Be Strong and Courageous: Embracing God’s Call (2)

Bible Passage: Joshua 1:1-9

Summary: In Joshua 1:1-9, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous as he leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, assuring him of His presence and faithfulness.

Application: This passage encourages Christians to confront their fears and challenges with the strength that comes from faith in God. It reminds believers that they are never alone in their journey and that courage is rooted in obedience to God’s commands and promises.

Teaching: This sermon teaches that courage is a vital aspect of the Christian life, rooted in our trust in God’s promises and His presence with us. It emphasizes that overcoming fear through faith allows us to fulfill God’s calling in our lives.

How this passage could point to Christ: Christ embodies the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises, providing the courage believers need to face life's challenges. He is the true leader guiding us into the new covenant and the promised eternal life that God has given us.

Big Idea: Courage in the Christian life flows from understanding God's presence and promises, enabling us to fulfill His calling despite our fears.

Introduction

Last time we were together we looked at the words of the Apostle Paul in Epistle to the Philippians 1:12–18, where Paul explained something that can be difficult for us to understand: that even suffering can serve the purposes of God. Paul was imprisoned, chained, and restricted, yet he was able to say that what had happened to him had actually served to advance the gospel. In other words, God’s mission does not stop when circumstances become difficult. Even suffering can become an instrument in the hands of God.

But once we understand that truth, another question naturally follows. If God is sovereign even over our suffering, how do we move forward? I’m suffering, and I accept that even in this God has a plan that is unfolding in my life. What now? How do we live the Christian life, faithfully, when fear, uncertainty, and responsibility press in on us?

That is the moment we find at the beginning of the book of Joshua. When we open the first chapter of Book of Joshua, we step into a moment of profound transition in the history of God’s people. The great leader Moses—the servant of the Lord, the one who led Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the very edge of the promised land—has died. An era has come to an end. The man whom the Lord spoke with face to face is gone.

And now Joshua stands before an enormous task. Before him lies the Jordan River. Beyond that river lies the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Behind him stands a nation waiting for leadership. And above all of this stands the calling of God.

Joshua must lead the people forward.

But the question is the same question we often ask ourselves: Where does the courage come from to step into what God has called us to do?

Joshua 1:1–9 answers that question. It shows us that courage for the life God calls us to live does not come from our own strength, our own confidence, or our own determination. It comes from understanding God’s promises, resting in His presence, and grounding our lives in His Word.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “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. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 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. 5 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. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.”

Prayer:

Lord, as we move through your text today, I ask that you open the hearts of everyone here. That your Holy Spirit capture the hearts of everyone here as we look at your self revealed character on these pages. I ask that you clear minds and remove distractions today. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

1. God's Continued Call

Joshua 1:1–2a “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.”

When the book of Joshua opens, it begins with a moment of profound transition. The narrator tells us in verse 1, “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD.” With that single sentence we are brought into one of the most significant turning points in Israel’s history.

For forty years Moses had been the central human leader of God’s people. Through Moses God confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from Egypt. Through Moses the Red Sea parted. Through Moses the law was given at Sinai. Through Moses the people were shepherded through the wilderness. The final chapter of Deuteronomy tells us that the Lord knew Moses face to face, and that there had not arisen a prophet like him in Israel.

But now Moses is dead.

And the text does something very interesting. The narrator tells us of Moses’ death in verse 1, but then when the Lord Himself begins to speak in verse 2, the first thing He says is this:

Moses my servant is dead.

The narrator has already said it. Joshua already knows it. Israel has already mourned it for thirty days. Yet the Lord repeats it.

Why?

Because before Joshua can move forward, he must fully understand the moment he is standing in. God is reorienting Joshua’s mind. The man who had led Israel for forty years is gone. The mentor Joshua had followed is no longer there. The responsibility of leadership now rests on him.

Sometimes before God calls us forward, He first forces us to face the reality of our present situation.

Joshua cannot move forward while mentally living in the past. The wilderness years are over. Moses’ leadership has ended. A new chapter has begun whether Joshua feels ready for it or not.

But notice how Moses is described here. Twice he is called “the servant of the LORD.” That title is not accidental. It honors Moses, but it also places Moses in his proper position. Moses was never the ultimate leader of Israel. Moses was the servant. The Lord was always the true leader of His people.

That means the death of the servant does not end the mission of the Master.

God’s work does not stop because one servant’s assignment has come to an end. The purposes of God continue moving forward because they never depended on Moses in the first place—they depended on the Lord.

This pattern appears again and again throughout Scripture. Abraham dies, yet the covenant continues through Isaac. David dies, yet the kingdom continues through Solomon. The apostles eventually die, yet the gospel continues to spread throughout the world. God buries His servants, but His work goes on.

And Joshua is now standing at that moment where the work of God must continue through him.

But there is another pastoral lesson here that speaks to us as well.

