Joshua 3 & 4
Intro: What tremendous obstacle are you facing this morning? Share telephone call from Wayne Patton about Luke having cancer; our kids were out in the yard running like crazy. We broke down in prayer over the phone. Praise the Lord, Luke Patton is cancer free today! You are going to face tremendous obstacles in life. The Bible teaches there is no obstacle to big for the Lord. What do you do when you face tremendous obstacles?
I. DEVOTE YOURSELF FULLY TO THE LORD!
A. Joshua is about to lead the people out of their 40 years of wilderness wanderings into the Promised Land! You need to show that same spirit of devotion to the Lord if you are going to live the life of victory that awaits.
B. Devotion - World Cup Soccer, Lebron James, Tim Tebow, the Biggest Loser on TV
C. How do you know you are fully devoted to the Lord?
1. You are a devoted to prayer (Josh. 3:1) – Prayerful people have learned they cannot make it on their own. They need God. The number one priority in your life is your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have a daily time of prayer? Just tell God you love Him and thank Him for who He is and all He’s done. Ex. When you’re faced with a busy day, save precious time by skipping your devotions. Signed, Satan.
Quest: Who or what has your full devotion this morning? God desires and deserves to have your total devotion. Why? He’s Boss. Try going to your boss Monday morning and saying, “Here is your work for the day; assignments I want done by 4 PM!” In reality it’s the opposite. The Boss sets the agenda! You don’t tell Him what to do, He tells you! Many Christians believe they are supposed to tell God what they want to do and then ask Him to bless.
2. You are devoted to obedience to the Lord (Josh. 3:2-3). Obedience to the Lord is what brings the blessing of God. Obedience to the Lord is not always easy, but what’s the alternative? Death, Defeat, Discouragement. What kind of testimony do you want to leave behind? Millions of God’s people had died in the wilderness because they did not walk with God in obedient faith. Hebrews 3:15-19; What could be a sweeter gift to the Lord and to your family that you loved God with full devotion. Ex. Jen Patton, “I devote my whole life to the Lord daily.” Your devotion to the Lord can change your family, church, relationships, etc. Joshua 3:3, “go after it”; What did the Israelites crossing over the Jordan into Canaan represent? It represents victorious Christian living! Victory in the Christian life comes by surrender and obedience to the Lord. God has brought you out of a life of sin (wilderness) and into a life of devotion and service to the One who rescued you. He brings you out of a life of sin and into a life of worshipful service.
3. You are devoted to spiritual preparation. (Josh. 3:4-5). Do you prepare yourself for God’s best? When I think of devotion it’s similar to a strong marriage. Ex. Amy and I preparing for marriage (pastoral counseling, pure, prayed, sought parents blessing), etc. We did our best to prepare ourselves, yet still find that marriage is an adventure! The enemy will do all he can to make you angry, bitter, selfish, etc. The key to is stay totally devoted to one another under the Lordship of Jesus! No one else can have me, just Amy Cook. Just as I’m set apart for Amy alone, I am set apart to the Lord alone. “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Set apart; “Refiner’s fire, my hearts one desire is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord, choose to be holy, set apart for You, My Master, ready to do Your will.”
4. You are devoted to His Lordship. (Josh. 3:3, 3:6). “Ark.” The Ark represented His Presence. When you face tremendous obstacles, remember His Presence is always with you. Three important items were inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible); You must remember God’s Word! The second item that was inside the Ark was a jar of manna – remind them of God’s provision. God will take care of you daily. God gave His people manna every day to eat. The third item in the Ark of Covenant was Aaron’s rod; You remember in the wilderness, God’s people began to rebel, each rod of the leader of 12 tribes were placed near the Holy of Holies; It was Aaron’s rod that flowered and had almonds on it; God declared loud and clear that Aaron was to be the priest in Israel. Pentateuch rep. His Principles, Manna rep. His provision, and the Rod represented His Power. Ark rep. His Presence.
D. When you face life’s tremendous obstacles, devote yourself fully to the Lord!
2. LET GOD BRING YOU THROUGH IT!
A. You are facing an obstacle this morning, you don’t know how to get to the other side, but God does! They had not gone this way before, but God had! Ex. This week I had to let God bring me through a tough situation; Nathan’s Soccer and Assistant soccer coach quit! Now I’m the head coach? I didn’t know the plan, but man I was depending on God!
B. God gave Joshua the instructions as to what they were to do (Joshua 3:8).
C. They had to trust God’s plan and not their own. So many times you miss out on God’s best b/c you try to get ahead of God instead of letting Him lead. Are you doing things your way or God’s way? God says, “Bring the tithe to me.” You say, “God, You just don’t understand!” God may say, “Step out and share your faith,” You say, “Don’t know what to say.” God may say, “Rejoice in Me today,” You say, “God, I don’t feel like it.”
D. Stick with God’s plan. Everything you are going through may say, “Your way is the best way.” You’ve got to be willing to let God lead you through!
E. When I was in college, my dad battled with prostate cancer. This was something we had never dealt with. God saw all of us through it. When we were shaky, God was the Rock!
