Series on
“Ministry in the Book of Joshua”

Title

Part 1: Possessing Your Possessions!

Part 2: Pleading Your Promises!

Part 3a: Pursuing Your Plan!

Part 3b: Pursuing Your Plan!

Part 3c: Pursuing Your Plan!

Part 3d: Pursuing Your Plan!

Part 4a: Preparing Your People!

Part 4b: Preparing Your People!

Scripture Ref.

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Joshua 1 v 1 - 18

Ministry in the book of Joshua! Ch. 1
Reading Joshua ch.1 v 1-18.
Part 1 Possessing Your Possessions!

Introduction:
As we begin this great and historic book, please allow me to remind you that the book of Joshua is not only a revelation of what God has accomplished in a past time zone but it is also a revelation of what God can do through any man or woman wholly, fully and completely surrendered to him in this time zone.
This book is more than a history book!
Listen to what the apostle Paul says with respect to this time zone in 1 Cor.10 v 11.
”Now all of these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition”
So New Testament Christians are to draw application from Old Testament Christians they can follow in this present time zone.
So no new headings or titles today, nothing original, it has all been said before but it’s absolutely imperative we are reminded once again of it!
A young ordinand setting out for his first church said, “I will be original or nothing!” He was not long into his ministry when he discovered he was both original and nothing!
Yes, it’s all been said before, but oh, to make it mine!
Oh, to make this our own and take example from Joshua and the saints of God from this age will bring amazing benefit to our calling and life for the Lord.
Now there are four segments to this first chapter of Joshua and each of them has great import and worth our attention, so listen up, we are going on a journey with Joshua and I trust we thoroughly enjoy it.
A. This Was To Be A Land Of Rehearse! v 1-2a.
”Now after the death of Moses, the Servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses Minister, saying, Moses my Servant is dead”
What an honourable title! Moses is distinguished as “The Servant of Jehovah.” He was this by choice, for he willed to be the servant of God rather than to be great in the land of the Pharaohs.
Such he was by perseverance throughout his whole life, such he was by complete submission for he waited upon God for his directions as a servant waits upon his master. Such he was for he endeavoured to do all things according to the pattern and plan shown him in the Holy Mount.
Though he was King in Jesurun, he never acted on his own authority, but was the lowly instrument of the Divine Will. Moses was most faithful to God in all, his house and as a servant. You neither see him overstepping his office nor neglecting it. His reverence for the Lord’s name was deep; his devotion to the Lord’s cause was complete, and his confidence in the Lord’s Word was constant.
He was a true servant of the Lord Jehovah from the time he was appointed at the burning bush until the hour when he surrendered his keys of office to his successor, and climbed the appointed mount to die.
That beloved is the mark of godly leadership, when the God of all Glory acknowledges us as his servant. “Moses my Servant is dead.”
Oh that you and I may so live to be approved servants of God!
And the reason I say this was to be a land of rehearse is because this is to be the land into which God is calling his people to live a victorious life for his glory.
You see God has given us the possession of victory, but few of us seem to live a constant life of victory!
We look at the lives of men and women from Old Testament times and New Testament times, from generations past and say, oh, that I could be like them!
But what was it that made men and women great in the past? It was that they lived their lives from the standpoint of victory!
You say to me, well Pastor I don’t have that kind of victory most of the time! Well, I would have to say the same, but beloved that’s not God’s plan for us. God has given us victory and if we fail to live in victory we are living beneath our privileges. Now while the Bible admits the possibility of defeat and failure, it never assumes the necessity of failure. We can always live in triumph in Christ Jesus.
John 1 v 12.
”To as many as received him, to them, gave he power to become the sons of God, even to those who believed on his name”
The power to have continual victory is built in to our salvation.
And that’s the very reason God, when Moses dies, looks to one of like mind for leadership, Joshua!
He is not placed in leadership because of who he is, but because of what he is, a faithful and true and powerful Servant of God.

And his task is daunting! Joshua is to lead the people of God into a place that is hostile to everything they are and believe, but God is telling them to go in and possess their possessions. This is your land and everything in it belongs to you, go in and claim what’s yours and live in the victory and blessing of it.
Now Canaan is a picture of the land of victory and blessing, not as some would tell us in hymn and storybooks, that Canaan is a picture of heaven.
We get our metaphors mixed up a little bit sometimes.
Like the preacher who was waxing eloquent in prayer and he prayed, “and Lord if there happens to be a spark of fire in this church, please water that spark.”
Now that did not just come out right, he had mixed his metaphors somewhat!
Canaan is not a type of heaven because there is warfare in Canaan, there is sin in Canaan, there is a going in and a coming out in Canaan, and there are, giants in Canaan.
Rather Canaan is a picture of possessing our possessions while we journey through this difficult land.
We live as strangers and pilgrims in this land but we can possess victory while we do.
You see beloved; there are many that have come out of Egypt, yes! But they, sadly, like others, never did get Egypt out of themselves.
And the idea of living in this present evil world is that we might rehearse a life of godliness and holiness while struggling with the threefold enemy that troubles us so much.
The external foe, the world! The internal foe, the flesh! The infernal foe, the devil!
But as we rehearse a life of godliness and holiness we can know victory and possess all God wants to bless us with!
B. This Was To Be A Land Of Release! v 2b.
”Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people.”
You see up until this time they had been a nation of slaves, but now the command comes to set them free, they are from now on to live as free people!
After their liberation out of Egypt they were brought into the wilderness to await God’s timing to enter the land of blessing, and remember it all did happen, but only in God’s planned time, not before!
We have such a tendency to want everything we think God should have for us yesterday.
Now it’s interesting, they had been delivered out of Egypt by a miracle, but God brought them into a wilderness. And by the way, they spent forty years in this wilderness, and by the way again, only two of the original crowd that went into the wilderness came out, Joshua and Caleb!
The reason being, although they had been delivered from Egypt, it would seem they could not find deliverance over the bondage into which sin had brought them.
Just like so many dear Christians today, we have been delivered from sin but somehow we are still in bondage to it. We never seem to know victory over temper, lies, duplicity, deceit, criticism, backbiting, jealousy, fear, depression, doubt, etc. etc.
And that beloved is because we are in a battle and yet we treat the Christian life like a picnic.
”Victories that are easy are cheap. Those only are worth having which come as the result of hard fighting.” Henry Ward Beecher.
”For sin shall not have dominion over you” Rom.6 v 14.
”If the son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8 v 36.
Berdyalov, a Russian philosopher, said, “men are slaves because freedom is difficult and slavery is easy.” End quote.
Here’s something worth considering, James reminds us in chapter one how free men and women act!
How do you react to trial? Ch.1 v 1-12.
How do you resist temptation? Ch.1 v 13-15.
How do you respond to truth? Ch.1 v 15-25.
How do you restrict your tongue? Ch.1 v 26-27.
Your answer to those four, test questions reveal just how free you are, or indeed how much in bondage you are!
And just as this was a land of release for God’s ancient people so he wants that this be a life of release for his present day people. Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains.
There is only one answer to the anguished question asked long ago: Romans 7 v 24.
”O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” Jesus will! By the Power of the Spirit and the Practice of the Scriptures.

C. This Was To Be A Land Of Refreshment!
All this time they were in the wilderness, do you know what they had to eat?
Of course you do! Manna! Manna! Manna!
Three times per day, seven days per week, every week of the year, for forty years!
Manna in the morning, manna in the evening, manna at supper time.
Let me tell you they were sick and tired of manna, they were fed up to back teeth with manna! Numbers 21 v 5.
”And the people spake against God, and against Moses, wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread”
Hey folks! Canaan was the land of corn and wine, milk and honey, grapes and pomegranates, a land of abundance. Why should they go in and possess the land?
Because it was a land in which, at long last they would get some real refreshment, some real blessing!
Now, we can understand, to some degree at least, their moans and groans in the wilderness, but here’s the point, they were not long into this new land of refreshment until they were at the complaining again.

Would I surprise you by saying we do the same today!
We sit in for a spiritual meal at this table of God’s precious Word yet we never seem to be satisfied with what God is feeding us. We moan and groan like the children of Israel in the wilderness and we come away from the feast spread and are totally dissatisfied. Why so? Why is it we react this way? I believe it’s because we are just living on the scraps thrown to us from this meeting or that meeting, we are forever in the cafeteria living on titbits we like instead of feasting on the finest of the wheat God has provided for us.
Our gracious heavenly father steps in, gives us a feeding and leading shepherd to feed and lead us, at first it is sweet to the taste, but it’s not long before we are back at our old habits, carping and complaining about the spiritual food we are given to eat!
What’s wrong with us in this country with respect to God’s word beloved?
Would I surprise you again by saying, the reason is I believe people are sick and tired of their Christianity. They just have enough Christianity to make them miserable.
They have come out of Egypt, out of the world, yes! But never have entered the blessed refreshment God intended they would have.
Instead of partaking of the refreshment spread on the father’s table, like the prodigal son, they still try to satisfy their soul at the hog pens of this world. And you know what? All that does is make them more miserable and contrary.
A pastor met one of his delinquent members down the street one particular day!
”Well,” he said, “I haven’t see you much at church lately!” “No,” he said, “you know how it’s been, the children have been sick, I’ve been working late, the car is off the road, and anyway, it’s been raining and raining, and raining.” “Well,” said the pastor trying to encourage him. “It’s always dry at church.” “Yea he said, “that’s another reason I haven’t been coming!” End quote! Vance Havner.
Hey folks! It ought not so to be, we are dealing with divine dynamite and everyone who hears God’s word should be affected by it. How can it affect others if it first does not affect you? Your theology must have doxology! If it doesn’t give you a song in your heart it won’t bring a song to the hearts of others.
Listen dear people, this world is growing awfully tired of this dry as dust, dead as old King Tutu Christianity.
And before we start blaming the church for being dry and dead and boring and dull, remember the church is just as alive as you are, as alert as you are, as awake as you are, why, you are the church!
Don’t you want something that’s alive and refreshing, not a man made refreshment that loses it’s Saviour so quickly, but that which flows from God, don’t you, then it’s got to come through you.
I’m feeding on the living bread; I’m drinking at the fountainhead;
And whoso drinketh, Jesus said, shall never, never thirst again.
What, never thirst again? No, never thirst again.
What never thirst again? No, never thirst again.
And whoso drinketh, Jesus said, shall never, never thirst again.
Therefore, life is wonderful, yes; it’s wonderful;
Life is wonderful now to me.
I let Jesus in, he changed everything, life, is wonderful now.
Since his blessings came into my heart,
Joy unspeakable fills every part,
And I want to live for my Lord, life is wonderful now!
Is that true of you and me?
Or am I robbing myself and others of the blessing of this refreshment because I am not enjoying it myself?
D. This Was To Be A Land Of Rest!
The unknown penman writing in the book of Hebrews call this land a place of rest!
Heb.3 v 18-19.
”And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believe not? So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Bringing with it a timely reminder! Heb. 4 v 1-2.
”Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being given us of entering into his rest, any of you should come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Not rest, of course, from work but rest in work!
Jesus said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” But He did not mean we would have rest from work but rather we would have the rest of the Lord while working, and that brothers and sisters is worth having.
You know, you very soon find in this work that people love you today and loath you tomorrow and if you didn’t have that rest you would fold up under the awful strain which that places you under.
But oh, my, the rest of the Lord while you work allows you the privilege of simply leaving those people to the Lord and allowing him to do what is necessary with them!
In Egypt there was no rest! In the wilderness there was no rest.
In Egypt they were sorely oppressed, in the wilderness they were just going round and round in ever increasing circles.
They knew every grain of sand; they had been pricked with every cactus in the place!
Why possess their possessions? Why, because it’s a land of rest!
Why give up all to God and serve with your whole heart?
Why because there is a wonderful rest in serving the Lord.

1 Thess. 1 v 1-10. Look at the marks of reality in this infant church.
”Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
They are not living on a nerve edge, they are simply enjoying being Christians and telling others so.
You see beloved, when you serve the Lord like that you don’t have to force doors open looking for something to do.
You don’t have to chase key men around if you know the keeper of the keys.
We come to church and sit, but we should also come to church to serve, in worship, praise, prayer, preaching, giving, remembering the Lord. It’s in the doing of these things that true rest comes.
E. This Was To Be A Land Of Reality!
You see, to date all they had known of Canaan was what they had heard by way of sermon from the elders as they sat around the campfires in the evening.
But they had no hands on experience for themselves; they had not yet experienced the wonder of this land. And folks, many Christians have never yet experienced the hands on experience of personal involvement in the work of the Lord, and therefore it’s all second hand experience to them, it’s all hear say!
Aren’t you tired of just listening to sermons about victory and blessing, don’t you want to experience it all for yourself.
Would you not like for some of what you hear to be reality? Do you know there are folks who come to church on a regular basis but have no more notion of applying what they hear, they simply listen and may even pass comment now and again. Oh, he wasn’t as good today as he was last week.
Or, I really love it when your man from down the road comes, and you want to hear Dr. Thunderbolt when he comes, but as for turning teaching into reality, don’t annoy me please!
Listen folks, God wants his dear people to live in victory, he does!
And here I believe is the key. God has already given us the victory, do you hear me today! God has already given us the victory.
You say, well why don’t I have it then? Oh, beloved, God has given the victory but we have not yet possessed our possessions. Joshua 1 v 3.
”Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you, as I said unto Moses”
They were not even in the land yet but here was God’s promise.
Not, I am going to give it to you, I have given you!

“In the early days of our country a weary traveller came to the banks of the Mississippi River for the first time. There was no bridge. It was early winter, and the surface of the mighty stream was covered with ice. Could he dare cross over? Would the uncertain ice be able to bear his weight?
Night was falling, and it was urgent that he reaches the other side. Finally, after much hesitation and with many fears, he began to creep cautiously across the surface of the ice on his hands and knees. He thought that he might distribute his weight as much as possible and keep the ice from breaking beneath him.
About halfway over he heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk there came a man, driving a horse-drawn sleigh loaded with coal across the ice and singing merrily as he went his way.
Here he was--on his hands and knees, trembling lest the ice be not strong enough to bear him up! And there, as if whisked away by the winter’s wind, went the man, his horses, his sleigh, and his load of coal, upheld by the same ice on which he was creeping!
Like this weary traveller, some of us have learned only to creep upon the promises of God. Cautiously, timidly, tremblingly we venture forth upon His promises, as though the lightness of our step might make His promises more secure. As though we could contribute even in the slightest to the strength of His assurances!
He has promised to be with us. Let us believe that promise! He has promised to uphold us. Let us believe Him when He says so. He has promised to grant us victory over all our spiritual enemies. Let us trust His truthfulness. Above all, He has promised to grant us full and free forgiveness of all our sins because of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. And He has promised to come and take us to His heavenly home. Let us take Him at His word.
We are not to creep upon these promises as though they were too fragile to uphold us. We are to stand upon them--confident that God is as good as His word and that He will do what He has pledged.” James S. Hewett.

