Be Strong and of Good Courage
Notes
Transcript
Be Strong and of Good Courage
Be Strong and of Good Courage
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and 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; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
“Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,
“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’
Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,
until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
Release the Past
Release the Past
We must stop grieving over the past
Lost Relationships
“Moses, My servant is dead”
Family, Friends, Leaders, Fellow believers
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters
Who never did
Who won't anymore
And who always will
Don't worry about people from your past; there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Jesus is the only One who will never leave us nor forsake us
Lost Opportunities
Land of regrets “What might have been”
We will never achieve God’s best by grieving over wasted days and wasted nights
We can’t look forward through the front windshield of the future if we keep our eyes on the rear view mirror of the past
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Past Achievements
James Walker: “When your memories exceed your dreams, you are finished.”
Joshua had many memories
The Lord’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt
The miracles of provision in the wilderness
The cloud by day and fire by night
The Lord’s coming at Mt. Sinai
The victories over their enemies
Mentored by Moses, the great man of God.
Joshua could not lead into the future by settling in the past.
Israel had yet to attain God’s promised land
The past prepared him for his future.
Renew Your Vision
Renew Your Vision
We must get our back eyes on God’s:
Promise
Principles
Provision
Power
Recommit to the Mission
Recommit to the Mission
It is time to rise out of apathy and fear.
It is time to restore our commitment to the Great Commission.
Re-engage with Faith
Re-engage with Faith
Be STRONG
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Don’t be weak—intimidated, manipulated, dominated, deceived
Be COURAGEOUS
Opposite: Discouraged
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is taking a stand in the face of fear.
Courage is standing up to your fears. Soldiers are courageous in battle when they face their fear of losing or dying in order to fight for their future.
Without fear there can be no courage.
Courage is facing the vulnerability of fear with the security of faith
Four Reasons to be strong and of good courage
For the people’s sake: Others are depending on you
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
For the Word’s sake: The Word works through your faith
For the Lord’s sake: God works through you!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
For the rebel’s sake: Rebels must not control your future
Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
Rely on His Presence
Rely on His Presence
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Response to the Word
Response to the Word
Release the past
Renew your vision
Recommit to God’s mission
Re-Engage with faith
Rely on His Presence