Choose a Side

If you have your Bibles please scroll or turn with me to the Book of Joshua. We will continue reading in Chapter 1 of Joshua.

Follow along with me Joshua 1:10-18.

“10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it. 12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.”

Let’s Pray

Joshua has now taken command and is leading the Israelites. He has been encouraged by God to take the place of Moses who has died. God has communicated with Joshua and explained that He would be with him just as He was with Moses. Most importantly, not only would God be with Joshua, but God’s Word makes it clear that God would not forsake or fail him.

We must understand that no matter what takes place in our lives. When things look dark & grim. When life seems difficult. When we do not know how we are going to go on, God will not forsake us. He will not fail you!

God has also passed along to Joshua, as we discussed last week, to be strong and of good courage. Why? Not because Joshua possessed something within his might or power to overcome anxiety or fear. Instead, the reason that Joshua could be strong and not be afraid is because God promised to be with Him no matter where Joshua went.

Imagine how much your outlook would change if you approached everyday as if God was right there with you. I hope you realize that if you are a Follower of Jesus Christ then that is the truth. God is right there with you.

Read Ephesians 3:17.

“17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,..”

If Christ is in your heart then you have no reason to fear or to be afraid.

Prepare for Action

Joshua 1:10–11 KJV 1900

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

So now that Joshua has taken Moses’ place it is now time for him to be decisive. He is now the one being looked at to determine the next move. That bring us to our 1st Point this morning which is, Prepare for Action.

I want to point out first that you can see a clearly defined sort of chain of command laid out in the Bible. If you notice that God communicated to Joshua, Joshua to the officers, and the officers to the people. Now since this is a conquest of Canaan it is easily to only look at this from a militaristic point of view. But this chain of command is not just confined to conquering nations or taking over land.

We learn here that God provides structure for every single one of us. The people that are placed in your life is there for a reason. A lot of times when we are trying to make decisions or determine the best course of action albeit how you should save for retirement, where you should go on vacation, where you should worship, if you should create distance between that person who is toxic and yourself. The fact is, God places people in our lives who can offer us counsel.

I can tell you in my life I know there are people who are that can that offer me Godly advice. Just within the past couple of weeks there was a topic that I was wrestling with in my mind. I was going back and forth on what the right thing would be to do. I shared it with a couple of guys and they gave me solid, wise counsel. It may have not been the answer that my flesh wanted. But it was the right thing to do. Make sure that you have people in your life that is not just going to give you the answers and responses that you desire to hear. Rather have people in your life that will be honest and give it to you straight.

But in our text this morning we see Joshua going to the officers and giving specific direction. What is that direction? To prepare. What were they to prepare for? To cross the Jordan River into the promised land.

I find it interesting that Joshua did not say we are going to cross the Jordan today. He did not say we are going to rest for the evening and then at first light we will proceed over the river. Instead he said that within 3 days you shall pass over the river. Is there anything of substance or relevance to 3 days?

Well if you read God’s Word long enough then 3 days should pop out to you as a reoccurring amount of time before something monumental or significant takes place. Think on this for just a moment, Jesus was in the grace for 3 days before He rose. Abraham & Isaac were on the mountain for 3 days when God explained that He would provide Himself a sacrifice. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days & nights. When Hezekiah was ill and pleaded with God to heal him. God responded for him to wait 3 days before going to the House of the Lord where God would heal him and add 15 years to his life. The time period of 3 days always seem to accompany a miraculous event, a spiritual decision, and brings about a renewal of life or service to God.

You might be thinking well Brother Danny how does this apply to my life? Well the truth of the matter is that a lot of us make decisions rather hastily. When you make a hasty decision it is normally because you are impatient, you feel pressured, or you allow an emotional response to a situation dictate your decision. The tough part of the later of those 3 options is that when you make a decision based upon an initial emotional response then you feel like you have to commit because you often draw a line in the sand & pride will not let you back down from it.

3 days allows you time to prepare. To consider the ramifications of actions you are about to take. To reflect on what brought you to your current situation. It also gives you time to get ready for what is about to come.

