Be Strong! Live Service | February 26, 2023

Praise the Lord! God is very, very good. You can be seated. Welcome to Cross-Connection Church. We're glad that you are with us this morning. We are going to be getting into the Scriptures in just a moment, diving into a new book. So make sure you have your Bible out. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. If you don't own a Bible, you can take that today as a gift.

We are going to be in the Old Testament, which is the first two-thirds of the Bible, in just a moment. But before we do, I wanted to touch on something that I think might be a little important. This last week, we entered into a new season of what's called the liturgical calendar, the church season, if you will. Within a church like ours, which is a little more Bible teaching—like a Calvary Chapel, Baptist, or non-denominational type church—you don't hear about this very often. However, if you grew up in the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church, a more formal Presbyterian Church, or the Catholic Church, then you know that this last Wednesday was a Christian holiday called Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a season called Lent, which lasts for 40 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday, or Easter. So from Wednesday until Easter, we are in that period called Lent. You might wonder, what exactly is that whole thing? It is a remembrance of the time that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, just like the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. After His baptism, Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days and was tempted.

Lent is also a time within the church where Christians have traditionally observed a period of fasting for many centuries. During this time, they often remember the reality that sin in this world has brought death. We are all subject to death. The statistics, as they say, are staggering: 10 out of 10 people die. I know it’s one of those depressing things to think about, but it serves as a good reminder during Lent of the reality of death because of sin.

This period culminates with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which tells us that He is the answer to the problem of sin and death. Though it is a time when people do what's called afflicting their soul—what fasting is—some people give up something for Lent during this period. They are afflicting their soul, reminding themselves of the fallenness of sin and death. However, it’s all looking forward to the life that Jesus brings, the resurrection that He offers, which is our hope and our joy. Amen? Amen!

I just wanted to clarify what that’s all about, as I have had some questions.

The whole concept of Lent is different from what I take out of the dryer. I think you all know the truth: there is no life without change and transition. It is an inevitable reality of life that we all experience changes and transitions. In fact, the only things that don't change are dead things and rocks. We actually want there to be change and transition.

The problem is that change and transition are never without their challenges, which means that life involves challenges. Because there are challenges we face when we are experiencing change and transition, those crossroads moments—those potential challenges and troubles on the horizon—can cause us to hesitate. When we come to that point of pivot or change, the potential problems can tempt us to disengage or stop, preventing us from moving forward.

A few weeks ago, in one of my messages, I shared that in this life, we are always either taking ground and moving forward or we are backsliding. There is no standing still in this life. Living in Southern California, we can recognize this with the idea of going to the beach. You've probably been to the beach before, unless you saw "Jaws" many decades ago and haven't gone into the water since. At the beach, you know the reality of drifting. You can go out into the surf in front of lifeguard Tower 2, and a few hours later, you find yourself at lifeguard Tower 6 because you drift.

There is no such thing as standing still. We are always either taking ground and moving forward or we are backsliding. However, because of the concerns about the troubles we might face if we move forward, we can be tempted to stop, disengage, and not press in. This is the story we looked at a few weeks ago when we examined the Old Testament Book of Numbers, Chapter 13. We saw that the children of Israel, 38 years prior to what we have been studying for several years now in Deuteronomy, had come to the border of the promised land—the land that God had promised them.

God had told their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "I'm giving this land to your descendants." They had come out of Egypt, out of bondage. They had been at Mount Sinai for a couple of years, entering into a covenant with God, receiving the law from God, and building the Tabernacle where they would meet with God. Now, they embarked on about a two-month journey to reach the border of the promised land, in a place called Kadesh Barnea.

Moses sent twelve spies into the land. For forty days, they surveyed it and brought back to the children of Israel a huge bunch of grapes to show them the fruitfulness of the land. They reported that the land was good, describing it as a land flowing with milk and honey. However, ten of the spies said there were enemies in the land, giants, and fortified cities. They claimed, "We were in our own eyes like grasshoppers before them," so they felt they could not go up and take the land. This discouraged the hearts of the people, even though two spies, Joshua and Caleb, called out to the people to have faith and press forward. The multitude was swayed by the evil report of the spies, and they did not go up into the land.

At that pivotal moment, they faced a transition. They saw the obstacles, the trials, the troubles, and the difficulties, and they opted not to move forward. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years.

Now, as we come to the end of the book of Deuteronomy and transition to the Book of Joshua, we find that they are once again at the border of the land. It is still a fruitful land, the same land flowing with milk and honey, but there are still enemies, obstacles, and troubles. In fact, the enemies in the land are likely more prepared than they were three or four decades prior. They have heard the report of the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness, in places like Moab and Ammon, east of the Jordan River. At this point, the cities are even more fortified and prepared; they have had decades to prepare for the coming conquest of the children of Israel.

