Be Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:1–9 ESV

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Fearless!

(pause)

About 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness.

In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway?

Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. (Lynn Anderson)

No longer were they willing to fearlessly step out into the unknown. They wanted to stay where it was safe and comfortable.

(pause)

God has entrusted to us, His Church, a great mission. We are called to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples. Go out into all the world and make disciples!

We are called to live holy in a sin-stained world! We are called to love the unloving, to shine the light of hope for those who are lost and about to give up.

Fearless!

The book of Joshua is the climax to the Israelites’ journey to freedom in Canaan.

If God had laid out in detail before the Hebrew slaves in Egypt the great accomplishments the Israelite nation would make in 40 years, do you think any of them would have believed it?

Truly, the Israelites’ journey from slavery was a magnificent undertaking. Indeed, one might say they journeyed into the unknown fearlessly.

On the other hand, in reality we find throughout the wilderness travels the difficulty the Israelites had in trusting God’s vision and provision for them.

When the Egyptian army came roaring up behind them, pinning them between mountains on either side and the Red Sea in front, the people made ready to die.

Just a few days’ travel on the other side of the sea, the people were convinced they would die of thirst. Then, they were going to die of hunger.

They accepted God’s covenant with its 10 big principles - rules for living - then promptly broke them when Moses stayed in the mountain with God for too long.

The people questioned Moses’ authority repeatedly. Once, Moses’ own brother and sister became jealous. Later, the sons of Korah wanted to run the show.

When the people first reached the borders of Canaan, the report of ten of the twelve spies set the people into a panic. Then, they changed their mind and foolishly tried to conquer the Canaanites without God’s blessing.

But through all of the ups and downs, ins and outs, God taught the people to trust him one step at a time. If the cloud of God’s presence stayed on the Tabernacle, they stayed put; if the cloud rose, they broke camp.

Moment by moment, day by day, God taught this unlearned, undisciplined group of slaves his principles and precepts. They fought their enemies and won… by prevailing prayer.

They learned God’s ways for holy living. They established patterns for worship. They experienced miracle after miracle of God’s grace and sustaining power.

Surely, few of the people would have believed Moses if he would have told them in Egypt of the great exploits God would do for them, but as they followed God closely, moment by moment, amazing things were accomplished!

Now, the book of Joshua describes a pivotal moment for the Israelites. As we read their story, we see a people who fearlessly walked into the Jordan River… and flood waters stopped.

We see a people who fearlessly marched around Jericho … and the walls came tumbling down. We see a people who fearlessly pursued God’s mission… and we are amazed.

Yet, it is interesting to see how many times God told Joshua to be courageous.

Maybe it only makes sense that God reminded Joshua to be courageous. The book of Joshua begins by referring to the death of Moses.

For forty years, Moses had led the people of Israel. Moses had a dynamic personality - or at least the experiences Moses had in life were dynamic.

It was under Moses' leadership that God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people from a terrible threatening cloud from the mountain.

Moses was such a great spiritual leader - he was so close to God - that when he returned from God's presence his face would actually glow.

Moses struck rocks with his rod and water gushed out. Moses asked God to punish evildoers and the earth swallowed them up. Isn't it obvious why God felt the need to buck up Joshua's courage?

Moses had died. Joshua was now in charge of this multitude. It would be a big job just to keep the people happy. It would be a huge job to keep the people committed to living for God.

It would be an overwhelming task to lead this people in conquering numerous nations and repopulating the land of Canaan. No wonder God told Joshua repeatedly to be courageous.

In verse nine God said, Joshua 1:9

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Fearless!

Big Idea: Faith in God is essential to accomplish our God-given mission.

Why is faith in God essential to accomplish our God-given mission?

1. Our assurance in God's provision is only as strong as our faith, vv. 3-5.

In verses three through five, God gave Joshua some outlandish promises. God said that wherever Joshua's foot stepped, the land would belong to Israel.

God also promised that no one would be able to oppose Joshua all the days of his life. Furthermore, God would be with Joshua, just as He had been with Moses. God would never leave or forsake Joshua.