Listen! Listen! Dear people, it’s finished, the victory is won, the devil is already defeated.
You say to me, well he does not act like it, and I’ll tell you something, he hopes you never find out and truly believe it.
Our Lord Jesus on the cross defeated the power of Satan by the power of his redemptive work and has given you and me authority over all the power of the enemy.
Put the feet of faith on the promise of God and say this is mine.
Make an announcement about it before God and Satan, this is mine, and in the Saviour’s name I Take God at His Word and I am going to live in the blessing of it!
A man who was an immigrate, bought passage for a new land and a new start. So as not to be hungry on his journey he brought along some crackers and cheese, but soon they run out, he almost starved as he lay under the seats on deck.
In due course he was found very ill and brought to sick bay and received healing help. “What happened?” was the Captain’s question as the man recovered. “Well sir, I ran out of food and was starving to death.” “Man don’t you know that the fare you paid included your food and a room in which to sleep?” He never did claim his possession until it was almost too late!
Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victors song.
To him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be;
He with the king of glory shall reign eternally.
I am deeply indebted to Dr. Adrian Rogers, Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, for permission to use some of his material.

TOP

Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1v1-18.
Part 2 Pleading Your Promises! v 5.

Introduction:
Now please remember as we commence today Paul’s word in 1 Cor. 10 v 11.
”All these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition.”
Now we have already noticed that the whole land was given to the people of God for a possession.
It was to be to them a land of rehearse!
It was to be to them a land of release!
It was to be to them a land of refreshment!
It was to be to them a land of rest!
It was to be to them a land of reality!
The whole land was given to the people of God but they would possess only that portion of land they claimed.
They had to set the feet of faith upon the land and claim it for themselves.
And dear people, today our God has called us to a life of promised blessing. We must not only know we have title to all the blessings of God, which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, but we must learn to lay claim to all that God has promised!
You see there are many dear Christians living on crackers and cheese when they have a standing invitation to the feast of the finest of the wheat.
Beloved, God’s promises are cheques to be cashed, not mere mottoes to hang on the wall!
Remember a whole generation of God’s people died in the wilderness before the land of Canaan was possessed.
Only Joshua and Caleb, of the generation that left Egypt, succeeded in entering the land.
And beloved, these things happened that we might draw an example from them and know not to make the same mistakes. Yet here we are as the church of Jesus Christ many thousands of years later falling into the very same trap. And in spite of Calvary, in spite of an empty tomb and an ascended Lord and in spite of Pentecost, the greater majority of us perish in indulgence, worldliness, and sin. “Saved”, as the apostle says, “but as by fire”
Only here and there do we find a Joshua and a Caleb “who wholly follow the Lord”
Yet His Word to us is still very much our text for today.
Joshua ch.1 v 5.
”There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
As the children of Israel would move towards possessing their possessions they are given two very wonderful promises to claim.
A. The Promise of A Conquering Power! v 5a.
”There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life”
In other words, there is power available to you to do everything I ask you to do God says!
You see, seven nations held sway in the land of Canaan with great strongholds and chariots of iron and God’s children would need to be strong and of a good courage to do battle with the enemy!
So it is with the life of blessing and Salvation, this life is most certainly not free from conflict and from the powerful presence of foes.
That dramatic chapter in Ephesians 6 reminds us all too clearly that…
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto yourselves the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in an evil day, and having done all to stand”
Real blessing in the Christian life is given only to those who eagerly, hungrily press in to receive it.
Yes, it’s true, God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, but remember, the blessing is in heavenly places in Christ, and these are places to which Satan has access, and where he can still cast his fiery darts.
You see dear folks; God does not bless us unless he sees we are eager for that blessing.
God does not pour out of his fullness on a plate, as it were, and invite us to help ourselves as though we were going through some cafeteria, taking only what we like and leaving the rest, No! No!
God desires every one of his children to press in against the assaults of the enemy, that we may lay hold on that which is our inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that every foe we shall ever meet in that battle already has been met and conquered by our Joshua.

You might say to me, well pastor, I don’t seem to have that power to cross my Jordan’s, to drive out my giants, to overcome my Jericho’s. In fact for me it’s just the opposite.
I am continually facing some fast flowing situation or other and in fact I can hardly keep my feet any more. Such is the force my Jordan flows. You see pastor, I have just discovered I have some health problems and inside I am churning like the fast flowing river of Jordan!
Or maybe you are saying in your heart, pastor if only you knew the giants I am facing! Just now the giant of fear has gripped me with respect to my family, they are going the wrong way and there is a fear that is burning me up. I don’t know if I can go on.
Or maybe you are saying, pastor you don’t know the battle I am having with doubt just now. I have been living at a high level recently and then suddenly I have been hit with a mountain of doubt and it’s crushing me. It’s too hard to bear!
Or could it be you are continually in the torments of jealousy, envy and hate, you dislike intently all these coming upon you, yet it seems you can’t control it.
Or it maybe you are struggling with a critical tongue and you are constantly tearing some other dear Christian apart, you’re always finding fault with someone or something, and they are like giants in your life!
Could it be you are constantly running into some brick wall or other? You’re always up against it, you can see no way through. Your circumstances are like some Jericho wall. As you stand and look at your problem today you can see no way through, no way around, no way up and no way down, and those walls are about to come tumbling down round your ears and you just don’t know what to do.
Is that where you are today beloved? All around you is dark and bleak and without understanding. Listen I want you today to take on board what I am about to say.
Listen, listen, you have a Joshua, one that is greater by far than this Joshua. He is our heavenly Joshua, deliverer, conqueror, and in the name of Jesus our Jordan’s can open, our giants can fall, our Jericho walls can tumble!
Listen, listen, living victoriously is not your responsibility!
Rather it is your response to God’s ability!
You see situations and circumstances are part and parcel of our living, but it’s how we handle them that is important.
For example, Peter was a great worrier.
He worried about drowning when he walked on the water, even though Jesus was right there with him. Matt.14 v 29-31.
He worried about what was going to happen to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, so he pulled out a sword and tried to take on a battalion of Roman soldiers John 18 v 2-3 + 10.
He was so worried about Jesus being crucified, he ordered Jesus not to go to the cross Matt.16 v 22. That took some gall.
Nevertheless, although Peter had ongoing trouble with the anxieties of life, he learned how to deal with them, and he passed his lesson unto us. 1 Peter 5 v 5-7.
”Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble, humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you”
Peter learns through humility to trust God’s ability.
How does he do that? The text says, “clothe yourselves with humility,” put on humility towards each other like you would put on a garment of clothing.
Jonathan said to David, “I will be next unto thee” 1 Sam.23 v 17.
The rarest man in the orchestra of God is the saint who knows how to play second fiddle!
Franklin Roosevelt once praised Robert E. Lee as one of America’s greatest Christian gentlemen. Lee, however, described himself differently, seeing himself as “nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation” End quote!
That humility accounts for Roosevelt’s evaluation of him!
Listen beloved, if we want this promise of a conquering power to kick in then we need desperately to clothe ourselves with humility toward each other and toward God.
You see that is responding to God’s ability to work in you!
Let me ask you, how many of you here today entered into the blessing of the feast of God’s word that was spread for you last Sunday? Ah, it was dry, it was long, it was boring, or maybe you are saying, oh, it was lovely, it was lively, and it was different!

Two things!
(1) If the ministry was dry, long, and boring to you let me remind you, what you are saying, you are saying to the Holy Spirit!
You see the preacher’s minister to you from the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit ministers to you through the Scriptures!
And if the ministry was dry, long and boring then you are saying to the Holy Spirit you cannot break through and minister to me, your ministry Holy Spirit is not sufficient to help me, encourage me, strengthen me! Beloved, if that’s where you are just now, you are standing on dangerous ground!
(2) Now what about those who enjoyed the ministry last week?
You say the ministry was delightful, it was lively, and it was a blessing! Good!
Then let me ask you, what you did with what you heard?
Did you just fold it up in your bible and carry it home with you?
Have you said to the Holy Spirit, well it was good but I really have not given any more thought to it since? Or, rather have you put shoe leather to it and made it work in your life? Now, if that’s the case, then you are responding to God’s ability and for you the promise of this conquering power will kick in when needed. Oh, how we need to be open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit!

You see dear brothers and sisters as we saw when in Acts 4 v 29-30.
”And now, Lord, behold their threatening; and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness that they may speak thy Word,
By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy Holy Child, Jesus.”
You see dear Christian we are called into the grace of God!
1. To be an expression of God’s word!
“Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word”
2. To be an extension of God’s hand!
“By stretching forth thine hand to heal”
How can he stretch forth His hand to work today? Through you and me, we are his body on earth. What Jesus did when He was here in His physical body He will do now through His Mystical body, The Church!
3. To be an exaltation of God’s Son!
”And that signs and wonders may be done by the name of the Holy Child, Jesus.”
You see dear friends, in the past the glory of the Lord was housed in the tabernacle or The Temple! When Jesus was here the glory of God was housed in him as we saw on the mount of transfiguration!
But today dear folks, the glory of Jesus, the glory of God, is housed in you and me, not in this building, but in you and me who are truly the Lord’s.
“What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you”?
And we are to be an expression of God’s word, an extension of God’s hand, and exaltation of God’s Son!
That’s responding to God’s ability and when we do the promise of his, conquering power kicks in and we have overcoming power in all we do for the master!
A. The Promise of A Continuing Presence! v 5b.
”As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
You see, what the Lord is saying to Joshua is, “the promise did not die with Moses”
God made a promise to Moses for all God’s people and now he’s confirming that promise to Joshua, but more than that, that self same promise did not die with Joshua!
That’s why I said at the beginning that it is not simply a book that records what God has accomplished in the past but it is in fact a book that reminds us what God can do in the present with his people who respond to him.
Sometimes we are guilty of taking God’s promises and dating them.
Oh, wouldn’t it have been wonderful to have lived back then!
Would it not be great to have lived in Abraham’s day, Moses’ day, Joshua’s day, Paul’s day, Peter’s day, Spurgeon’s day, in the days of the 59 revival! But beloved, when we talk like that we are casting aspersions on God’s ability to be God in this day!
We live in this day, and our God has placed us in this day, in this place, amongst this people and friends. Our God is able to work today just as he did in any of those past days mentioned. And as Shemiah said to Amaziah 2 Chron.25 v 9.
”The Lord is able to give you much more than this!”
God is able in this day in which we live, and as back then he needs us to respond to his ability! His promise to Joshua was “I will be with you” but listen beloved, he is not just with us, he is within us! He lives in me!
Heb. 13 v 5. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
When the unknown penman to the Hebrews penned those words he was drawing from this very passage and text we are looking at today. And Deut.31 v 6.
I am sure you are familiar with the amplified New Testament!
It’s an expanded translation, taking every Greek word and squeezing every drop out of it to make it even clearer.

I heard of a strong man in the circus.
He would take a lemon, cut it in half and squeeze every drop of juice out of it.
Then he would throw a challenge out to the audience to come and take any half of the lemon and try to squeeze another drop out of that lemon, and he offered £100 for every other drop squeezed out.
One after another of the men would come up to the circus ring and try their best, but all to no avail.
Then eventually a well groomed, well dressed, handsome young man stepped into the ring, taking off one pair of glasses and replacing them with another pair. Takes that half lemon in his hand, and squeezing with all his might,1,2,3,4,5, drops of lemon juice falls onto a little dish. As the ringmaster pays out the five hundred pounds, he says, who are you anyway mister, oh, I’m the treasurer of the local Baptist Church, Ha!
Now the amplified New Testament squeezes every drop out of this lovely text. Listen to this!
”For He, God Himself, has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support, I will not, I will not, I will not, in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let you down, relax my hold upon you, assuredly not.”
Isn’t that lovely! Isn’t that just wonderful!
I will not! I will not! I will not!
Our Greek scholars tell us this is an intensive form that should be repeated three times!

A young minister in his first church, visiting one of the older members was informed by her that this was her favorite text, so he thought he would help the dear lady to understand the text more fully.
So he explained the Greek. “I will not” three times!
She looked at that young minister with a twinkle in her eye and said, oh well, God may have to say it three times for you Greek fellows but once is enough for me!
Don’t you have beloved an ever deepening desire to know the reality of his power and his presence, not simply to hear about it!
Many years ago a young Italian lad from Brooklyn, New York grew tired of being a weakling and poor, so he set about to resolve both problems.
His name was Charles Atlas and he came up with what became known as dynamic tension and he ultimately became the world’s strongest man and eventually one of the world’s wealthiest men.
You see, he took hold of what he believed and made it work.
Dear folks, many dear Christians are spiritually dwarfed because we fail to take hold of the truth of his continuing presence and allow him to work in us and through us.
And what happens as a result? We become disgruntled with our lives, with our church, with our preacher, with our husband, wife, with our children, with just about everything and everyone!
There’s a delightful phrase we often use in life when someone shows up unexpectedly, or we encounter someone we have not seen for a long period, we sometimes say, “well, look who’s here!”
I wish we would learn to use that phrase about our Lord Jesus!
Think of the Israelites in the wilderness, often tempted to despair and even to rebel.
But at such times any Hebrew could pull back the flap of their tent and see the cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night and say to his loved ones, “it’s all right, look who’s here!”
Or think of Elisha, that great prophet of God and a one-man intelligence agent. When the Syrian King planned a move against Israel, Elisha learned about it through his hot line to heaven.
The King sent horses, chariots, and a great host of soldiers to capture the troublesome prophet.
When Elisha’s servant saw them next morning he was overwhelmed and cried out to his master, “what shall we do?”
Elisha said, “fear not, for they that be for us are greater than they that be for them” and when that old servant looked again he saw angels everywhere. Elisha could have said, “it’s all right, look who’s here!”
Think of those three Hebrew children thrown into the fire. They must have thought this was the end, but my word they find themselves walking around in the flame and the only thing burned was the straps around their wrists, but not only that, the presence of someone else, they could have said, “it’s all right, look who’s here!”
Think of Daniel in the lion’s den, when King Darius came in the morning all annoyed and upset, “Daniel is your God able to deliver you?” Daniel might well have said, “don’t worry O, king, look who’s here!”
Think of Isaiah when Uzziah the King died, he was distraught, for the King was a great friend to Isaiah, but at last he sees the Lord high and lifted up and he could well have said, “it’s all right, look who’s here!”
John the Baptist on the Jordan! “There standeth one among you whom ye know not!” John could have said, “it’s all right, look who’s here!”
At Jacob’s well, with Jairus’ daughter, at Bethany at the death of Lazarus, on that little boat in the midst of the storm and after the resurrection as our Lord stood on the shores of Tiberias and when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, they could all have said, “it’s all right, look who’s here!” The Emmaus disciples trudged that lonely road back home totally dejected and forlorn when suddenly an arm was place around their shoulders and someone was walking with them warming their hearts. Eventually as they sat together and broke, bread the light dawned upon them. “It’s all right, look who’s here.”
That sent them back to where they should have been in a hurry!
Dear brothers and sisters, what would happen if we were to meet some morning truly believing, and with faith in our hearts look up, would we be able to say, “it’s all right, look who’s here!” What a gathering of the ransomed that would be!
The promise of a conquering power!
The promise of a continuing presence!
These are yours and mine if we will but stand by faith and press in toward them and take God at His word. Strive to enter in at the straight gate! There’s to be a striving, a pressing, a labouring, a battling to gain this doubled barreled promise!
It will not come easy!

