Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. In all that we do, in all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. Amen, thank you for tuning us in. Servants for Christ, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves, your servants for Jesus' sake, amen. As we continue on in our series, The Journeys of Faith, here is the sixth in our series looking at Joshua from faith to the promised land. I'm glad that Moses, the leader of Israel, had died and Joshua, God's chosen leader, had taken his place. He was the man who would lead the children of Israel into the promised land. And when we look at our study of the life of Joshua, we discover why God chose him to lead the children of Israel. You know, many Christians feel inadequate when they're called upon by God to lead. But God gives us an example of a proper leader. Joshua, he's placed in a position of leadership. And as we look at how God prepared Joshua, supplied him everything that he needed to do what God wanted him to do, we learn a lesson that Joshua from faith to the promised land. We're all on a journey of life. And we recognize the character traits in Joshua's life that made him a leader that God could use, realizing that God calls every Christian to some measure of influence and leadership. We've got to understand that God has given us that influence and responsibilities that As God offers us those opportunities to be able to be the leader that he wants us to be, praise God. And so when we look We see Joshua's qualifications, and we see Joshua's duties, amen. And then, oh, so we look, and as we look, we see Joshua's resources, amen. And so, as we get into the word of God, take your Bible over to Joshua chapter one, verses one through nine. and read along with us as we get into the wonderful book of Joshua. The Bible says in the King James, now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of none. Moses' minister saying, Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people under the land, which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, That have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. And from the wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 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. Be strong and of good courage, for unto this people shall thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant, commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper, whithersoever thou goest. In verse eight, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. And lastly, in verse nine, have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whethersoever thou goest. That's very familiar scripture, verse nine. And so, let's open up. with a word of prayer and ask the Lord to give us guidance in our faith on the journey of life. Lord, we come before you, and as we humble ourselves in repentance, seeking your forgiveness for our sins, cleanse us, help us to renew our hearts and minds, and may we be reminded daily to put on the armor of God, standing firm against the schemes of the enemy. Guide us through this journey of faith as you led Joshua and the children of Israel to the promised land. And Lord, I'm so thankful for this great opportunity, Lord, to know Father, that you're in control of everything. Help us, Lord, to demonstrate, Lord, and devote ourselves and give us that patience and vision that we need as you provide guidance. And Lord, as you guide our household, as you direct our nations, as you fulfill the promises, Lord, help us to take possession of the land in the journey that you have for us, and to defeat the adversaries that are coming before us. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name, amen. You know, there's a story about a young man that despite constant setbacks, he never gave up on his dream of becoming a doctor. He faced numerous obstacles, poverty, rejection from medical schools, even a major illness, yet, he pressed on. Believing that his goal was worth the hardship after years of struggling, he finally achieved his dream. And I'm glad that each and every one of us, as much like this young man, Joshua and the Israelites were on a journey, one filled with difficulties, but with a clear destination ahead, the promised land. And the story teaches us how faith and perseverance can lead to victory, even when the path seems impossible. And so I'm glad as we look and realize that we look at the leadership skills and the resume of Joshua. And I'm glad that as we do, we know that in Joshua chapter one, we find the children of Israel at a crossroads. Moses had been God's chosen leader from the time of their deliverance from the bondage in Egypt. through the wandering in the wilderness, right up to the boundary of the promised land. And there Moses, the servant of God, died. Their leader was gone, and they were at a point of decision. Would the children of Israel finally claim the promises of God and enter the land, or would they turn back to the ways of Egypt? Though the circumstances seemed bleak, God had a plan for this moment of decision. He wanted His people to claim His promises, and so He chose a man to lead His people. Now listen to me. God will always use this method to accomplish His purposes, that God chooses men to lead His people. God chose Joshua as the new leader of Israel. And Joshua had been a servant to Moses. He was trained by Moses. He would lead with the same purpose and carry on the same work with Moses, even though Moses was dead. You see, God's plan for Israel was still alive. And when we look And we realize that Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 9, the Bible says, and Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands upon him and the children of Israel hearkened unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses. Wow. You know what? Here we begin