F. God often requires you to step out in faith trusting Him! How many times do you want the Lord to do everything and you do nothing? Often He requires you to make a move based on what He’s already said! God, make me lose 10 pounds – “make the first step and walk every day.” God, make my marriage better! “OK, write wife love note.” God, I want a full Christian life.” OK, make that call, be baptized, forgive your enemy. God, make the church better. OK, train the people, go knock on a door, plan for revival.
G. What God says to you may not make sense to you, but He’s trying to bring you to the Promised land! Josh. 3:15, “Now it was harvest season,” Jordan’s banks were overflowing; God chose to lead them across when river was at it’s highest stage!
H. “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible; He can do what no other friend can do!”
H. “I don’t have the power!” Israel was powerless to cross the Jordan River. Are you more focused on your powerlessness or God’s power to bring you through? I didn’t have the power to heal my dad, but God did. I didn’t have the power to comfort my mom, but God did!
I. You can’t stop your obstacles in your own strength any more than Israel could make the Jordan stop – but God can!
J. Would there be obstacles in the Promised Land? Yes! Joshua 3:10, “Ites.” What are your “ites” - Family…Finances…Friendships…Fear of future – Cancer, America; Are you focused more on the power of God or the problems?
K. When you face tremendous obstacles, let God bring you through it.
3. TELL OTHERS OF GOD’S MIGHTY POWER!
A. Don’t forget all God has done for you.
B. Keep sharing who He is and what’s He’s done with others.
C. We are quick to forget all the great things God has done and long on remembering what hasn’t gone right!
D. The 12 stones would serve as a memorial to the power of God. It’s easy to get discouraged when you forget about God’s amazing grace!
E. Think of the day God saved you, made you new! Think of the day God answered a prayer! He made a way where there was no way!
F. Someone once said, “The greatest enemy of faith may be forgetfulness.” If we forget how God has worked in the past we may not trust Him in the present.
G. The greatest gift God has ever given is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives you life, forgiveness, strength, hope. He is the One who sees you through life’s tremendous obstacles. He died that you may live! Jesus, our Joshua has freed you from the bondage of sin. Have you let Him lead you into an overcoming Christian life?
H. Psalm 114:5-7, “What ails you, O sea, that you fled back? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord.”
H. What tremendous obstacles are you facing today? Impossible for you, but possible with God! Sum. 3 points;
Prayer: Thank the Lord for His Leadership, Lordship. Thank Him for His faithfulness! Pray to always follow His Leadership. Lead in public dedication of life to Christ. John 14:6, Jesus, the way, the truth, the life!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
God Can Use You!
Text: Joshua 2:1-24
Intro: We are just beginning a new series in the book of Joshua. God wants you and I to posses the promised land and live the promised life. In the previous sermon, we saw how God helped Joshua overcome his fears. The good news today is that same God is alive and well and can help you and I overcome our fears. Remember he told Joshua (Focus on MY plan, Focus on MY Word, and Focus on MY Faithfulness). God calls us to be a church that majors on Him, majors on His Word, majors on what He wants to do now and in the future.
What the world desperately needs to see today is believers who are living out the promises of God, come what may. Everyone wants the world to straighten up and get better, but it’s going to take first of all, believers bowing before All-Mighty God, saying, “God, let the change begin first in me.” As each of us as a part of the body of Christ says, “God, you are in charge of my life, all that I am I give to everything You are,” that is when we begin to live the promised life.
Illus: When I played Little league baseball, we lost 99% of the games we played in for the first year and a half. The Bad News Bears was a popular movie around that time and people considered our team, the Bad News Realtors. As the second season begin to come to a close our team was beginning to get better. In the last game of the year, we beat the Yankees 18-6, which everyone considered highly unlikely because of our past and they had pummeled us earlier that year.
Prop. Sent: The Bible teaches that God is able to use people in His service most of us would never consider. If you say, “God, you could never use me that matters to anything,” be careful because He may have something mighty special for you!
1. GOD CAN USE YOU IN SPITE OF YOUR PAST!
A. Condition Josh. 2:1-7
1. Of all the people God chooses to work through in a mighty way to demonstrate an active faith, He chooses a prostitute by the name of Rahab.
2. All through the Bible God chooses the weak to shame the wise.
a. Noah – Ark
b. David – slingshot
c. 12 disciples – weak on their own, power through God
d. 120 disciples – all they had was one heart, one mind, one voice to glorify God – they turned the world upside down!
e. The Lord Jesus Christ – looked weak on the cross, yet through His death offers all eternal life!
3. Think for a moment of Rahab’s past.
a. Sinful life – probably full of guilt, shame, fear, etc. Why did I chose this way of life? No one loves me just for who I am.
b. Sinful city – Jericho – this is city that God’s judgment is soon to fall upon. Is the judgment of God about to fall upon America? Ps. 33:12
c. The only hope for a sinful person and a sinful nation is to repent before a Holy God, ask for cleansing, live a godly life, acknowledge the Lord!