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Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua ch.1 v 1-18. Part 3a.
Pursuing Your Plan! v 7-9.

Introduction:
Remember now, God is instructing Joshua as to what his great work of leadership entails, and as he does I wonder is Joshua having some misgivings.
Because immediately after God instructs him to take the people into the land that they might possess it and gives him a double barrelled promise to hold on to as he goes, on the back of all of that he says, v 6-9.
v 6 “Be strong and of good courage.” v 7 “Only be thou strong and very courageous.” v 9 “Neither be thou dismayed.”
“Be strong” indicates he felt a weakness, “Be of good courage” indicates he was fearful. “Be not thou dismayed” indicates that he is seriously considering whether he should now take on the task.
He was a worm and no man, how on earth could he take on such a mammoth task and be the one chosen to deliver Israel?
Ah! But that’s just it. You see it’s when men and women are in this very condition of humility and submission that God approaches them with the summons to undertake vast and overwhelming responsibilities.
Why? Most of us are too strong for God to use, we are too full of our own schemes and plans and ways of doing things.
And of a truth dear folks, before we can ever be used of God in a new and powerful way we will need to humble ourselves and empty us of self, and remove from us that perpendicular pronoun I’I’tus that stands so proud and tall in our own thinking.
It may seem a strange paradox, but what our God must do with us is to empty us, and humble us, and bring us down to the very dust of death. So low that we need every straw of encouragement, every leaf of help, and then he will raise us up, and make us as the rod of His strength.
Oh I know it’s not the way of the world’s thinking. The world talks of the survival of the fittest, but God gives power to the faint, and increases might to them that have no strength, He perfects His strength in our weakness, and uses things that are not, to bring to naught things that are.
If Ehud had been right-handed, he might never have judged Israel! Judges 3 v 15-26.
If Gideon had been the greatest instead of the least in his father’s house, he would never have vanquished Midian! Judges 6 v 15.
If Paul had been as eloquent in his speech as he confesses himself to have been contemptible, he never would have been the preacher he became! 2Cor. 10 v 10!
Dear brothers and sisters, it has always been the rule with God, faithfulness in a few things is the condition of rule over many things, and that the loyalty of a servant is the stepping-stone to the royalty of the throne.
It was said of our dear Saviour that he was obedient to death, even the death of the cross; and that, therefore, God highly exalted him, and gave him a name above every name.
We can only learn obedience by the things that we suffer before we can be lifted from the dunghill to sit with princes!
Now I concluded last time by saying that God has already given the victory and we are to live in the power of that victory.
Well, that’s true! Well then, why is God saying to Joshua here in verse 6-7 to be strong, to be courageous, to be obedient?
And in so doing he is saying also to me to be strong, courageous and obedient.
Because you see pastor, those are three areas I am having my severest struggle with.
Well, Joshua was flesh and blood like you and me!
But here I believe is the key! Everything God asks or commands us to do, He supplies power with which to do it.
What I am saying beloved is, behind every command of God is the Omnipotent power of God to carry out that command given!
God is not saying, be strong in your strength!
God is not saying be courageous in your own courage!
God is not saying be obedient by your own efforts!
You see we need to understand v 6-7 in the light of v 5!
”I will be with you” “I will strengthen you” “I will not leave you”
So what He is saying is, be strong in my strength, be courageous in my courage, and be obedient as you submit to me!

Paul put it like this,
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me.” Phil.4 v 13.
Do you know dear brothers and sisters, this means weak people can choose to be strong, cowardly people can choose to be bold, and disobedient people can choose to be obedient!
It’s not that you just sit back and fold your arms and do nothing and hope and pray God will do it all through me. No! No! No!

Yes! God has given the victory, and through him I can become strong, bold, and obedient.
But if that is to be so then our God has laid down a plan for us to follow, and by following that blue print we, in Him, become strong, bold, and obedient!
You see that is exactly what is happening here with Joshua!
Joshua feels his weakness and frailty and wonders how on earth he will ever get this stubborn and stiff-necked people to the land of promise.
So here’s the master plan Joshua for your journey! As you journey to the land of blessing here’s a plan for you to follow and if you do that, the blessing will flow and follow you all the days of your life.
Now folks, as we live and endeavour to enjoy this life of blessing God has given a blue print, a plan to follow and if we do we will know that blessing of God that makes rich and will not allow sorrow to linger!
Well, alright Pastor, I am all ears, what is God’s plan for my path through life? Well, exactly the same plan as he gave Joshua.
Remember what we read in 1 Cor. 10 v 11.
”Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition”
It’s the same plan for Joshua and his people as it is for my people and me!
Is that not amazing? This has always been God’s plan!
1. The Proclamation of the Word! v 8a.
”This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth”
First in order of priorities for the leading of God’s dear people into a life of blessing is the Word of God!
Now friends, do we grasp that? It’s not making out church programs, its not organising the events of the church, it’s not your personal wishes, nor mine for that matter, it’s not a program of visitation, it’s not sitting with you dear folks and helping you with your problems however important that is, it’s not sitting and enjoying an hour of fellowship with you in your own home, however delightful that would be.
The first order of priorities for a life of blessing is to learn the word of God in the God appointed way!
A. Think About Our Personal Word:
Now the first step to enjoying the very best God has for us is to learn the Word of God so that it shall never depart out of our mouths.
Well, if it does not depart out of our mouths, where does it need to be?
In our hearts of course! Col. 3 v 16.
”Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”
If the Word of God is to come out of us it must be in us!
You see the word of God is our power of attorney in this life for God, the reason? There is power in the Living Word of God!
Do you know you can use the word of God like a sword? Of course you do! But here’s the point, do you? Do you? Do you?
The Word of God is to be your arbiter! In every decision of life do you look to the Word of God? Do you weigh every thing you do against the power of God’s Wonderful Word?
Is that Word, really a lamp and a light to your pathway, guiding you in every little step you take. You say, well that’s a tall order Pastor! Yes it is! Yes it is! But that is God’s order! Beloved, walking with God is a serious business.
Listen to Paul in Eph. 4 v 29.
”Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers”
Are the words of my mouth edifying? Well are they? Are they?
Or do I constantly just run off at the mouth and never take a care about what I am saying. Are you one of those who believe in saying what you think no matter who it hurts or upsets?
Well then, I counsel you today; you are not following the master’s plan for your life. Your words are always to be words that edify others.
John Bunyan, one of the greatest Christians that ever lived and penned Pilgrims Progress and other great works, was converted by listening to the conversation of some ladies after they came out of a service in their church. As he listened to them talk he was convicted by their holy conversation. Oh! What a star to have in your crown!
If someone was listing to your conversation after this meeting in either the public arena or in the privacy of your own home with your own loved ones, would it lead them to Christ and godliness, or to bitterness and hardness?

Listen, Listen, we defeat ourselves so often just here, why? Because our conversation stinks!
My dear people, I have spoken with more families than I can name or recall and their story is always the same. Because of their parent’s conversation around the meal table they came to a point where they drew the conclusion that either Christianity was a farce (empty show) or that the Christians they knew were totally false!
And where has that left them today, living a life of total unbelief!
Listen beloved, when we speak, even on what we call the ordinary level, or the personal level, the Word of God is to be our guide, our light, our power of attorney, our arbiter.
Don’t, I beg of you, throw your family to the devil with your careless talk! Don’t, I beg of you, throw your testimony to the Devil with careless talk!

Listen to the words of Matthew Ch. 12 v 37.
”For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be judged”
Because men’s words are an accurate gauge of their hearts, they shall render account for their words in the day of judgement.
It is by his or her words that a person is justified or judged.
Salvation and condemnation are not produced by words or deeds, but they are a manifestation of real belief by every individual.
Words and deeds are objective, observable evidence of a person’s spiritual condition.
In the day of judgement, that future time when the Lord evaluates who belongs in or out of his Eternal Kingdom, the criteria will include the speech of every person! What does your speech say about you?
The consistent teaching of both the Old and New Testaments is that the only way of salvation is by God’s grace working through man’s faith.
(John MacArthur’s Commentary on Matt. 12 v 36-37.page 320)
”Jesus’ point is not that words are the basis of salvation or condemnation but they are reliable evidence of the reality of salvation.”
The speech of a redeemed person will be different, why? Because it comes from a heart renewed. Pure, wholesome, praising speech shows a new heart!
We are not saved by good works we are saved for “good works”
Eph. 2 v 10. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”
Salvation will produce good works, and it is for that reason and in that sense that words bring justification or condemnation. End quote!
The Christian’s speech will reflect God’s transforming work in the heart, but because of our unredeemed humanness, it still needs constant care if it is to be increasingly spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, loving, purposeful, edifying and truthful.
With the Psalmist we should pray, Psalm 141 v 3.
”Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips”
Actually, David prays for three down-to-earth things at this time of perilous circumstances in his life.
(i) He Prayers about His Conversation! Psalm 141 v 3.
David was a spiritual man, but he was still human. Natural feeling of resentment against Saul’s treatment of him could easily have surfaced and spilled out of his mouth.
So he asks God to put a guard about his mouth. He knew he could not control his tongue. Who can? James reminds us that the person who can do that is perfect!
Graham Scroggie reminds us that when Demaratus was asked whether he held his tongue because he was a fool or for want of words, he replied, “a fool cannot hold his tongue”
(ii) He Prays About His Conduct! Psalm 141 v 4a.
”Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works..”
David realised that it was not enough for his conversation to be guarded at the mouth, but he also needed a guard around his conduct. And folks, Christian behaviour is so important because it too reveals the reality of Christ in you!
You see the problem of behaviour must be settled at a deeper level, it must be resolved in the heart!
Centuries later, Jesus would say, Matt.12 v 34.
”Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
David knew if his words, upon which he would be judged, were to be right, then his heart must be right for it’s out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh! In other words, what’s in the well comes up in the bucket!
David knew if his heart was right his character, conduct, and his conversation would be right.
”Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties”
David was no fool! He knows he has one day to stand in the presence of a holy God and give an account, he was not for dismissing this so lightly. He was not going to allow those who professed to be his friends drag him down in the muck and mire of their way of life.
How many allow their companions to drag them down into the muck and then leave them to deal with the consequences.

(iii) He Prays About His Companions! v 4b.
I received a call from one of our members some years ago. Pastor, I need to see you desperately! When I arrived at the house I was informed that the son and only child of that home was in prison in Spain.
He had gone on holiday with some so called friends and while there they met up with some other of their friends who decided to have a party one evening in the apartment they were staying in.
During the party a police raid took place. All the others were worldly wise and had realised what was happening and skipped over the balcony and got away leaving my friend to carry the can. Of course when the apartment was searched a quantity of drugs was found leaving my friend in some position.
The outcome of that story was that my friend spent a number of months in jail, to date is still barred from entering any foreign country and has a police record which of course has far reaching consequences with respect to the kind of responsible job he can now hold. It has just about ruined his life. Was his rebellion worth it? No! No! A thousand times no.
I tell you that because, by our conversation, conduct, and companions we will be justified or we will be judged.
”This book of the law (the Word of God) shall not depart out of thy mouth” “for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”
This beloved is still God’s way for prosperous days of blessing!

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Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1 v 1-18.
Part 3b Pursuing Your Plan! v 7-9.

1. The Proclamation of the Word! v 8a.
B. Secondly, The Preaching Word!
Introduction:
It was the Lord Jesus who said in John 6 v 63b.
”The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life”
Jesus was saying, my words are life giving, they engender Spiritual life, they are words that can quicken or make alive the spiritual man or woman, my words impart the very life of God he is saying.
You see it is his Spirit in the human spirit through his own Word that imparts the very life of God.
My dear brothers and sisters, let me say it again, the Word of God is not incidental nor accidental but fundamental to our very life for God.
And not only are we to let the Word of God dwell richly in us so that it would come out of us purely and powerfully but another way we are to use the Word of God as God’s blue print, as God’s plan is to preach it. Why? Because in so doing we are imparting the very life of God to all who will hear it gladly and believe!
Listen to Paul writing to Titus 1 v 3.
”But hath in due times manifested his Word through preaching”
How does God manifest (make known! Reveal!) His word to us? Well, one way, one very important way is by preaching!
Listen to Paul again in 1 Tim.. 5 v 17.
”Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in word and doctrine.
For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the grain; and the labourer is worthy of his reward”
There is a continuing call today for less and less preaching!
Now the question must arise, why is there such a demand? When God is so clear with his instructions about preaching the Word, why are we hearing such a call for less preaching?
2 Tim 3:1-17.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
And that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.(NKJ)
There’s a chapter full of reasons why we are hearing such a cry for less preaching. Two camps in that chapter, which one for you?
You see, this is a sign of the days the passage describes as “the last days”.
Now what does that mean, what are “the last days” referring to?
Some say that it describes the whole of this age, from the departure to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Others hold that it means only the close of this present age, that is the last times immediately preceding His coming to the air for His church!

