Moving into the Promises of God

It’s Time For Renewal

Holding pattern story - flying to London

There was nothing to do but wait until the plane landed so we could proceed with our vacation.

Since COVID-19 hit, many of us have been in a holding pattern.

The children of Israel during Moses’ day were in a holding pattern in the wilderness.

They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they did not believe God.

In this holding pattern, they did not circumcise their children. They grumbled and complained in disbelief.

As such, the God’s people became indifferent.

They became spiritually indifferent

When you are raised by people who don’t have faith in God, you fail to practice relationship with God

Their children grew up not knowing what walking with God meant. But they knew what religious routine was, for the people still offered sacrifices according to Moses’ instructions. They went through the rituals and relied on them to give them good standing with God - instead of having faith in the God to whom they were sacrificing.

We are living in a time when more people are spiritually indifferent than ever before (Stats)

According to the Pew Research Center, Christianity is declining rapidly in the U.S.

Surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 revealed that 43% of U.S. adults identify with Protestantism, down from 51% in 2009. And one-in-five adults (20%) are Catholic, down from 23% in 2009.

Self-described atheists now account for 4% of U.S. adults, up from 2% in 2009; agnostics make up 5% of U.S. adults, up from 3% a decade ago; and 17% of Americans now describe their religion as “nothing in particular,” up from 12% in 2009.

Spiritual indifference is influencing thought and decisions today.

For example, another Pew Research study reveals, A majority of Christians (57%) say sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is sometimes or always acceptable. That includes 67% of mainline Protestants, 64% of Catholics, 57% of Protestants in the historically Black tradition and 46% of evangelical Protestants.

I had a conversation with a PK, a generation Z who’s age ranges fro 6 to 24 years old. She says she is deconstructing her faith. Which means, overturning outdated interpretations of the bible, transforming hierarchical religious institutions, and re-orientating Christianity outside the walls of church buildings toward working among and serving others in the “real world.”

One of the major causes of people practicing deconstruction or even leaving the faith is they were hurt by someone in the church. Better yet, they saw people say they love God, but not live in ways that honor Him - thus they saw hypocrites.

They have become indifferent - (don’t Love you, don’t hate you, just don’t care)

The spiritual term for the person with is indifferent is “lukewarm. “

Jesus said it this way when addressing the church a Laodicea in the book of the Revelation.

Revelation 3:15–16 NKJV

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

The remedy for indifference is renewal - for God to reveal Himself to you in a way that you see Him, experience His power, His love and forgiveness.

For God’s people under Joshua’s leadership It was time for renewal.

We discover 4 significant things that happen for God’s people.

1). God renewed His covenant.

Joshua 5:1–6 NKJV

1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel. 2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord—to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Through this mass circumcision, God is reminding His people that He has a covenant with them! - I am with you - You belong to me and I belong to you.

The mark of the covenant reminded the people that their bodies belonged to God, it reminded them that they are a special people, a separated people, a holy nation, and that they were to maintain purity in their marriages , society, and their worship of God.

For the believer today, Jesus initiated the new covenant.

Matthew 26:26–28 NKJV

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

We are circumcised in Christ - which makes us God’s covenant people.

Colossians 2:11 NKJV

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

2). God took away the shame of their slavery.

Joshua 5:7–9 NKJV

7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

God takes away our guilt and shame.

Romans 8:1 NKJV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

3). They honored God by participating in the passover - They renewed their commitment to follow God’s

Joshua 5:10 NKJV

10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.

Even thought their fathers were in the wilderness 40 years, the scriptures only record them keeping the passover once.

This was the first time this generation kept the passover because you had to be circumcised in order to do so. They were remembering what God did when the death angel passed over the houses with the blood of the lamb on the door posts.

We commemorate the New Covenant every time we partake in communion.

1 Corinthians 11:26 NKJV

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

4). God honored His promise - They ate the fruit of the land.

Joshua 5:11–12 NKJV

11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

God will honor His promise to you.

Its time for renewal

90 Day Challange

Continue in worship service 90 days.

Attend bible study 90 days

Serve the Lord 90 days