Joshua's Leadership Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua was a great leader because he kept:

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I. God before him (1-4)

God leads!

A. God prepared him (Moses prep 40 years)

1) Bold as one of the good spies

2) Moses’ “minister,” was faithful in the little things

B. God led, Joshua followed.

a) “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you!”

b) It was already given to him, he need only to follow

C. God required obedience, are we obeying God’s leading?

1) How does God lead?

2) Pillar of cloud/fire? Donkey talking? Bright light?

D. What is God leading you to do?

1) ILL: Man at McDonalds needing a jump

II. God behind him (5-6)

God strengthens!

A. God strengthened Joshua with a future promise

“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee.”

a) -> “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2) He knows the future! -> “For I know the plans I have…”

B. God strengthened Joshua with a past example

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

C. God strengthened Joshua with a present guarantee

3) Need examples? Read the Bible and talk to older Christians!

C. God strengthened Joshua with a present guarantee

“I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

2) I don’t need know what tomorrow holds cuz I know who holds tomo!

D. Strength comes from God!

1) “I” referring to God, mentioned 4x in these two verses!

2) Even a good leader such as Joshua, needed encouragement to be bold.

è NOTE: Victory was not guaranteed because Joshua was great, but because God was great!

III. God’s Word in him (7-8)

è God’s Word had to be a priority for life to lead the Israelites.

God works!

è “Law” = “Torah”

A. Commit to all of God’s Word

“Observe to do according to all the law.”

2) Note the word “ALL” we don’t pick and choose

B. Don’t deviate from God’s Word

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

C. Live out God’s Word

1) Know it!

“this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth.”

2) Meditate on it!

“thou shalt meditate therein day and night”

3)Do it!

“that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein”

D. Success of the mission was dependent on Joshua’s obedience

E. Result = prosper!

1) “that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest”

2) “for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success.”

3) NOTE: prosperous does not mean problem free, it means able to persevere through the problems!