On a Mission From God - Joshua 1
On a Mission From God
Joshua 1:6-9
New Hope Baptist Church 26 Feb. 2006 PM service
The Setting:
Josh 1:1-5
1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates - all the Hittite country - to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
NIV
Joshua has now been given the reins – from the legend in his own time, Moses. The job was awesome and overwhelming.
The Instructions
Josh 1:6-9
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
NIV
God’s directives (Joshua 1:6-8)
Joshua could not be stopped:
He was on a mission for God
Joshua:
•Receiving the mission
•Being Strong and Courageous
•Staying Focus
•Meditating on the Word
Let talk about each of these points
Receiving the mission
A burning bush would be nice but…
For a good numbers of years I have been involved in number of ministries Sunday School, Cub Scouts, Gideons
As Sunday School Director and chairman of the nominating committee, I have seen many type of workers:
3 types of servants: I have seen myself in all three at one time or another
1. Those who talk the talk but does not walk the walk.
As Sunday School director/Nominating committee Chairman often ask, “ can you serve as Sunday School Teacher, RA Leader, Youth Leader, etc.?”
Typical Baptist Response: “ I’ll have to pray about it”
God has not given me the gift of teaching;”
“ I’m not sure God is leading me in this direction.”
2. Hard workers but accomplish nothing.
Every mission is their mission
They are there every time the door opens, on every committee, on the verge of burn out. Often these folks do burn out, drop out, and disappear - become inactive. What happened?
Nothing more pitiful than a burned out powerless Christian.
3. You know of those in the church who it seems God blesses everything they do. They have boundless energy.
I asked one woman to teach an class of international Ladies – where English is a second language. She immediately said “YES!” I asked if she wanted to pray about it and her reply was “I have already prayed and have been praying and this was clearly the answer to her prayers!”
That class quickly grew to the largest of it’s kind in the whole city. She was right were God wanted her an God blessed this class.
What is their secret? Why does God bless them.
In my own life I have seen and experienced answers to parts of these questions:
1. God calls us to Him. Calls us to Himself. He desires close fellowship with us.
2. Calls us to be faithful were we are. Don’t be looking for that call to the mission field when you’re not carrying out the Great commission at home.
3. Call us to faithful to the opportunities He sets before us.
Whether its leading/teaching the youth, or repairing roof/cutting the grass; we need servants who first of all keep their eyes on Jesus.
That was Joshua – He kept God in the forefront – He believed God when He said He would give them the land.
Being Strong and Courageous
3 time Joshua is told to be Strong and Courageous
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
NIV
Why? Verse 6 – because of the mission
Who said the Christian life was easy! Who ever said the things that you will be called to do will be simple!
When an opportunity arises to witness, is it an easy thing to speak up?
However, God does not give you a mission then say you are on your own!
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Matt 28:18-20 NIV
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Rom 8:31 NIV
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:35 NIV
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Ps 23:4 NIV
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Staying Focus
We’re easily side tracked
Good versus better
easy verses hard
fun versus work
The seed among the thorns Mark 4
Mark 4:13-20 NIV
13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
Staying focused is following God’s way
John 14:15 NIV
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
Like is full of temptations (1 Cor 10:12-13 NIV)
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
In staying focus, notice it has the following promise:
This is not health and wealth – this is success at the mission God has given.
But wait… There is more
Meditating on the Word
How do we know what God will is unless we know His Word
How do we know show we love Jesus but we don’t know what he has commanded?
This is nothing new – all through Scripture – command is given to be in the word
Ps 1:1-3
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
NIV
Ps 119:11
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
NIV
Matt 12:35
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
NIV
Psalms 119:97-104 NIV
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Knowing and focusing on God’s word is a real key to success
Success is in God’s eyes – not ours – success at the things he sends us
CONCLUTION
Mark 1:32-35 NIV
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.