Those are some wonderful promises! Wouldn't you be interested in going on a walk if you knew that everywhere you stepped would become your land?

Wouldn't you be ready for a battle if you knew that no matter how fierce the enemy, everyone you faced would be defeated? Shouldn't you feel pretty courageous if God would go with you everywhere you go?

There are similarities between what God promised Joshua and the Israelites and what God has promised the Church.

There is an important distinction between the promises God gave the Israelites and the promises God has given the Church. God at that time told the Israelites to fight against heathen nations to work His judgment upon their sin, but the Church's struggle is against the spiritual forces of Satan.

With that said, consider these promises that God has given the Church.

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Satan and all the demons of Hell cannot withstand the attack of the Church.

In verse nineteen Jesus said, Matthew 16:19

Matthew 16:19 ESV

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Our efforts to soothe the broken-hearted with the Gospel of God's love and to free those bound by the chains of sin are not in vain. Rather, eternal destinies are changed because of the Church's work.

In John 14:12-14 Jesus promised that we can do even greater things in the world that He did while on earth. Jesus further promised to do whatever we ask in His name.

In Matthew 28 Jesus, after commissioning the Church to make disciples of all nations, said, Matthew 28:20

Matthew 28:20 ESV

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The rest of the book of Joshua tells us about victory after victory Joshua experienced as he trusted God. Joshua attempted many daring exploits because of his assurance in God's provision.

Unfortunately, not every generation maintained the same great faith that Joshua possessed.

God has given the Church many great promises. When we read the history of the Church, we see how our fathers in the faith witnessed God's great provision as they exercised great faith in God.

We also know of times when the Church has struggled with fear and doubt.

Our assurance in God's provision is only as strong as our faith.

2. Our attitude toward God's work is only as positive as our faith, v. 6.

In verse six God commanded Joshua, Joshua 1:6

Joshua 1:6 ESV

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

Our faith is often expressed by our attitude. Yes, you can be discouraged and still trust God.

You can have questions about God while still believing in God and His promises. I've been there - more than once.

But if we truly believe God and trust Him, it will show in our attitude. Even if life is rough - even when we don't understand why God is allowing things to go the way they are - if we have faith in God, we can smile. We can be happy. We can face the future with a positive attitude.

Consider the testimony we give for God when we choose to have a positive attitude, despite difficult circumstances.

When we choose to live positively, they see our faith in God. Even if we suffer setbacks, our hearts are filled with joy and hope.

Our friends and family and others around us see our faith in God because of our attitude!

Our attitude toward God's work is only as positive as our faith. This is not to suggest that you develop an alternate reality. Faith is not unrealistic.

But if we really believe God is good and loves us and is in control and is going to do good things in our midst, we will look at reality in a different way.

Our attitude toward God's work is only as positive as our faith. Warren Bennis, in Why Leaders Can't Lead, writes:

The flying Wallendas are perhaps the world's greatest family of aerialists and tightrope walkers. ... I was struck with [Karl Wallenda's] capacity for concentration on the intention, the task, the decision.

I was even more intrigued when, several months later, Wallenda fell to his death while walking a tightrope without a safety net between two high-rise buildings in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ...

Later, Wallenda's wife said that before her husband had fallen, for the first time since she had known him, he had been concentrating on falling, instead of on walking the tightrope.

He had personally supervised the attachment of the guide wires, which he had never done before. Often the difference between success and failure, life and death, is the direction we're looking. (Bonar)

Chuck Swindoll writes, "Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it."

3. Our adherence to God's Word is only as complete as our faith, vv. 7-8.

In verses seven and eight God warned Joshua to be careful to obey His Word.

Joshua 1:7–8 ESV

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Those who have great faith in God are careful to follow God's Word. Conversely, those who are struggling to trust God tend to be apathetic about following God's Word.

Maybe it only makes sense that they do so. Why follow the commands of God's Word that seem contradictory to common sense and the world's philosophies if you are not sure that God really exists or cares about you?

Those who then ignore and disobey God's Word invalidate the promises God had given to them and find themselves under God's condemnation.

We recognize this danger, and so we rededicate ourselves to living according to the Word of God.