There are moments in life when God has to confront us with the reality of where we are. We often prefer to stay anchored in what used to be. We remember former seasons, former leaders, former circumstances. Sometimes we wish things could simply go back to the way they once were.

But God does not always allow us to stay there.

Sometimes, like Joshua, we must hear the Lord restate the reality of our situation so that we can move forward. It is as though God says, “This is where you are now. This chapter has closed. This season has ended.”

Not because God is being harsh, but because He is preparing us for what comes next.

Joshua needed to understand that the past chapter of Israel’s story had closed. Moses had finished his assignment. Now Joshua’s calling was beginning.

And the same God who called Moses was now calling Joshua.

The mission had not changed. The promises had not changed. The presence of God had not changed.

Only the servant had changed.

And that reminds us of something important for the Christian life. The courage to move forward does not come from holding on to the past—it comes from trusting the God who continues to lead His people into the future.

2. Guaranteed Promises Granted

Joshua 1:2b–4 ““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.”

Once the Lord reorients Joshua to the reality of the moment—“Moses my servant is dead”—the very next words move Joshua forward.

“Now therefore arise.”

Those words mark a turning point. Joshua is not called to remain standing at the grave of Moses. He is called to move forward into the work God has appointed for him.

And the command that follows is simple but daunting:

“Go over this Jordan.”

The Jordan River stood directly between Israel and the fulfillment of God’s promise. On the other side of that river lay the land God had promised centuries earlier to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That promise had been reaffirmed through Moses, and now it is being placed before Joshua and the people of Israel.

But before they can enter the land, they must cross the Jordan.

For the people of Israel, the Jordan was not a small stream that could be easily stepped across. It was a formidable natural barrier. The river flowed through a deep valley, and during the harvest season it overflowed its banks. Crossing it with an entire nation—families, animals, and possessions—would have seemed overwhelming.

In other words, between Israel and the promise of God stood a very real obstacle.

Yet listen carefully to how God speaks about the land in verse 3:

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you.”

Notice the tense of that statement. God does not say, “I will give it to you.” He says, “I have given it to you.”

From God’s perspective the gift has already been secured. The people have not yet crossed the Jordan. They have not fought the battles of Jericho or Ai. They have not taken possession of the land. And yet God speaks of the land as something already given.

This reveals an important truth about the promises of God. God’s promises are certain long before we experience their fulfillment. What God has decreed is already settled in His purposes, even if we have not yet stepped into it.

But that certainty does not eliminate the need for obedience.

The promise is given, yet the people must still cross the Jordan. The land belongs to them by God’s decree, yet they must still walk into it by faith. God gives the land, but the people must take possession of it under His direction.

And this pattern appears repeatedly in the Christian life as well.

God gives promises to His people. He calls us forward in faith. Yet between the promise and its fulfillment there is often a kind of Jordan standing in the way.

Sometimes that Jordan looks like fear. Sometimes it looks like uncertainty. Sometimes it is responsibility that feels too large for us. Sometimes it is circumstances that appear impossible to overcome.

But the presence of the Jordan does not cancel the promise of God.

In fact, the Jordan often becomes the very place where faith must be exercised. The obstacle forces the people of God to decide whether they truly believe what God has said.

Joshua and the people of Israel stood at the edge of that river with a promise behind them and a barrier in front of them.

And that is often where God’s people find themselves.

God speaks His promises. He calls His people forward. And then He brings them to a place where they must step forward in trust.

The courage to live the life God calls us to live does not come from pretending that the obstacles are small. It comes from believing that the promise of God is greater than the obstacle standing before us.

For Joshua and Israel, the Jordan was not the end of the promise—it was the doorway through which the promise would begin to unfold.

And the same God who gave the promise was the God who would lead them across.

3. Guaranteed Presence Granted

Joshua 1:5 “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.”

After defining the promise and setting the task before Joshua, the Lord now gives him something even more important than strategy, preparation, or military strength.

God gives Joshua His presence.

The Lord begins with a promise of victory:

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.”

That statement is not a declaration about Joshua’s personal strength. It is a declaration about God’s commitment to act on behalf of His people. Joshua will face enemies, battles, fortified cities, and opposition, but none of those things will ultimately prevail against him.

But the reason for that victory is immediately explained in the next line.

“Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.”

This is one of the most important statements in the entire passage. Joshua had spent years watching Moses lead the people of Israel. He had seen the miracles God performed through him. He had witnessed the authority Moses carried. And it would have been easy for Joshua to wonder whether he could ever measure up to the man who came before him.

But God does not tell Joshua to become another Moses.

Instead, God promises that the same presence that sustained Moses will now sustain Joshua.

The power behind Moses’ leadership was never Moses himself—it was the presence of God.

And that same presence now belongs to Joshua.

The Lord reinforces the promise with even stronger language:

“I will not leave you or forsake you.”