Personally, I believe that the latter view is the correct one, and what we have in this passage is an outline of the deplorable spiritual conditions that will become outstandingly common amongst men and women coming to that very wonderful time.
Yet, it has to be said, these sad characteristics are, alas, not the exclusive property of that last period; for in different ways and degrees they have appeared, and will appear, through the years.
So much so that it has often happened in the course of history, that life has become so evil and so like to the time period described in this chapter of Timothy, that earnest people have thought, these days we are living in must be “the last days” yet they have passed by, and a certain improvement has been manifested. But soon again we have another pouring out of evil, leaving godly people to wonder if this is that time Paul speaks of to young Timothy?
But here’s the point dear folk, any time, in any exaggerated degree, that exhibits such a manifestation of prevalent sin, may turn out to be, in all solemn truth, “the last days” before the day of His appearing.
And if we find such elements in our present day lifestyle, we ought to pause for some serious reflection concerning that possibility.
It is evidently the Lord’s intention that each succeeding generation of believers shall remain on the lookout when such days occur. Matt.25 v 13. “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour”
The primitive church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than about death or about heaven. The early Christians were looking not for a cleft in the ground called a grave but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory. They were watching not for the undertaker but for the upper-taker. Alexander Maclaren.
So, OK Pastor, you say part of God’s blue print or plan is not only the Personal Word but also the Preaching Word, so tell us what kind of preaching do we need today? Well I am glad you asked!
(i) Preaching Should Be Apostolic!
Well, what do you mean Apostolic, that sounds a little out-dated!
What kind of preaching do we need today? Why, the same kind we have always needed! Nothing important has changed!
Just because we have split the atom and sent men to the moon, does not mean we need a new kind of preaching, and certainly not Sermonites for Christianites!
Now of course we know there are no apostles today in the original sense! Eph. 2 v 19-22.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (NJK)
The apostles are in the foundation and to remove them from the foundation would make the building unstable to say the least!
Now although there are no apostles today in the original sense, we do know that an apostle was a sent one!
Now the preacher is to be a man sent from God!
Question! Do we really believe that?
Or is he only a man sent from God when he pleases me, when he visits me, when he does things for me, when he makes me feel good, when he does things the way I think they should be done, when he keeps friends with me and my family above and beyond anyone else! When his preaching suits us?
You see dear people the preacher is to be a man sent from God no matter what we, on a personal basis may feel about him.
And he is to be Apostolic in his preaching, that means although he may have gone through all the educational process of life and then ended up in a Bible School, he is to be all the time thereafter learning at the school of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to those who would become his disciples, follow me, but the very next command given to those who became his disciples was, learn of me! .
“Take my yoke upon you and learn of me” Matt.11 v 29.
The reason and purpose for that is that we might be brought to a point where it’s no longer me and mine, but Him and His!
For me to live is Christ! It is no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me! That’s the sign of a man sent of God.

That was an indication that they were God appointed and God anointed men! 1 Cor.1 v 26-31.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (KJV)
A preacher may be wrapped in the robes of learning, his study walls lined with diplomas, he may have all the trappings of ecclesiastical prestige. But he cannot function without unction!

Martyn Lloyd Jones, asks the question, what is it makes a great preacher? Oh, he said, I can hear all the answers!
”A man called of God, filled with the Holy Ghost, who has given time to prayer and study, who knows his subject, who has oratorical skills and many other such thoughts. But let me tell you what makes, along with all those things, a great preacher, a people with a hearing ear and an understanding heart!” End Quote!
Dear people, it is absolutely true that no preacher can function without unction, but it is also absolutely true that no person can hear what God is saying to them without that same unction. That is why Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones is saying that it is a people with a hearing ear and an understanding heart that makes a great preacher! Why? Because they hear with the understanding of heart and put shoe leather to what they hear and make it work in their own lives. That of course, in turn sends the preacher back to his study to seek God in the most deadly earnest way he knows, why? So that next time he returns to you it will be with a sure Word from the Lord.
(ii) Preaching Must Be Authoritative!
My Lord taught as one having authority and not as the scribes.
Now, that does not mean we become dictators in our own pulpit or church.
Because the servant of God is singled out as one who receives messages from God and is entrusted by God to deliver those messages truthfully and faithfully to his own dear people, of necessity, he speaks with authority. Not his own authority, rather he speaks with the authority of God.
In driving piles, a machine is used by which a huge weight is lifted up and then made to fall upon the head of the pile. Of course the higher the weight is lifted the more powerful is the blow which it gives when it descends. Now, if we wish to impact our age and society with ponderous blows, we must see to it that we are uplifted as near to God as possible. All our power will depend upon the elevation of our spirits. Prayer, meditation, devotion, communion, are like a windlass to wind us up aloft. It is not lost time which we spend in such sacred exercises, for we are thus accumulating force, so that when we come down to our actual labour for God, we shall descend with an energy unknown to those to whom communion is unknown. Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Romans 10:14-21. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”
But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”
But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for me.”
But to Israel he says: “all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” (NKJ)
You see, sent plus went equals put! Major Ian Thomas!
Friends, the preacher is not called to bring Sermonites for Christianites, no matter how much we might like that kind of preaching. The preacher is called of God to preach with authority and he is also called to be true to his calling, for there is a day coming when he will have to give account of every message he brought to his congregation on God’s behalf.
Was it truly from God? Or was it just the imaginations of his own mind and heart.
Never mind whether or not the preaching will be a success. Isaiah was told that his hearers would not receive his message. We are not, as preachers, called to succeed, we are called to go, and when we go he goes with us, that’s where we draw our authority from.
How you react to that authority is between you and your Lord.
I know, today much of the professing church has gone in for theatrics, running a showboat instead of a lifeboat, staging a performance instead of living an experience, “A form of godliness without the power thereof.” We are playing to the grandstand of a pagan age. What a different “show” from the Apostles and the early Christians dying for Christ before howling throngs in the Coliseum! We are not sufferers in the arena; we are spectators in the grandstand. We have come a long way from the catacombs folks!
Please remember, the Lord Jesus met the devil, his avowed enemie with, “Have ye not røa

Hey folks don’t be ashamed of this old time religion! Listen, listen, there is nothing newer. We have a New Testament about a New and Living Way, we enter that New Way by a New Birth, through that New Birth we become a New Creation, with a New Name and a New Song. We are walking in Newness of Life, we are living by a New Commandment, we are heading for a New Heaven and a New Earth and a New Jerusalem.
And almost the last words from the bible are Rev. 21 v 5. “Behold I make all things new”
No wonder the gospel is good news anytime, everytime, all the time.
”These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Titus 2 v 15.

Scientists have long believed that there were only four forces in nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the binding force of the atom, and the weak force of radioactive decay. Now they are debating the possibility of a fifth force. Christians have always believed in a fifth force. They believe in spiritual power. Robert C. Shannon.
God pity the preacher who has grown cross-eyed watching certain faces in the congregation to observe whether his message is acceptable or not.
”The fear of man bringeth a snare” Prov.29 v 25.
The chilly countenances of resentful listeners who must not be disturbed have taken the heart out of more preachers than have all the infidels and higher critics.
And brothers and sisters, please remember, authoritative preaching will only be a blessing as you allow it to affect you personally.
A farmer from the north of Canada awoke one Sunday morning to discover there had been the greatest snowfall ever around that part of the world. As he sat milking he wondered how he could preserve his forty year unbroken record in church attendance!
For forty years he had been present at church and never missed once. After each service as he was leaving he would give the pastor a very hearty handshake, and say, that was a great sermon Pastor, you surely gave it to them this morning.
As George sat milking he spotted an old part of a plough lying no longer in use. I know he thought, I will attach that old piece of the plough unto my tractor and plough my way to church.
When George arrived in the car park, there was not another soul but him. On arriving in church he discovered only the Pastor in attendance. What do you think we should do pastor? said George.
Well, said the good Pastor, remembering George’s statement every other Sunday morning. We will sing a duet, you pray, and I’ll preach and close in prayer. And on the way out of church that morning, George took the pastor by the hand and gave him his usual strong hand shake and said, well Pastor that was a great sermon, if they had been here this morning you surely would have given it to them! We are like that; the sermon is always for someone else.
One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly spluttered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.
Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are “clothed with power” (Luke 24:49) find themselves out of gas. End Quote!
(iii) Preaching Must Be Absolute!
Joseph Parker the congregational minister who ministered in London at the same time as C.H. Spurgeon said, “The only colours Mr. Spurgeon knew were black and white. In all things he was definite!
You were either in or out, up or down, alive or dead. He believed in absolutes. And folks, we are dealing with absolutes!
The absolute authority of Scripture!
The absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ!
The absolute power of the Holy Spirit!
And if that sounds too dogmatic for some today it is because we have blown all the way from dogma to smogma! We live in a fog!
Dr.Vance Havner!
Jesus said, “he that is not with me is against; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” Matt. 12 v 30.
Observe please, there is no third class here, no inactive church members here!
When the titanic sank in 1912, she was supposed to be the unsinkable sadly, the only thing she did, was sink.
When that great ship took off from England, and ultimately from New York she had all kinds of passengers on board, Millionaires, Celebrities, people of moderate means, poor people, but when later the news came of that awful disaster they posted two lists in Cunard office New York and England, it carried only two categories, lost and saved! All other distinctions were crossed out.
Listen dear folks, sin is absolute, hell is absolute, heaven is absolute, judgement is absolute, our preaching must be absolute!
Preach it like it is! Believers are asleep, sinners are asleep, and it’s high time to awake out of sleep! Rom. 13 v 11.

(iv) Preaching Must Be Affectionate!
Hey! Whether you preach to children, youth, older folks, on the mission field, to the congregation or wherever, your preaching must be affectionate!
A true Pastor must not only in love feed his flock, he must also warn his flock in love, he must not only be zealous but because of his love for his people he must be jealous.
2 Cor.11 v 2. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (NKJ)
You see folks, it’s not enough to love to preach. We must love those to whom we preach, and when I, as pastor love you as a people, as I ought, I will preach to you what God knows you need, not simply what you want, or what you would like.
Now I know there is a new variety of preacher abroad today who’s not interested in being called “a holy man of God”. He wants to be called by his first name and be just one of the boys. He’s so anxious to be relevant that he’s forgotten to be “reverend”.

In Eph. 4 v 15 Paul puts it like this, “Speaking the truth in love”
Some preach truth and don’t have love!
Some preach love and don’t have truth!
We need to get the mixture right.
Truth will keep you from dissolving into mere sentimentality!
Love will keep you from hardening into severity.
Truth will keep you from turning to sugar!
Love will keep you from turning to vinegar! Get the mixture right
The Lord preserves his saints he does not pickle them!
The Lord drove out the moneychangers from the temple, but he also wept over Jerusalem with a broken heart.
And do you know what folks, if we get the mixture right we will have a good end.
I don’t want to finish my course for the Lord hard and bitter, I’ve seen too many examples of that, it’s a snare of the devil and a bad advertisement for the gospel.
(v) Preaching Must Be Apocalyptic!
Brothers and sisters, this is no time for tiptoeing through the tulips, preach it as though you believe it!
A country school teacher applying for a job, was asked, “Do you teach that the earth is round or flat?” “Which way do you want it taught?” came the reply, “I can teach it either way”. Something like that is the attitude in many a pulpit today, and folks it ought not to be so, we are dealing with eternal realities, and we must know what we believe!
There’s far too much preaching today as though the preacher could not help himself. The preacher is to be like one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way for the coming of the Lord!
Not like the preacher who put his hand on a wasp in the pulpit one morning and let a yell out of him that was heard outside in the churchyard. Two of the deacons crossing to the church door looked at each other and said, oh, boy I think I am going to like this preacher.
No! No! No! But you are to preach it with all your heart as though you believed fully that your Lord would subdue all things unto himself. How is he going to do that? By preaching the gospel? No!
By social reform? No! By building bigger and better hog pens in the far country, instead of getting the prodigal home to the Fathers house? No! When he comes Apocalyptically! Listen! Listen! He’s not coming to hold a summit conference with His enemies. He is not coming to reconcile, He did that the first time, He is coming to destroy, to conquer and to subdue!
The day of reconciliation will be over; the day of retribution will begin.
Preaching must be apostolic, authoritative, absolute, affectionate, and apocalyptic! That my dear people is the way ahead, and can I say it with feeling, the only way ahead!

TOP

Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1 v 1-18.
Part 3c. Pursuing Your Plan! v 7-9.

2. Pondering the Word! v 8b.
“But thou shalt meditate therein day and night”
Introduction:
It’s an old adage, yet very true! Thoughts produce acts and acts produce habits and habits produce character! And we should take that on board today and apply it to our Christian way of living!
Hunger and habit for God’s word is not a natural appetite, we are not born with it but we are born again with it.
If that hunger and habit are not in you then it’s time to do some serious thinking.
Now you may be sitting here today and saying to yourself, well, I just don’t have that kind of hunger or habit for God’s word.
In fact with me it really comes in fits and starts if I am honest!
And really folks, the reason is because we do not cultivate a hunger and habit for God’s Wonderful Word. It is something we must actively do!
Let me remind you as we come to God’s Word today, God is much more interested in what we are than He is in what we have!
We, on the other hand, are much more interested in what we have than what we are.
Now of course we are interested in what we have. We have worked hard to get what we have, and if we have something very precious we make sure it’s kept in a safe place and therefore we cannot help but be interested in what we have and that is not wrong!
The problem comes when we are more interested in what we have than what we are.
It’s not wrong to be interested in what we have but it is deadly seriously wrong when we elevate what we have to a place higher by far than what we are.
Listen carefully to the counsel of Jethro to Moses that he might choose godly men to help him adjudicate the affairs of Israel.
Exod 18:17-23
So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “the thing that you do is not good.
Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself, listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.” (NKJ)
Moses is instituting a process for godliness in leadership and in his people that will stand the test of time and trial. One of the major things that must be displayed is that there be no covetousness of things and that they be more concerned about what they are than what they have!
This is no new strategy, this is something that goes back to the days of Moses and God still demands the same today.
Now, how do I as a person get to a point where I am more interested in what I am than I am in what I have?
You see it would have been so easy for the children of Israel to have, had a wrong desire as they head towards the new land of blessing. They could easily have set their hearts on the things that the land possessed, rather than set their hearts on why God was sending them there in the first place.
Gen. 17:1-8
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am almighty God; walk before me and be blameless.
And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
”As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham for I have made you a father of many nations.
I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (NKJ)

