Joshua - Entering the Promised Land

Open with prayer:

For world situations…

For our nation…

For our church/sick/unity…

For the lost…

For forgiveness…

Connection/Tension

Cardinal -help! Persistent

Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from dead on the Third Day with a series - Third Day People. Resurrection changes everything. Looking at other people who experienced a “third day” moment to help us better understand what Jesus’ resurrection on third day means for us. Today we are looking at another third day person named Joshua.

Background: Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. Brings them to Promised Land. He sends 12 spies to check it out. They come back with produce of land - milk and honey. Two spies - Joshua & Caleb - Let’s take it! Other ten - no way! They discourage everyone else and they refuse to enter the Promised Land.

God swears that none of this generation will inherit the promise except Joshua & Caleb. We pick up story 40 years later. Israel wanders in desert 40 next years. After 40 years I image they are:

Disillusioned - 40 years of waiting is a long time

Discouraged - probably thinking it’s never going to happen

Doubt-filled - will our bones bleach in the desert like our parents and grandparents?

Mimics our life when we feel like we’ve waited a long time for something to happen. Maybe you feel like you’ve been wandering in the desert

Wondering where God is.

Starting to doubt God’s goodness

Struggling to believe that things will get better. Feels like God has forgotten me. A journey I began with hope and confidence now feels like I’ll never reach the destination.

But after 40 years, God has finally brought Israel back to the border of Promised Land. This time Joshua is their leader. This morning God wants to revive your hope in his promises. As we look Joshua, God will bring you through the desert into the Promised Land.

Text and Context

Joshua 1:10–11 “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the camp, and command the people: ‘Prepare your provisions; for in three days [!] you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.’ ”

Two things we need to know as third day people:

God keeps his promises - always.

Forty years come and gone. Felt like at times it would never happen. But God is faithful and does exactly as he promises to do. He is absolutely committed to bringing about all his good intentions toward you.

Yet, there are things that can delay God’s promises in your life:

Disobedience - previous generation didn’t realize promise because of unbelief. Losing faith and giving up can delay.

Compromise - holding on to things that will hinder us claiming God’s promises. (dog picture) Sin, defeating thoughts. God got Israel out of Egypt, but he couldn’t get Egypt out of them. Sometimes things we’re holding onto delay us from entering. What’s your stick?

Timing - God is moving pieces into place you may be unaware of. God wasn’t doing nothing for 40 years. He was preparing the land the for them, and he was preparing them for the land. They had to learn that God was big enough for whatever situation they faced. When it seems like nothing is happening, we trust that God is working behind the scenes to bring the promise about.

What we know as third day people is that God keeps his promises - always. They may be delayed in our life, but God will be faithful to bring them about.

Back to our passage...

Joshua 1:10–11 “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the camp, and command the people: ‘Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.’ ”

Second thing we know as God’s third day people..

We take hold of God’s promises by faith.

The promise may be fulfilled, but we still have to take hold of it.

Commenting on Shawn’s knife one Alpha. (knife picture) Brings me my own next week… Too much! The gift was already secured. It had been paid for. But I had to reach out my hand and take possession. Which I did!!

This is often how God’s promises work. He extends the offer. He’s done the main work. But we must step out in faith to accept.

Here is where we can be tempted by fear. The first time God’s people came to the promised land, fear kept them from entering. Interesting side note: the first time God brought them to PL, it was at a safe crossing. No river, no enemy cities. The second time he brings them to the Jordan across from Jericho - huge fortress city. But after 40 years they are prepared. Joshua’s faith has permeated the entire nation. Jericho is not going to stop us. We will trust that God will meet us as we step out.

Sometimes we have to step out in obedient trust that God will do as he promised in response to our faith. Faith is spelled r-i-s-k.

Faith is the muscle that reaches out and takes what God offers freely.

Gospel/Response

The story of Israel entering the promised land on the third day points to a greater story. The deliverance of Israel and bringing them into the PL was a foreshadow of what God would do in Jesus. As God saved Israel, now in the death and resurrection of Jesus he saves us. As Israel crossed the Jordan to enter the PL, so Jesus has crossed through death for us to bring us into a new PL.

In Jesus we see that God is a promise keeper. The apostle Paul says about Jesus, 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” Every promises he made to the nation of Israel, every promises he makes to you, are or will be fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is God’s “Yes!”

Do you feel like you are in a desert this morning. Are you tempted to lose faith? What did you think God has promised you that hasn’t happened yet, that’s caused you to begin to doubt or lose hope?

Have persistence of cardinal?

Unsaved loved ones - It hasn’t been, but sometimes it feels like Julie and I have waited 40 years for two of our kids to return to faith. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” When my faith waivers I remind myself of God’s promise and trust that he is working in the unseen.

Can’t break free of sinful habits and thinking - Philippians 1:6 “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” Claim God’s promise of victory!

I feel like God has abandoned me - Isaiah 49:15–16 (NIV) “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

I’ve done too many bad things for God to love me - John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

* Rocks of memorial

On the third day, when Jesus walked from the tomb, God has made an unbreakable promise that:

I will always love you.

I will always fight for you - literally to hell and back.

I will always be with you.

Take hold of God’s promises to you, even when you have to wait for them to happen. Jesus is leading you out of the desert into into a new Promised Land.

Let’s pray...

Salvation

For those longing for loved one to be saved

For the weary

If you have never received God’s offer of forgiveness and eternal life, I invite you to take that step of faith today. God offers his love and life to anyone who will receive it as a gift.

(Prayer of commitment slide) Heavenly Father, I admit that I have sinned against you by what I’ve thought, by what I’ve said, and by what I’ve done. [Take a moment to confess anything in particular that is troubling your conscience.] I’m sorry and I turn away from this old way of living. Please forgive me. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins. I receive your forgiveness and give you my life. Fill me, Holy Spirit, so that I can learn to love and follow you for the rest of my days. Amen.

If you prayed that today for the first time, let me be the first to welcome you to God’s family! This is only the beginning. I’d love to meet with you and talk about next steps in your new life. (Next steps slide).