Joshua Be Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9

The Command - This is what the Lord commands: Be Strong and Courageous. We desire to be obedient.

The Need - I need to be strong and courageous. Why? Because I live in this world and battle the world, the flesh and the Devil. Because I become fearful, become weak, and lose courage.

The Way - How can I find strength and courage when I am fearful? Is there is source? What do I need to do? How do I need to think… so that I can experience this strength and courage that the Lord commands of me?

It is a new day, a new season, going into a new land, with new struggles and fights. Joshua is the new commander and chief; he is the new leader. Moses is dead but the promises of God are not dead.

Moses is dead, but Israel is going forward. They are not going to stay where they are. They cannot stay where they are. God has a mission for them. God has made promises to them. God has commanded them to “go” and they must press on.

Within verses 6-9, we see this charge and command given three times: “Be strong and of good courage; Be strong and very courageous; Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed.

In at least 15 places in the Bible we see these words being given. A hundred plus times do we see commands of “not being afraid” or “do not fear.”

I believe the Lord knows something about us doesn’t He?

The Lord knows how fearful we are. The Lord knows our hearts and minds better than we know ourselves, and the Lord knows that we need encouragement as we walk forward in this life.

Joshua is just a man. At best, he is a man… and he is a man at best.

He needs this from the Lord just like the rest of us do.

Why? You are stepping into your future. You do not know what you may face and you don’t know how hard it is going to be. Anxiety, worry, fears will cripple us.

(Inside Out 2 - Anxiety freezes...)

We will be tempted to stay where we are and live in the past…

I need this command from God and I need His grace to press on...

Notice what God gives Joshua:

Verses 2-4 - God promises the land - Go, I am giving you the land; I have given it to you.

Verse 5 -God promises that He will be with them.

Verse 6-9 - God promises to keep his word.

God had already given them the land… all they had to do was step out in faith and go.

Church, God has already given us every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). All we have to do is step out in faith and walk on with Him.

Do you want to sit with Jesus in the heavenly places? Ephesians 2:6 - You have been raised up with Christ and He has seated us with Him in the heavenly places… Past tense… It is finished! It is done!

You have a spot. You have a seat. You have a place. It is yours!

Colossians 3:1 - If you are a Christian… You have been raised up.

John 14:2-3 - Do you desire a room or a house with God the Father? Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to go and prepare a place for them.

For followers of Christ who desire more of God: Do you desire more of Christ? He is yours. You desire more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding? It is yours. Do you desire righteousness? You have it. Do you desire more victory, more peace, more hope, more spiritual strength?

Do you desire heaven? The Kingdom of God? You are already citizens in the Kingdom, your names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is yours!

Now get up and go forward. God is going to bless you, strengthen you, give you, reward you, sustain you. You do not have to worry about not getting the land, or losing your lot… Jesus purchased your lot with His blood and no one can take it from you… It is waiting for you. You are going to have it...

Now get up and go!

You are not hopeless. You have a hope and a future. Walk into what God has in store for you as you walk in faith, truth, and obedience.

Get up and go! Be Strong and Courageous!

“Yeah… I am the one walking alone… right? I am the one who has to walk and go… and fight… and...”

2. Verse 5 -God promises that He will be with them.

Not only are we going to get there… we get God every step of the way.

The Lord is my Shepherd… and I shall not want.

Now: For someone who has not walked with the Lord and has seen His power and faithfulness… we still may struggle a little bit here. If I do not know the power of God, the love and faithfulness of God… I will not be encouraged here.

(picture) If Pee-Wee Herman… or some of the minions from Despicable Me tells me, “I will get you there; I will be with you...” I will not be encouraged or strengthened by this.

But Joshua and the Hebrew nation has just spent 40 years in a desert, being fed by God, being watered by God, being saved and rescued by God, seeing the power and faithfulness of God over and over again.

God has shown and proven Himself strong and mighty. He has shown Himself faithful.

He is the God Who turns Egypt’s gods into nothing. He parts the waters, splits the mountains, opens the grounds… His presence melts hearts and takes away your breath...

He is the God that they know… And He, this God, will go with them.

Listen: Knowing God is Life. Knowing God is eternal life. Knowing God increases our strength, our strength, and our peace.

What have we been reading in Colossians? Jesus is the Supreme One. There is no one greater. (sing) Our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God is higher than any other...