When I was 18 I went to Kip Killmon Ford that use to be where Dave Navarre’s Garage is now here in Louisa. I wanted to buy a car and I took it for a test drive. My test drive just was not a 5 minute drive but rather a weekend. Well I had decided that I would buy that car if I could get financed without a co-signer as well as if the payments were something I could afford. So, after a couple of days of having the car I took it back into the dealership. The salesman asked me if I liked the car to which I replied yes.

They immediately took me to the Finance Office and you know what they said. Well Mr. Woody you will probably need a co-signer because you have no credit history. I was like well thanks anyway. Then they were appealed to my desire to own the car by saying well you can build you credit a little bit then refinance and get that co-signer off the loan. That’s a real nice car and I’d hate to see someone else come buy it. They were playing with my emotions. So, my decision making was shifting to one that was relying on emotion rather than reason.

So, I swallowed my pride and asked someone to be my co-signer. I asked for a 3 year loan. The Finance Manager then asked if we could get it financed would I definitely by the car. I stupidly said absolutely I love that car. Well the approval went through but the payments were about double than I wanted to pay. So, they knew from an emotional perspective I had seen myself owning this car. They played to my pride by asking me if I would commit to buying the car if I could get it financed. Now, they are making it a 6 year car note at a ridiculous interest amount. Every thing I originally outlined about the condition in which I would purchase this car were non-existent. What did I do? I bought the car. Why? I felt I had to make a decision right there in that office at that moment. Hasty decisions rarely bring about positive outcomes.

In our text the people of Israel had just lost their leader Moses, now there is a new one. They had mourned for 30 days yet Joshua still said wait. Wait 3 days & prepare before we cross the Jordan. You see Joshua had made his plan known and now it was up to the people to decide if they were going to follow him.

Brother & Sisters in Christ do you usually make fast decisions? Do you find yourself drawing quick conclusions. I am not talking about when it comes to buying cars or what to get at the grocery store. Rather when it comes to spiritual decisions. Unfortunately, I have watched people make bold statements and make rash decisions all because they did not allow time for their emotions to settle.

Most importantly, decisions should not be made based upon how we look at a situation or what we believe is right. I like what Henry Blackaby once said on this subject, “God doesn’t want people to do what they think is best: he wants them to do what he knows is best, and no amount of reasoning and intellectualizing will discover that.”

Promises to be Claimed

In our text the people of Israel were hoping for victory. The result of their victory would be to enter the promised land. We in here are not preparing for a victory of seizing the Promised Land. In fact, if you are a Follower of Jesus Christ then you already have the victory & because of that victory there are Promises to be Claimed. That is the 2nd point this morning, Promises to be Claimed.

Yet so many Christians today walk around as if there is only defeat instead of victory. We feel defeated by our circumstances, we feel defeated by the world, and quite frankly some of us feel defeated by our faith.

I find it interesting that when Joshua sent word out to prepare to cross the Jordan, how did he tell them to prepare? He said prepare victuals or rather food. Now food must have been pretty important. Now this is not the Pastor saying that because he is rather fond of food but that is what Joshua instructed. It was important that the people were nourished for the trek they were about to embark on. But there is more we can take away from this.

In in Numbers 11:4-6 we find out that the blessing of nourishment from God no longer satisfied the children of Israel.

“4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.”

In fact not only had they grown tired of the manna but they longed for a time when they were back in bondage in Egypt because they enjoyed the food so much better. As Followers of Jesus Christ we are spiritually nourished by the Word of God.

Unfortunately, there are so many who seem to be tired of that provision given to us by God. When we are preparing for a decision, when we are looking for those promises that we can rightfully claim, we must be nourished by the Word of God.

John 1:1 says,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 6:51 says,

“51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

There are so many people that look to the things of this world to satisfy them. Now it would be easy to point the finger at them and criticize them by calling them heathens & worthless sinners. However, could it simply be that they just got tired of being spiritually nourished? The Children of Israel simply grew tired of eating manna. If you get to the point where studying your Bible seems dull, when you get to the point where worshiping with your Brothers & Sisters in Christ seems unimportant, when you lose your enthusiasm for Jesus you are in trouble.

