Be strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:1-9

Hello students, thank you for being with us

we are going to continue our study of the Bible tonight

2 weeks ago we talked about God making His covenant with Israel at mount Sinai

last week Jaxon talked about how God taught the people to trust Him through their 40 years wandering in the desert

Tonight we are going to look at the book of Joshua

Joshua was the leader of Israel after Moses

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s assistant:

2 “Moses my servant is dead.

God had worked mightily through Moses

Joshua would have seen all of that

But that was Moses, so is the promise of God, the power of God going to stop

lets keep reading

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.

the land that was promsied to Abram is here, now it is defined

God says that it is going to be the peoples

Now God is telling Joshua that He is going to do something new in Joshua

Imagine if you were Joshua

Moses literally talked to God like a friend

Moses’s face literally glowed because of how close he was to God

now Joshua is supposed to be the next man in line?

I am sure that he felt inadequate, unworthy, unprepared, all the things

I bet he was afraid, and he deep down doubted if he was the man for the job

Some of you may feel similarly

You have heard stories of God working in people’s lives

maybe from me, maybe from a family member, maybe from a friend

but those stories always are of somebody else’s life

A lot of students deep down feel like following Jesus is impossible

you feel like you aren’t good enough or christian enough to have one of those stories

I ask you tonight, is it time to believe that God can use you too?

What does God say to him?

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance.

God says that Joshua needs to be strong and courageous, and God is going to bring the promise of Abram to the people

that is easy to say, but what does that look like?

How can Joshua lead the people?

they are about to be in the land, how is Joshua going to lead them?

For you, maybe you said that you are ready for God to do something in your life, but you have no idea what that actually means or looks like

maybe you want to believe that God can use you in great ways, but if you really look within yourself, you are afraid to get your hopes up

you are afraid that you are going to be disappointed, that you won’t be good enough, that you don’t know enough

deep down, you are afraid that you may try, but God won’t come through

I imagine that Joshua may have had some of the same fears

lets see how God meets with Joshua

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.

A few things to notice here

Be strong and courageous to observe the whole instruction

This means the laws that God had given them

things to do, things to help them remember what God had done

God tells him to not turn from What God had said to the right or to the left

God’s tells Joshua “Above all” do this

This is going to be the key to Joshua’s ability to lead the people

God said “be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance”

That is the big picture

then God zooms in and explains how that is going to happen

Joshua is going to have to follow God before he can lead people

focus on seeing God change your life before you worthy about others

You may want to see God move in your life, or in the life of somebody close to you

some of you may feel like there are people that you are supposed to share Christ with, friend groups that you need to influence, people at school that you are supposed to share Jesus with

You may feel like you need to be strong and courageous, and just be brave enough and know enough things to say, and you need to just get the guts to do it

but the truth is, only God changes people’s hearts

if you want to change somebody’s life and see them come to God, that doesn’t start with you being strong and courageous and talking to them

that starts with you being strong and courageous and knowing God yourself

you cannot lead people where you have not been before

Joshua had to first follow God before people could follow him into the promised land

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.

The word of God is something that should be on our minds all of the time

this is not having bible study once a week

this is not you having a discipleship group that meets once a week, and you do the reading the night before or the morning of

if we are going to be able to be truly changed by the word of God, then we need to meditate on it

meditating doesn’t mean sitting with your legs crossed and going “hooooommmmeeeee”

We should take the things that we learn in God’s word, and we should think about those things throughout the day

but you aren’t going to meditate on it if you don’t care about it

but if we care what God says, and we want to live the life that He made us to live, then we will take His word and meditate on it, no matter what we are doing

What does God tell Joshua will happen if he does this? What does God say will be the outcome if Joshua follows God?

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Here we have 2 things

an encouragement

If we are following God, and doing the things that God wants us to do, then we are going to prosper and succeed

2. a reminder

God reminds Joshua, yes you are going to find success, but you will have it because I will be with you

Joshua should not be afraid or discouraged, he should be strong and courageous because the God that parted the sea will be with him and the people of Israel

God can do great things in each of you

you are no different than anybody else

God can use you to do great things

It doesn’t matter what you know right now, it doesn’t matter where your life is at right now

God can take your life, and make something great out of it

that is the beauty of the gospel

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

All that God needs you to do is be strong and courageous, and follow Him

You must get this order right though

Before I am strong and courageous that God will call me to something great tomorrow, I will be strong and couragues & do what God has called me to do today

I ask you tonight, what is God calling you to be strong and courageous in?

No matter who you are, you are called specifically to know God’s word and obey it

each of us is called to turn from our sin and follow Jesus

some of you may need to take that step and get saved

you have never made the decision to give your life over to Jesus, and live life His way

knowing that it is only possible through forgiveness of sins through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit renewing your mind

Some of you may have something more specific that you are feeling called to

Remember that right before all of this strong and courageous talk God clarified what He was calling them to

in Genesis, God called Abram “to the land that I will show you”

Now God says “your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates river - all the land of the Hittites - and west to the mediterranean sea

some of you may have been following God for a while, but lately you have been feeling called to do something specific

maybe you are going to influence your school by influencing your friend group to stop their sin and follow Jesus

maybe you are going to start a bible study on your team

maybe you are going to tell somebody about Jesus

some of you may be feeling the call to be a pastor, the call to ministry

Whatever you feel God is calling you to do, be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go

above all, be strong and courageous and follow Jesus personally, so that you will have success in whatever you do

you will have doubt, you will have insecurity, you will have questions

but do not be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go

if there is something specific that God is calling you to, talk with your small group leader about it

let us encourage you and pray for you

God gave them a specific assignment (the boundaries), God gives us specific oppotunitie as well

this wasn’t world domination, God was giving them a specific land

you want to see your school changed, maybe God wants that to start with your friend group