The Best Story Ever - Joshua

And you may be seated at this time to children, may go downstairs.

As we make our way to the best story ever. That is the story of the scriptures. We have now made our way to the Book of Joshua. And if you do not have a handout, go ahead and raise your hand and the Whitakers are passing those out. Sometimes the handouts, are they really? They have some blanks that are meaningful? This morning,, If you pay attention to hand out, you're going to realize that you can figure out every blank without me saying a word but that's okay. That's just the way it works this morning.

So the Bible is the best story ever, and we've made our way to Joshua this morning in Joshua. Reminded. We coming to Joshua. Remind me of to hatch a p pass. Did I mention this to you? In a previous. Remember how long ago? And I don't know what the Split their the bottom, those big letters. That's lost. Angeles to hatch a b past is north of Los Angeles in the Bakersfield area. So it's almost in the middle of the math are in Bakersfield is a pretty large town in its own right. Really a city. I think it's Highway 50, and this is very picturesque. It's beautiful. It's you have these Rolling Hills, you start to couldn't climb a hill and then you go down and up. And then down, you're slowly making your way up in the mountains and the Seas. Rolling Lush Green, Hills with Vineyards. That are all those Hills. It's just a beautiful picture, rest time and then as you get into the mountain pass, so I don't remember how many she has like five or six thousand feet. I think it is and it's still pretty green. But within about two or three minutes, you pass from all this beautiful green and then you Passed out the other side and you see the valley spread out and no longer. Is it green? It is Desert Brown my friends. I mean it is just a stark. Contrast you go from these beautiful Rolling Green Hills into just this desert plain and there's quite a few windmills there as well. And that is experience. We're going to happen is happening for us here in the book. As we passed from Deuteronomy Into the Book of Joshua. Joshua is not the desert land. My point is, if there's a change of landscape of moving from Deuteronomy to the Book of Joshua. There was a stark change of landscape. So Joshua feel quite different from Deuteronomy in really. Joshua feels different from Exodus, Leviticus and numbers as well. The Book of Joshua is primarily narrative is primarily covering the story of what happened is the children of Israel occupied the promise slim Genesis, and Deuteronomy have been building building and climbing and climbing, and climbing and getting to that point to her. Finally. They reach the top. And they claim the promised land in some of this building really on the edge of the promised land in the book of Deuteronomy. Joshua is where you are. There, they occupy the land. God had promised his descendants got it. Promised. Excuse me. Abraham's descendants that his family would turn into a nation in that Nation would occupied the land of Canaan or the land. That was promised in the best story ever. The story of the scriptures. There are many periods of building, building building, and then arrival. In what we have here with a ride in the promised land and Joshua is just one of those stories. You also have a lot of many stories within the Bible. For example, God, promises Abraham that he's going to have a child but there's a long time, is it? It's a frustrating time for Abraham and he makes the mistakes as he's trying to realize the promise that God had given him, but he did it the wrong way. But also when Israel is out of the lay of the land of Egypt and eventually oppressed, there is a time of building building building is when is God going to hear us? Remember us and return us and get us out of this land of bondage and eventually in the book of Exodus, they realize and they are liberated. But still, they have not fully realize God's promise. And so there's more building building building and then they arrived in the promised land. But then there is that promise. This is in the Old Testament bills bills, bills bills all the way to the Old Testament till we have in the New Testament, that promised Messiah comes. But then we realized from New Testament teaching that that was not the coming of the Messiah is. So now we're in this building, building, building building, and someday. Jesus is going to return. And he is going to bring us to the ultimate promised destination of the new creation. And so that is the album flow of the best story ever. The story of scriptures. There. Is these mini dramas, the building to the ultimate drama, that take us all to mately to the promise destination. There. We today. Are still waiting for Hebrews. In the famous chapter on face, captures the waiting for it for the ultimate combination and he makes us the author of Hebrews makes his application for us. So I want to look at Hebrews chapter 11. Installing verse 13. He was 11 13. It says this these all died in faith. So the writer of Hebrews had mentioned several of those Old Testament Heroes Patriarchs to Abraham was one of them, but there are others that he had mentioned. He mentioned able as well. And now he's making an application. All these men died in faith. Not having received the things from East, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and haven't acknowledged that they were strangers and X-Files on the earth. For people, who seek does make it clear that they are seeking a Homeland. I've been thinking of that land from which they have gone out. They would have had opportunity to return, but as it is, they desire a better country. That is a Heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for. He has prepared them for a city. And that was my last first. Kiss it goes on and on and the Hebrews 11 is beautiful. Someday. I'm going to spend a few Sundays in it with you. But as we are building building building toward what is happening here with the Book of Joshua. The people of God, they finally reached that new destination, the new creation. Excuse me, that new destination of the promised land. And if I'm going to apply it to us today. I am going to play at the fact that we are building building building and we're waiting for that day. When we will arrive in the new creation and I would encourage us to rejoice as a people of God. The God is taking us to that promise destination. There was a lot of struggle in our lives and we need to acknowledge it when you deal with it and got strength and his help. But a part of the struggle, my friends and our Christian Life needs to be a moment of Celebration as we recognize our God is Faithfully, taking us to that promise destination. So that brings us to the Joshua key point. The Bible is the best story ever. And Joshua shows us how the Lord leads his people to a promised destination. Let's pray.

