Conqueor # 4
We’ve been teaching on the subject of absolute victory and for the past two weeks we’ve been looking at Joshua and the qualities that he demonstrated in his life. These qualities are what enabled him to walk in victory. God is not a respecter of persons, so if we began to walk in these qualities then we to will have victory.
I) The qualities that Joshua had in his life we’re 1st, LOYALTY, STABILITY, AND FAITHFULNESS.
A) 2nd he had PERCEPTION, SENSITIVITY and an UNDERSTANDING of SPIRITUAL THINGS and SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
1) 3rd Joshua made time to be alone with the Lord.
2) And No. 4 Joshua had the courage to act boldly in faith.
a) Faith is only based on the Word of God.
(i) Joshua had God’s direction, but he also had the courage to act boldly on it.
B) Before Israel could ever cross the Jordan and enter into the promise land they had to do rid of the doubt and unbelief.
1) They had to begin to see themselves as conquerors.
a) Going back 40 years, the children of Israel were about to take the promise land, but 10 of the 12 spies whom Moses sent out, came back with the evil report.
b) That evil report said, “We are not able to take the land. There are giants in the land. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
2) Before the children of Israel could ever be victorious in the promise land they had to overcome that grasshopper mentality.
a) Israel wandered in the wilderness 40 years to get the unbelief out.
3) Turn with me to Joshua chapter 4. In this chapter the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River into the promise land.
a) Look at Joshua 4:19.
4) Just prior to this the children of Israel still had that “Grasshopper Mentality.”
a) Even though they had been freed from Egypt for 40 years, they still thought like slaves.
b) Up until this point, they saw themselves as inferior and not as conquerors.
5) But something happened. Look at Joshua 5:9.
a) No longer were they going to see themselves as Egypt’s slaves, but now they’re going to see themselves as servants of the Most High God.
(i) Not inferior but God’s chosen people. Not defeated but conquerors.
b) The way you see yourself is what you will become.
(i) We need to see ourselves in the light of God’s Word.
(ii) See yourself the same way the Word says you are. You’re the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath.
(iii) The way you see yourself is what you’ll be and what the world will see you as.
c) Turn to Proverbs 23:7.
(i) The Word “HEART” in this verse would be better-translated “SOUL.”
(ii) I like how the NAS Bible translates it. It says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”
(iii) However you see yourself that is what you become or are.
(iv) See yourself the way God sees you.
II) Joshua 5:13-6:2.
A) This was God’s promise of victory, and you know the rest of the story. They were totally victorious over the city of Jericho.
1) For them to get the victory they had to see themselves as conquerors.
2) They had to see themselves in the light of God’s Word.
B) This is the 5th quality that Joshua had and that was TO SEE HIMSELF AS A CONQUEROR. And that same anointing was passed down to the people; they began to see themselves as conquerors.
III) The victory that Joshua had over Jericho was spectacular and amazing.
A) When you follow God the way Joshua followed him, you too are going to see spectacular and amazing results.
B) The right after Joshua’s victory over Jericho, Joshua tried to accomplish the will of God on his own.
1) Right after Jericho, he went to the city of AI and was defeated.
a) We can’t let our past victories go to our head by thinking that were so great and that we did it by ourselves.
2) In (Joshua chapter 7) Joshua sent out spies to checkout the city of AI. When the spies returned they came back with a good report.
a) The report that they came back with was that the city was easy to take.
b) So they chose about 3000 men to go against the city that AI.
3) Look at Joshua 7:4-5.
a) What happened?
b) God never said, “GO.”
c) Joshua never sought the Lord if Israel should go into battle against Ai.
(i) After their attack on Ai failed, Joshua began to seek the Lord why.
4) Sin was the reason for Israel’s defeat at Ai
a) After Israel defeated the city of Jericho all the riches of Jericho was to go to God, but Achan kept some for himself.
(i) Because of that sin Israel did not see the move of God.
C) Before Israel ever crossed through the Jordan River, Joshua told the Israelites something very significant.
1) This was a revelation that Joshua had and it is a key to victory. It’s a key to see the power of God move in our lives.
2) Look at Joshua 3:5.
a) The word “SANCTIFY” means “TO BE SET APART, CONSECRATED and TO BE HOLY.”
b) If we want to see victory and the power of God moving in our lives we have to sanctify ourselves, that means TO BE SET APART FROM THE WORLD and TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.
(i) If we want to see God move we cannot be a friend of the world. We have to live a life that is separate and Holy.
IV) These are some of the qualities that Joshua had in his life that gave him the victory.
A) 1st there was LOYALTY, STABILITY, AND FAITHFULNESS.
1) 2nd he had understanding of spiritual things and spiritual warfare.
2) 3rd he took the time to be along with the Lord in prayer and in worship.
3) 4th he had the courage to act boldly on the Word of God in faith.
4) No. 5 he knew that DOUBT AND UNBELIEF had no place in the life of a CONQUEROR. He had to see himself through the eyes of God as a CHAMPION, CONQUEROR and VICTORIOUS.
5) And No. 6 Joshua knew the importance of LIVING A HOLY LIFE.
a) A life with sin in it meant defeat or very little success, but those that walk a holy life before the Lord can walk in ABSOLUTE VICTORY.
Word of Life Sunday, May 17, 1998 mostly from Joshua No. 1 and Joshua No. 2. This message is also the message I preached right after Conqueror # 1a.doc. In this message that was taken from Joshua2.doc I ended at I C on page 2. The last part of this message is found in the sermon called "Continuing in Victory" and it is also message that followed the sermon.