You see God had chosen and called this people first and foremost to be a people of God and to display him as the living and true God, that was the purpose and plan God had for his people. But they could have so easily gone into Canaan with the wrong motive entirely. So Joshua was instructed himself to encourage his people to “meditate on God’s Word! They were to meditate or ponder the Word of God. Now the very same instruction is left us, the people of God, in this age.
Titus 2:11-15.
”For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. (NJK)
Now the question is, how do we do that? Well, the very same way God instructed Joshua, by meditating on the Word of God!
Or as our title suggests, Ponder the Word.
”But thou shalt meditate therein day and night” v 8b.
You see it’s not simply enough to quote or preach the Word of God, we need to meditate or Ponder the Word! That means to turn it over in our minds.
The word meditate has the connotation of humming, as you would a tune. You know when you get a tune in your head and keep humming it until the words come back to you.
You see, the ultimate key to all Scripture is Christ Himself.
On the road to Emmaus the Lord Jesus warmed the hearts of two of his disciples by showing them in the Scriptures “the things concerning himself” Luke 24 v 27. Let me say it again, everything centres on Him! God has no programs, no plans, no purposes for this planet, which do not ultimately come to rest in the person of his beloved Son.
He is revealed in scores of Old Testament types; He is the subject of hundreds of prophecies, He is the great central figure of the Bible.
Dr. John Phillips tells of seeing a copy of the constitution of the United States of America in a novelty store. It had been written long hand by an artist. The spacing of the words however puzzled him. Some of the words and letters were cramped together; others were spaced out, some of them quite far apart. There, at first glance, did not seem any logical reason for the haphazard way the penman had written out the words.
That is, there seemed to be little sense to it, until you stood back a little way; then the artist’s purpose became clear. He had so written that copy of the constitution that the cramped areas provided shaded areas on the paper and the spaced-out words provided light areas. The result was that he had not only written out a copy of the constitution, he had also drawn a portrait of George Washington. It was a very effective piece of work.
Now folks, that is how the Spirit of God has written the Scriptures.
Why, for example, should he dismiss the creation of the sun, moon and the stars of space in five brief words. “He made the stars also”, yet devote about fifty chapters to telling of the tabernacle?
The history of some 1,500 years is disposed of in nine verses in Genesis 4 v 16-24 yet a quarter of the book of Genesis is devoted to the story of Joseph, a man who was not even in the Messianic Line.
The rise and fall of great world empires are barely mentioned yet God dwells long and lovingly on those stories of men like Abraham, Jacob and Moses.
The great world figures, which strutted across the pages of history are mostly ignored or are mentioned in an off hand way and then only when their careers touched on the history of Israel.
Yet God will spend chapter after chapter writing down the requirements of the offerings, going into the smallest detail, even saying the same thing over and over again. There has to be a reason. There is! God is writing into the pages of his word a full-length portrait of his Son!
A. We meet Jesus in the Scriptures!
And dear folks we will do well when interpreting the Scriptures, to keep a sharp eye open for details that speak of Christ!
We see Him in Genesis as the Creator, as the Seed of the Woman, as the Star that will arise out of Jacob, as the Lion of Judah. We see Him in the story of Abel’s lamb, in the ark of Noah, in what happened in mount Moriah, in the story of Joseph.
We see Him in Exodus in the Passover Lamb, in every part of the Tabernacle, in the Shekinah Glory Cloud, in the Manna, and in the Riven Rock.
We see Him in Leviticus in the offerings and as the Great High Priest, in the ritual for cleansing the leper. In the goats of the Day of Atonement and in all the annual feasts.

We see Him in Numbers in the Red Heifer, in the Serpent on the pole, in the parables of Balaam and in the cities of refuge.
In Deuteronomy He is the prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua He is the Captain of our Salvation.
In Judges He is the Deliverer of His own.
In Ruth He is the Kinsman-redeemer.
In Samuel He is the ark, the rejected King brought at last to the throne.
In Kings and Chronicles he reigns as Solomon in Splendour and Glory.
In Ezra he is the ready scribe.
In Nehemiah he is to be seen in every city gate.
In Esther he is the one who provided the salvation.
He is to be seen in most of then Psalms. He is the Blessed Man in Psalm 1, the Son in Psalm 2, the Shepherd in Psalm 23. He is the suffering Saviour in Psalm 22 and 69. He is the King of Glory in Psalm 24. He is the perfect man in Psalm 8 and the Mighty God of Psalm 45. Almost every one of the Psalms’ has a prophetic overtone, many of them plainly messianic.
In Proverbs he is wisdom incarnate.

In Ecclesiastes, that sad book of worldly wisdom, he is the forgotten wise man who saved the city.
In the Song of Solomon he is the Shepherd who won the Shulamite’s heart and who triumphs over all the blandishments of the world.
In Isaiah He is the Lamb, led to the slaughter in chapter 53 and the one who treads the winepress. In chapter 63 He is the Messiah of a hundred hopes and longings in stanza after stanza of the book.
In Jeremiah he is the great suffer and the Lord our Righteousness.
In Lamentations he is again the one acquainted with grief.
In Ezekiel he sits on the throne.
In Daniel he is the stone cut out without hands.
In Hosea he is the forgiving, longsuffering husband and David’s far greater king.
In Joel he pours out his spirit on all flesh.
In Amos he stands on the altar, he sifts the house of Israel, and he brings in millennium blessing at last.
In Obadiah he ushers in the dreaded “Day of the Lord” and stands on Mount Zion.
In Jonah, he is prefigured in his death, burial, and resurrection.
In Micah he is seen as the one to be born at Bethlehem and as the one who will bring millennium blessing to humankind; also he is the Great Shepherd and the one who pardons iniquity.
In Nahum he is the great avenger before whom the mountains quake, but a stronghold and a refuge to his own.
In Habakkuk he is the holy one of Israel and his people’s strength and song.
In Zephaniah he brings in kingdom blessing.
In Haggai he builds again the temple of the Lord, shakes the nations, and is the chosen of the Lord.
In Zechariah He brings in the apocalypse, as the great high priest, pours out the Spirit of the Lord upon men, He is the headstone of the corner. He is the great judge. He rides into Jerusalem on a colt, is sold for the price of a slave, opens a fountain for uncleanness in Jerusalem, is the Branch and the Coming King of Kings.
In Malachi His coming is heralded by a forerunner, and he is the Sun of Righteousness.
In Matthew he is the King of the Jews. In Mark he is the Servant of Jehovah.
In Luke he is the Son of Man. In John he is the Son of God.
In Acts he is the Ascended Head of the Church.
In Romans he is our Righteousness.
In Corinthians he is the First fruits from the dead.
In Galatians He is the End of the Law.
In Ephesians He is all in all to his church, foundation for the building, head of the body, bridegroom of our hearts.
In Philippians He is in the form of God and the one who supplies all our needs.
In Colossians He is the Creator, Sustainer and Owner of the universe, Pre-eminent over all.
In 1 Thessalonians He comes again for his church.
In 2 Thessalonians He comes to judge the world.
In 1 Timothy He is the one mediator between God and man.
In 2 Timothy He is the judge of the living and the dead.
In Hebrews He is the great anti-type of all types: Son, Priest, Sacrifice, Heir, greater than Aaron or Melchisedec, greater than Moses or Joshua, greater than angels, Son of God and Son of Man.
In James He is the Lord of Sabbath and the one who heals.
In 1 Peter He is our Inheritance and the Shepherd of our souls.
In 2 Peter He is the one from the Excellent Glory.
In 1 John He is the Incarnate Word.
In 2 John He is the one who prospers our souls and for whose name’s sake the Gospel is preached.
In Jude He is the preserver, the only Lord God, the only wise God, our Saviour, Glorious in majesty.
In Revelation He is the King soon to come, who even today upholds all things by the Word of His Power, the one who stands astride all the factors and forces of space and time and who bends all things to His Sovereign Will.
B. We meet Jesus in Prophecy!
The very first prophecy in the Bible is of Him, and speaks of both his comings. The last prophecy in the Bible speaks of Him and his coming again. The Prophets spoke of His Virgin Birth, of the Royal House of David, of the tribe of Judah, in Bethlehem. They spoke of His forerunner, they spoke of His sinless life, His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, His death by crucifixion, His burial in a rich man’s tomb, His resurrection, and His coming again to reign in power and glory.

C. We meet Jesus in Pictures!
In many an Old Testament story he is pictured in type and shadow. The story of Noah’s ark is a case in point. God offered Salvation.
God offered salvation, full and free to all who would make the decision and enter the ark by faith. All that was required was a step of faith. The ark was to be a refuge from the coming wrath. It was the ark that bore the brunt and fury of the storm. Those who accepted the salvation God had provided were safe. Not a single drop of judgement water fell on them. The ark carried them safely to the shores of another world on the other side judgement. All this of course, pictures Christ as the hymn writer says:
The tempest’s awful voice was heard, O Christ, it fell on thee,
Thine open bosom was my ward, it braved the storm for me.
The Passover, the various offerings, stories from the life of David, Ruth; countless other Old Testament histories all contain these pictures of him.

D. We meet Jesus in Person!
We read the gospels and trace the story of His coming, His character, His career, and His cross. We see him as God manifest in flesh.
Never less than God but ever and always man, as God always intended man to be: inhabited by God. We see his miracles, listen to his parables, marvel at his goodness, thrill to his love. We see him as Prophet, Priest and King.
E. We meet Jesus in Parables!
In story after story he told about himself. He is the Good Shepherd in the story of the sheep that went astray and the King in the parable of the sheep and the goats. He is the Bridegroom in the story of wise and foolish virgins, and the sower in the story of the seed and the soil. He is the merchant seeking goodly pearls, the man who found the treasure in his field, the Son sent to negotiate with the keepers of the vineyard. He is the Good Samaritan on the road to Jericho and the King who went to a distant shore to receive a Kingdom.
F. We meet Jesus in Preaching!
In the preaching of Peter, James, and John, in the preaching of John the Baptist, in the preaching of the Apostle Paul, and in his own preaching. He is the True Vine, The Door, The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He is the Light of the World, the Bread from Heaven. He is the only name under heaven given among man whereby we must be saved. He is the Stone rejected by the builders. He is the Lamb led to the slaughter, the one who so intrigued the Ethiopian eunuch. He is the unknown God of the Athenians. He is the Lord from heaven who met Paul on the Damascus road, and the one on whom the Philippian Jailer believed.
G. We meet Jesus in Power!
We meet him in power in the apocalypse which from first to last is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” Rev.1 v 1. He is seen standing in the midst of the lamp-stands, stepping into the spotlight of eternity to receive the seven-sealed scroll. He it is who rides the star-strewn pathways of the sky on a great white horse to make man meet his maker at Megiddo. He it is who sits on the Great White Throne and holds his last assize. He is the Lamb who is all the Glory of Immanuels Land. He is the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
Turn where you will in the sacred library, and the Holy Spirit will point you to Jesus. Why should we Ponder the Word? Ah, dear folks because we will meet again and again Jesus Christ.
You see dear folks; I believe that is the answer to the dilemma of today. The irony and dilemma of today is that we have lost track of time! That is God’s time! You see God’s Word is God’s timepiece and if we take time to ponder it you will become aware of God’s clock.
We have the most elaborate time keeping devices we have ever had; yet we are a generation completely ignorant of the answer to one little question!
What time is it? And friends, it’s time to work for God, it’s time to seek the Lord, it’s time to wake up. One thing is certain; it’s later than we think.
Psalm 119 v 26.
”It is time for thee Lord, to work, for they have made void thy laws”
It’s about time for God to intervene, to straighten out the iniquities and inequities of this Sodom and Gomorrah.
It’s time for God to judge this generation that has laughed in his face, pronounced him dead, denied his word, disowned his son, and turned his holy day into a holiday.
It’s time for God to show up the blind leaders of the blind and what is worse, the bland leaders of the bland, who go about dusting off sin with a powder puff and spreading cold cream on the cancers of sin.
It’s about time for our younger generation to turn back to that old verse in the old book. Eccl.11 v 9.
“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement” Dr. Vance Havner!
Stop fooling about without God! For although you might think the way your going looks and sounds alright, if you keep on the way that seems right to you, God will one day judge you!
Give God the best years of your life; don’t give Him the leftovers.
I should have been a better Christian by now! I should have been a better preacher by now, I should have been a better man by now and I have wasted too much time by far doing what I wanted to do instead of what God told me to do.
It’s time for all of us young or older, to seek the Lord. Too many Christians and churches have begun in the spirit and are trying to perfect themselves in the flesh.

As God adds years to your life let him add life to your years!
Too many methods have been borrowed from the world. David is hauling the ark on a new cart these days; the spirit of the shop has invaded the sanctuary.
Corporation methods have taken the place of consecrated men and women. Human business has supplanted the father’s business!
I like that forgotten phrase in my old bible, “break up the fallow ground” Jer.4 v 3, Hosea 10 v 12.
If you grew up in the country you will know that that is ground that has lain idle and undisturbed and uncultivated.
All it produces is weeds, briars and brambles and it’s not producing anything worth while because it is lying undisturbed.
Human hearts can get like that! And who was it warned us about that very thing? Why Jesus. In Mark 4, in the parable of the Sower, Seed and the Soil, He said we are like unprepared ground, uncultivated ground, unacceptable ground, or maybe we are unreserved ground!
And quite frankly dear friends, the question begs an answer, will we ever see another revival in such a shallow generation.

