Be Strong and Courageous!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
· Living in a culture of fear.
LET’S LOOK AT THREE REASONS WE HAVE TO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS: GOD GRACIOUSLY CALLS US INTO MISSION; HE IS WITH US, AND HE GIVES US HIS WORD.
I) God Graciously Invites us Into His Mission
I) God Graciously Invites us Into His Mission
A. God Graciously Fulfills His Promise to Give Land
A. God Graciously Fulfills His Promise to Give Land
i. Passing the Baton: A New Leader is commissioned (vv. 1-2a)
1. From the “servant of the Lord’s assistant” to “Moses’ assistant”
2. The uncertainty, fear, OF Joshua, and the people
ii. The Mission ahead: “(Still) take the land” (Deut. 11:24-25 ; vv. 2b-4)
Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.
1. In Spite of Many Failures, God Graciously reiterates his promise to Moses
2. Redeemed slaves move toward inheriting God’s gift of rest & land
B. God Graciously Invites Us Into His Guaranteed Mission
B. God Graciously Invites Us Into His Guaranteed Mission
i. Salvation: Redeemed for a Journey (Heb. 13:14)
1. A picture of a greater land: the “heavenly city” yet to come
2. Joshua’s theme: How do we live as pilgrims anticipating “home”?
ii. Salvation: Redeemed for a Task
1. Finding Purpose in life: We are active participants in God’s Kingdom!
2. EXAMPLE: work: Sales; government; SAHM, etc. how do you bring God’s influence into this, and align it with God’s vision for creation?
NOW, THAT BRINGS US TO THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.
II) God Is Always With us
II) God Is Always With us
A. God’s People Can Be Strong and Courageous – Even as we face Enemies
A. God’s People Can Be Strong and Courageous – Even as we face Enemies
i. The Formidable Challenge: (see Num. 13:31-33 )
Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
1. EXAMPLE: The Lewis & Clark of Israel saw…and were afraid!
2. Cynics & skeptics: We fear & despair of the opposition we face
ii. But no enemy can stand against us! (vs. 5a)
1. The strongest enemy couldn’t hold a candle to Israel!
2. Likewise: Illness; critical boss; popular kids at school, etc. etc. etc.
B. Why? Because God Promises to Be With Us
B. Why? Because God Promises to Be With Us
i. God is WITH His People (vv.5b, 9)
1. No matter what would happen, God remains present with his people
2. EXAMPLE: Cancer? Divorce? Sin? Loneliness? Doing the right thing at work? Sitting alone in your dorm room? Waking up depressed?
ii. Therefore, be strong and courageous! (vs. 6, 7, 9)
1. We may be strong & courageous because strength isn’t in us, but in God
2. Where are you looking for your strength & Courage?
HERE’S THE FINAL PIECE – OBEDIENCE.
III) We Obey God & His Word
III) We Obey God & His Word
A. We Can Be Strong and Courageous as We Meditate Upon God’s Word
A. We Can Be Strong and Courageous as We Meditate Upon God’s Word
i. Strength & Courage are linked to obedience (vv. 7-8)
1. Obedience FEELS fearful but Courage & Strength flow from Obedience
2. Obedience to God’s Law requires meditation (vs. 8a)
3. Success in the Land depends on obedience to God’s Law (vs. 8b)
ii. Therefore, we must meditate on God’s Word
1. The Central idea here: Muttering on God’s word!
2. In a biblically-illiterate world, are you chewing on God’s word?
B. We Can Be Strong & Courageous Because Jesus is our Greater Joshua!
B. We Can Be Strong & Courageous Because Jesus is our Greater Joshua!
i. The Failure of God’s People – then, and now
1. Israel turned to the left, the right, and failed in the land
2. …as we will. Some of us know this all too well
ii. Jesus is the true and greater Joshua! (Matt. 1:25 )
but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
1. Jesus is a greater Joshua who never turned left or right from God’s law
2. Jesus is a greater Joshua who stood facing an infinitely greater enemy and prayed for courage… and was visited by an angel for strength
3. Jesus is a greater Joshua who conquered this greater enemy and whose victory is shared with!
4. There is a greater Joshua who stood on a mountainside and sent his disciples forward not to Canaan but to the ends of the earth, sending us on a mission to disciple the natiosn!
5. Jesus is a greater Joshua who promises each and every one of us that “He will be with us always, to the end of the ages.”
Transition:
Conclusion
Therefore, we need not fear!