Those words echo earlier promises God had given to His people through Moses. They are covenant words—words of assurance that God will not abandon His people in the middle of the mission He has called them to fulfill.

Joshua will cross the Jordan.

Joshua will face enemies.

Joshua will lead the nation.

But he will not do it alone.

The presence of God will accompany him every step of the way.

And this promise extends far beyond Joshua’s life. Throughout Scripture, the presence of God remains the foundation of courage for His people.

When the Lord Jesus sent His disciples into the world, He gave them a promise that sounds remarkably similar:

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The mission Christ gave His followers—to proclaim the gospel to the nations—is far beyond human ability. But the confidence of the church has never rested in its own strength. It rests in the presence of the risen Christ with His people.

The same truth applies to the Christian life today.

The courage to live faithfully for God does not come from our personality, our determination, or our ability to overcome fear by sheer willpower.

True courage grows from the assurance that God is with us.

Joshua could face the Jordan, the battles ahead, and the enormous responsibility of leadership because the Lord Himself promised to be present with him.

And the same promise strengthens believers today.

When we face uncertainty…

When we encounter responsibilities that feel too large for us…

When fear begins to whisper that we are not capable of the task before us…

The answer to fear is not self-confidence.

The answer is God’s presence.

Joshua’s courage did not come from looking inward.

It came from looking upward.

The Lord who had been with Moses would now be with Joshua.

And the Lord who calls His people today has never abandoned them either.

The courage required for the Christian life flows from the same source: the unchanging presence of God with His people wherever they go.

4. Grit in Obedience

Joshua 1:6–7 “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.”

Up to this point in the passage, the Lord has reminded Joshua of the reality of the moment, defined the promise before him, and assured him of His presence. Now the Lord begins to address Joshua’s responsibility.

And the command that dominates this section is repeated three times throughout this passage:

“Be strong and courageous.”

The Lord says it in verse 6, again in verse 7, and once more in verse 9.

At first glance, those words might sound like a call to military bravery. After all, Joshua is about to lead Israel into battle. The conquest of Canaan lies ahead. There will be fortified cities, organized armies, and real conflict.

But when we look more closely at the text, we discover something very important.

The courage Joshua needs is not primarily courage in battle—it is courage in obedience.

Verse 7 explains what this strength and courage actually look like:

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.”

The greatest challenge Joshua will face is not simply confronting enemies—it is remaining faithful to the Word of God.

The Lord tells him:

“Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left.”

In other words, Joshua’s leadership must be shaped by unwavering obedience to God’s instruction. His courage will not be measured merely by how he fights battles but by how faithfully he aligns his life and leadership with God’s law.

This is a crucial lesson for understanding what true spiritual courage looks like.

In our culture, courage is often defined as boldness, risk-taking, or the ability to face danger without fear. But biblical courage is something deeper. Biblical courage is the strength to obey God when obedience is difficult.

It takes courage to follow God’s Word when it runs against the pressures of the world. It takes courage to live with integrity when compromise seems easier. It takes courage to remain faithful when fear or uncertainty threatens to pull us away from the path of obedience.

Joshua’s courage would not be proven merely on the battlefield—it would be proven in his commitment to walk in the ways God had revealed through Moses.

And this pattern carries forward into the Christian life.

The courage required to live faithfully as a follower of Christ is not simply the courage to face hardship. It is the courage to submit our lives to the authority of God’s Word.

Jesus Himself made this connection when He said:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Faithfulness to Christ is expressed through obedience.

And yet obedience often requires courage.

It takes courage to forgive when we have been deeply hurt.

It takes courage to speak truth in a culture that resists it.

It takes courage to live a life shaped by Scripture when the world is moving in the opposite direction.

But Joshua’s command reminds us of something important: the courage to obey does not come from ourselves alone.

It grows from the promise we just saw in the previous verse—that God Himself is present with His people.

Joshua can obey because God is with him. And believers today can pursue obedience because God, through Christ, empowers His people to walk in faithfulness.

True courage in the Christian life is not merely boldness in action. It is steadfast obedience to the Word of God, trusting that the God who commands is also the God who strengthens.

5. Grow Through God's Word

Joshua 1:8–9 “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.””

After calling Joshua to courage and obedience, the Lord now reveals the means by which that obedience will be sustained.

Joshua is told:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.”

The “Book of the Law” refers to the instruction that God had given through Moses—the revelation of God’s will for His people. Joshua is not being asked to lead Israel according to his own wisdom, instincts, or strategies. His leadership must be shaped by the Word of God.

Notice how deeply Joshua is to engage with that Word.

The Lord says:

“You shall meditate on it day and night.”

Meditation in Scripture is not emptying the mind; it is filling the mind with the truth of God’s Word. It means turning God’s Word over in the heart again and again—thinking on it, speaking it, allowing it to shape our understanding of life.

