy will try to distract you from what God has already promised you.

It takes strength and courage to get married

It takes strength and courage to Lead a church.

It takes strength and courage to live for christ.

It takes strength and courage to say no to what you want to say yest to.

It takes strength and courage to stand for what’s right.

It takes strength and courage to “Do it God’s way.”

But the opportunity is too valuable for you to waste it being fearful.

To seize the opportunity will take some strength and courage.

The first thing God says to Joshua is....

It takes strength and courage: As a LEADER to Sieze the opportunity.

God said: “Be strong and courageous: for you will lead the people into the land I had promised their ancestors.” He tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.

For it is YOU that will LEAD this next generation into the promise land.

I had to ask the question, Why is it, that God says be strong and courageous to lead?

It is because

Leadership is not easy.

Leadership will leave you hurting.

Leadership will make you lose some sleep.

Leadership will make you want to throw hands.

Leadership will make you want to pull your hair out.

Leadership will make you want to give up.

Leadership will make you want to throw in the towel.

Leadership will make you feel weak.

but the Success of a leader comes from the strength of t heleader.

Leaders have to take the hit and keep on pushing

Leaders have to make tough decisions.

Leaders have to think for the good of the team.

and when you lead in fear, you become stagnant in progress.

but when you lead in faith, the sky is the limit on your growth.

It takes a special person to Lead someone to the promised land.

It takes a Strong and courageous leader to make it to the promise land

because the work does not stop when you get there.

As much work as it took for you to get there is just as much maintenance as it will require for you to stay there.

He says be strong and courageous for you will have to lead.

But secondly

It takes strength and courage: In the LAW to seize the oppurtinity. (The Word of God)

The LAW is the word of God.

The Bible says that God tells Joshua “Be careful to observe all laws that moses Gave you. God says Keep the law on your lips. Meditate on it day and night.”

God says Be strong enough to “Digest the word.”

He says you have to read it

you have to speak it

You have to know it

you have to apply it

you have to submurse yourself in it.

Because it’s the word that has the answers to any problem you have in your life.

His word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against man

His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Heaven and earth will pass away but his word will never pass.

The Grass withers and the flowers may fall, but his WORD shall remain the same forever.

You have an oppurtinity to be successful but you have to know the word.

You can overcome temptation with the word,

While Jesus has been fasting 40 days and 40 nights, Satan comes to tempt Him and tells him to turn the stones to bread… and Jesus responded with the Word, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that preceded the mouth of God.”

The word can help you overcome grief.

The word can turn depression to joy.

You can find peace in the word

Joy in the word

Long suffering in the word

you can find strenth in the word

Courage in the word

Sustainabaility in the word.

So he tells Joshua to know the word because it was Joshua’s job to be the leader. But he could not adequately lead, if he did not follow the word.

Maybe your failures don’t come from your inability to do the work.

But maybe your failures come from your inability to read the word.

You will find every attribute of God in the word.

God the father is in the word

God the son is in the word

God the holy spirit is in the word

God the healer is in the word

God the way maker is in the word

God the mind regulator is in the word.

It’s all in the word.

If you are going to seize the opportinity, take his word with you.

you have to have strength and courage As a leader,

you have to have strength and courage, In the Law.

But then

It takes Strength and Courage: With the LORD to seize the opportunity.

After He tells him he will lead

and After he tells him to digest the Law, He then tells JOSHUA.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

He says if you need another reason to be strong after that, then be strong, because You’re not by yourself.

As I was with Abraham- I’ll be with you

As I was with Isaac- I’ll be with you

As I was with Jacob-I’ll be with you.

As I was with Joseph- I’ll be with you.

As I was with Judah- I’ll be with you

As I was with noah in the flood- I’ll be with you

As I was with Aaron, Ill be with you

As I was with moses, I’ll be with you

As I was with your grand mother- I’ll be with you.

Seasons may Change, Situations may Change, But God is a God who does not change.

He’s the same healer

He’s the same providor,

He’s the same protector,

He’s the same heart fixer,

He’s the same one who brought you through covid

He’s the same one that healed your sick body

He’s the same one that Helped you when you were hurting.

So find strength in God, because God is a God who WILL NOT LEAVE.

it reminds me of my relationship with my best friend “Nordoriyan Boatner”

Nordoriyan is like a brother to me.

He’s two times my size.

He IS huge.

Played OLINE.

Back in the day we would all go to parties in highschool.

Sometimes a fight would break out.

If Im by myself, IM GONE.

But IF IM WITH BIG BOAT. I’m ready to fight everybody.

He asked me oneday WHY ARE YOU SO HOSTILE?

I said because I got you with me. and I know that If I lose, you’ll take my slack.

and some of you in here, God has been. CLOSE. [