Comeback Season #2

Intro

Welcome to Living Hope Students

My name is Cody

If you are new, please text “New” to 931.358.9870

Last week we learned about Joshua’s new role as the leader of God’s people. This week we are going to look at what faith looks like and how we are called to move.

Read

Joshua 3:9–17 HCSB

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, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites 11 when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now choose 12 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 all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters 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.

Teach

Faith is a funny thing because it literally means to place your hope in things that are unseen.

1. What’s the Word?(vv.9-13)

There will always be a Word before there is a Work

John 1:1 HCSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Abraham heard a sign before there was a son

Elijah was given a dream before there was a drought.

Isaiah was given a Message before there was a Messiah

Paul was given a word before he was given the work

And Joshua? He was given a vision before he was given victory. The river was just the first battle that he would have and it wasn’t even physical, it was spiritual. That is why in verse 5, Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves.

To consecrate means to sanctify, to sanctify means to do away with all of the ordinary things of this world and set the Holiness of God in front of you.

God commanded Joshua to take the Israelites through the river Jordan during the flood stage. As you can imagine, it would of been nerve racking, but that is how faith works. It is something that God calls us to obey in without knowing the outcome.

1 Peter 5:7 HCSB

7 casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

Psalm 91:11 HCSB

11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.

God is in the business of giving his people scary and difficult tasks throughout life.

God is a promise maker, which automatically makes him a promise keeper.

It is not in his character or his nature to fail. That is a human character flaw that we tend to project on the All Mighty God of this universe.

2. What’s the Action (vv.14-17)

Faith Fall

So whenever God give you a job that requires you to step out in faith, there is actually an action of obedience that is required from us that completes the miracle. Don’t get confused, we aren’t the miracle workers, but we do play a role.

2 Timothy 2:21 HCSB

21 So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Luke 19:40 HCSB

40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!”

We have the unique opportunity everyday to step out in faith, trust God, and let Him accomplish massive miracles through us.

Response

James 1:22 HCSB

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Psalm 62:8 HCSB

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

Romans 10:9 HCSB

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.

Titus 3:5 HCSB

5 He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.