4. 40 years God had given to Rahab, Jericho to turn to Him and turn away from sin. How long has God given you? Where would you be today without the love, mercy, forgiveness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
5. No matter your condition, the God of Heaven and Earth knows you, loves you, wants you to come to Him for life!
6. Refuse to let what people look on the outside determine whether they are going to follow the Lord or not.
a. On the outside, it appeared Rahab wanted nothing to do with God or God’s people, yet on the inside she had a hunger to know and worship the One True and Living God.
7. Think woman at the well – John 4. She’d had five husbands and was with another man at the time Jesus encountered her. She was thirsty for water which would quench her physical thirst, but also thirsty for the living water which would satisfy her spiritual thirst forever.
a. Remember, what God gives you is so much better than what the world gives!
B. Concealing Joshua 2:2-7
1. Much has been made about Rahab’s lie to protect the spies. Many commentators have shamed her for lying and reasoned God would have made a way for His men to be protected without Rahab’s lie.
ILLUS: Corrie Ten Boom’s family hid Jewish families in their home to protect them from being killed by German soldiers. The Egyptian midwives let the male babies live even after Pharoah ordered all male babies must die. Exodus 1:20, “Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.”
2. Rahab had a choice to make- she could (1) turn God’s men over to the king of Jericho or (2) seek to protect God’s men to honor the King of Heaven.
3. Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”
4. James 2:25, “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”
5. Those that posses the promised life are going to be those who choose to put God’s will above their own.
6. Had those spies found the Israelite spies, everyone, including Rahab would have lost their lives.
a. Rahab was determined that no matter happened, she would serve the Lord.
C. Confession Josh. 2:8-11
1. I love Rahab’s confession of faith because she is so focused on who God is and what He’s done.
a. She knew He was the God of Superiority, the God of Strength, the God of salvation.
2. Church, if we want to possess the promised land, never forget the God who is the Lord of heaven and earth is the One who worship and follow!
3. Rahab knew that if she did not believe God, she would come under His judgment.
4. God still has a message for the world today and that is the message of the gospel.
a. It is the message of the gospel that tells how God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins.
b. It is the message that Jesus saves sinners.
c. It is the message that the Lord who died on the cross rose again 3 days later to give life everlasting to those who trust in Him!
d. Perhaps you know the fear of unbelief, but the sweet joy of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior!
ILLUS: Pastor Jack Graham tells of a speaking engagement in Philadelphia he made recently and slipping downtown to Independence Hall to reflect on the founding of our nation. He said, “As you move around the historical sites of that city you see the Word of God everywhere. It’s etched on buildings and even on the Liberty Bell itself, which says, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” (Leviticus 25:10). Scriptures are forever written into the history, the heart, and fabric of America. You see, the early Americans were patriots, but they were also believers. Those who settled this nation came here to advance the Christian faith and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. But we have to admit that America has strayed far from those years of patriotism and spiritual revolution. In fact, it’s time for a spiritual revolution, a new American revolution that would help transform our culture and our country.”
2. GOD CAN USE TO MINISTER TO OTHERS!
A. Concern Josh. 2:12-13
1. As soon as Rahab knows God is going to take care of her safety, she wants her family to be safe from the judgment of God as well.
2. One sign that you are saved is that you want others to know the God of salvation as well!
ILLUS: Christianity is unquestionably a personal experience. It is also unquestionably not a private experience. —William Barclay
3. Always remember, it’s not about what you’ve done for God, but it’s about what God’s done for you. You don’t have to try and clean up people’s lives, that’s His job, your job is to share.
4. All around us people are hurting, hopeless, and without Jesus they are on their way to hell.
a. Rahab didn’t say, “Thank you God for saving my life, let everyone else fall under your judgment.” She did say, “God, you’ve saved my life, use me to bring others to safety in You.”
5. You never know how (what you think) is a little witness for Jesus, might change someone’s life forever.
6. To posses the promised land means you allow God to make your life a living ministry to others.
a. Many of you recently allowed the Lord to make you a minister to the kids at VBS and there was great joy in that because it was all about sharing the love of Jesus Christ with kids.
3. GOD CAN USE YOU TO IMPACT ETERNITY!
A. Covenant Josh. 2:15-23
1. Never underestimate what faith in the Living God can do!
2. It was not Rahab’s faith in herself, but Rahab’s faith in a great God that made all the difference.
3. Knowing the city of Jericho would be demolished in the very near future, Rahab asks for mercy.
4. God’s men say, “…bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down.”
5. What does that scarlet cord represent to you and I today? It represents the blood of Jesus Christ.
6. The blood of Jesus Christ delivers us today from the wrath of God just as the scarlet cord would signify Rahab’s deliverance.
a. What do you need today for deliverance and safety?
b. Some would say, “More money,” “More education,” “Better government.”
7. The greatest need in my life and in America today is to apply the blood of Jesus Christ to our sin stained lives.
8. Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."
ILLUS: I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the cleansing power of the blood (1 Peter 1:2). It seemed to me that blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if they became stained with blood. Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the debris that accumulates all the time. I like Paul’s phrase in Hebrews 9:14 KJV, “How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works?” —Dr. Paul Brand
9. If you and I are to be people who posses the promised life God has for us, there’s going to be trust in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ to both free us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and one day the very presence of sin!
