Untitled Sermon (2)

Introduction on Leadership

v. 1-2 | The time of fighting for Israel has been paused (given rest) and Joshua is in his final days. He calls together all of Israel but addresses a specific group of people: the elders, heads, judges, and officers. In other words, those who would be charged with leading Israel moving forward. This address is heard by all of Israel which means those who would be leading immediately were being addressed immediately as well as those who would lead in the future.

This morning we will look at three periods of time that leaders need to be aware of. However, alongside these three points, there are two overall points in the passage that need to be understood. First, the people of God are involved in the work of the Lord. For Israel, they were involved in accomplishing the will of God among the nations. Now that Christ has come, we aim to accomplish His will according to what will advance His Kingdom! Second, devotion to God alone is paramount. The same warnings we notice in this passage against idolatry for God’s people in Joshua 23 remain true today!

When considering these periods of time, the past, future, and present, I always think first about driving a car. There is a reason that there are mirrors on a car, to see what is behind us. While driving, where we have been can inform the possible road conditions that are coming up, what the speed limit currently is based on what the sign said a mile back, and so much more. But there is a reason there is a windshield. It is a dangerous thing to not know what is coming and have no plan for what is coming down the road. The signs that you see tell you if you need to plan to exit because you are running low on gas or if it is time to slow down because there are brake lights up ahead. Similarly, we have to know what is going on around us, which is why we have windows on all sides of a vehicle. This allows us to know if there are cars in case we need to switch lanes or even if a semi-truck is attempting to merge and cannot see us. There is a deep need to be aware of the past, the future, and the present while driving just as it is when the Church of Christ is concerned.

Beginning in verse 3, Joshua looks at the period of time that is

The Past

As we look at the past, we remember the work that has been completed! Joshua says, “you have seen” and as we consider the work that God has called each one of us here to, we have all observed the wondrous work of those who have come before us. But these aren’t things of stories that we have heard or read about in history books or previous minutes in church history. These are things that we have seen with our own eyes. Not only do I believe in the power of God based on what I’ve seen in my own life, I believe in His power because of what I’ve seen in the lives of so many around me in my 31 years of life.

Beyond just seeing what God has done, we are able to look back and observe the manner in which our heroes worked for the Lord. The dedication that they have had, the quality that they desired to put forth for His glory, and the fervency with which they worked. We look back at these things and praise Him for such an example, then we go to work ourselves, hoping that we can meet the mark that was set for us by those that came before.

Verse 3 continues with one of the two themes from this passage. What precisely have we seen? “all that your God has done”. It is God’s work that He has done through His people. This work is not done by our own strength or knowledge. Instead, it is because of His power and guidance that these nations were conquered.

Having children has given me a small taste of what God must feel like when dealing with me. There have been countless times where I have seen my kids trying to accomplish something and I just wish that they would ask me for help because they just aren’t able to do it alone. Wouldn’t you agree that God looks at the church in the same way so many times? Just get yourself out of the way and let me do the heavy lifting!

As we work, we must consider all that God has done through those that came before. But we must also consider

The Future