We must never forget that it is because of Jesus that we have victory. With that victory comes promises from God. I like what Adrian Rogers said about this when he preached, “There is a land for you to possess today. There is a promised land for you. There’s a place where the roses of Sharon are blooming in profusion and filling the air with their fragrance. There is a place where the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, gentleness, goodness, mercy, temperance, faith—grows in clusters and hangs from every vine. There is a place, a land flowing with milk and honey. There is a place for you, dear friend, to find rest. Not just someday, but now, today, God’s people are to be living victoriously. There is a promised land of rest for you—not someday, now—now.”

You see God promised the Children of Israel to get them out of the bondage in the land of Egypt. He did that. God promised to provide them sustenance as they traveled through the wilderness. He did that. He promised to get them to the land and claim victory. He did that. Honestly, you can look at each one of these places that the children of Israel were in and draw a comparison to your own relationship with God. Some of you are still stuck in bondage in Egypt. Some of you are wandering in the wilderness and unfortunately are getting tired of manna from Heaven. Some of you have completely surrendered to Christ and claimed victory.

In the book the Cross of Christ the author wrote, "It is impossible to read the New Testament with being impressed by the atmosphere of joyful confidence which pervades it, and which stands out in relief against the rather (superficial) religion that often passes for Christianity today. There was no defeatism about the early Christians; they spoke rather of victory...For if they spoke of victory, they knew they owed it to the victorious Jesus...It is he who 'overcame,' 'has triumphed,' and moreover did it 'by the cross'"

Have you been claiming the promises made by God? Are you in tune with Him enough & know His word well enough to know what those promises are?

Pick a Side

Joshua 1:12–14 says,

“12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;”

The 3rd point this morning is, “Pick a Side”. If we were to look at the Book of Numbers in Chapter 32 we will see that these 3 tribes that Joshua is calling out had decided that they were not interested in dwelling in the promised land. These tribes had become captivated by land that was on the East Side on the Jordan which was the opposite side from where the promised land was.

Moses agreed only on the condition that they would assist their Brothers & Sisters in the battle to claim the land. They agreed and now Joshua is reminding them of that arrangement. Now I have to wonder to myself why in the world would you continue on the path to the promised land, why would you fight for the promised land, just to turn back once you get there and settle on the opposite side. It does not make much sense to me.

Then I look at most people who say they are Follower of Jesus Christ. It is unfortunate because they want the privilege of Grace. They want the privilege of mercy. They want their Brothers & Sisters in Christ to stand beside of them when times are hard but their preference is to stay on the other side of the Jordan.

You have to understand that you have to pick a side. God’s side or the world’s side. The side of the Spirit or the side of the the flesh. The side of Jesus or the side of Satan. There is no getting the perks of being a Follower of Jesus Christ.

See there are people who claim to be on the side of Christ yet they look so comfortable on the other side of the Jordan. Oh I pulled my time pursuing the Promised Land but now you keep that talk on your side of the Jordan. Oh I want sin to be dealt with, just keep those dealings on that side of the Jordan. Oh we are with you guys, but just know that we like it better on this side of the Jordan. I hope you pick a side, the side God has called you to be on, no matter what.

Conclusion

This morning I hope you know there is no middle ground. Everyday that we spend on this earth we are faced with the decision rather we serve God or serve ourselves. You must understand that the decision you make should not be taken lightly. You should take every situation before the Lord. Read & meditate on His Word. Do not make hasty decisions based upon emotion or what someone else is doing. Instead, lean on the Lord and He will guide your ways.

Having Jesus as your Lord guarantees you so much and it does not start when you get to Heaven. It starts right now. But we become so enamored with this world that we do not stop and take the time to see what God has blessed us with. It is time to pick a side. You cannot straddle the fence in hopes that the day He returns or calls you home you are leaning are the right side.

There is this fictional story told by a guy named Ross Cochrane. Even though it is a work of fiction, I think there is something that we can take away from it. There was this guy who did not want to fight for the North or South during the Civil War. So in an attempt to remain neutral he decided he was going to wear Union pants and a Confederate Jacket. Well that did not help his desire to be neutral because both sides shot at him.

I pray this morning that you have chosen a side & that it is with Jesus.