10. The blood of Christ not only has the power to save you, but to sanctify you, make you holy day by day!
B. Confidence Josh. 2:22-24
1. The story of Rahab shows us that God can use anyone’s life that believes and trusts Him.
a. God includes people in His family we wouldn’t normally think would be there!
2. Eventually, Rahab would marry a believer named Salmon. Together, they have a son named Boaz, who is the grandfather of Jesse. Who was Jesse’s son? David, the greatest king over Israel.
3. Who was David’s great, great grandmother? A woman by the name of Rahab!
ILLUS: To this day, on Israel’s flag is the Star of David, who had the blood of
Rahab flowing through his veins.
4. What could be more impressive than being in King David’s line? In Matthew 1:5, we find Rahab in the genealogy of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
5. On July 4th, 1776, our Founding Father’s signed a document declaring our independence from British rule. In declaring our independence, we declared our dependence upon Almighty God.
6. There is an enemy that would love to steal, kill, and destroy everything good and godly about your life. Yet, the Lord Jesus came declaring the good news, “I have come that you may have life and life to the full” (John 10:10).
Conclusion: God used Rahab, a former prostitute, to show us that He can bring anyone into His family and transform into His wonderful servants. Today is the day to declare, “I am trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for safety, salvation, and to make me His useful servant.”
Intro: We are just beginning a new series in the book of Joshua. God wants you and I to posses the promised land and live the promised life. In the previous sermon, we saw how God helped Joshua overcome his fears. The good news today is that same God is alive and well and can help you and I overcome our fears. Remember he told Joshua (Focus on MY plan, Focus on MY Word, and Focus on MY Faithfulness). God calls us to be a church that majors on Him, majors on His Word, majors on what He wants to do now and in the future.
What the world desperately needs to see today is believers who are living out the promises of God, come what may. Everyone wants the world to straighten up and get better, but it’s going to take first of all, believers bowing before All-Mighty God, saying, “God, let the change begin first in me.” As each of us as a part of the body of Christ says, “God, you are in charge of my life, all that I am I give to everything You are,” that is when we begin to live the promised life.
Illus: When I played Little league baseball, we lost 99% of the games we played in for the first year and a half. The Bad News Bears was a popular movie around that time and people considered our team, the Bad News Realtors. As the second season begin to come to a close our team was beginning to get better. In the last game of the year, we beat the Yankees 18-6, which everyone considered highly unlikely because of our past and they had pummeled us earlier that year.
Prop. Sent: The Bible teaches that God is able to use people in His service most of us would never consider. If you say, “God, you could never use me that matters to anything,” be careful because He may have something mighty special for you!
1. GOD CAN USE YOU IN SPITE OF YOUR PAST!
A. Condition Josh. 2:1-7
1. Of all the people God chooses to work through in a mighty way to demonstrate an active faith, He chooses a prostitute by the name of Rahab.
2. All through the Bible God chooses the weak to shame the wise.
a. Noah – Ark
b. David – slingshot
c. 12 disciples – weak on their own, power through God
d. 120 disciples – all they had was one heart, one mind, one voice to glorify God – they turned the world upside down!
e. The Lord Jesus Christ – looked weak on the cross, yet through His death offers all eternal life!
3. Think for a moment of Rahab’s past.
a. Sinful life – probably full of guilt, shame, fear, etc. Why did I chose this way of life? No one loves me just for who I am.
b. Sinful city – Jericho – this is city that God’s judgment is soon to fall upon. Is the judgment of God about to fall upon America? Ps. 33:12
c. The only hope for a sinful person and a sinful nation is to repent before a Holy God, ask for cleansing, live a godly life, acknowledge the Lord!
4. 40 years God had given to Rahab, Jericho to turn to Him and turn away from sin. How long has God given you? Where would you be today without the love, mercy, forgiveness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
5. No matter your condition, the God of Heaven and Earth knows you, loves you, wants you to come to Him for life!
6. Refuse to let what people look on the outside determine whether they are going to follow the Lord or not.
a. On the outside, it appeared Rahab wanted nothing to do with God or God’s people, yet on the inside she had a hunger to know and worship the One True and Living God.
7. Think woman at the well – John 4. She’d had five husbands and was with another man at the time Jesus encountered her. She was thirsty for water which would quench her physical thirst, but also thirsty for the living water which would satisfy her spiritual thirst forever.
a. Remember, what God gives you is so much better than what the world gives!
B. Concealing Joshua 2:2-7
1. Much has been made about Rahab’s lie to protect the spies. Many commentators have shamed her for lying and reasoned God would have made a way for His men to be protected without Rahab’s lie.
ILLUS: Corrie Ten Boom’s family hid Jewish families in their home to protect them from being killed by German soldiers. The Egyptian midwives let the male babies live even after Pharoah ordered all male babies must die. Exodus 1:20, “Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.”
2. Rahab had a choice to make- she could (1) turn God’s men over to the king of Jericho or (2) seek to protect God’s men to honor the King of Heaven.
3. Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”
4. James 2:25, “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”
5. Those that posses the promised life are going to be those who choose to put God’s will above their own.
6. Had those spies found the Israelite spies, everyone, including Rahab would have lost their lives.
a. Rahab was determined that no matter happened, she would serve the Lord.
C. Confession Josh. 2:8-11
1. I love Rahab’s confession of faith because she is so focused on who God is and what He’s done.
a. She knew He was the God of Superiority, the God of Strength, the God of salvation.
2. Church, if we want to possess the promised land, never forget the God who is the Lord of heaven and earth is the One who worship and follow!
3. Rahab knew that if she did not believe God, she would come under His judgment.
4. God still has a message for the world today and that is the message of the gospel.
a. It is the message of the gospel that tells how God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins.
b. It is the message that Jesus saves sinners.
c. It is the message that the Lord who died on the cross rose again 3 days later to give life everlasting to those who trust in Him!
d. Perhaps you know the fear of unbelief, but the sweet joy of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior!
ILLUS: Pastor Jack Graham tells of a speaking engagement in Philadelphia he made recently and slipping downtown to Independence Hall to reflect on the founding of our nation. He said, “As you move around the historical sites of that city you see the Word of God everywhere. It’s etched on buildings and even on the Liberty Bell itself, which says, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” (Leviticus 25:10). Scriptures are forever written into the history, the heart, and fabric of America. You see, the early Americans were patriots, but they were also believers. Those who settled this nation came here to advance the Christian faith and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. But we have to admit that America has strayed far from those years of patriotism and spiritual revolution. In fact, it’s time for a spiritual revolution, a new American revolution that would help transform our culture and our country.”
2. GOD CAN USE TO MINISTER TO OTHERS!
A. Concern Josh. 2:12-13
1. As soon as Rahab knows God is going to take care of her safety, she wants her family to be safe from the judgment of God as well.
2. One sign that you are saved is that you want others to know the God of salvation as well!
ILLUS: Christianity is unquestionably a personal experience. It is also unquestionably not a private experience. —William Barclay
3. Always remember, it’s not about what you’ve done for God, but it’s about what God’s done for you. You don’t have to try and clean up people’s lives, that’s His job, your job is to share.
4. All around us people are hurting, hopeless, and without Jesus they are on their way to hell.
a. Rahab didn’t say, “Thank you God for saving my life, let everyone else fall under your judgment.” She did say, “God, you’ve saved my life, use me to bring others to safety in You.”
5. You never know how (what you think) is a little witness for Jesus, might change someone’s life forever.
6. To posses the promised land means you allow God to make your life a living ministry to others.
a. Many of you recently allowed the Lord to make you a minister to the kids at VBS and there was great joy in that because it was all about sharing the love of Jesus Christ with kids.
3. GOD CAN USE YOU TO IMPACT ETERNITY!
A. Covenant Josh. 2:15-23
1. Never underestimate what faith in the Living God can do!
2. It was not Rahab’s faith in herself, but Rahab’s faith in a great God that made all the difference.
3. Knowing the city of Jericho would be demolished in the very near future, Rahab asks for mercy.
4. God’s men say, “…bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down.”
5. What does that scarlet cord represent to you and I today? It represents the blood of Jesus Christ.
6. The blood of Jesus Christ delivers us today from the wrath of God just as the scarlet cord would signify Rahab’s deliverance.
a. What do you need today for deliverance and safety?
b. Some would say, “More money,” “More education,” “Better government.”
7. The greatest need in my life and in America today is to apply the blood of Jesus Christ to our sin stained lives.
8. Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."
ILLUS: I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the cleansing power of the blood (1 Peter 1:2). It seemed to me that blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if they became stained with blood. Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the debris that accumulates all the time. I like Paul’s phrase in Hebrews 9:14 KJV, “How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works?” —Dr. Paul Brand
9. If you and I are to be people who posses the promised life God has for us, there’s going to be trust in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ to both free us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and one day the very presence of sin!
10. The blood of Christ not only has the power to save you, but to sanctify you, make you holy day by day!
B. Confidence Josh. 2:22-24
1. The story of Rahab shows us that God can use anyone’s life that believes and trusts Him.
a. God includes people in His family we wouldn’t normally think would be there!
2. Eventually, Rahab would marry a believer named Salmon. Together, they have a son named Boaz, who is the grandfather of Jesse. Who was Jesse’s son? David, the greatest king over Israel.
3. Who was David’s great, great grandmother? A woman by the name of Rahab!
ILLUS: To this day, on Israel’s flag is the Star of David, who had the blood of
Rahab flowing through his veins.
4. What could be more impressive than being in King David’s line? In Matthew 1:5, we find Rahab in the genealogy of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
5. On July 4th, 1776, our Founding Father’s signed a document declaring our independence from British rule. In declaring our independence, we declared our dependence upon Almighty God.
6. There is an enemy that would love to steal, kill, and destroy everything good and godly about your life. Yet, the Lord Jesus came declaring the good news, “I have come that you may have life and life to the full” (John 10:10).