Thank you Lord for these truise. Help me to make them clear, spirit of God. I rely on you, to apply them to our hearts and that we would have hope and celebration but also context for what we are going through. Now, as we look at what you did then and gray these things in Jesus name. Amen. Each week. I try to decide how I'm going to divide up the sermon and there's no, the Bible doesn't tell me how to do that. I have to just try to divide up in a way that helps with digestion formation this week. I thought the best way to do it is just to take the Joshua key point. And look at the segments of that sentence, not my normal way of doing, it's not my preference, but I felt like this was best for today. So number one is the Lord. The Lord. I noticed that it is capitalized there that is referring to Yahweh or Jehovah. There's different ways of of transliterated, the original Hebrew word. Another way that it is translated is Adonai or the word the Lord? But this is a special Covenant name in that God revealed to the people of Israel in Exodus, chapter 6. And so is you look at the Book of Joshua, and look at how many times it just calls, God, God or Elohim 72 times. But if you look at how many times it calls the lord lord, it's over two hundred times. And the reason why I'm making this point and use of your translations are going to have you all capital Lord or variations of capital letters to show that this is referring to Yahweh or Jehovah or at or 9 for the Lord. The reason I'm bringing this up is because the emphasis is with using that name for God is to Covenant, keeping God, The God Who has promised and The God Who is taking us on the journey and the God who will get us Faithfully to the promise destination. And so when you look at that word Lord in all caps or Yahweh your Jehovah, I do not I that is emphasizing that Covenant keeping God who will safely lead you through and get you to the promise.

The last week when we we looked at Deuteronomy and in Covenant, renewal, we spend some time. I'm just looking at and God himself his character and his Works were going to do that a little bit this week. Let me just challenged us. That may we never get tired of looking to God. Is the basis of everything? It is a way to ground our mindset in Orient or rationale. That's not the only reasons. The Lord deserves our gaze because he is the only one, he is the great one, he is, there is none other like him and he deserves our worship and so is we look at this team as it pops up and different books to the Bible. May we never grow tired? And if our hearts have grown hard, because I'm kind of bored with the thought of looking at the Lord, May the spirit of God rebuke has for that. And so as we look at how we as a people move from Brokenness to full Restoration in the promise destination of the new creation. It's all about the Lord. The last week, as we talked about God's character. We talked about his character and his works this week. We're really just going to talk about his works because that is what shines brightly and the Book of Joshua. So I want to look at Joshua chapter 3, verses 14 through 17 Joshua 3, 14 through 17. So, when the people set out from their tits to pass over the Jordan with the priest bearing, the Ark of the Covenant before the people. And as soon as those bearing, the yard had come as far as the Jordan and the feet of the priest. Bearing, the ark where dipped in the brink of the water of the Jordan, River Flows, all its banks throughout the time of harvest.