to look at the credentials of Joshua. Joshua demonstrated a strong faith during his journey, and yet leading the children of Israel to possess the land was a tremendous task that would require perhaps an even greater faith. Looking at the circumstances, Joshua must have known they could not conquer this challenge in their own strength. He was confident in God's promise that he would be with him and they would possess the land. And so, The first thing that we see is Joshua's preparation, a leader proven in faith. God prepared Joshua long before he led Israel to the promised land. Joshua had been Moses' servant, learning what it meant to trust God to serve his people. God calls each and every one of us, as he called Joshua, to prepare for the task that he has for us. And so, Joshua's preparation, a leader that was proven in faith. And I'm glad that as he was proven, we see obedience to God's call. Because after God provided water from the rock at Mount Horeb, Amalek came and fought with Israel. And during this battle, Joshua proved himself to be obedient, courageous, and trustworthy. He did what Moses commanded him to do, and he disconfited Amalek and his people. And so I'm glad that when we look at the wonderful Word of God, that the Bible tells us, amen, that when you begin to be obedient to the will and the Word of God, you'll be victorious. And so, as we look at Joshua's preparation, a leader proven in faith, he was obedient to God's call. And I'm glad in Joshua chapter one, verse two, Moses, my servant is dead now, therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people under the land, which I do give to thee. And so he was obedient to God's call, but he was also steadfast in faith. Because when people today use the term servant, it may many times suggest a position of low esteem. Yet when God uses the term servant, it signifies honor. and greatness. And in the Bible, God often referred to his chosen leaders as servants. Exodus chapter 24, verses 12 and 13, And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there, and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them. And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua, and Moses went up into the mount of God. You know what? Joshua was a servant to Moses. We see this demonstrated while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. And while Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights, Joshua patiently waited for him and ministered to him down below at the bottom of the mountain. You know what? The measure of a man's greatness is not how many people serve him, but how many he serves. And so, when we look, we realize that Joshua was steadfast in faith. The times of difficulty, Joshua remained faithful, and when others doubted, he trusted God's word. In Joshua 1, verse 5 that we read, 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. And so, when we look at the resume of Joshua, we see something that's outstanding. We see that through this leadership, amen, that here that Joshua was prepared, a leader proven in faith. He was obedient to God's call, steadfast in his faith, but also he had strength and courage in leadership because Joshua was called to be strong and courageous, a command for every believer who steps into God's calling. In Joshua chapter one, verse six, the Bible says, be strong and of good courage for unto this people shall they divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. You see, he was patient. Because Joshua's journey for the faith serves as an excellent example of patience. Many Christians today don't think twice before they resign from their class, their bus route, or their church. But God desires that we remain patient on our journeys, trusting him to accomplish his work in and through us. And know so, you've got to know when to go. Because sometimes we stay too long in one place and we hurt the church. when we stay there too long because they get so dependent on that one individual that you've got to completely cut yourself off from them so that they will go to that new leadership. Amen. And so the Bible or the psalmist said wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait I say on the Lord. And so we too will be glad when we receive the blessings of patiently waiting on the Lord. Amen. And so I'm glad that uh... as we uh... do this uh... there was a unknown author that said one time god does not call the qualified he qualifies the call and so during world war two hitler began a blitz in london and the british government evacuated people by the train loads and as the citizens of england were running toward the drains A man saw a young boy run into safety by himself. The man looked at that boy and he said, you know where you're going? And that boy replied, no, but the king does. We may not know where God's taken us on our journeys of faith, and we may not understand periods of waiting and silence, but we can trust the heart and the plan of our king, and we can wait patiently on him. I heard somebody saying today that they've got it figured out why all these people are evil and they make bad decisions. He said that somebody baptized him in some dirty water. Man, I don't know about that. But I'm glad that Joshua, he had what it took, and he had vision as well, because Joshua was a godly vision. He had a godly vision, and when he and Caleb searched out the land God had promised to them, they came back excited, energized by what they saw, and the land was exceedingly good, flowed with milk and honey. And Joshua's vision to claim the land was based upon God's words, and he never lost sight of it. I'm glad. What did we read in Joshua chapter 1 verse 6? Be strong and of good courage for unto this people shall I divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. Joshua knew that the children of Israel would possess the promised land because God had promised it. He acted on his belief. And I'm glad the wisdom of Proverbs tells us, where there's no vision, the people perish. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. And so we see that as we look at this, Joshua's preparation, a leader proven in faith. But secondly, secondly, we see Joshua's responsibility Amen, and I'm glad through that responsibility that we lead with God's vision. First, it was a leader proven in faith, but now after Joshua's preparation and Joshua's responsibility, it's about leading with God's wisdom. Joshua's task was more than just leading people to a physical place. It was leading them to trust God, to claim his promises, and every Christian in some way has the responsibility to lead, whether in their family, Whether in their community or whether in their workplace, I'm glad that we lead with godly purpose. Joshua led not with his own plans, but with God's direction, teaching us the importance of following God's lead in our lives. And so, I'm glad in Joshua chapter 1 verse 8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. And so we got to lead with that godly purpose. That was Joshua's responsibility, leading with God's wisdom. Amen. On your journey for faith, God will appoint you to a position of leadership, and you may not even recognize it when he does. Leadership is influence, and therefore, we all lead because we all influence others. For some, it will be leading at home, in a classroom, or on a bus route. For others, it will be leading a church or a business, no matter what capacity God has designed for us to fill. Listen, each one of us is called to be a leader. and Joshua provided great leadership for his family, amen. And so, when you look ahead to Joshua chapter 24, verse 15, the Bible says, and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. It's time for dads and moms to take leadership in the home. Many times a man may be a leader at his work, but he fails to be a leader in the home. Men must determine to lead their families in God's direction, amen? And so, I'm glad that each of us, when we begin to look and realize that it's not easy sometimes, but We see Joshua's preparation, amen. And we see Joshua's responsibility, leading with godly purpose, claiming God's promises, amen. But I'm glad that I remember Time Magazine raising the divorce rates, and out of wedlock births mean that more than 40% of all children born between 1970 and 1984 are likely to spend much of their childhood living in single-parent homes. Because the impact of this fatherless homes on the children is significant, if not devastating. Time goes on to say that studies of young criminals have found that more than 70% of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes, children from broken families that are nearly twice as likely as those in two-parent families to drop out of high school. And so, Joshua was a great leader because he first followed God's leading, and fathers must also follow God's leading in their lives and homes in order to be effective leaders for their families. Joshua led his family, but he also led God's family. And I'm glad in Joshua 1, verse 10, the Bible says that Joshua commanded the office of the people, saying, Joshua commanded the office of the people. Perhaps it was difficult, maybe it was uncomfortable to do so, but he was to lead the generation for the Lord. You know what? J. Sidlow Baxter said, what is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it, every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity, unquote. And so I'm glad that we see that Joshua had the great responsibility to claim the land God had promised to his people. The promised land was 300,000 square miles. Because of the lack of faith, Israel never claimed more than 10% of the land God given to them. Can you believe it? But the response to God's promises of the most Christians today Perhaps there are some promises of God that you must take the responsibility to claim in your life. In Jeremiah 29, verse 11, the Bible says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you unexpected end. You see, often God wants to bless us, but he does not because of our lack of faith. And because perhaps you memorized some kind of Bible promises, do you have enough confidence in God to claim them? What's holding you back from going forward on your journey of faith? Until you act on God's promises, you will never experience victory. Joshua claimed God's promise. that he would conquer his enemies. And I'm glad that that's exactly what it takes. And so, when we look and realize that Joshua's responsibility, leading with God's wisdom, leading with godly purpose, claiming God's promises, amen. But also, I'm glad that he said in verse nine, Joshua chapter 1 verse 9, have I not commanded thee, be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou that's made, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whether so ever there goeth. And so, we see that Joshua, in his responsibilities, leading with God's wisdom, he led with a godly purpose. He claimed God's promises. He faced opposition with faith. And I'm glad that as he faced the many enemies, but he believed God's promise of victory. We too must trust that God will help us conquer life's challenges. Joshua 1, verse 3, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. Boy, Lisa Hasha said, great leaders don't set out to be leaders, they set out to make a difference. It's never about the role, always about the goal, unquote. And so, what did we see? We saw, first of all, that Joshua's preparation was a leader proven in faith. Secondly, we saw Joshua's responsibility, leading with godly wisdom. But thirdly, and closing, we see Joshua's resources strengthen God's presence. Just as Joshua couldn't conquer the promised land alone, we ourselves