Conclusion: God used Rahab, a former prostitute, to show us that He can bring anyone into His family and transform into His wonderful servants. Today is the day to declare, “I am trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for safety, salvation, and to make me His useful servant.”
Friday, July 2, 2010
Find Freedom From Your Fears
Joshua 1
INTRO: Top Fears People Face…1. Speaking in front of a group 2. Heights 3. Insects and bugs, financial problems and deep water 4. Sickness 5. Death 6. Flying 7. Loneliness 8. Dogs…Most of the fears we face every day are not based on facts, rather our own feelings. A popular University of Michigan study showed 60 percent of our fears are totally unwarranted; they never come to pass. 20 percent of our fears are focused on our past, which is completely out of our control. 10 percent of our fears are based on things so petty that they make no difference in our lives. Of the remaining 10 percent, only 4 to 5 percent could be considered justifiable. —Dennis Wattley, Seeds of Greatness, (Revell, 1983). Fear and unbelief kept God’s people out of the promised land and only Joshua and Caleb were able to enter because of their faith in God’s promises.
1. FOCUS ON GOD’S PLAN
1. Just as God had a purpose and plan for Joshua and the people of God, God also has a plan for your life and this church. 2. It’s easy to look at powerful people like Josh and say, “God sure had a plan for him,” how can He have a plan for me? Jer. 29:11; I didn’t know that I marry Amy, have 3 awesome kids, be pastor of CWBC, but it was part of God’s plan. 3. God’s plan is for His people to move fwd with Him in faith. Are you growing as a believer? Do you know more of His leadership in your life today than you did a year ago? 4. This summer, God is leading us to refocus on what is truly important to Him. He’s calling us to move on up in our spiritual growth. That means learning to put the past in the past and preparing for the new. Read Joshua 1:1-2. God gives us time to mourn and weep, but not forever. I get the feeling the Lord had to put it like this because God’s people needed to wake up to reality. John B. “Life goes on. Face reality. The man is dead. The job is yours. Get on with it.” Too many churches wish for the past when God is up to something in the present! I’m amazed at how many homes, children, young families there are in this community. Many do not know X as Savior. Frustrated, Fearful, Failures, Fainting, etc. Just b/c people take vacation for the summer doesn’t mean we take a vacation from pointing people to Jesus Christ. 5. Let’s use this summer to prepare for promised land living! 6. Jsh was born into slavery in Egypt and his parents named him Hoshea, meaning, “salvation.” Moses changed his name to Joshua, “Jehovah is salvation.” Numbers 27:16-20 7. The Lord saves us to be a people who are followers of His plan. W.Wiersbe says, “The Book of Joshua is the book of new beginnings for the people of God and many believers today need a new beginning. After 40 yrs of wandering in the wilderness, Israel claimed their inheritance and enjoyed the blessings of the land God had prepared for them, “as the days of heaven upon the earth” (Dt. 11:21). That’s the kind of life God wants us to experience today. Jesus Christ, our Joshua, wants to lead us in conquest now and share with us all the treasures of His wonderful inheritance. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, but too often we live like defeated paupers.” 8. As a church family, we must focus more on God’s plan over our own. 9. Find freedom from you fear means you an obedient servant of the Lord like Joshua. 10. There was land to conquer, giants to face, new ground to gain as God’s people began to enter the promised land, they were entering where they’d never been before and this required they stayed focused on God’s leadership in their lives and putting God’s plan first. 11. Fear kept God’s people out of the promised land for 40 years (Numbers 13:30-14:2). The victorious Christian life is about learning to be a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:35-39). God’s best is that you learn to overcome all the enemies this world has that would keep you from entering His rest! To find freedom from the fears that would keep you from God’s best means you focus on His plan.
2. FOCUS ON GOD’S TRUTH
How many hours per day do you watch TV, surf the net, text message, worry about the future? Do you spend the majority of your time filling your life with the bad news or the good news of God’s truth? Many people fear surrendering their lives to the Lord b/c they do not know His truth. They think He will destroy all their happiness, but He comes to give them fullness of joy (John 15:11). They think He wants to judge them, but He died on a cross to save them from judgment (John 3:17). They think that if they follow Christ, life will be miserable, but it will be abundant (John 10:10). To find freedom from your fears means you are going to focus on God’s truth, not your fears. It means you are going to be thinking of His Word more and your worries less! Read Josh 1:3 – God’s already been where you are going! John B. “The fear of tomorrow can be as crippling as slavery to the past, but God is already in your tomorrow.”