The water's coming down from above good and Rose up in a heap very far away at Adam. The city that is beside. Is there a fan in those flowing down toward the Sea of air above the salt sea? We're completely cut off in the people passed over opposite Jericho. Tell the priests to bury the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all Israel was passing over on dry ground into all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

This Is The Stuff of children's Sunday school, isn't it? The beauty of the crossing of the Jordan? This to, this is one of the great works of God in the Old Testament. It's like The Exodus in Egypt is we is we look at the great things that God did The Exodus from Egypt, the crossing over the Jordan on dry ground. These are some of the great works of God in the Old Testament.

Body Works of God in our future. Just a simple application here. Have already hinted towards this. Have you become callous?

Have you become a hard-hearted? To God's Mighty works.

Have you stopped celebrating?

God's Mighty works.

I think the tendency is, is that many of us including myself. Go to Times of hard-heartedness. Where we don't celebrate God's Mighty hand like we should. And so I'm prayer for us as we respond to the word of God. And we're looking at, the works of God from The Book of Joshua is Lord. Help my heart not to be hard soft in my heart so I can celebrate your Mighty hand.

See what I have a Heritage of God's Mighty works and God is not done.

So live your life instead of operation. For the mighty works of God. He has done in the past. It was Jason celebration for the money Works. God will do in the future.

So now we're making our way through this key point of Joshua. We looked at the first segment and now we're going to look at the second segment. And that is the Lord leads. The Lord leads. In the past. We see God's leadership expressed through Moses. Someone called Moses. A covenant, mediator Covenant mediator in the reason someone call Moses that is because Moses mediator the Covenant relationship between the Lord Yahweh and his people. He played a key role in God's leadership was expressed through Moses to his people. Jesus, of course, is the ultimate Covenant. Mediator. And it was finished through him and Josh with the Lord, let his people through Joshua and instructing Joshua. I don't want to take a look where the Lord does this. First of all, Joshua chapter starting verse 1, Joshua 1 verse 1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. The Lord said to Joshua, the son of nun, Moses's assistant. Moses my servant is dead. Now. Therefore arise go over this. Jordan. You and all this people that I am people of Israel. Flip over to chapter 3. Joshua chapter 3 and verse 7. The Lord said to Joshua today, I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel that they may know as I was with Moses. So I will be with you. And then finally flip over to chapter 5.

Chapter 5 starting in verse 13.

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him. Are you for us or are you for our adversaries? And he said, no, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now, that I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the Earth. And worshipped and said to him. What does my Lord say to his servant? And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua. Take off your sandals, from your feet for the place where you are standing is Holy.

It's a sampling of how the Lord lead through his servant Joshua. We also see is you just can look at the overall theme and goings on Joshua chapters 1 through 5. And you see that there is the god is taking his people through a preparation process knows our needs. He knows that we need preparing and we see that is the people of Israel are getting ready to go in a very perilous situation. We know the story, we know the and we know how it went down, so we don't have the same feelings. But these people had they, there was uncertainty and there was a strong Measure of Faith that they had to have to go through what they went through. And so the Lord is leading them through the preparation that you see taking place in those five. Chapters. Let me just save that. It's a complicated process. Of leading people. And God is the best leader ever. But let me just say that leading people is complicated. We'll make some application here, but I want to be careful.

When there is bad leadership.

It should not be excused and it should be held accountable. But we see here and Joshua in the application, want to make an appositive way, is it? We should also not lose faith in God to use in perfect people as his leaders. In God, used the imperfect leadership of Joshua and a great way to help these people arrived at the promise destination. And if you read it later on and Joshua, we're not going to touch on it today as far as reading the passage, but you can see later on that Joshua made a mistake and it and it cost a lot and it was painful.

