One Step at a Time

Amen!! Well, if you wanna grab your Bibles, we’ll be in the book of Joshua this morning. We’ll start in Chapter 1. While y’all turn there, I want to Thank Bro Randie, the band, and praise team for leading us in worship this morning!! I believe we have all gained a renewed appreciation for singing together, worshipping together, and being able to join together corporately. I know that i have, and i know that our staff has as well, we talk about it often. And for those of you watching online, know that we are intentionally Praying for the Lord’s direction, and for this season to pass.

But you know, this season has taught us a lot, hasn’t it? Many have been able to rearrange their priorities in ways that life, and work, and the general day to day grind wouldn’t have allowed us to do otherwise.

People are spending more time with Family, more time outdoors, more time working on their health, and many other things! It’s great to see how in the face of enormous trials and obstacles, mankind continues to find a way to learn, and push through!

We see the nation of Israel and Joshua in a difficult season that had personal, Physical, political, and spiritual ramifications.

Joshua 1:1–9 CSB

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

Context

The Lord has rescued the Israelites from Egyptian oppression through the servant leadership of Moses.

Once they escaped the hands of Pharoah, they set off to claim the land that the Lord had promised them.

This Journey took 40 Years

so much more happened! Read Exodus - Deuteronomy

To say the least, this has been a long and difficult journey.

However, there has always been a constant, Moses.

Now the Lord is giving Joshua the reins.

God Tells Joshua to:

Fill the Role of Moses

Even though He had been technically in charge since Numbers 27. There was still a security blanket there with Moses.

Cross the Jordan

Motivate, encourage, and lead a group of people who have just gone through a great loss to keep moving forward!

Defeat the Hittites

Largest, Most well known, and most power tribe of Canaan. So well known that it is even documented by the Assyrians and the Egyptians

Distribute the Promised Land

After all of the traveling, and all of the battles Joshua would be responsible for splitting up the land amongst the tribes

Be Strong and Courageous

God Tells Joshua this multiple times when giving him instruction.

He constantly encourages Joshua that all of this will not happen because of Joshua’s superior leadership, battle strategies, navigational skills, or strength. But that He has gone ahead of Joshua and is preparing the way for He and the Israelites!

But Really? That’s a lot to ask of anyone!

The Unknown can be Paralyzing

As mentioned before, this season has forced us to really evaluate our priorities. The response that we’ve seen in our communities, families, and in individuals thus far has been so encouraging!! And i’m encouraged that it’s forcing some questions that we as Believers have to be honest with ourselves about.

Before we jump into these, i ask you to take just a second to shift your mind to a place of Self-evaluation. I present these to you as a tool for growth, not to be critical, or as ammunition for you to be critical of anyone else. These may be questions that we have never been asked to consider.

Am I relying on Sunday Morning Worship for my Spiritual Growth?

We believe that Sunday Morning Worship is absolutely necessary, but what happens to the Church body, when we aren’t able to meet?

Ask yourself these questions.

When we were not able to meet in person, did I continue to grow spiritually?

When we were not able to meet in person, did I spend time in God’s Word?

When we were not able to meet in person, did i spend time in Prayer?

Am I relying on a church program to stay in touch?

Toward the beginning of the pandemic, one of my professors made a comment about churches that a program driven. He said that the churches that relied on activities, events, and programs were in serious trouble. Fortunately, we are a very ministry minded, but lets continue to look inward by asking ourselves:

(Students, Children, Women’s ministry, Men’s Ministry, etc.)

Have I grown distant from people in the church that I used to be close too?

Do I communicate and/or spend time with my faith family regularly?

Am I relying on the Church to find me ways to serve?

Ask yourself:

Where am I currently serving?

Am I searching for or creating opportunities to serve?

Am I waiting for the Church to ask me to Serve?

The Unknown can be Paralyzing

I know that there are a ton of people who are here, or are listening, that can answer all of those questions with confidence, knowing that you haven’t missed a beat during these uncertain times, But i also know that there are more of us out there that can’t. The Unknown brings so many different variations of fear into our lives that shake us to the core! We begin thinking about our family, our jobs, our finances, the list goes on and on and on. And the anxiety of the unknown literally causes us to lock down.

It would have been understandable for Joshua to have become paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, but he takes an approach that we should pay close attention too!

One Step at a Time

Take the First Step

Joshua knew what he was supposed to do. He was mentored and trained by Moses himself. But there’s a Big difference between knowing what to do, and doing it.

Let’s see how Joshua responded to God’s calling on his life!

Joshua 3:9–17 CSB

9 Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 He said, “You will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites 11 when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. 13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s water, its water will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.” 14 When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge 16 and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah—the Dead Sea—was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the “Christian Life”

I have seen so many give up hope because they didn’t feel like that were “good enough”, that they have tried and failed, or the will “never be perfect”.

But i want to encourage all of you who feel like the expectations are too high. Take one step at a time.

Joshua knows the ultimate goal is to claim the promised land, but He also knows that he has to cross the Jordan during the flood season to get there. At this time of year the river would be wider and the current stronger than usual. His Focus had to be on the Jordan!

How many of us are discouraged this morning?

Discouraged because we look around and feel like we just don’t measure up?

Discouraged because we feel the same way that Paul felt in Romans 7:15?

Romans 7:15 ESV

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Discouraged because we honestly don’t know where to start.

Joshua took that first step by leading the people across the Jordan. A great victory that may discounted as small or insignificant, but was vital to the completion of the Journey! and the Lord made sure that it would be Remembered!

Joshua 4:1–3 CSB

1 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe, 3 and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”

Joshua 4:6–7 CSB

6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”

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To the Christian,

Do you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere?

Do you feel like you’re standing still with the world moving past you?

Be Strong and Courageous and take it one step at a time.

Maybe that first step is joining a Small group.

Maybe that first step is learning how to tell someone your Salvation story, we call that your Testimony.

Maybe that first step is using your Giftedness to serve the church.

Or maybe the first step is to simply spend time reading the Bible and Praying every day.

To those of you who are not Christians, but are seeking the truth.

Do you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere?

Do you feel like you’re standing still with the world moving past you?

Be Strong and Courageous and take it one step at a time.

Maybe that first step is hearing that there is a God in Heaven who Loves you in a way that you have never experienced before!

Maybe that first step is hearing that the very same God who loves you, wants to forgive you of all of these stuff in your past!

Or Maybe you’ve heard those things before, and never believed it, or never acted on it. and maybe your first step this morning, is leaving the world that wants to destroy you behind, and surrendering control of your life to the God who wants to Save you!

The Bible Says that:

Romans 10:9–11 CSB

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,

Is the Lord Drawing you to Himself this morning?

Take that First step. See that He is Faithful, and always remember the ways that the Lord has honored those small steps.

Will you take that First step this morning? Whatever it may be, I invite you! He’s waiting!