God's Command for Courage
Notes
Transcript
Read: Joshua 1:1-9
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Introduction
Introduction
Fear...
Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats and dangers, both real and imagined. It is a primal, instinctive reaction that has evolved to protect organisms from harm by prompting a fight-or-flight response. This response prepares the body to either confront or flee from the threat, involving physiological changes such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened alertness.
Biological Perspective:From a biological standpoint, fear is regulated by the amygdala, a part of the brain that processes emotions. When faced with a threat, the amygdala triggers a cascade of reactions involving the hypothalamus and the adrenal glands, resulting in the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare the body to respond to the threat efficiently.
Psychological Aspect:Psychologically, fear can be both beneficial and detrimental. It can act as a protective mechanism, keeping us safe from harm by making us cautious and alert. However, excessive or irrational fear can lead to anxiety disorders, phobias, and a debilitating impact on one’s daily life. The subjective experience of fear involves a complex interplay between thoughts, emotions, and physiological responses.
Reader’s Digest recently did a short piece called:
“WHAT'S YOUR IRRATIONAL FEAR?”
Just because it doesn't make sense doesn't make it any less scary. Like getting sucked out of an airplane by way of the commode—you know it's not going to happen, but you can't help thinking about it every time you flush. Maybe you've got xerophobia (fear of dryness—please pass the ChapStick) or hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (fear of long words).
The Book of Joshua marks a transition in the history of Israel from the wilderness wanderings under Moses to the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership. Joshua 1:1-9 serves as God's commissioning of Joshua after the death of Moses, providing both reassurance and directives for the daunting task ahead.
Transition of Leadership: These verses emphasize the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua. Moses is referred to as "the servant of the Lord," a title of great honor.
Divine Directive: God directly addresses Joshua, signifying the continuation of divine guidance and support. The command to cross the Jordan River initiates the mission of conquering the Promised Land.
And twice in this passage Joshua is commanded to be courageous and not be afraid.
Today, we will see how Joshua faced his fears and I see three reasons we can learn as to why we don’t have to live in fear - why we too can be courageous in what God has called us to.
I. Promise of Presence
I. Promise of Presence
A. God's Assurance
God promise to be with Joshua wherever he goes.
Joshua 1:5 “... as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
God promises the comforting presence of God in our lives as well
(Matthew 28:20 “20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:5 “5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
B. Personal Application
Paul and Silas found this out - prison walls can’t keep him out.
II. Power of Promises
II. Power of Promises
A. God's Commitments
Look at the promises given to Joshua
Promise of the possession
Joshua 1:2 “...arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
Joshua 1:3 “3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”
Promise of Victory
Joshua 1:5 “5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
We have been given promises too 2 Peter 1:4
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
B. Practical Faith
Encourage meditating on and trusting in God’s promises.
God tells Joshua the way to trust and faith and victory listen to this
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
God’s Word is what will strengthen our faith and resolve - we have to know what God says, and promises, and commits to and then cling to what he says.
They were to keep the Scriptures in their mouth - talk about them, ingest them
Meditate day and night on them - roll them around in your mind, think about them,
Observe - obey what it says
This is the way to prosperity and good success - the way to victory
III. Path to Prevail
III. Path to Prevail
A. Overcoming Obstacles
A black bear approached our campsite in Shenandoah National Park, so we slowly walked away. Meanwhile, a man from the next campsite walked toward the bear, clapping his hands and yelling, “GO, BEAR! GO!” Magically, the bear went back into the woods. When it returned hours later, I stood my ground, loudly clapped and yelled, “GO, BEAR!” It didn't work right away as it had for our camping neighbor, but the bear did leave after several rounds. As it lumbered away, I heard someone running toward us. It was the man from earlier. “I forgot to tell you,” he panted, “if you say ‘Go, bear, go’ and it doesn't go, YOU need to go.”—CINDY STRAIGHT Crownsville, MD
We are going to have the bear, and lion, and obstacles get in our way - and they may not leave when you say “go bear go” but you trust God - He has a way through
This wasn’t a simple - go in one day and done deal - this took years and there was battle after battle and conquest after conquest and struggle after struggle and obstacle after obstacle but there was also victory after victory, possession after possession, and conquest after conquest, and way made after way made even if it took a sea parting, or the sun standing still, or hailstones from heaven, or hornets - one by one the obstacles were taken care of
We don’t have to fear in our journey we have the promise of His presence, the power of his promises, and a path to prevail
Have I not commanded thee be strong and courageous!!!