Josh. 1:8 2. How can I focus on God’s truth? Acts 17:11, 18:24. Make a commitment that you are going to be in God’s truth DAILY and you are going to become MIGHTY in the Word. Make a commitment today that you are going to read God’s Word cover to cover once/yr for the rest of your life. The more I study God’s Word, the more I realize this is an inexhaustible book! Josh 1:8; Psa 1:2. Recite them over & over. Pray about what they teach. Keep them in forefront of your mind throughout day. Like rolling hard candy around in mouth. Renewing your mind this way will transform you: Rom 12:2. 3. Please understand that your adversary the devil will do all he can to keep you from living a Word-filled life. The more you let God’s Word dwell in you, the more faith you have, the more strength you have to honor Jesus! 4. What would happen in our church if everyone had the opportunity to become stronger in God’s Word? If we come to God’s Word with an obedient heart first, we’d save ourselves from a lot of heartache. Can you imagine what our church might look like if…everyone obeyed God’s Word to rest and worship instead of continually overloading their schedule? Forgave one another as Christ forgave us? Gave to the Lord from a cheerful heart? Used their spiritual gift faithfully? Witnessed to the lost friends and family in the power of the Holy Spirit? Learned to have victory over enslaving habits through God’s Word? Had marriages and homes where Christ was honored? What has God promised? Forgiveness of sins, H.S. power, access, joy, strength, etc. FOCUS ON HIS TRUTH. Ex. Pete and I always try to put things together w/o reading the instruction manual. We get upset, angry, mad; Amy comes in and begins reading the manual. 15 minutes later we are ready to go! Focusing on God’s truth and following His will enables you to find freedom from your fears!
3. FOCUS ON HIS FAITHFULNESS
You will find freedom from you fears as you learn to focus on His faithfulness. Fear sets in when you leave God out of the picture. Faith comes when you remember it’s not about you, but Him working through you (2 Cor. 3). When fear threatens to take over, recall what God has done in your life. How could Joshua be confident? God would be with Him just as He was with Moses (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). God is calling us to walk out of the wilderness of defeat and unbelief. The reason you can is b/c God has given you the same promise given to Joshua * Be strong and courageous (v.6) Obey all of God’s laws for living (v.7)*Think often about what God has said (v.8). * Remember that God is with you (v.9). Do you teach Sunday school? You’re a leader. Are you a parent? You’re a leader. Have a job? You’re a leader. Have friends? You’re a leader. No matter who you are, others are looking at you and being influenced by your example. As you think about this awesome responsibility, what should you do? Someone has said that a good leader is one who “knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”You might be fearful to witness - He will give you the words - give - He will provide - serve - He will empower you. I get fearful if I think it's up to me to "get results" in the Christian life, but He is the One who causes growth, saves, etc. I can do anything THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me. Instead of letting fear keep you from God's best, remember God is the One who will enable you.
Today, you can find freedom from your fears as you focus on His plan, His truth, His faithfulness. All around us are people falling by the side and today is the day to begin the change with God’s help. With God’s help will you be strong and courageous to (1) Give your heart and life to Jesus who gave everything to you? (2) Obey God through baptism, church membership, ministry? The church must move from the wilderness of death to the promised land of faith. Today is the day to stand with the Lord, be brave and strong in this evil day.
INTRO: Top Fears People Face…1. Speaking in front of a group 2. Heights 3. Insects and bugs, financial problems and deep water 4. Sickness 5. Death 6. Flying 7. Loneliness 8. Dogs…Most of the fears we face every day are not based on facts, rather our own feelings. A popular University of Michigan study showed 60 percent of our fears are totally unwarranted; they never come to pass. 20 percent of our fears are focused on our past, which is completely out of our control. 10 percent of our fears are based on things so petty that they make no difference in our lives. Of the remaining 10 percent, only 4 to 5 percent could be considered justifiable. —Dennis Wattley, Seeds of Greatness, (Revell, 1983). Fear and unbelief kept God’s people out of the promised land and only Joshua and Caleb were able to enter because of their faith in God’s promises.
1. FOCUS ON GOD’S PLAN
1. Just as God had a purpose and plan for Joshua and the people of God, God also has a plan for your life and this church. 2. It’s easy to look at powerful people like Josh and say, “God sure had a plan for him,” how can He have a plan for me? Jer. 29:11; I didn’t know that I marry Amy, have 3 awesome kids, be pastor of CWBC, but it was part of God’s plan. 3. God’s plan is for His people to move fwd with Him in faith. Are you growing as a believer? Do you know more of His leadership in your life today than you did a year ago? 4. This summer, God is leading us to refocus on what is truly important to Him. He’s calling us to move on up in our spiritual growth. That means learning to put the past in the past and preparing for the new. Read Joshua 1:1-2. God gives us time to mourn and weep, but not forever. I get the feeling the Lord had to put it like this because God’s people needed to wake up to reality. John B. “Life goes on. Face reality. The man is dead. The job is yours. Get on with it.” Too many churches wish for the past when God is up to something in the present! I’m amazed at how many homes, children, young families there are in this community. Many do not know X as Savior. Frustrated, Fearful, Failures, Fainting, etc. Just b/c people take vacation for the summer doesn’t mean we take a vacation from pointing people to Jesus Christ. 5. Let’s use this summer to prepare for promised land living! 6. Jsh was born into slavery in Egypt and his parents named him Hoshea, meaning, “salvation.” Moses changed his name to Joshua, “Jehovah is salvation.” Numbers 27:16-20 7. The Lord saves us to be a people who are followers of His plan. W.Wiersbe says, “The Book of Joshua is the book of new beginnings for the people of God and many believers today need a new beginning. After 40 yrs of wandering in the wilderness, Israel claimed their inheritance and enjoyed the blessings of the land God had prepared for them, “as the days of heaven upon the earth” (Dt. 11:21). That’s the kind of life God wants us to experience today. Jesus Christ, our Joshua, wants to lead us in conquest now and share with us all the treasures of His wonderful inheritance. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, but too often we live like defeated paupers.” 8. As a church family, we must focus more on God’s plan over our own. 9. Find freedom from you fear means you an obedient servant of the Lord like Joshua. 10. There was land to conquer, giants to face, new ground to gain as God’s people began to enter the promised land, they were entering where they’d never been before and this required they stayed focused on God’s leadership in their lives and putting God’s plan first. 11. Fear kept God’s people out of the promised land for 40 years (Numbers 13:30-14:2). The victorious Christian life is about learning to be a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:35-39). God’s best is that you learn to overcome all the enemies this world has that would keep you from entering His rest! To find freedom from the fears that would keep you from God’s best means you focus on His plan.
2. FOCUS ON GOD’S TRUTH
How many hours per day do you watch TV, surf the net, text message, worry about the future? Do you spend the majority of your time filling your life with the bad news or the good news of God’s truth? Many people fear surrendering their lives to the Lord b/c they do not know His truth. They think He will destroy all their happiness, but He comes to give them fullness of joy (John 15:11). They think He wants to judge them, but He died on a cross to save them from judgment (John 3:17). They think that if they follow Christ, life will be miserable, but it will be abundant (John 10:10). To find freedom from your fears means you are going to focus on God’s truth, not your fears. It means you are going to be thinking of His Word more and your worries less! Read Josh 1:3 – God’s already been where you are going! John B. “The fear of tomorrow can be as crippling as slavery to the past, but God is already in your tomorrow.”
Josh. 1:8 2. How can I focus on God’s truth? Acts 17:11, 18:24. Make a commitment that you are going to be in God’s truth DAILY and you are going to become MIGHTY in the Word. Make a commitment today that you are going to read God’s Word cover to cover once/yr for the rest of your life. The more I study God’s Word, the more I realize this is an inexhaustible book! Josh 1:8; Psa 1:2. Recite them over & over. Pray about what they teach. Keep them in forefront of your mind throughout day. Like rolling hard candy around in mouth. Renewing your mind this way will transform you: Rom 12:2. 3. Please understand that your adversary the devil will do all he can to keep you from living a Word-filled life. The more you let God’s Word dwell in you, the more faith you have, the more strength you have to honor Jesus! 4. What would happen in our church if everyone had the opportunity to become stronger in God’s Word? If we come to God’s Word with an obedient heart first, we’d save ourselves from a lot of heartache. Can you imagine what our church might look like if…everyone obeyed God’s Word to rest and worship instead of continually overloading their schedule? Forgave one another as Christ forgave us? Gave to the Lord from a cheerful heart? Used their spiritual gift faithfully? Witnessed to the lost friends and family in the power of the Holy Spirit? Learned to have victory over enslaving habits through God’s Word? Had marriages and homes where Christ was honored? What has God promised? Forgiveness of sins, H.S. power, access, joy, strength, etc. FOCUS ON HIS TRUTH. Ex. Pete and I always try to put things together w/o reading the instruction manual. We get upset, angry, mad; Amy comes in and begins reading the manual. 15 minutes later we are ready to go! Focusing on God’s truth and following His will enables you to find freedom from your fears!
3. FOCUS ON HIS FAITHFULNESS
You will find freedom from you fears as you learn to focus on His faithfulness. Fear sets in when you leave God out of the picture. Faith comes when you remember it’s not about you, but Him working through you (2 Cor. 3). When fear threatens to take over, recall what God has done in your life. How could Joshua be confident? God would be with Him just as He was with Moses (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). God is calling us to walk out of the wilderness of defeat and unbelief. The reason you can is b/c God has given you the same promise given to Joshua * Be strong and courageous (v.6) Obey all of God’s laws for living (v.7)*Think often about what God has said (v.8). * Remember that God is with you (v.9). Do you teach Sunday school? You’re a leader. Are you a parent? You’re a leader. Have a job? You’re a leader. Have friends? You’re a leader. No matter who you are, others are looking at you and being influenced by your example. As you think about this awesome responsibility, what should you do? Someone has said that a good leader is one who “knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”You might be fearful to witness - He will give you the words - give - He will provide - serve - He will empower you. I get fearful if I think it's up to me to "get results" in the Christian life, but He is the One who causes growth, saves, etc. I can do anything THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me. Instead of letting fear keep you from God's best, remember God is the One who will enable you.
Today, you can find freedom from your fears as you focus on His plan, His truth, His faithfulness. All around us are people falling by the side and today is the day to begin the change with God’s help. With God’s help will you be strong and courageous to (1) Give your heart and life to Jesus who gave everything to you? (2) Obey God through baptism, church membership, ministry? The church must move from the wilderness of death to the promised land of faith. Today is the day to stand with the Lord, be brave and strong in this evil day.
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