But we as God's people as we look at God leadership in our lives. We need to recognize that God does lead in our lives and he use imperfect leaders in our lives. Pretty much pretty much. Everybody is here is going to have some examples of poor leadership in their lives in my application for us is, is it God does lead in your life. in every one of us can trace God's leadership in our lives, back to something, or someone, and probably multiple something's in multiple someone's And that is essential is we are on our journey to the promised destination. We need to recognize that God is leading in our lives and he's working through imperfect leadership in our lives. I think that's important for there's there's a, there's an attitude in our country. That is very very Hasty to just destroy criticize and just gruesomely Tear up leadership in our lives. Now, there is a place to hold bad leadership accountable. Do we need to recognize God's hand? And she's leading us. Through. The complicated process of our life. The struggles of our own sin sins of others, the conflicts of Nations, and all that God is leading us to our promised destination. Next part of our key point. Today is number three, the Lord leads his people, his people There's major characters here in The Narrative of Joshua. We looked at the Lord. We looked at Joshua and now we're going to look at the people to look at Joshua chapter starting verse 16. Joshua chapter 1, verse 16,

You're going to see that it mentions, the Lord, and it says Joshua. And the answer Joshua. All the way have commanded us. We will do. Do wherever you send us, we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses and all things. So we will obey, you only may the Lord, your God be with you. As he was with Moses, every bills against your commandant and disobeys your words. Whatever you command him shall be put to death, only be strong and courageous.

There's this miracle that we seen in the pentateuch, Genesis through geronimi of God, bring his people together, and I'll bring you them to the promise destination. In this case, the promised land. But all all this time is the Lord is leading his people. The people have a role to obey.

And we see that here in the text that we just read the commitment to obey. Let me ask you an obvious, but an important question.

Are you an obedient Christian?

Are you an obedient Christian?

I expect a question like that brings Sparks up a lot of thoughts. Sometimes rationalizing things, sometimes things that you're struggling with. It just brings up a whole lot inside of us. I don't want to be too simplistic here. And that's why I am going to rely on the Holy Spirit. A Christian. Let the Holy Spirit work in your heart.

I mentioned the theme of Covenant a lot cuz it really does come up a lot in our Old Testament scriptures. And it really shows up throughout the whole Bible bit, quite a bit more in the Old Testament.

Can we talk about being his people? We must talk about Covenant after all. We are in the New Covenant, the New Testament.

Joshua has to Covenant, renewal passages, and we talked about Covenant renewal last week as the theme of Deuteronomy. Not the theme of Joshua, but it is present. In the first or when we're going to look at is in Joshua chapter eight and we're going to read the verse is here in a minute, Joshua chapter a starting in verse 30. And then after that we're going to look at Joshua chapter 24 and Joshua chapter 28, there is a there is a time where God is done by bringing them to occupy the land of Canaan, they spend time and a special renewal ceremony and then he's concluding his leadership that's in Joshua's 24th, and they have another special solemn ceremony where they renew the Covenant. Joshua chapter 8 Joshua chapter 18, verse 30. It's that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the god of Israel on Mount ebo. Just as Moses a servant of the Lord commanded the people of Israel as it is written in the book of the law of Moses in altar of uncut, Stones upon which no man has wielded an iron tool. And they offered on it, burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed. Peace offerings. And they're in the presence of the people of Israel. Pretty impressive here. Don't miss this. And they're in the presence of the people of Israel. He wrote on the stoves, a copy of the law of Moses. Which she had ridden? They don't have iPads. They don't have printers that I you don't even. Matrix, you know before you head in a field off the sizes paper those of years, older type.

So here in the presence of people, he has an act of acknowledging God's law. His truth, the truth of the Covenant and he recorded in front of the people. This is a solemn special occasion. I don't know how they did that. Ten Commandments. I'm really not sure on this. Maybe I could deliver more reading and see if there's any more I can bring the bear on this in general. He here, he is in front of everybody. Giving a sacred priority to God's truth. It is special ceremony. Is there. Renewing of what God had brought them into in a committed relationship and also a celebration of his truth and what will guide them on into the future.

