Do you look like your picture? (Joshua 1:5-9)

The Book of Joshua  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  38:00
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Introduction

For awhile, I was separated from several of my fraternal friends for personal reasons. Then one day I made the decision that my friendships I made with those men over the years was important to me, so I decided to go to an event where I could reacquaint myself. Most people knew who I was, but there was a few who could not recognize me because I did not look like my picture they could remember of me. I told them I was the same, just a little bit older but I I did not look like my picture they had of me in their mind.
Who do you look like this morning?
Maybe you might resemble your parents, an aunt, an uncle or grandparents; In the physical realm, you favor someone that has walked this green earth! You may laugh like them, walk like them or talk like them. Know this the apple don’t fall too far from the tree. You might think your different from your parents, but your DNA and your behavior would prove otherwise.
Who do you look like this morning?
One famous preacher who has passed on to be with he Lord says this:
“When you lift these words from the physical context and place them within a spiritual context, it becomes an indicting accusation. You don’t look like your picture. Have you ever noticed the distance and the difference between what God says we are and what we really are? The Bible gives to us a written poetry, a written poetry of the nature, characteristics, and attributes of a Christian.”
If we took a spiritual picture of us as a christian and walked around would anyone recognize us if this picture is based according to His word? (repeat bold face type)
Do you look more like a republican, democrat, M-TV christian, or even like the picture from the Organizing Paris Olympics that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting with drag queens, a transgender model and a singer made up as the Greek god of wine.
The problem is that we have let the world redefine what a christian should be or should not be, but the word can speak for itself!
Hebrews 4:12 NET
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.
Psalm 1.1-6
Psalm 1:1–6 KJV 1900
1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Who do you look like This morning ? What picture of you are others seeing this morning? Are they seeing you in the flesh or in the Spirit! Are you Blessed or Cursed.
We can learn a few things from our text today. Joshua gives us a picture of a Christian . If we can take seriously this word today, we can look more like a christian according to his word and less like a counterfeit.
Brief introduction to the book of Joshua:

Stats

Stats ResourceThe Lexham Hebrew Bible
Chapters24
Verses 658
Words 15,797
Estimated Timeline is from 1406BC
The text describes how the LORD commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land after Moses' death.
Joshua is instructed to be strong and brave, obey the laws given by Moses, and prepare for the conquest of the land.
The people are commanded to get ready to cross the Jordan River within three days.
Joshua instructs the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh to help their brothers in battle before settling in their own allotted land.
The people pledge to obey Joshua, with the warning that disobedience will result in execution.
The text emphasizes the importance of courage, obedience, and faith in the LORD's presence and guidance.
We will examine primarily one verse and Ill be out of your way:
1. The Picture of His Presence
Joshua 1:5 (KJV 1900)
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:
One of the most comforting things that placing my faith in Jesus has done for me is knowing that He is with me.
Anxiety is one of those pictures that has been passed down from generation to generation, but my faith is a response to God’s Grace and because my Father has changed my picture from sinner to saint, I can take God at His word what he says about me and stand firm according to the strength the Lord has given me.
There was a young man who was going through his initiation rites of becoming a man. All the Men of the village encouraged the young man on this journey but there was a final test. He was instructed to stand in the middle of a field throughout the night blindfolded alone. He could not lift his blindfold for nothing until he felt the rays of the morning sun. As the young man stood there in that vast field, he was ok for the first hour but began to hear the howling of the animals, he heard the sound of the owls, lions, and wolves getting closer to him but the young man remained faithful, standing alone, and did not lift up his mask. The young man stood firm throughout . Then he felt the rays of the morning sun touching his skin and upon lifting his blindfold, he turned and saw his father standing behind him the whole time !
There was a spiritual transfer of God’s Presence from Moses to Joshua!
God has promised to be with us ! Others should see Jesus in the picture with us in our lives! when the Father opens up his wallet, does He see you and His Son? If its not Jesus, then who is in your picture?
There are a bunch of people who proclaim they Christians, but the Picture of His Presence of God is not with them!
Your picture has been Photo bombed by someone or something else.
**Photobombed** refers to the act of unintentionally or deliberately appearing in someone else's photograph, often in a humorous or disruptive way. This usually happens when someone or something enters the frame just as the picture is being taken, often distracting from or spoiling the intended subject of the photo.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 NET
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
We need Jesus! Do you believe by faith in the Son of God ? As God was with Moses and Joshua, so shall he be with you!
Isaiah 43:2–5 NET
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer. I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price, Ethiopia and Seba in place of you. 4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, and I love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your life. 5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. From the east I will bring your descendants; from the west I will gather you.
In my deepest fears I need the Picture of His presence! I need Jesus ! Do you look like your picture this morning? Is Jesus in your picture? Stop acting like some political pawn and start living by faith !

2. The Picture of victory

Joshua 1:5 (KJV 1900)
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.
God cannot fail!
Romans 8:37 KJV 1900
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Were not her to squeak out a victory over the flesh, the world and the devil, we have the Lord on our side! Were not here to win by a field goal…Were here to win by 1000 to 0.
God is not sweating out the Devil, Give the devil to God. That His devil. Give your fleshly desires to God. Give Him your selfishness, your arrogance, your pride, your greed, your fornication…Give Him your worldliness…that the problem with the church today, too much worldliness, then we wonder why we keep loosing, because God cannot bless a mess! Give God your bad credit!
Psalm 124:1 (KJV 1900)
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
1 John 5:4 KJV 1900
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
John tells us that a christian is a conquerer of this world if we have been fathered by God !
What picture do you look like? Do you have the picture victory or the agony of defeat?
Victory is mine, victory is mine, victory today is mine.
I told Satan to get thee behind, victory today is mine.
(Joy is mine) (Happiness is mine)
When I rose this morning, I didn't have no doubt, I knew that the Lord would bring me out.
I fell on my knees, said, "Lord help me please" got up singing and shouting the victory.
Change your picture Christian,
1 John 3:2 KJV 1900
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
If God is my Daddy, then I should look like Jesus!
He is my Redeemer and saved me from my sins
He is the Lover of my soul
He is my Peace through all the trials and tribulations of life
He is my Hope through this life and the next
He is my healer in the physical and the spiritual.
He gives me rest when I’m tired
Food when I’m hungry
Water when I’m thirsty
He is The Truth in a world of lies
He is the Way, and still leads me besides still waters
He is the Eternal God and has given me life eternal with Him!
He died and rose on the third day!
Victory !
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