Obedience at the Jordan River

Intro

-After the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, Dr. Martin Luther King rented a place in Jamaica, with no telephone or any other distractions, and penned his last manuscript. His concern was about poverty and creating equal opportunities for everyone in a world that had was ran by a system that preferred disparity, oppression, and racism. The 60s ushered in changes to our country that were desperately needed. The Voting Rights Act was a massive win, but the work wasn’t done. So, Dr. King went to Jamaica and asked a question that was on everyone’s mind. Where do we go from here?

-Before him stood a large problem with no clearcut answer.

The book of Joshua

The book of Joshua is asking that exact question, in a way. The book starts at the Jordan River. The main narrative of Joshua is about the Israelites coming into and settling in the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. The land promised to Abraham’s descendants Which was just beyond the Jordan River. . But, like Dr. King’s fight for equality, obtaining this land was a tall order.

Canaan was filled with people that opposed Israel, their God, and their way of life.

Why the Israelites pursued to over take the land ...

They believed in the promises of Abraham. Gen. 12:1-2 tells us Abraham was promised two things:

That Abraham’s descendants would become a nation that would bless the world.

That God would give this nation a specific land, the land of Canaan.

Moses’s Fall

Moses dies and is left out of entering the promised land. To make matters worse, this was due to his own sin. So here the Israelite were, at the edge of the Jordan River, seeing the promises of God and wondering, “where do we go from here?”

Pertaining to our lives

You might be wondering, “How does the story of Joshua and the Israelites taking over Canaan pertain to my life?” This story is about living into your calling and purpose.

And that is this, you have been called to be the image of God.

Image of God

In Mesopotamia, the image of god would be a designation given to the king. The King would be considered the representative of the god/gods of the people.

The Akkadian word tzalmu is similar to the Hebrew word tzelem

Joshua and the people of Israel had a very specific assignment. God had called them to be His people and to do so in the land of Canaan.

a simplified way of seeing the trajectory of the Scripture up until today: image of God > tainted by sin > Jesus restores > The Church reveals

In this same way, humanity has been called to be such a representative on earth.

Our sin tainted this image and through the power of Jesus we are restored.

Now, we have a purpose, to reveal the power of Christ’s grace to the world.

The church is itself a revelation.

Joshua and the Israelites were moving into their calling of being

So today, we look to the story of Joshua to tell us how to step into the purpose that God has called all of us here today.

English Standard Version Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 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. 5 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. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 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. 8 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. 9 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.”

Breaking down Joshua 1:1-9

-What God Promised Joshua

Authority

Land

fulfillment of promise

Victory

-What God asks of Joshua

Courage

Obedience

Obedience to God is the beginning of living into your calling and purpose

It would be easy for us to read what God said he would give Joshua and believe that is the end up the discussion. But, when you read on, you see that God says that all of his promises will be found through obedience.

Verse 7

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

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.

Joshua’s success would be based on his obedience.

What is God calling you to today?

We are being called into restoration and revelation.

How well you are restored impacts what you reveal.

We find ourselves oscillating between restoration and revelation. The Holy Spirit is always working on our hearts, healing the effects of sin, even when we are living out the revelation. Right now, we are here at church living out that revelation. When you go home today, you will be living out the revelation. When you go to work tomorrow, you will be living out the revelation. I imagine there’s some of you in this room that this idea makes you nervous because you know there are things in your life that God needs to heal and forgive.

No matter the task at hand, our purpose and calling in life is always to reveal God to others.

I believe God called me to be a pastor, but only to reveal His love in a specific way. You have also been called to reveal God’s love.

Obedience

Obedience to His Word. His Scripture.

Obedience to Jesus

Here is our hope...

Living into our purpose is never a solo pursuit

End of verse 9 says, “for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”

This is the same promise given to...

Isaac (Gen 26:3)

At Moses’s commission (Ex. 3:12)

God reiterates this promise to Israel in exile

He tells this to Mary when telling of her impossible pregnancy

Jesus makes the same promise to his disciples when he sends them out to disciple the world.

God does not expect you to fulfill your calling through your own power

You cannot restore yourself on your own.

-Paul’s understanding of purposes and calling

2 Timothy 1:8–9 (ESV)

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Paul is writing this letter to Timothy while he is in imprisoned in Rome (that may not feel like he’s do great)

Paul is encouraging Timothy and reminding Timothy.

Be encouraged, do not feel ashamed at the difficulty of the task of ministry.

And remember, it is not through your own efforts that victory will be found, because the calling on their lives is according God’s own purpose and grace.

Sometimes, to obtain what God has for us, we are required to cross a barrier, a threshold, that may seem impossible or more difficult than you can handle.

Joshua found himself in a situation that was not ideal. The man he had followed, Moses, had sinned against God and was not allowed to enter into the promised land. Prior to Moses’s sin, Joshua wasn’t thinking about having the head job. The Bible doesn’t indicate any plans for a leadership coup.

Joshua, in a dire situation for his people, a moment that could have ended them all, he had to decide if he would step in the destiny that laid before him, or leave.

Story of our journey with special needs

No matter what your Jordan River looks like, it must result in your heart declaring “Not my will but your’s, Lord.”

The way we have been able to survive our own journey goes right along with the idea that God is with us. And that is this....

It takes the right people to take you into your destiny

Sometimes the people that have taken us up to this point are not going to be the people that finish the journey with us.

Let’s look at Moses. Moses was a great leader. God even instructed Joshua to follow the laws that Moses had given the Israelites. But, Moses would not finish the journey with them.

Who are the right people?

Let’s look to Joshua to tell us.

When Joshua assumed command, he started to prepare the people for the task ahead. He would remind the tribes of what God had promised each of them. This was their response....

English Standard Version (Chapter 1:16-18)

And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

You need people in your life that will call out the promises of God and encourage you the way the Israelites encouraged Joshua.

For us, it was being surrounding by family and friends that were full of grace and being willing to accept us and our son as we are. It was having people that surrounded us with prayer and love.

For you, the people in your life may be good people, but they’re not the right people to lead you into your next season.

Some of you this past week just started going to a small group. I know that for some this was your first time. And being part of a new group of people can be a challenge for those of us that are more introverted.

Joshua would never have been able to take the Israelites into the Promised Land on his own.

Because of Joshua’s and the Israelites obedience towards God, saw victory against...

Jericho

Ai

Gibeonites

Amorites

Makkedah

Libnah

Lachish

Eglon

Hebron

Debir

Anakim

Southern Canaan

Northern Canaan

Our Obedience will be a catalyst for others to enter into their own calling

look at the story of Rahab in chapter 2

Joshua sends two men as spies to check out Jericho. Rahab, a prostitute, houses the men. The leaders of Jericho come to her, but Rahab had hidden the men and lied to the leaders about where they were. When the king’s men had left, Rahab went up to the two spies and said this....

English Standard Version (Chapter 2:9-11)

I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

Rahab said “I know that the Lord has give you this land. And we have heard of how the Lord works.”

When you step out in obedience the ripple effect on a person’s life is immeasurable.

Jesus’ lineage

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Serving