And it is our prayer and great endeavor to grow up and increase in the knowledge of God, strengthened with His power, and attaining the security and stability that He brings to us.

Our great problem today is that we do not know or we do not see the God of the Bible. Our God is too weak, too small, and very limited...

And so we go out into the great unknown, into the world, into the enemy’s camp, believing that it is up to us… and we end up in a foxhole surrounded by enemy fire.

The enemy has the team penned down with enemy fire, and they had the high ground… The troops have to stay low, in a fox hole…

But then, what if the tanks came in and they got to walk behind the tanks. What is air power, fire power came in… The helicopters and jet fighters with big guns and missiles come it?

Then we can be encouraged. Then we can stand. Then we can made progress and press on.

...When we are surrounded by such power...

Listen: Isaiah 40:15 - All the nations of the world are a drop in the bucket compared to our God… Dust on the scales… They are ants beating their heads on Mount Everest...

And this God is the One we are rolling with. The Lord is our refuge and our strength. The Lord is our Victorious Warrior. He is the God Who goes before us. He guards our rear. He is at our side. He is inside of us. We take refuge with our God, who promises to be with us, to never leave us or forsake us.

And when we take refuge with this God… the enemy will flee.

God says… you are going to make it. You are going to possess it. I am going to be with you...

So, therefore, Be Strong and Courageous!

Often times… all we can see is the enemy. Often time, all we see is the giants. Often time our eyes are limited by our limited knowledge of God, and the lack of faith we have… and all we can see is the problem... without seeing our God nearby.

Whatever fills the eyes… fills the heart… And when all I see is the enemy, all I fill is the pain of fear and worry.

2 Kings 6:16-23 - Elisha, the prophet and his servant are surrounded by an army: All the servant could see was the enemy and their greatness… and he was filled with fear. Elisha could see something that the servant couldn’t see, and he said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them...

Then Elisha prayed for the Lord to open the servants eyes that he may see… and when his eyes were opened… he saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire… This was a heavenly army that was there the whole time… but he just couldn’t see it.

May we always remember, and may we always see through the eyes of faith… that when we are surrounded by the enemy… We are always surrounded by our Lord and Shepherd.

Be Strong and Courageous: How?

God promises that we are going to get there… We have hope.

God promises that He is going to be with you… We have boldness and strength.

And lastly...

3. Verse 6-9 - God promises to keep his word…

Listen: We have promises and a security that will never fail.

I have had anchor ropes that have broken on the boat. I have seen mighty fortresses rise and fall. I have seen structures be ripped apart and destroyed by wind and water.

We have lived to see everything in this world rise and fall, and become destroyed.

And it is possible to take our experiences to God… and to expect the same thing.

What do we see from Scripture? From the beginning of God’s story, to the end… God is faithful. When He speaks, His word will not return void. He is going to do what He says He will do. He is going to accomplish what He says He will accomplish.

It does not matter if the world is destroyed with a flood… The promises of God have endured. It does not matter if Abraham and Sarah are almost dead… The promises of God have endured. It has not mattered that the Hebrew people are enslaved by the most powerful empire on the planet… The promises of God have endured...

Nations rise and nations fall… But the word of our God will stand forever! It will endure.

His promises are yes and amen… and our God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

And so, we have an anchor for our souls… an anchor that will hold us no matter what. We have a mighty fortress that will stand for eternity… I lift my eyes into the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth..

It is His word that will last... His word will hold… You can build your life on His Word...

And in the end, you will be standing firm with Him.

Jesus has purchased your inheritance… It is yours and it is waiting on you.

Jesus is the Shepherd Who is with you today, and He will not leave you or forsake you.

Jesus will remain faithful, and will do what He says He will do...

Maybe we can all be honest… Sometimes we don’t know what to do. We don’t know how to think, or how to respond.

Sometimes fear gets to us all… Sometimes worry gets to us all… Sometime we forget Who God is… or worst of all… we quit believing the promises of God… Maybe we are living in the past, and maybe we are paralyzed by fear...

The first step we are going to take today is this: We are going to be honest with God and confess it, “I do not know what to do… And I know I cannot do it. I am afraid… and I need your strength and courage… Lord, I do not know know what to do… but my eyes… are on you...”

Now, we are on the way to find strength and courage.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is our Overcomer. And if we will follow Him… we too will overcome.

Now be strong and courageous.

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