Faithful When We Fail

Introduction:

Some of the greatest (or most terrible) victories in military history are ambushes

· What does the story of this lesser-known ambush reveal to us about God?

LET’S SEE HOW GOD IS FAITHFUL WHEN WE FAIL, HOW GOD TURNS DEFEAT INTO VICTORY, AND HOW GOD LAUNCHES THE ULTIMATE AMBUSH.

I) God Is Faithful When We Fail

A. What Happens When We Fail God?

i. Israel’s Demoralizing State of Mind (Ch. 7)

1. Joshua is a like a photo album – pictures of salvation (and failure!)

2. But now: What happens after failure? (God’s plan? Purpose?)

ii. …Mirrors Our own: What can God Do With us?

1. After a divorce; lost your job; fractured a friendship: now what?

2. You question your usefulness to God… God’s favor in your life…His love

B. When We Fail, God Is Faithful!

i. God Re-Commissions Undeserving Israel! (vv.1-2)

1. God doesn’t wait for Israel to prove themselves, get their act together, put them on probation…

2. God re-issues His same promise & command as before

ii. God is faithful to us, even when we fail

1. God’s love & faithfulness are rooted in covenant: HIS character

2. EXAMPLE: Christianity Today “Testimony” story: There is nothing beyond the scope of God’s power to forgive

NOW, THE DETAILS ARE A LITTLE HARD TO FOLLOW, BUT THE BATTLE PLAN HERE IS INTRIGUING.

II) God Turns Defeat Into Victory

A. God Uses our very Failures as the Means to Victory!

i. The tactic: God uses Israel’s failure for victory (vv. 3-8, 14-17)

1. Battle recap: Ai would be lured into chasing Israel àCity captured

2. The plan wouldn’t have worked, except for Israel’s failure! (vs. 6)

ii. In God’s Wisdom, He redeems our failure into victory

1. Through confession & repentance, God transforms sin into growth

2. EXAMPLE: Addiction: denialà“rock-bottom”àconfessionàsponsor

B. God Stretches His Hands Over Us

i. From Moses to Joshua:

1. Joshua’s action not only signaled the people… (see vv. 18-19)

2. Joshua is proven again as successor to God’s people (see Ex. 17)

ii. The Arm of Strength over God’s People (Deut. 26;8; Ps. 98:1)

1. But not JUST Joshua’s “arm”, but God’s strength

2. How we experience victory: The helplessness of trusting God’s Power

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FINAL PIECE OF THIS – THE AMBUSH.

III) God Ambushes His Enemies So They Flee

A. God is Pleased To Use an Ambush Against His Enemies

i. The military tactic: a surprise that exploits

1. An ambush turns weakness against the enemy when they don’t expect it

2. Is God deceitful? No; he’s participating in the rules of the game

ii. And when God rises in strength, enemies flee

1. From Mosesàto IsaiahàPsalms – God’s power leads his enemies to flee

2. God transforms what looks like witness into strength that causes enemies to flee

B. God’s Greatest Ambush Causes Our Enemy to Flee Forever

i. The “ambush” at the cross:

1. To everyone else, the cross looked like utter foolishness – but it wasn’t!

2. There, God stretched out his arms in weakness, to be nailed to an instrument of torture

3. At the cross, “defeat” became the greatest victory of all time

ii. The “victory” three days later

1. Joshua’s victory came after three days, as did Jesus

2. There: the proof of God’s faithfulness is his commitment to the cross

3. There: hope that one day “sorrow and sighing” will flee away for good

Transition:

Conclusion

No matter what we may have done – we can be encouraged and comforted by the assurance that “nothing in all of creation will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord