A Quick History Lesson on Joshua

1. Joshua had been born into slavery in Egypt and as first born risked death on the day of Passover. He would have seen or heard about the ten miracles Moses performed and the crossing of the Red Sea.
2. Israel’s military leader (Exodus 17)
3. Joshua climbs mount Sinai (Exodus 24)
4. Joshua sent to spy in Canaan (Numbers 13)
5. Joshua declares faith in the Lord (Numbers 14 v 7-10)
6. Joshua anointed as next leader of Israel (Numbers 27)
7. Joshua full of the spirit of wisdom (Deut 34 v 9)
8. As Israel’s leader, Joshua had been fully trained he was a soldier, a servant, a spy and a successor.

Now we turn to Joshua 1.
God has some things to say to us this morning from this most excellent chapter.
Read Verses 1-9

We learn three things about prayer from these verses. Prayer is listening, responding and obedience.

Prayer is listening

Is God calling you to a new task? Joshua had been called as Israel’s new leader and had prepared well for this calling. You need to get to know God well. Joshua had a good relationship with God. He had seen God do some awesome stuff and along the way had developed a good understanding of how God works. We don’t know but I suspect that Joshua talked to God dawn to dusk. I am pretty sure that if there had been Scripture to study he would have been reading what was available. (In fact in Joshua one he is called to meditate on the Law). You see when he was called to be Israel’s leader he knew he would not be able to do the job without the Lord.
In the Hebrew Bible, Joshua is listed as a prophetic book, and that is what Joshua is a prophet. In these we read it is God talking direct to Joshua giving him his instructions, the ones he needs at that point. Joshua recognised God’s voice and responded.
Would you recognise God’s voice?

Prayer is responding

God has a ministry for you. How do you feel when you read verse 9 in Chapter one of the book of Joshua, ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’
Well whatever you feel you might be surprised that Joshua was around 80 when God called him to lead Israel. So it is as an old man that God says to him, ‘Be strong’.
You might be sat listening to me speak and in your heart you’re thinking, but what does God want me to do?
As we have already seen Joshua knew God well. He had been led to this point and Joshua was ready. So I would encourage you to prepare yourself. How? Well for me I was called into the ministry in 1985 but didn’t go until 1989. Was that disobedience? No it was God preparing me.
Other things to do. Ask God and look at the evidence. What gifts do you have? Start to grow in them now. Go to cell and practice them. Seek out holy people and discover wisdom from them.
God is calling you to a task, are you ready to respond?

Prayer is obedience

If God is calling are you going to be Obedience? For Joshua, obedience was something he chose to do. Yes, when we look at his life we are not surprised that Joshua was obedient.
He saw God act and trusted that God would act again. Joshua has shown himself to be obedient and trustworthy.
Don’t let others get the blessing meant for you. Joshua is a fulfillment of what God told Moses to do. Moses listened but disobeyed God and therefore wasn’t able to do all God asked him to.
The Transfiguration is a picture of obedience. Moses and Elijah were both called to a task but not completed. Joshua and Elisha completed the tasks. Their names mean ‘Jehovah is salvation’.
Jesus which in Greek means ‘Jehovah is salvation’, however goes on to fulfill all God calls him to.
Israel needed a new leader, new land and a new life. Joshua responded, will you? A word of warning, these words need a response. You can respond with a positive affirmation or a negative one but you do need to respond!

A brief overview

We’re going to look at five elements that I believe are key to a Christian’s life. They are the basics – get these right and everything else will follow on!

A disciple is one who follows Christ or the person who follows the teachings of another whom he or she accepts as a leader (imitating).

Assurance

As a Christian we are following the teachings of Jesus and to get our relationship right from the start we need to understand what it means to be a Christian.
Ask “What do you believe?”
In Romans Chapter One we read, “I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes…. The Good News shows how God makes people right with Himself – that it begins and ends with faith.”v16-17
What is the good news that Paul talks about, “The Good News is about God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” v 3
The Good News that we all know and love is the fact that Jesus hatched a rescue plan with His Father, he came and lived a holy life, so that we have an example to follow (He didn’t answer every question – He wants a dynamic relationship with us, where we seek Him for wisdom), and then He died, a cruel and wicked death, but then He rose again and now as it says in Romans 1 v 7, God calls us to be His holy people.
This is good news that God calls us to be holy. And that is assurance to know that God calls. However, there is a flip side to that calling. The flip side is that he wants us to be holy. What is the punishment if we’re not holy? “When people sin, they earn what sin pays – death” Romans 6 v 23 or in the NIV it says, “the wages of sin is death”. Unfortunately, many people have taken this verse out of context and quoted it as a verse for non-Christians. Well it is not a verse for non-Christians, it is a verse for Christians. The context, is moral complacency and presumption among believers. “Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase?” Paul asks in 6 v 1 and “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (6 v 15). What Paul is trying to ask and point out to us as Christians is that the wages of continual sin, “not being holy”, is death. I have briefly said it before and I will say it again, watch your salvation and watch your holiness – you can lose it and not even realise you are losing it. Ask God, ask other people, be led by your friends and your Pastor.
Be assured that you are God’s child but don’t get complacent and lose your salvation.

God’s Word

The word has to be read and constantly read so that it becomes part of your life.

66 books
Longest book is the Psalms
Shortest book is 2 John
Longest verse is Esther 8 v 9
Shortest verse is John 11 v 35
Middle verse is Psalm 118 v 9
1,189 chapters, 773,746 words, 3,566,480 letters
Written in three languages – Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek
Written in three continents – Africa, Asia and Europe
Approx. 1,600 years time span between the last and the first books
40 authors over 60 generations
One message – man’s redemption

Authors/backgrounds

Moses – political leader
Peter – fisherman
Amos – herdsman
Joshua – military leader
Luke – Doctor
Nehemiah – battler
Daniel – Prime Minister
Paul – Rabbi
Solomon – King
Matthew – tax collector

1. Little finger – hearing – 5% – “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11 v 28
2. Next finger – reading – 20% – “It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees…” Deuteronomy 17 v 19 (panoramic view). When you look at a beautiful view you don’t need a powerful magnifying glass to examine every part of the view. This is like reading the Bible. Sometimes though it is good to examine a particular flower and then the magnifying glass might be used for a closer focus. Hence…
3. Middle finger – study – 35% – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2 v 15 (microscopic view).
4. Index finger – memorise – 100% -
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I have hidden your word in my heart;
that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119 v 9 & 11
The final part is the key. Without a thumb you cannot grip anything. Try holding a book without using your thumb!
5. Thumb – meditation – “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.” Joshua 1 v 8. Meditation is where the Word of God flows from your head into your heart and becomes your blood. Isaac Newton’s blood was said to be bibling!
The Bible is there for you. Not you for the Bible – don’t get legalistic. The Bible is only a guide – it can’t hope to be specific – girlfriend/wife won’t know name. Sometimes it is a delight to read the Bible, sometimes a duty but always a necessity.

Prayer

Reading the Word and prayer could be called “upward” disciplines. Up to God. And this is what prayer is – up to God.
Prayer in its simplest form is a chat with God. Read the Bible and look up the word prayer in a concordance – go to every verse and get to know how to pray BUT at the end of the day, as I said to a young man once until you commit time, it won’t work. Give God time.

Fellowship and Witness

If the other two disciplines were upward, these two are outward.
Can I get someone to read Acts 2 v 42 – 47. What do you notice from these verses?(Allow folks to call out!)
Well the thing I noticed the most is that in having fellowship, people became believers. What I mean is that as they met together and enjoyed each other, people saw what was happening and wanted some of it themselves.
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2 v 4
And back to prayer again, but why were originally created, to have fellowship with God.
The witness means to be a witness. Sounds obvious but if I go and see someone who has never met an Englishman, I am being a witness to them. And likewise as a Christian.
“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Whether that neighbour be a Christian or a non-Christian. Love never hurts a neighbour, loving is obeying the Word of God.” Romans 13 v 9b-10
“But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and forget about satisfying your sinful self.” Romans 13 v 14

And to conclude, I could never give full justice to these disciplines in such a short talk, that is why you have the Bible but let me conclude with this.

A mature follower of Jesus:-
Is a servant. They expect nothing in return for their service.
Deals with their sin before the Lord.
Is marked by righteousness.
Is honest and open with his dealings with brothers and sisters.
Brings personal difficulties before the Lord.
Is generous (with time and money). Owns nothing.
Teaches others how to live a Godly life.
Manages his area of responsibility well.
Knows how to obey.
Knows how to relate well with brothers and sisters. He knows how to encourage, how to seek forgiveness. Believes the best about his brother and sister.
Has personal spiritual discipline in good order.

All word, you dry up.
All Spirit, you blow up.
Word and Spirit you grow up.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny!

The strength of the Christian lies not in obeying outward laws but in inward character.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man.

Ephesians 3 14-16

Pray for me and pray for each other, that we might be strengthened by God’s spirit to have inner character.