cannot walk our journeys of faith without God holding our hand. Joshua was reminded that God's presence and God's word were his greatest resources. And so, have you ever started your day with a thought, how will all of this get done? Perhaps that's how Joshua felt when he assumed leadership and he began to claim God's promises. There was much work to be done in order to enjoy the victory of the promised land. As God always does, he provided the resources and Joshua needed to accomplish his work. These resources are still available to us today. They're just as powerful and helpful as they were during the time of Joshua. And so Joshua's resources strengthened God's presence First of all, we see the assurance of God's presence because God promised Joshua that He would never leave him nor forsake him. And when we face trials, we must remember that God is always with us. In Joshua 1, verse 5, As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." And so we see the assurance of God's power of presence, but also we see the power of God's Word, because Joshua was to meditate on God's law day and night. And the Bible is our guide. It is our strength for the battles that we face in life. Psalms 119, 105, that thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. And so we see that Joshua's resources strengthen God's presence, the assurance of God's presence that's there, the power of God's word. And oh, so lastly, in closing, faith in God's promise, because God's promises to Joshua were sure and amen. Likewise, God's promises to us remain firm, even when life is uncertain. Hebrews chapter 13, verse five, he says, and I have been saying it, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Forsake thee there's a quote by someone that's unknown that said the journey of faith is not a sprint It's a marathon hold on to God's hand and he'll see you through unquote. Well, you know what? Every one of us as we get started The story is told of some preachers who many years ago were discussing D.L. Moody and the possibility of inviting him to speak at one of their meetings. And one of the preachers who opposed asking D.L. Moody somewhat critically asked, does D.L. Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit? To which an older and a wiser preacher replied, no. And the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on D.L. Moody. And so God told Moses, now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth. In Exodus chapter 4 verse 12. God told Joshua, I'll be with thee. In Joshua chapter 1 verse 5. God told Jeremiah, and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. In Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 19. God is saying something to you right now. Listen to me. He says it out of Matthew chapter 28. He says it very clear. He says it to all of us in verses 19 and 20 of Matthew chapter 28. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. You see, the same book of law, has been kept for us today. God's preserved the wonderful resource of His Word. I'm glad in Matthew 5.18, for verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. You see, God commanded Joshua to meditate on this resource, the Bible. How much time do you spend meditating in and thinking on God's word? You know what? If we want the God of truth, we must know the truth of God. God also commanded Joshua to obey his word. He told him to observe to do, not just to simply observe. People often mark their Bibles but their Bibles don't mark them. I'm gonna say that one more time. People often mark their Bibles, but their Bibles don't mark them. Paul exhorted us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. Perhaps you're not using the resource of God's word like you should. If not, You need to decide today that you'll use the resources of God on your journey. Every one of us, Joshua's journey teaches us that when we step out in faith and we rely on God's strength and wisdom, we will find the courage to overcome obstacles and claim the promises God has set before us, just as Joshua led the Israelites to the promised land. God calls each of us to lead others in faith, standing on His promises and trusting His Word. Listen, Joshua was faithful to lead the people. And in what area is God leading you to provide leadership to make a difference? How can you step into a leadership role God has for you? We begin by serving others, seeking God's guidance in every decision, stepping forward in faith, even when you feel like you're unqualified. What promises of God do I need to claim in my life? I think as we reflect on the promises in scripture and trust them, especially in the areas where you feel fear and doubt that you need to concentrate on. and what can I meditate on God's word daily. Set aside specific times each day for reading and reflecting on the scripture, allowing it to guide your thoughts and your actions, amen. And so I'm glad as we get ready to close out Joshua from faith to the promised land. I hope that you learned something about leadership. that you learned that only through Joshua, Joshua provided leadership and he claimed God's promises. And I'm glad that God offers his promises and God offers his presence. And I'm glad that each and every one of us, Peter said, but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be glory both now and forever, amen. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the lesson from Joshua's life. We pray for your forgiveness and we ask you to strengthen our faith so we may walk boldly in your promises. Save those who do not know you. For those who do, lead us into the repentance of daily humility and practice as we get down on our knees and ask forgiveness. Help us to be leaders for you in the areas of life that you have for us. Trust in you with each step in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.