Set Up for Success
Notes
Transcript
Introduction Set Up for Success
Introduction Set Up for Success
Reset: New Year, New Goals
Reset: Out with the Old, In with the New!!!!
Strong- verses 3-6
Scriptures- verse 7
Success - verses 8-9
background information
Israel was about to undertake a great enterprise as they entered the land of Canaan. This land had been promised for centuries, and the Pentateuch points repeatedly to it.
The first preparation was of their leader, Joshua. God encouraged him by promising to remain with him, and he charged Joshua to keep the law diligently (1:1–9).
The great crossing of the Jordan-
The Jordan River was a natural barrier that needed to be crossed. However, the story of the crossing in chap. 3 emphasizes two things: (1) God’s presence with his people, symbolized by the ark, and (2) God’s wondrous miracle in stopping up the waters of the river.
He gives the charge to Joshua: The same way i was with Moses, I will be with you!
This is incredible- God showed Himself to Moses. This is what the Bible says to some up how God used Moses.
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
So, in God’s Charge to Joshua; we see some things that can help us in Our RESET!
Strong- verses 3-6
Strong- verses 3-6
be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous.
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. 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. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Moses, did great things for the people, lead them through the wilderness, gave them the law, spoke to God, victorious over Pharoah.....
Now Joshua has to follow that . . . that’s unfair. How can someone exceed what Moses did up to this point.
Sort of like what happened in the NBA as MJ was aging and getting closer to retirement. The questions were: who will be the Next Jordan? Everyone coming into the league was judged unfortunately by how the compared to Jordan.
this is bad for many reasons: but primarily because people could not appreciate the talent and skill levels of certain athletes because of this unfair comparisons.
we are unable to sit in awe of watching greatness.
same here with Joshua. . . this is why over and over and over again; GOD whispers “be strong, be strong, be strong”
Joshua needed this encouragement, he needed to know that God would be with Him. He needed assurance more so for the People he had to lead, than the Place God had him to Go.
Joshua knew God was able and powerful and faithful. . he saw up close, he had front row seats to the Awesomeness of God. . so He knew God could take him to the destination. . . . the Distractions from the People (him included) was the biggest fear!
Let me camp here for a second- we like Joshua, need assurance from God for us to be strong and courageous. We have seen Him work miracles, we have watched him move mountains; and do amazing things
So the problem is not If God can make it happen, rather can we trust Him enough to take a step?
One of the great tragedies in our lives deals more with us getting in the way of our own greatness. We allow people around us to second guess ourselves in many ways.
This doubt, year after year keeps us in the same position.
Financially- you want to save a little something, It does not happen because “man you can’t save here and there”. no investments. . no retirement. . no vacation fund. . and you follow the same pattern year after year.
Arthur McLauren and our financial awareness ministry has great tips and information on this.
Fitness- you want to make change in your health. . for whatever reason and goals. People somehow get you to believe its impossible. “you not gonna work out, you not drinking smoothies, you not gonna eat vegetables. . . you always will have high blood pressure. .
100 ounces of water . . . wah?!
year in and year out people don’t move because of fear.
Erika and I went on this health journey awhile back. . . changed the way we ate and prepared food. and people were like you can’t cook without this or that
Faith- you desire to be in the Word, reading , meditating, praying
Freedom- some have wonderful ideas and plans. . businesses, and more and it never happens
We not doing this in 2021- The same way God says be strong and courageous to Joshua, he is saying this to you as well.
I am with you, My Presence along is enough . . Be Strong
Scriptures- verse 7
Scriptures- verse 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.
the WORD must lead us and not The World!!!
God’s plan for Joshua was simple . . be in the WORD.
It is striking that God’s instructions here to Joshua are not about military matters, given that Joshua and the Israelites faced many battles ahead. However, the keys to his success were spiritual, directly related to the degree of his obedience to God. The keys to Joshua’s success were the same as those for a king: being rooted in God’s word rather than depending upon military might.
The importance of obedience to the law as the key to Joshua’s success cannot be overestimated.
(1) Joshua was to “be careful to do” this law (v. 7a). (2) It was “all” the law that was to be obeyed (v. 7a). (3) Joshua was not to deviate from it even slightly, neither to the right nor to the left (v. 7b). (4) The Book of the Law was not to depart from Joshua’s mouth, since he was to meditate upon it by day and by night
Blessed People delight in the Law of the Lord
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Let me stop here and say. . after seeing what happened last week in Washington. The looting. . the attacks on America By people angry about the election. They destroyed the building at the Nations Capitol (OL) because Trump lost an election.
We need the Word in our lives, hearts. . . we need preachers, teachers, evangelist, prophets . . everyone declaring the WORD. . more than ever.
Success - verses 8-9
Success - verses 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.”
keeping in step with God’s word allows us to prosper
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
If they listen and serve him,
they complete their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasantness.
Being successful doesn’t mean you will be financially rich, and you can be. This is not some secret formula to get rich quick.....
in the Old Testament “prosperity” is not financial in its primary orientation, if at all. Rather, it refers to succeeding in proper endeavors. Also, it comes only when it is not the focus of one’s efforts in any case. It comes when one’s focus is on God and one’s relationship with him. The success is granted by God, not attained by human achievement