Well we can, if we break up the fallow ground and walk with Jesus through his word.
Sometimes the medicine bottle will say, “shake well”. Maybe that is what God needs to do with us these days, shake well before use!
That sharp plough blade must be put in deep into the soil of the human heart if we are to have another harvest, there must be a breaking of that fallow ground!
Don’t wait for some lovely feeling to come over you, it never will! For many it never comes, they end up with only bitter feelings, a lonely and frustrated spirit, critical of everyone and everything!
I don’t want to end a bitter Christian; I want to be useful all my life. How do we escape this bitterness and be useful? Walk with the Lord in the light of his Word, and oh, what a glory he will shine on your way!
Psalm 119v54.
”Thy statutes have become my song in the house of my pilgrimage”
Why, we would scarcely ever unite those two, statues and song!
We are pilgrims and strangers in this world and this is the house of our pilgrimage, and we should be able to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.
We are citizens of heaven making our way through earth.
Remember Psalm 137. Israel had been taken captive. As they sat by the rivers of Babylon their captors said, sing us a song, a song of mirth or a song of Zion. Sing us a happy song or a holy song! But they could sing neither, why? They had lost their song.
And many a Christian has lost their song and doesn’t know it.
Why? Because they have long since lost the art of pondering the scriptures.
Now we do not worship the Bible for that would be Bibliolatry, but it is the only authorised textbook of our faith.
This book is God breathed and when we explore it we should feel like J.B.Phillips put it. When one is wiring an old house where the power is not switched of, you either get a charge or a shock, for it is wired from heaven!
Now please don’t misquote me please.
There are no spiritual Christians who neglect the Word of God!
I did not say there are no Christians who neglect the Word of God.
I did not say there are no church going Christians who neglect the Word of God.
I did not say there are no Bible carrying Christians who neglect the Word of God.
I said, there are no Spiritual Christians who neglect the Word of God! It is impossible for a Christian to grow to maturity who neglects the Word of God!
Some say today, I want a word of comfort, help, and encouragement.
Listen, “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”
Question! If there are as many Christians as statistics suggest, and if the Christian is light and salt. Why so much darkness and so much corruption?
Why so much bad behaviour in churches?
Because God’s Wordbook is not our songbook.
Ponder it that it be a song in your hearts and the hearts of others!
Your theology must have doxology if it is going to be a help to yourself and to others.
Jer. 5 v 30-31.
“A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”
That sounds a little bit like today’s climate, but beloved we have the responsibility and opportunity to change things and the more we Ponder The Word the more effective our life will be with others.

How wonderfully has the Lord provided for the continuance of the vegetable world. He causes the plant to scatter broadcast a multitude of seeds, and bids the winds convey them far and wide. The fowls of the air are commissioned to bear berries and fruits to their proper soils, and even to bury them in the earth, while scores of four-footed creatures, engaged in storing up food for themselves, become planters of trees and propagators of plants. Seeds bear a charmed life about them; they will germinate after being buried for centuries. They have been known to flourish when turned up from the borings of wells from the depth of hundreds of feet, and when ponds and lakes have been dried, the undrowned vegetable life has surprised the beholders by blossoming with unknown flowers. Can we imagine that God has been thus careful of the life of the mere grass of the field, which is the very emblem of decay, and yet is negligent of his Word that lives and abides forever? It is not to be dreamed of. Truth, the incorruptible seed, is ever scattering itself. Every wind is laden with it, every breath spreads it. It lies dormant in a thousand memories; it preserves its life in the abodes of death. The Lord has but to give the word, and a band of eloquent men shall publish the gospel, apostles and evangelists will rise in abundance, like the warriors who sprang from the fabled dragon’s teeth. Converts will spring up like flowerets at the approach of spring; nations will be born in a day, and truth, and God the Lord of truth, shall reign forever. C. H. Spurgeon.

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Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1v1-18.
Part 3d. Pursuing Your Plan! V7-9.

3. Practising The Word! V8c.
”That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein”
Introduction:
The third principle surrounding the Word of God as a light and lamp for the children of Israel as they begin their journey to this land of blessing, was not only were they to Proclaim the Word, and Ponder the Word. But the evidence that they were truly the children of God would be their Practice of the Word!
Because beloved, when all is said and done, and when all is done and dusted that is the reality of our Christianity. Doing what we are commanded to do! We tend to want to do what we want to do!
John 14v23-24.
”Jesus answered, and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words; and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me”
Now I know that this is where so many turn off and tune out!
Oh, oh, this is where I get off! Why? Because this, is where the rubber meets the road.
You see to really pursue the plan God has laid down for your life you must Proclaim the Word, you must Ponder the Word but oh! How we desperately need to Practice the Word.
James reminds us in Ch. 1 v 22.
”But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”
Dr. Vance Havner says, “the generation in which we live is the most gullible and self deceived of any generation in the history of the church”
Why does that good man of God make such a powerful statement?
Well, in his own words, “because we have been laid up more garden paths, we have bought more gold bricks, we have brought home more white elephant’s than any other generation since Christianity began!
And the reason is beloved, we are deceiving ourselves!
You see, Peter said it with great effect when told to stop preaching in the name of Jesus Acts 5v29.
”We ought to obey God rather that men”
That’s Practising the Word of God!
Illustration:
A man working among the pine trees in Florida, which were tapped for turpentine. On one occasion he left his faithful dog in charge of his lunch box while he fetched some equipment, he commanded the dog to watch the lunch box until his return.
The story is told, while he was away into the town a fire broke out through the pine trees. That noble dog, obeying his master’s orders was burned to death!
Weeping, the man said, “I always had to be careful what I told that dog to do, cause I knew he would do it!”
Long ago the Saviour asked some of his disobedient disciples who rendered him only lip service: “And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things, which I say?” Luke 6v46.
You call me master and obey me not; You call me light and seek me not;
You call me way and walk me not; You call me life and desire me not;
You call me wise and follow me not; You call me fair and love me not;
You call me rich and ask me not; You call me eternal and want me not;
You call me gracious and trust me not;
You call me noble and serve me not.
I am a teaching elder in this church, I request, I plead, I beg, I encourage, I persuade you to be in attendance at all meetings!
Peter says, we ought to obey God rather than men! Acts 5v29.

A. Our Obedience Must Have Intelligence!
I mean, you cannot obey unless you know what it is God wants you to do.
Acts 4v20.
”For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard”
They saw, they heard, they obeyed!
You see, we are not to be simply running around doing things for God without knowing what it is God wants us to do in the first place.
And that, dear folks is where we are today! Far too many dear Christian folks, well meaning Christian folk, are running about doing what God never intended them to do! Or on the other hand, far, far too many dear folks just sitting around doing absolutely nothing for the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are as believers members of the body of Christ and as such we each have a definite ministry. Why no member of the body can lie idle while the rest of the body functions.
Paul is using the analogy of the living body! As every member of the living body is important to the well being and functioning purposes of a good working body so the members of the body of Christ are to be all together functioning for the good and well being of that body.
That’s why in verse 27 of 1 Cor.12 he says, “ and you are members in particular”
Just as no part or member of the physical body would do anything other than work and live as part of the whole so no part or member of the body of Christ should dream of acting in any other way but as part of the whole.
I am convinced dear folk, that’s why as a church we are weak and impotent. We are living like those who are crippled!
I am a member of the body of Christ universal, but I recognise I can only function as a member of that body local and therefore I must show myself willing to be a part of your body Lord here in this church. I need to know intelligently by putting my body to work.
You see beloved, it’s a serious thing to be a part of the body of Christ and not see yourself as a member of that body.
That’s what you call intelligent obedience!
B. Our Obedience Must Be Intentional!
There ought to be a quiet time in every day of our lives when we report in for orders. “Lord, what will you have me to do?”
You know don’t you that we are responsible for the known, that is what I already know through being an active member of the body of Christ, reporting in for orders daily through prayer and the reading of the Word of God and listening to the preaching of God’s Word!
But then I am also responsible for the knowable, that is, what I should know through continually being an active member of the body of Christ. Through reading the Word and prayer.
It is no excuse for me to say, well I did not know God’s will for my life!
“And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart!” Jer.29v13.
Lord inhabit my humanity, Lord think through my mind, Lord smile through my countenance, Lord work through my hands. Lord love through my heart, Lord speak through my lips, here I am Lord wholly available, I am reporting in for orders.
When I was a boy my dad would get that, there’s word to be done in the garden look, I would make myself scarce so he could not tell me what to do.
I figured out if I was not there to be told, then I was not being disobedient. Strange, he never did think like that!
Now sometimes we are that way with God. Well, it’s not my fault; I don’t know God’s will for my life, it is so very difficult to know. The reason being, we make ourselves scarce when he determines to speak with us.
In church we just turn off, we allow our minds to wander, oh, it’s just the Pastor, he’ll be all right when he gets that off his chest.
Oh, no, no friend, when this book is open you had better listen for God will hold you accountable for what you hear, who ever is on this platform. I beg of you, hear what I am saying, you ignore this advice at your peril!
A new enlistee in the army said to an old soldier, “I want to be an exemplary soldier and I will value highly any advice you may give me.” The old soldier replied, “young man, my advice is brief: always obey orders.
”But suppose orders conflict. Whose orders should I obey?”
”That will not occur, young man. But suppose you get conflicting orders. Ascertain the one highest in authority and obey him”
The highest and ultimate authority for us as Christians is our Heavenly Father!

Sometimes when we are younger we use the excuse, well I have too much pressure at school to read and pray, to be able to tune into the pastor, its just all a bit too much for me!
My dear young friend, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” Should be a daily call with you. Don’t expect God to send you a message simply when you have time to listen or in some special meeting or gathering that you are happy in and it suits you better, in fact it just does not work that way.
Many have found that out to their cost and have had to return home from some field of service for God, totally broken and baffled! There must be intentional obedience!

C. Our Obedience Must Be Immediate!
You see while the breath of the High Priest is still hot, telling Peter not to preach, Peter is saying, listen He is God, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus.
I mean the same moment he is told not to do it he’s doing it.
And dear folks, what that is saying to us is, when God makes something clear to us through his Word, do not look around to see if the circumstances are favourable. Don’t wait to see if you have courage enough for tomorrow. Don’t parade it past the judgement bar of your mind to see if you can come up with an excuse not to do it. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Did you know that procrastination is a form of disobedience?
The reason we seldom hear God speak is because we have not obeyed the last order. Be swift my soul to answer him!
A capacity audience attended a concert in the Champagnes hall in Yorkshire. The orchestra was conducted by Barbirolli.
Every man of the eighty strong orchestra were bent with desire to obey the master, every twitch of his hand, every movement of the baton, every lift of the eyebrow was obeyed completely to produce a sound that thrilled all who heard.
A friend in the audience leaned across the seat and said to a pastor present, “when are you going to be able to fill the Champagnes hall to capacity for a Christian service?”
The wise pastor replied, “when, like Sir John Barbirolli, I have eighty men ready to give absolute and immediate obedience to the will of Christ!” Brothers and sisters that’s the answer! There needs to be immediate obedience!
D. Our Obedience Must Be Inflexible!
These men’s lives were in danger and yet they would not be moved in their resolve to obey God rather than men.
They would stand firm for God come what may or what must, their obedience was inflexible.
There could be no compromise with disobedience even in the face of death.
Now I know that some of the young ones may think I am a bit stayed in my ways, a bit old fashioned, a bit ancient, a bit square, and a bit inflexible. Well let me tell you I have no intention of changing. Why? Well, for one thing I have been called of God to a life of obedience. An obedience that must be inflexible, stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed.
Henry Ford said, “take all the experience and judgement of men over fifty out of the world, and there wouldn’t be enough men left to run the world.”
There is no substitute for experimental know-how and skill.
Long ago Laban said, “I have learned by experience” Gen. 30v27.
General Douglas McArthur said on his seventy-fifth birthday.
Youth is not entirely a time of life. It is a state of mind. It is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigour of the emotions. Nobody grows old by living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals.
You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubts; as young as your self-confidence; as old as your fear; as young as your hope. End quote!
In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, so long are you young.
When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and only then, are you grown old.
And I want to make a declaration today, I have no intention of growing old because of a deserting of what I believe, it has stood the test of over forty years and it will stand until God calls me home! And I say with love in my heart to you who are younger, think of the number of your own age group who used to attend on the things of God and how many of them have gone back. Why? Because they thought they had found a better way, when all they did was find a way that will lead them the rest of their lives into a life that opposes God at every turn.
Oh, I know, I have known so many over my life time, and the story never changes, they always know best and are not prepared to take guidance from anyone, least of all their pastor.
John Bunyan the non-conformist was thrown in Bedford Jail for twelve years because he would not bow to the dictates of the authorities. Sign the register or you will not be able to preach and you will go to jail. He refused to become a puppet preacher doing exactly what the government of the day wanted him to do which was to deny his beliefs and preach what they told him.
He languished in a vermin filled prison, his little girl had epilepsy, and his wife was in poverty.
They put that licence outside the prison cell gate, all he had to do was reach out and sign and be free.
But there he remained. And it was there in Bedford Jail he penned the book we should all know and love, pilgrim’s progress, plus other great works.

E. Our Obedience Must Be Impassioned!
These disciples left that council chamber with a joyful, inflamed passion, rejoicing they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake, and bare his shame.
You say, well pastor I am a moderate, I don’t wear my testimony on my sleeve.
Listen folks, we cannot be moderate about Jesus Christ, the Bible, Heaven, Hell, Sin, and Judgement! Friends, God detests half heartiness. Rev.3v16.
”So, then, because thou art lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth”
Old John the railway gates keeper in Armagh City. When coming up to train time he would go down early to have the gates half opened so when he would see the train in the distance he would then swing the gates open on good time.
As boys we thought we would take a hand out of old John and ask him why he had the gates half opened. Oh, he would say, “I’m half expecting a train”
Oh, brothers and sisters don’t let there be half-heartedness with us.
The proof of whether or not, we really believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord he says is, we obey His Word!
This land of Canaan was a land of reality, a land of blessing.
Our Canaan is a reality; it’s a life of blessing. But we don’t enter into that life of blessing until we set out foot of faith on the Word of God and obey it.
How do I make God real to me? Listen! Listen!
Meditation gives you knowledge about God, and that’s good!
Obedience gives you knowledge of God, and that’s better!
Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus himself. John 14v21.
”He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:”
Now, we can say what we will about love for the lord, but he says, unless we keep his commandments we do not love him! That’s strong, that’s serious. Think about it!
But the text continues!
“And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”
Make myself known to him!
Listen! Listen! Dear folks, the reason many dear Christians do not enter into a life of blessing, never know an ongoing victory, is simply because they do not obey the Word of God.
Friends, when God bids you dip in Jordan, wash in Siloam, or walk the desert trail, the victory lies at the end of that venture.
When God says, go, or do, that’s not a suggestion that is a command.
Dr. Robert Moffatt, in one of his amazing travels in Africa came faint and hungry to a village. The natives appeared anything but friendly.
At length a poor woman came from her hut and spread before him, meat, milk and fruit.
She was about to slip away unobserved when Moffatt called her and asked her reason for the kindness shown when all the others were so hostile.
Taking from under her ragged cloak a well worn bible translated in the Dutch language, she said, “this is the fountain from which I drink, this is the oil that makes my lamp burn”
Many years ago, my father and mother put into my hands an old book. They said it would be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.
There were times when the winds of doubt blew pretty hard, the storm seemed to dampen the glow, sometimes, the darkness was frightening. But that old book has seen me through to this good hour.
I heard of a preacher who had been preaching in the days of the old camp meetings out on the marshes.
His trek home would be long, dark and dangerous for it was a dismal, damp, dark night. An old farmer had earlier gathered some pine litters from the swamp, soaked them in inflammable liquid and allowed them to stand for some time.
When the preacher was about to leave for his perilous journey the farmer lit the pine litters, giving them to the preacher he said, they will see you home. But what if it rains? They will see you home. But what if the wind grows stronger? They will see you home. But what if I drop them? They will see you home.
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;
Its grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
This book, proclaimed, pondered and practised will see you home!
You see beloved; I want to end well, don’t you?