The image here is one of constant attention to God’s instruction. Joshua is to keep God’s Word on his lips, in his mind, and at the center of his leadership.

And the purpose of that meditation is not merely knowledge—it is obedience.

The verse continues:

“So that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.”

Joshua’s success will not come from clever strategy or military brilliance. It will come from living under the authority of God’s Word.

This leads to the promise that follows:

“For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Now this language can sometimes be misunderstood. In our culture, prosperity and success are often defined in terms of wealth, comfort, or achievement. But in this context the promise is about something deeper.

Success here means that Joshua will accomplish the mission God has given him. His leadership will fulfill God’s purpose for His people because it is rooted in obedience to God’s Word.

In other words, success is not defined by human standards—it is defined by faithfulness to God.

Then the Lord closes this section by repeating the command we have heard several times already:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.”

And once again the reason for that courage is given:

“For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua’s courage is not self-generated. It grows out of two realities that work together throughout this passage:

The presence of God…

and the Word of God.

God’s presence gives Joshua confidence.

God’s Word gives Joshua direction.

Together they form the foundation for the life God has called him to live.

And the same principle remains true for believers today.

The courage required to live the Christian life does not come from emotional strength or natural confidence. It grows as we remain anchored in the Word of God and aware of the presence of God.

When Scripture shapes our thinking, guides our decisions, and governs our lives, we begin to see life through the lens of God’s promises rather than our fears.

Joshua would lead Israel across the Jordan, through battles, and into the promised land—not by trusting his own wisdom, but by grounding his life in the Word of God.

And the same God who strengthened Joshua continues to strengthen His people today as they live under the authority of His Word and in the assurance of His presence.

Conclusion

As we step back and look again at this passage, we see that the Lord gave Joshua everything he needed to move forward.

Joshua stood at the edge of a daunting task. Moses was gone. The Jordan River stood before him. A land filled with enemies lay ahead. And behind him stood a nation depending on his leadership.

Humanly speaking, it was overwhelming.

But in that moment God did not give Joshua a strategy first. He gave Joshua something far more important.

God reminded him of His promises.

God assured him of His presence.

God called him to walk in obedience.

And God anchored his life in His Word.

Joshua’s courage was never meant to come from Joshua himself. It was meant to come from trusting the God who called him.

And in many ways, that is exactly where the Christian life meets us today.

Because like Joshua, we also stand in moments where the life God calls us to live can feel overwhelming.

We are called to follow Christ in a world that often moves in the opposite direction.

We are called to pursue holiness in a culture that celebrates compromise.

We are called to love others sacrificially, to forgive when we have been hurt, to remain faithful when obedience is difficult.

And if we are honest, there are moments when the Christian life can feel daunting.

But Joshua’s story reminds us of something essential: God never calls His people to live the life of faith in their own strength.

The courage to live the Christian life does not come from within us.

It comes from the same place Joshua’s courage came from.

From the promises of God.

From the presence of God.

And from lives shaped by the Word of God.

The same God who stood with Joshua stands with His people today.

But as we read this passage as Christians, we also recognize that Joshua’s story ultimately points us forward to something even greater.

Joshua was leading Israel into an earthly inheritance — the land promised to their fathers. But that promise was only a shadow of a greater rescue God would accomplish.

Even Joshua’s name points forward.

The name Joshua means “The Lord saves.”

And centuries later another Joshua would come — the One we know as Jesus.

Jesus came to accomplish a greater deliverance.

Joshua led the people across the Jordan River.

But Jesus leads His people through the greater barrier of sin and death.

Our greatest obstacle is not a river or an enemy army. Our greatest problem is sin — the sin that separates us from God.

And no amount of human effort or courage can overcome that barrier.

But the gospel tells us that Christ has done what we could never do.

Jesus lived the perfectly obedient life we have failed to live.

He went to the cross and bore the judgment our sins deserved.

And through His resurrection He opened the way for sinners to enter the true inheritance — forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

And it is that work of Christ that we remember and celebrate in communion.

The bread reminds us of His body given for us.

The cup reminds us of His blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

The courage to live the Christian life does not come from ourselves.

It comes from the One who gave Himself for us and now walks with His people.

So as we come to the Lord’s Table this morning, we remember the One who secured our salvation and who now strengthens us to live the life He has called us to live.

And with that, I’m going to invite Pastor Kenny to come forward and lead us as we prepare to receive communion together.

And because of Christ, we can move forward with confidence—strong and courageous—knowing that the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.

Prayer: Lord, we want to thank you for your Word. This Word that gives us strength and courage to live out the life that you called us to live. We ask that your Holy Spirit help us meditate on your Word, day and night. That we keep your Holy Word in our hearts. And Lord, that we know that our strength and courage ultimately come from you, not from our wisdom and understanding. In Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.