They were continuing run and Joshua, chapter 8, verse 33 says, and all Israel Sojourner, as well as native-born recognizing that. There were some people that were not native Israelites with their Elders in officers and their judges stood on the opposite sides of the earth before the little bit of a priest who carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, have them in front of Mount gerizim and half of them in front of malchi ball. Just as Moses is serving, the lord had commanded at the first to bless the people of Israel. Verse 34 and afterward you read the words of the law, the blessing and the curse. We see the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy. According to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all the Moses command of the Joshua did not read before the Assembly of Israel. So we must have recorded the whole off. Now. I think I'm going to alter my original thing. I said earlier. He must have wrote down the hold off, and the women, and the little ones, and the soldier owners who lived among them. That was a special ceremony at the end of the main part of occupied in the land and then getting ready to divvy it up. Now. Let's look at the end of Joshua's life and the end of the Book of Joshua. Joshua chapter 24, verse 14.

Joshua 24, verse 14, now, there for a few of the Lord and serve him in sincerity and unfaithfulness, put away the gods, your father served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is even on your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day, whom you will serve. What are the gods of your father's served in the region beyond the river or the gods of the amorites and whose land you too? Well, and here's what we see, how I'm in a lot of houses. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Then the people answered far, be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. What is the Lord? Our God who brought us and our fathers up in the land of Egypt out of the house with slavery and who did those great science in our site and preserved in among all the peoples.

And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the amorites who lives in the land. Therefore. We also will serve the Lord for he is our God. But Joshua said to the people, you are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions for your sin. If you forsake the Lord and serve for God's, that he will turn. And do you harm and consume you after having done you good. And the people said to Joshua know, but we will serve the Lord. Then Joshua said, the people you are witnesses against yourselves that you have, chosen the Lord to serve him and they said we Are Witnesses. He said, then put away the foreign guys that are among you and incline your heart to the Lord, the god of Israel. And the people said to Joshua, the Lord Our God, we will starve his voice. We will know babe. And I want to make a couple clarification. There is a difference here cuz this is a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. So, there is some particulars in there that don't have a direct application to our individual relationship with the Lord. But there are plenty of things in there. They have a direct application that quickly. If acacian just come talk to me for the second time. I'm not going to dig into that this morning. The big idea is it? His people are in a relationship with him whenever you have a company between two human beings. It's complicated, it's hard. Cuz we are frail. We are weak. We are sinners. Who you have, God, and went by the Covenant and us and the other. It is beautiful. It is wonderful. And we rely on him to overcome our weaknesses and his love. And his Mercy has has said his loving-kindness.

One more thing. I'm just going to mention in one sentence cuz we mentioned it in a few sentences in the book of numbers. And other thing, if you want to talk to me about be glad to one of the major themes in the Book of Joshua is a matter of dealing with inhabitants of the land of Canaan and there was a holy war. And as I mentioned in the Book of Numbers, we do not celebrate holy war. It is an ugly reality. It is not something that God uses us to do today is something special that God did with a nation of Israel. In the Old Testament. It is not something that we expect to happen today. It's an ugly thing. But we also trust God to Justice, his love and his mercy, and his ways are beyond our comprehension. But be careful that you do not celebrate or get too excited about the ugliness of the holy war. That happened to it's a solemn thing. And remember that, when Jesus returns is going to be a holy war when Jesus returns, and he confronts the kingdom of darkness. It's an ugly thing for we can rest in our just God to take care of that. Anyway, that we cannot understand. Those who do not believe in the Bible, for those who look for ways to criticize the Bible. They're going to use Joshua. Is one of the ways I do that because of the holy word that happens there be glad to talk with you more an individual basis if you'd like. So finally were reaching the last part of our greatest fear.

Phone number for the Lord leads his people to the promised destination promised destination. The Israelites occupation of the promised land of Canaan is the big theme of the book of Joshua.