No greater moral change ever passed over a nation than passed over England during the years which parted the middle of the reign of Elizabeth from the Long Parliament. England became a people of the book, and that book was the Bible. It was read at churches and read at home, and everywhere its words, as they fell on ears which custom had not deadened, kindled a startling enthusiasm. As a mere literary monument, the English version of the Bible remains the noblest example of the English tongue. But far greater was the effect of the Bible on the character of the people. Elizabeth might silence or tune the pulpits, but it was impossible for her to silence or tune the great preachers of justice and mercy and truth who spoke from the Book. The whole temper of the nation felt the change. A new conception of life and of man superseded the old. A new moral and religious impulse spread through every class.
John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People.
Practice the Word of the Living God it, will make a difference!

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Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1v1-18.
Part 4a. Preparing Your People! v10-18.

Introduction:
1 Cor. 10v11.
”Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition”
So new testament Christians are to draw on the experience of the Old Testament saints and learn from them.
You see, there is the promise of a life of victory as we live in this time zone. It is not pie in the sky by and by, but victory in the nasty now and now!
I believe what God is looking for today in His church are leaders who will vitalize His church. That is, they will give such leadership that is good, godly, gifted and gracious.
I believe God is looking today for a people who will respond to that vital, vibrant leadership and take His church seriously and understand the important role we are to play in this world today.
I believe the heart of God weeps today, not so much for a pagan society but for a church that has lost its way.
The blessing would come only to those in the land!
So the blessing comes only to those in the Lord!
Just as there was a land of blessing for the children of Israel to enter, a land of corn and wine, milk and honey, figs, grapes, pomegranates, a land with towering mountains, a land with beautiful valleys and streaming rivers.
So there is a life of victory blessing for the child of God today.
Yet still there are those who do not want to go all the way!
Like the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh.
Old John manned the railway gates at the level crossing in Armagh. One day as we were passing we thought we would have fun with old John. Why are the gates half open John? Oh, said john I’m half expecting a train.
So there is a need to keep on preparing your people to go all the way.
Its only as we keep on going and following God’s plan, God’s blue print, that the blessing and prosperity kicks in, and its only at the end of the venture does that eternal blessing, that eternal reward come.
So beloved, let me stress once again, that’s my task from the Lord, to keep on laying before you God’s plans and preparing you the only way I know how, though the Preaching of the Word.
2 Tim 2:24-25.
”And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, (to the Lord) if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,” (NKJ)
1. The People Need A Right Conception Of Leadership!
A. Look At The Preparation For Leadership! Prepare Food! v11.
”Pass through the host and command the people, saying, prepare food”
Now that’s most interesting. God did not say to Joshua, go amongst the people and tell them to prepare a bridge to cross the Jordan. Nor did he instruct Joshua to command the people to prepare boats to get to the other side. Joshua was told to go in amongst the people and command them to prepare bread. The old adage stands true, and army marches on its stomach.
If soldiers are going to be fit for the battle, if they are going to be a match for the enemy they need to eat well. Why? That of course gives them the strength and stimulus needed.
Now there are two texts I want to lay along side this heading!
Eph.4v11-16.
”And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (NKJ)

The idea is that these are God given gifts to the church!
For what purpose were these gifts given?
For the maturing of the saints!
For the ministry they were to engage in!
For the magnanimity of the body of Christ! (Greatness of Soul)
Ephesians 4v15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ”
We are to grow up in the Lord! It is a fact that we are to be child like in our behaviour and attitude, that is obedient, dependent, submissive, ever learning and taking upon us the characteristics of our heavenly father. But we are never to be childish! Sadly so many of God’s dear people become childish and act like spoiled children. They easily go into tantrums, they walk away in a huff, and they don’t want to play unless by their rules, they fall out and in with others at a whim! Why? Because they are still babies and have never grown up!

Paul says, we are to grow up! And there’s only one way to do that and it’s by feeding on the Word!
Someone may say, well now wait a minute brother, I have been a Christian now for over twenty-five years, I have had all those years of Christian experience. What they really mean is, they have had one years-Christian experience in over twenty-five years.
The idea is that we become mature and complete! You like to see your children grow and mature don’t you? You most certainly would not want to see your son or daughter remain a child all their lives and talking nothing but baby talk. Why we delight to see that little family grow and mature and come to manhood or womanhood. Well, so does God, our Father likes to see us grow and mature. Of Jesus it was said, Luke 2v40+52.
”And the child grew, and became strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”
It does not mean sinless perfection; we never reach such a state in this life. It is moving towards a goal, that goal is maturity. Remember Abraham? He was discovered, detached, developed and eventually on Moriah displayed.
You see beloved; the church to some extent today is covered with the scaffold of history, the tarpaulin of the present.
Passing our City Hall in Belfast I noticed it was covered in scaffold and tarpaulin, this of course was during a steam cleaning exercise. The next time I passed that way all the scaffold and tarpaulin was gone and the City Hall was revealed in all its pristine beauty.
Our task today is to pull away the scaffold of history and the tarpaulin of the present and reveal the church in all its pristine beauty. Let the church be the church! Be what it was meant to be!
The athlete trains to perfect manhood, he reaches his peak, and achieves his potential. It’s the same word used by the Lord Jesus in John 19v30.
”It is finished” not I am finished! The work is finished; the goal has been achieved. When my life’s work is final, will my work of life be finished?
Will I have finished the task the Lord gave me to do?
So many never reach their potential! In Australia we have the tallest tree in the world! The eucalyptus tree grows to a height of 400 feet, but not all eucalyptus trees reach that potential. In U.S.A. we have the largest tree in the world, in circumference that is the 270 feet high sequoia tree, the General Sherman, but not all sequoia reach that potential. And beloved the great danger is that as Christians we never reach our potential. You have a great potential! Will you reach it?
Now the second text I want to lay along side this heading today is 2 Tim. 4v3-4.
”For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (NKJ)
There is a strange deterioration in our society today. Politically, economically, educationally, morally, ecclesiastically, and evangelically.
Its is no secret that our nation is in need of divine help, but few there are who seem to realize that the success of our nation spiritually lies firmly in the hands of the people of God. Righteousness alone exalteth a nation!
And my brothers and sisters we need food, God’s Wonderful Word that will draw his people, hungry and thirsty after Himself.
”As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”
I need to put out milk and meat on the platter that at each may partake!
”For within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you”
Now they were preparing to cross Jordan at its most turbulent time. You see about this time every year the Jordan would burst its banks or at least overflow. And what they needed was a power beyond anything they possessed, to make the crossing!
They are being told that within three days they would make this crossing of death, for in that fast flowing state that’s what the Jordan was, a river of death. And how would they do in the swelling of Jordan? Jer 12:5.
”If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? (KJV)

That simply means, how will you do under such a test?
Well, how were they going to face this test and come through?
The phrase “For within three days you shall pass over this Jordan” gives us a little insight at least.
As God is instructing Joshua as to his plan and purpose and program, he says now Joshua this is going to happen within three days. So within three days, it was going to happen! The advertisement says, It does exactly as it says on the tin! And God does exactly as He says in His Word!
Now, that means they have three days to prepare for this first and amazing great test. And how were they to prepare for this test? Well like you would prepare for any test! Learn. What was it God told Joshua? Proclaim, ponder, and practice the word. But my,my, they have only three days!
Ah! Why they should have been in the Word of God all along, but for those who have not, three days in the Word is enough to ignite faith sufficient,

B. Look At The Power Of Leadership! v11b Prepare Faith!
when they come to face the test of crossing the Jordan, as they set the foot of faith on the waters, as they see those waters back up all the way to the city of Adam on the one side and all the way to the Mediterranean on the
other side, they will know without a doubt that there is power, power, wonder working in their Mighty God. Could that three days represent Resurrection Power? Here’s the point, those who have His Word in their hearts will have a faith and trust that will see them through any test.
It’s the Word of God believed on in the heart that gives us faith to face any test, trial, tribulation, and trouble. Listen to it once again, we all know it so well! Rom. 10v17.
”Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”
Oh! Could our Lord make it any clearer?
You see leadership is not a status symbol, biblical leadership is purely functional. Our status is sinners saved by grace, within the church each soul has a different gift to fulfill, a unique function to the glory of God.
Sometimes I hear folks complain, I never get opportunity for service in our church. My gifts are not being used! Listen, Listen, Prov. 18v16.
”A mans gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men”
Oh, I know, as Scripture says, that a prophet is not without honour except in his own house! But beloved a man’s, woman’s, gift will make room for them. If they have been called of God and are exercising the Word of God in their own lives then God will make a way for them.
Its not that they will ramrod their way through everybody else, it’s not that they will walk away because they don’t get asked to do anything. God will make a way! Have no doubts at all about that!
”Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denied my name” Rev.3v8.
Now listen to me dear friends today! The reason many dear people who are gifted of God do not find an opening is, they themselves do not have a right conception of leadership, nor will they accept leadership from God’s servants.
Do you recall when the twelve spies went to spy out the land of Canaan; two different reports were brought back.
The ten came back saying, there is no way we can take the land, and it’s too much. But Joshua and Caleb said, God being with us, we can take the land. And you know what? The majority report was accepted! Now here’s the point, Joshua and Caleb did not go off in a huff and get all annoyed. No! No! You see they were men under authority and when a decision was made although they did not agree with it, they left it in the hands of the Lord and went on about their work, knowing that God’s way will always out. Always! And indeed, it was some forty plus years before the matter was talked about again.
The attitude today is so often, well if they won’t have my suggestion then I will move on elsewhere. Or I don’t like him and never did and it’s all based on feeling. Oh, dear folks, please allow me to say today, don’t let feeling spoil your faith.
I want to share with you a question by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who is certainly not known as a Pentecostal preacher. When he held the great pulpit at Westminster Chapel in London as the great preacher of Reformed theology, near the end of his life--and some say at the very pinnacle of his ministry--he asked his congregation a question. He said, “I want to talk to you today about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You may call it what you want, but I want to know, have you experienced the fullness of the Spirit? I know all of you listening to me come as I do from a Reformed background. But it’s not good enough. I know that all of you would want to say to my question about the Holy Spirit, ‘Well, we got it all at conversion; there’s no need for any more experience.’ Well,” said Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “I have only one other question to ask you. If you got it all at conversion, where in God’s name is it?”
Robert L. Roxburgh.
It is true beloved, we have the very power of God within us, but where is it to be seen? In our every day living and witnessing for the Lord Jesus? Dear Christian friend that is where it should be seen and its high time it was, we have displayed a powerlessness, too long by far, it surely is time to display the power of God.
“Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me” Isaiah Ch. 6v8.
Ready to go, ready to stay, ready my place to fill;
Ready for service, lowly or great ready to do his will. Charles d. Tillman.
A young woman said to her elderly grandmother whose face radiated charm and Christian character, “grandma, believe me, you are truly beautiful!” Grandma graciously replied, “well, I ought to be! I’ve hadÀ‡
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If you combined the flow of all the rivers in the world, you would have to multiply that power by 100 to equal the force of the Gulf Stream, that current of water that flows through the Atlantic at a rate of 150 million cubic meters per second! Despite its enormous volume and force, the Gulf Stream is invisible even to those who are sailing on it. In the same way, there is often unseen power in words, in ideas, and especially in the gospel.
My brothers and sisters, God has gifted us and called us to serve him, His power is available, always to us, are we as willing as Isaiah to go and do? Don’t let your feelings get in the way of your faith! Let the very power of God always be the controlling factor in your life.

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Ministry In The Book Of Joshua!
Reading Joshua Ch.1v1-18.
4b. Preparing Your People! V10-18.

Introduction:
God is instructing Joshua that the people needed a right conception of leadership! And they did! As do we all!
”Nothing grows under a Banyan tree.” This south Indian proverb speaks of leadership styles. The Banyan is a great tree. It spreads its branches, drops air-roots, develops secondary trunks and covers the land. A full-grown Banyan may cover more than an acre of land. Birds, animals, and humans find shelter under its shade. But nothing grows under its dense foliage, and when it dies, the ground beneath lies barren and scorched.
The banana tree is the opposite. Six months after it sprouts, small shoots appear around it. At twelve months a second circle of shoots appear beside the first ones, now six months old. At eighteen months the main trunk bears bananas which nourish birds, animals, and humans, and then it dies. But the first offspring are now full grown, and in six months they too bear fruit and die. The cycles continue unbroken as new sprouts emerge every six months, grow, give birth to more sprouts, bear fruit, and die. Some leaders are like the Banyan trees. They have great influence and their ministries are widely productive and beneficial. However, they do not prepare for the transitions, which will allow for the emergence of other leaders. They only equip followers, not leaders. Layne A. Lebo.
Friends, whatever a leader is there is need of a right concept of leadership.
There’s a wonderful story about a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment house could not say enough about the young man. His father they wrote, was a Cabot; his mother was a Lowell. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and others of Boston’s finest families. His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: “We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work.” Neither is God a respecter of persons but accepts those from every family, nation, and race who fear him, who have a right conception of leadership and will work for his kingdom. (Acts 10:34-35). Kathleen Peterson.
But then, not only do we need a right concept of leadership!

2. The People Need A Ready Commitment To Leadership!
A. The Essence Of That Commitment! v12-14a.
In Exod. 24v13 we read!
“and Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went into the mount of God”
Here is Moses the Holy Man of God, going as was his custom to meet with God, and who is with him? Why Joshua! A Holy Man of God in the making!
And please hear me today dear folks, a Holy Man of God is an awesome weapon in the hands of a Holy God!
How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible. If even 10 percent of the world’s population had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before a year’s end? C. S. Lewis.
Although we become Christians instantaneously by faith in Christ, knowing God and developing faith is a gradual process. There are no shortcuts to maturity. It takes time to be holy. Erwin W. Lutzer.
Joshua is Moses minister and its evident he has a ready commitment to leadership. Although he is not the front man, he was committed to his role, he is committed to his leader, and he is committed to his God!
That I believe was his secret and the reason God chose him to take Moses place when the time came.
He was not committed to God for the sake of power, place, position, or popularity. God was his heavenly Lord and Master, therefore it was the only thing he could do, be committed!
He was not committed to Moses because of who he was or the position he occupied, no! Moses was his earthly Lord and Master, therefore there was nothing else he could do but be committed!
He was not committed to his role to gain favour with the people; in fact just the opposite is true. As a leader he came in for nothing but criticism and complaint.
That awful thing that keeps the people of God away from the blessing he so desperately wants to give even in this day!
Moses is committed to his role, to Joshua, to the work because he is committed to his God and he can do no other!
Folks, the reason many today will not get committed to the work of God is because, whether they like it or not, they are not committed to their Lord and Master. And there is nothing so frustrating, so futile, so fruitless in the work of God as going only half way.
That’s what this is all about in v12-14a. The Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh would not go into the land of blessing.
Oh! They would go in and fight along side their fellows but as soon as the battle was over and the land was in their possession the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh would return to the other side of Jordan.
They were determined to stay near the wilderness; they wanted in reality to be nearer to Egypt.
What a remarkable attitude! And remember they would not be passing over the Jordan dry-shod this time or the times following.
They were willing to risk their lives for the pleasures of Egypt.
We look on and say, tisk, tisk, what a foolish attitude!!
And yet beloved that’s the great danger we live in. Instead of entering into the full blessing of the Lord, we find ourselves wanting to stay nearer to the world and the things of the world, even though it may mean risking our own testimony. Risking the very eternal wellbeing of our children, risking the loss of reward at the Judgement Seat of Christ, risking like Ananias and Sapphira a hasty removal from this earth through death!
Like the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh we determine not to go all the way with God.

In the final years of our imprisonment, the North Vietnamese moved us from small cells with one or two prisoners to large rooms with as many as 30-40 men to a room. We preferred this situation for the companionship and strength we could draw from our fellow prisoners. In addition to moving us to new quarters, out captors also let us receive packages and letters from home. Many men received word from their families for the first time in several years. The improved conditions were a result of public pressure put on the North Vietnamese by the American public.
In our cell was one navy officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian. Over a period of time mike had gathered bits and pieces of red and white cloth from various packages. Using a piece of bamboo he had fashioned into a needle, mike sewed a United States flag on the inside of his shirt, one of the blue pajama tops we all wore.
Every night in our cell, mike would put his shirt on the wall, and we would say the pledge of allegiance. I know that the pledge of allegiance may not be the most important aspect of our day now, but I can tell you that at that time it was the most important aspect of our lives.
This had been going on for some time until one of the guards came in as we were reciting our pledge. They ripped the flag off the wall and dragged
Mike out. He was beaten for several hours and then thrown back into the cell.
Later that night, as we were settling down to sleep on the concrete slabs that were our beds, I looked over to the spot where the guards had thrown Mike. There, under the solitary light bulb hanging from the ceiling, I saw Mike. Still bloody and his face swollen beyond recognition, Mike was gathering bits and pieces of cloth together. He was sewing a new American flag. Now that’s commitment! John McCain.
You say pastor you’re asking a lot in this day and age!
Oh, no dear friend’s, not me! You see this is God saying, I want to give you the very best I can give you, but to receive it you in turn must give the very best you can give me!
Ah! Say, that’s a fair exchange, is it not? And listen folks, fair exchange is not robbery!
The essence of that commitment, love for my Lord and Master!
A. The Extent Of That Comittment!
Jesus said, “I am come not to be served but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many.”
Wherever you see Joshua, he’s just like Jesus, always serving and always serving God through serving Moses.
Wherever we see Joshua he is in the company of Moses, Moses can’t make a move but Joshua is there at his heel.
The extent of Joshua’s commitment to Moses is like that of the dying thief to Jesus. It is full, fixed, and final.
If this is God’s leader for his people I will look to him, I will listen to what he has to say and I will learn the ways of the Lord through his servant.
I care not what others say about him, I care not what others think of him, I care not what others do to him, I will remain loyal to him for in so doing I remain loyal to my Lord! You see, Joshua’s commitment to leadership comes through holy eyes. He sees Moses as a Holy Man of God, he sees this work as a Holy Work of God, and sees his calling as a Holy Calling from God!
And his commitment is full, fixed and final, there can be no going back, its forward gear all the way!
On the 25th July 1909 Luie Balariro flew the English Channel. Written up in all the papers, on the radio news program’s hailed as a great man because of his achievement. Why? Because he had made the attempt on nine previous occasions, and failed. In fact he had crashed each time and could easily have lost his life. But he refused to give in! Why? Because he was committed to carrying out the passion of his heart. When asked as to why he kept on trying such a dangerous feat, he replied, oh! Just for the wonder of conquering the air!
Maybe, dear Christian, we have lost the wonder of being Christians!
Gypsy smith, who was saved early in life and at the age of seventeen became an evangelist, died on a journey in true gypsy fashion, in his eighty seventh year.When he was eighty four someone asked him what was the secret of his freshness and joy in serving the Lord, oh, he said, I guess its because I have never lost the wonder of being a Christian!
Dear brother and sister, there ought to be in every Christian a sense of surprise and glad expectancy, this is our fathers world and anything can happen.

We should at all times be living on a miracle level, faith is not believing that God can, but that God will do wonderful things.
Do you know why the devil is getting so many Christian children today and dragging them away from the Lord?
Because people who have come out of Egypt, yes! But have refused to enter the land of Canaan, the life of blessing.
And those children are seeing nothing but a desert experience, in the home and in the heart! They see only dead as Old King Tut religion, dry as sand living, prickly as cactus relationships, and friends they keep wandering back to Egypt, to the world, for something a little bit taster, when they have need of seeing some reality. Have we lost the wonder of being Christians?
We get used to being Christians, we take it forgranted, and what we take forgranted we never take seriously and we lose the wonder.
We are working at it harder than ever, in some quarters today, but we are like shorn Samson’s in thread-mills, going round and round in ever increasing circles and getting nowhere. Christian activity has become a battle of wits and a bussal of words these days. There was a time we stood amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, now we only want to sit and be amused.
Once we came to the house of God to be edified, now we will only come if we are going to be entertained. It’s all work and no wonder!

heard to say, wonderful, wonderful! Finally, overcome with curiosity one passenger asked, “how is, while the rest of us are worn out with monotonous trip you seem to be having the time of your life?”
Oh, said he that’s simple. Until a few months ago I was blind. I was blinded as a boy by a knock on the head. Then some time ago I was introduced to an eye specialist, after examination he believed he could do something for me and restore at least some of my sight.
Four months ago I had the operation and now I can see very clearly. What is ordinary to you is just out of this world to me!
Dear Christian, if the great physician has opened our eyes, if we have been to Siloam’s pool and have come back seeing. If we have had the touch by which we no longer seen men as trees walking but as souls for whom Christ died, if all this has happened to us, why should we not make our way through this world singing.
Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me, Counselor, Prince of peace Mighty God is he! What’s the extent of our commitment?
3. The People Need Rewarding Conquest Through Leadership! v14b-15a.
”But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them, until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them”
Only by desertion can we be defeated. With Christ and for Christ victory is certain. We can lose the victory by flight but not by death. Happy are you if you die in battle, for after death you will be crowned. But woe to you if by forsaking the battle you forfeit at once both the victory and the crown. Bernard of Clairvaux
It was June 18, 1815, The Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.
Late in the day it flashed the signal: “W-e-l-l-i-n-g-t-o-n---d-e-f-e-a-t-e-d- -.” Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city. The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was: “W-e-l-l-i-n-g-t-o-n- - -de-f-e-a- t-e-d- - -t-h-e- - -e-n- e-m-y!” It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy; defeat was turned into victory!
So it was when Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon. Hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus’ most loyal friends. After the frightful crucifixion, the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding had crept in on the friends of Jesus. They had “read” only part of the divine message. “Christ defeated” was all that they knew. But then on the third day--Easter Sunday--the fog of disappointment and
misunderstanding lifted, and the world received the complete message: “Christ Defeated Death!” Defeat was turned into victory; death was turned to life! James S. Hewett.
They needed to see conquest through leadership but there were some conditions laid down to be fulfilled. As indeed do all of us!
A. They Had To Work Within Certain Limitations!
That is, there are physical boundaries, physical limitations and as with all of God’s people we must work within physical boundaries, physical limitations.
Now, understanding that, should drive us to do the only thing we know to do! Pray! Pray! And then pray some more!
In Exod.33v11 we read!
”And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend, and he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man departed not out of the tabernacle”
You see, the task Moses had to do amongst the people was a mighty one. He was going to lay before them, all that God had said and commanded the people to do, and Moses is only human!
And of course there will be those among the number who will not like one little bit what he has to say. There will be objections, and Moses is only human!
So Joshua decides he will stay alone in the presence of God and will intercede for Moses in this mammoth task.

A passenger on a long train journey was so enthralled by everything he saw; every few minutes he was
For beloved that’s what it is when you’re bringing the word of the Lord to God’s people, it’s a mammoth task. And of course there will be those there who will not like one little bit what you are saying and will in there own way let it be known that they don’t like your ministry. My word how the preacher needs intercessors to pray for him as he rehearses God’s Word before the people. You see Moses had to face people like Dathan who despised Moses and disliked intently everything he said and let it be known in the camp. Do you know what God did? He just opened the ground one-day and Dathan and his whole family just disappeared into a hole in the ground. Read numbers 16v1-35. Psalm 105. Psalm 106 v17.
Now that’s not easy to take! Either the opposition displayed or the judgement that followed and the servant of God needs prayer!
And Joshua remained in the tabernacle to pray for Moses for he knew his limitations, he was only human!
And folks you and I are only human and if we are going to do anything for God that will count we will need to pray.
Somebody said to me the other day when I met them, pastor I did not get out the prayer meeting last night, I was deadbeat. Listen! Listen! And I don’t want to be cruel. But one of these days you’ll be just dead and some of your loved ones will be in a lost eternity because you were deadbeat. They will be dead and yet in a living torment because you were deadbeat. God help us! Waken up!

A. They Had To Work Within Certain Limits!
”From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast” Josh.1v4.
Listen beloved, God is specific in his boundaries! And you and I have been given certain boundaries, limits within which we must work.
And if we are going to be used by God then we need to know the boundaries God has set for us.
Far too many are involved in uncommanded work. Its not that the work is unbiblical, or unspiritual, or unscriptural, it is just that it is not God’s work for you. People will be involved in anything and everything but the work to which God has sent them.
I find a good many people are bothered by ... our Lord’s words, “Be ye perfect.” Some people seem to think this means “Unless you are perfect, I will not help you”; and as we cannot be perfect, then ... our position is hopeless. But I do not think he did mean that. I think he meant “The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less.”
Too much is being done by too few and in order to do that the few are being stretched out of their boundaries, out of their God given limits. And they are becoming tired, exhausted, frustrated and even cynical.
Know your limitations and work within your limits and then God will be able to use us because we are doing things in God’s way not in the way others want us to, or that we fancy doing just because we like being involved in that particular work.
Just because its God’s work does not always mean its God’s work for you!
We desperately need to begin afresh to see things from God’s point of view.
As the philosopher’s say, ex/spec/ia/eteritus.
From the point of view of eternity!
Lee Iacocca once asked legendary football coach Vince Lombardi what it took to make a winning team. The book Iacocca wrote records Lombardi’s answer: “there are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs. Secondly, who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline, but still don’t win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: if you’re going to play together as a team, you’ve got to care for one another. You’ve got to love each other. Each player has to be thinking about the next guy and saying to himself: ‘if I don’t block that man, Paul is going to get his legs broken. I have to do my job well in order that he can do his.’
“the difference between mediocrity and greatness,” Lombardi said that night, “is the feeling these guys have for each other.”
In the healthy church, each Christian learns to care for others. As we take seriously Jesus’ command to “love one another,” we contribute to a winning team. Christopher Stinnett.
Some years ago a journalist who was writing a feature article on large churches asked Dr. John MacArthur of Grace Community Church California, have you always been driven by a desire to build a large church. Hs replied!
”It was an unexpected question, but I answered immediately, “I have no desire to build a large church. None!”
The journalist, look at me quizzically and said, “I don’t understand that.” I said, “Jesus Christ said he would build his church. I don’t want to be in competition with him.”
Dr. MacArthur continues, I was not being funny. That is precisely my prospective on the church. I have to confess that if one desires to be faithful to Christ and his Word, there is no technique or system that will guarantee a large church.
Growth in the spiritual realm is like growth in the physical realm. It can be nourished and encouraged. We can do things to ensure healthy growth. But we cannot engineer true growth.
Nothing can make a miniature shrub grow as large as a giant redwood.
If some genetic technology could be found to make it happen, the result would be a monstrosity. The same is true in the spiritual realm. “Unless the lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it” Psalm 127v1.
Someone some months ago asked me the very same question, you preach as though you want to build a large church! I used Dr. MacArthur’s reply. I added, the church is a building of living spiritual stones and God wants to build them into a structure that will glorify him, and only he will build his church large or small as we respond to him. But be sure of this, he will only use living spiritual stones, he can use no other and he will use no other! I want to be a part of that building, don’t you?

One Sunday morning the Pastor encouraged his congregation to consider the potential of the church. He told them; “with God’s help we can see the day when this church will go from crawling to walking.”
The people responded, “let the church walk, Pastor, let the church walk.”
He continued, “and when the church begins to walk, next the church can begin to run.”
And the people shouted, “let the church run, Pastor, let the church run!”
The Pastor continued, “and finally the church can move from running to flying. Oh, the church can fly! But of course, that’s going to take lots of commitment and money for that to happen!”
The congregation grew quiet, and from the back, someone mumbled, “let the church crawl, Pastor, let the church crawl.” James S. Hewett.
It should be clear that the church is a supernatural work. Christ himself will build the church, not marketing know-how, not human cleverness, not church growth techniques, adds to the church, or causes its genuine growth, and blesses the church with health and vitality, only Jesus Christ can do that.
Numerical growth alone does not insure a healthy church. To be sure, growth is one of the signs of life, but size is no proof of God’s blessing or of a church’s spiritual health.
The signs of a godly, growing church are a people who are willing to work within the limitations laid out for us and who are willing to work within the limits God has given us!
In simple terms, a growing healthy church is a church whose people are available to God and who depend upon his ability to work through us!
If we can convince people that we are onto something that’s full of joy, they’ll stampede one another to follow us.

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