It is said that after a few years of ministry Billy Graham came face to face with many challenges to the Bible’s authenticity and inerrancy. His faith was challenged. He realized he could not answer all of the questions that skeptics raised.

But he got alone and prayed to God. He committed himself to trust God and His Word. And God used him even more effectively as a result.

God has given the Church a Great Commission. We are to make disciples of all nations. This is not an option for the Church; this is God's command for the Church.

But if we are to accomplish this mission, we must have great faith in God. The obstacles to making disciples of all nations are great. There are many things that could discourage us from our mission.

If we lack faith in God, we may be tempted to regard God's command in His Word as only a good suggestion.

If we lack faith, we will consider God's commands as impossible. Our motivation and determination will be lackluster.

Our adherence to God's Word is only as complete as our faith.

A devotional from Our Daily Bread once addressed this need for a faith that adheres to God’s Word. The writer penned these words:

During our tour of an aircraft carrier, a jet fighter pilot explained that planes need a 56-kilometer-per-hour wind to take off on such a short runway. To reach this steady breeze, the captain turns his ship into the wind.

“Shouldn’t the wind come from the plane’s back?” I asked. The pilot answered, “No. The jets must fly into the wind. That’s the only way to achieve lift.”

God called Joshua to lead His people into the “winds” that awaited them in the promised land. Joshua required two things. Internally, he needed to “be strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7); and externally, he needed challenges.

This included the daily task of leading thousands of Israelites, facing walled cities (6:1–5), demoralizing defeats (7:3–5), Achan’s theft (vv. 16–26), and continual battles (chs. 10–11).

The wind that blew in Joshua’s face would lift his life as long as his thrust came from God’s instructions.

God said he must “be careful to obey all the law . . . do not turn from it to the right or to the left . . . meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (1:7–8). (Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread, February 18, 2022)

Sometimes, we may be tempted to take the easy way out - disobedience to God's Word. But if we truly trust God, we will obey Him no matter what that may mean.

Faith in God is essential to accomplish our God-given mission. As Joshua prepared to cross the flooding Jordan River, no doubt many fears plagued his mind.

So God spoke to him and said, "Be strong and very courageous."

Joshua needed a strong faith. If he lacked faith, the assurance of God's provision may have seemed like a pipe dream. He and the Israelites may have lost heart in the middle of their campaign against Canaan.

If Joshua lacked a strong faith, his attitude toward God's work may have become pessimistic and gloomy. The Israelites would have been dispirited and afraid.

If Joshua lacked a strong faith, he may have been tempted to disregard God's Word. And if he had disobeyed God, the result would have been disaster for the Israelite nation.

But because Joshua maintained a strong faith in God, he led the Israelites to a sweeping victory. The land was conquered, and God's promise of a homeland for the Israelites was realized.

God has given us a wonderful, yet intimidating mission. God has called us to make disciples of all nations. We also need a strong faith.

Our strong faith helps us rest instead of pacing frantically. We know God will provide. Our strong faith helps us be confident.

We know God's work will succeed. Our strong faith helps us persevere. We know that God's way is best.

Why should you be careful to cultivate your faith in God?

If you nurture your faith in God, His promises of God will become more real to you. A lack of faith results in a lack of assurance, but a persevering faith gives us confidence.

By nurturing your faith in God you can maintain a good attitude. Instead of being overwhelmed by gloominess and despair, you can face the world with confidence. God is able and he is on your side!

By nurturing your faith in God, you will be quick to obey God's Word. You will be listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, not to the seduction of our enemy. You will have little desire for the things of this world because the glories of that world have captivated your mind and heart.

I believe God wants me … and you … to be a people of faith.

I know He does!

For we must have faith to accomplish the mission God has given us!

So our challenge today is that of Joshua: “Be strong and of a good courage”! Be fearless!

Will you choose to live a life of faith in God?

Will you choose to loose your grip on your plans so that you can follow the wind of the Spirit?

Will you choose to learn quickly?

If you begin to doubt, admit it and renew your trust in God.

And so choose to live fearlessly for Jesus!

Prayer: