Sermon Tone Analysis

There are *leaders in human history* who stand *head & shoulders above* *others*.

There are *leaders in God's Word* who *did* the *impossible* *through* their *simple faith & union with God*.

Out of all the OT leaders, *Joshua in particular demonstrated* the *qualities* that are *vital to moving forward in God & overcoming* every challenge.

*From* his early years of serving Moses *to* his *farewell* as the leader of this holy Nation, *Joshua was a man* who was *mighty in God*.

*I.*

By *examining the principles he lived by* *&* the *power* that was *in operation in his life* & even by *looking* *at his character*, can *help all of us to move from where we are now to where we need to* *be* in God.

              *A.*

*Joshua* as a *young man faced* the *hardship* of the *wilderness*.

*1.*

I remember *Kenneth Hagin* saying that *people that have everything handed to them almost never learn to walk in faith*.

*Sometimes* it's a *blessing when we experience hardship*.

*a.*

*God* has a *way of turning things around*, *through the hardship* *we grow in the area of faith*.

We *learn* to *stand* in *faith*.

*2.*

*During* these *hardships* *Joshua Possessed* the *courage* & the *simple faith* to *rise* up in God *to greatness*.

*3.*

The *qualities* that were *already present* in him would prove to be *very valuable* when he was put *in leadership*.

*B.*

*One* of the these *qualities is found in* */EXO 24:12-13, 18/*.

*1.*

*Then Moses ascended* *alone* into the *presence of God*, while *Joshua waited on the slopes* of the mount.

*a.*

*If* this was *you or me*, *we probable* *would have gone down the mountain* & back to camp after a short time, maybe an hour, maybe at *dusk*.

*b.*

But *Joshua with his unshakable* */loyalty/* *to God* & *to the man of God* *stayed 40 days & 40 nights*.

*i.*

He *could have returned to* the *camp*.

*No one said that he had to stay there*.

*ii.*

*This shows* us *something else* *about Joshua*.

*He didn't just do the minimum* for the Kingdom of God, but he *went the extra mile* for God.

                                  *c.* *Joshua stayed* on the *slopes* of the mountain.

He *remained confident in God*, *even when he **/felt forgotten & unimportant/*.

*i.*

He was there 40 days & 40 nights, *thoughts* must have come into his head of *feeling forgotten*.

*2.*

*Can you remain steadfast* when there *seems to be no manifestation of God's presence*?

*a.*

*/Stability/* & */faithfulness/* are very *important characteristics* in the *Kingdom of God.*

                                  *b.* *Whether* *we're going through a time* of a *demonstration of His Spirit* *or a time of spiritual stillness*, *will we continue without staggering or questioning God*?

                                           *i.*

It's the *people that know* their *God*, *know that He is Faithful*.

*ii.* *We need to be a little more like Abraham*.

(*/ROM 4:21/*) Says that Abraham “*/being fully persuaded that, what God had promised, he would bring it to pass/*.”

*iii.*

*/ISA 46:9-11/* God's telling us that *when He speaks out something He will do it*.

*iv.*

(*/NUMBERS 23:19/*) Says, “*/God is not a man, that he should lie/*.”

*c.*

*We can have that **confidence*, that *stability*, & that *faithfulness* *to God* *because* we know if He said something *He will do it*.

*II.*

In (*/EXODUS 31/*) *Moses came down the mountain* with the tablets of stone, He *could hear* a *sound* coming *from the camp*.

*A.*

*/EXO 32:1-7, 15a, 17-18/*

                        *1.*

In this case, *Joshua's* */perception & sensitivity/* were *deeper than that of Moses*.

*a.* *There was a war in the camp of Israel*.

*b.*

It was a *spiritual war* that was going on.

*i.*

*A spiritual war that was designed by Satan to destroy God's nation*.

*B.*

This same */understanding of spiritual battle or spiritual war/* that Joshua had */was the 2nd characteristic/* *that aided* him in *conquering* the *Canaan* land.

*1.*

We must *be aware* of our *Enemy's spiritual strategies*.

*a.*

*/2COR 2:11/*

                                           *i.*

*Many* people are *ignorant of Satan's devices* *&* his *plans*.

*ii.*

*Many marriages* *could have been saved*, *many* *tragedies* could have been *avoided* *if this area* had *not* been *overlooked*.

*b.*

You can *find out* what *Satan's actives & plans* are if you *read God's Word* & if you *listen to the HS*.

Turn to */EXO 33/*

     *III.*

In (*/EXO 33/*) we see a */3rd/ facet* of the *character* of this *man of faith*.

*A.*

*After* the *destruction* of the *golden calf* & the *execution of* the *rebels*, *Moses* again *separated himself* to *meet with God*.

*B.*

*/EXO 33:11/*

                        *1.*

Notice that */Joshua also separated himself from the people/*.

*a.*

He preferred to be in God's presence, to be identified with God.

                                  *b.*

This man who demonstrated his loyalty & his devotion to God chose to stay where God would manifest His glory.

*C.*

*After* some time passed *Moses died*.

*Joshua* had to *follow in the footsteps of Moses*.

*1.*

Joshua *never wavered*.

*a.*

The *character* that *God built* *in him* *made him* to be *1* of the *greatest leaders in all of Israel's history*.

*b.*

*We want to have to character of Jesus*, & we do need to *press toward that*, *but* we *also* need to realize that we can't do it in our selves, we also need to *let* the *HS* *mold us* & shape us to be the *person that He wants us to be*.

                        *2.*

We see *something else about Joshua's character*.

*a.*

The *1st* *words* that *God spoke* to *Joshua* after Moses death were *significant*.

*C.*

*/JOSH 1:2/*

                        *1.*

The *time had come for Joshua to move*.

*a.*

The *mantle of leadership* was now *on him*.

*b.*

*Not only did he have God's direction*, but he *also had* the */courage to act boldly/* as *God's appointed man*.

*2.*

*Before Israel could* ever *cross* the *Jordan*, *they wandered* in the wilderness *40 years*.

*a.*

*The reason they wandered* 40 years *was to get rid of the doubt & unbelief*, *the wrong thinking*.