There's a parallel that goes along with me. I don't even a pair of though. It's it's weave together along with the nation of Israel occupied. The promised land of Canaan. Is the idea. It was also the land of rest. Rest, the promise destination is a land of rest of smokey. Joshua chapter 1 verses 13. Remember is a word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you saying the Lord, your God, Is providing you a place of rest, and we'll give you this land. And then Joshua chapter 1 verse 15, into the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you. And they also take possession of the land that the Lord, your God is giving them, then you should return to the land of your possession. And I'm going to stop there in the New Testament, is the writer of Hebrews is riding to the New Covenant. Hebrew Christians are trying to make sense of all their Hebrew Heritage in the Old Testament structures, and now trying to relegate that into the New Covenant. The author of Hebrews reaches to this concept of rest, and he's applied several parts of the Old Testament, including Joshua. And he applies that spiritually to us in the New Covenant. This idea of rest. So Hebrews chapter 4, verse 1. Therefore, by the promise of entering his rest still stands. Let us fear. Any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them for the message. They heard did not benefit them because they were not United by faith. For those who have believed, enter that rest. As he has said. Funny quotes here is I swore my raft. They shall not enter my rest. Although his Works were finished from the foundation of the world. But the way he bruised his rich and is it a lot of things I can talk about, but I'm trying to just focus on this principle of rest and its spiritual application to us today in the New Covenant.

For he is somewhere, spoken of the seventh day and this way, and God rested on the seventh day, from all his works. And again, In this passage.

They should not enter my rest.

Since therefore remains for some to enter it and those who formally received the good news failed to enter Because saying to David so long afterward. And the words already quoted today, if you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts. Where is Joshua? Here's he's referring to Joshua. Joshua had given them rest. God would not have spoken of another day later on.

So, what are you saying? There is or whoever the author is it say Joshua in the land of rest. But it wasn't an ultimate rest. There is still yet a future day of rest. When we reach that Promised Land of the new creation someday. You and I will have complete and ultimate rest. In the promise destination of the new creation. It goes on.

the second time, I'm just going to flip through them and

Do you want to make it clear? There is still a yet future day of rest for you. And I is not ripe yet. And God just like you did in Joshua. You still doing the meeting us. His people to that place of rest. There is an already, not yet tension throughout the whole Bible to wear in some senses. We've already experienced some of God's blessing, but there's more yet to come and we talked about that even with the presence of God the low point after the Garden of Eden were Adam and Eve were kicked out of there was an angel between them and the Garden of Eden. Whichever way they turn their stored follow them. So it was between them in the presence of God In the Garden of Eden by sword. The low point that used to have fellowship with God in the garden. Now, there is a sore between them and God's presence. And then we see progressively throughout the scriptures and how God's presents came with the nation of Israel. Feed wild among them in the tent of meeting in the Tabernacle. And so it was heightened. And so his presence is starting to come closer and closer than me now in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and so that the presence of God Is Yet closer, and then someday, we're going to be the new creation where we will have the presence of God living or start of us, but also we will be with him face-to-face in the new creation. If so, there is this already, not yet tension building all the way through the scriptures.

Many of us have said, exasperation.

And for you, and I speak of this in a spiritual way. There is a yearning for peace in our soul.

There's a yearning for rest in our soul.

And in this life because we have this already, not yet tension, when there is the ability for us to get measures of peace and rest and Russell, praise God for that. But there is a yearning for the ultimate day when we will have complete rest. In that promised destination. Here's the thing, just isn't didn't Joshua, the Lord leads his people to the promised destination. so, he's doing that for you and I He is leading you. To that, promise destination. And this is something that we should praise God.

For what he's doing for us in our lives.

I hope that. Just as, you know, I have some sunglasses that are more orange, how they cast, an orange tint and I hope he is we talked about as we look at our broken lies. What's going on our souls? What's going on around us? So we can have a tenth of the beauty of the fact, in the Hope in the celebration that God is leading us. To safety. Into the Promised destination. Yes, there's, there's the struggles of this life and everything should be gone through the lens of the beauty of what God is doing. In leading us as his people, the place of rest to the promised destination soap, and Joshua shows us how the Lord leads his people to the promised destination.

So much goes on in our hearts. As we struggle in this life, with our sin, with our Brokenness, with our hurt. But the storyline of Josh with the key point of Josh to a shows us beautifully what God is doing the beauty of God, his character and his Works, how he is leading, how we are his people and we should obey him. And how he is leading to a place of rest. Take a few minutes and respond to the Lord.