Little has changed; it has gotten worse. The temptation in a situation like that is to be afraid. However, I shared a few weeks ago that Israel's progress in moving forward and taking ground was dependent upon faithfulness and boldness.

Steps of faith often bring us to major crossroads. You may have experienced something like that; if you haven't, you will. If you aren't at a crossroads right now, you will eventually come to a point where you face the unknown or perhaps the known. You may be aware of the difficulties, challenges, and troubles that lie ahead, the giants that are in the land. These thoughts can easily lead to discouragement. However, we must move forward, or we risk falling behind. There is no life without change and transition, and there is no change and transition without challenge.

At this time, Israel is experiencing a significant change and transition. If you have your Bible, open it to the Book of Joshua, the sixth book of the Bible. I want you to move just one page to the left, back to Deuteronomy, specifically to the last chapter, chapter 34.

In Deuteronomy chapter 34, verse 1, we read: "Then Moses, the great leader of Israel, went up from the plains of Moab, where he had been giving this message throughout the entire book of Deuteronomy, to the gathered camp of Israel. He went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho." These names may not mean much to you today, but they are located at the northern tip, just north of the Dead Sea region, in what is now the modern state of Israel. The ruins of Jericho are just north of the Dead Sea, and Moses is on the opposite side of the Jordan River, which flows into the Dead Sea, on a mountain called Mount Nebo, looking into the land.

The Lord showed Moses all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh—names that may not mean much to you yet, but we will discuss their significance later. He also showed him all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea, the South, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "This is the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over into there." I talked last week in my message, which I didn't give here at the church, but you can watch it online, about why Moses did not enter the Promised Land. You can check that out online if you want to.

So, Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord, and He buried him. This is an interesting little study that I have no time to get into today, but in my Bible, the "He" is capitalized.

He buried Moses in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not dim, nor was his natural vigor diminished. The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days, so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

Moses, I think you would agree, if you've studied the Scriptures—and maybe even if you haven't—you've heard his name. You would agree that he is an extraordinary individual, a man unique in all of history. There are very few people that three or four hundred years after his death, you might still remember and know very much about. It is not just about what he did in his days, but the way in which his life, his writings, and his thoughts have impacted the entire world after his life. It's a pretty amazing thing.

Moses, we're told, was 120 years old when he died. As you study the life of Moses, you discover that the first forty years of his life were spent in Egypt, really being trained in all the wisdom and knowledge of the Egyptians, learning all of the understanding of the people of Egypt. During that time, he was trained to be a good Egyptian.

Then, through a series of events involving his own sinful actions, he spent the next forty years of his life wandering in a wilderness, learning to be a shepherd in what the Bible calls the backside of the desert. You might even say that he spent those forty years unlearning everything he learned in Egypt. So, he spent the first forty years of his life learning all the ways of the Egyptians, then the next forty years learning to be a shepherd, and finally, the last forty years leading the people of God out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the Promised Land.

The things that the Bible reveals about this great man Moses and the impact he has had on history and civilization are phenomenal. How do you eulogize a guy like Moses? Well, notice what the Scriptures say. This is the statement over his life that you could put on his tombstone if he had one: "Moses, the servant of the Lord." Of all the things that could be said about Moses, this is the most significant. Moses, the servant of the Lord, died. He was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not dim, nor was his natural vigor diminished.

Servant of the Lord. I love that statement over the life and ministry of Moses, and it really does challenge me and us with a question: How do you want to be remembered? What would you like to have said about your life? Moses, the servant of the Lord. I think if ever there was an individual who probably heard the Lord say those very words that Jesus speaks about in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25, it was Moses. He probably heard God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That is what you and I are called to be—faithful. It is required of stewards, servants, that one be found faithful. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, First Corinthians, chapter four, I believe it is. He was faithful in his generations. Those are the words that I certainly desire to hear God say one day: "Well done, good and faithful servant." I think that might be many of you who feel that way as well. Faithfulness is the key, and Moses was faithful in his generations.

So he died, and we read this in Deuteronomy, chapter 34, verse 9. Now Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the Spirit. If you have a pen or pencil, maybe lean over to your neighbor's Bible and underline those words: "full of the Spirit." Joshua was full of the Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid hands on him. So the children of Israel heeded Joshua and did as the Lord commanded Moses. But since then, there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, and all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent Moses to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land. By all the mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel, we are at this transition point where the leadership, the baton, if you will, of leadership is being handed off from Moses to Joshua.

Now, sometimes, like in this situation, transitions are of necessity; it is unavoidable. This is one of those circumstances where there is no possible way for there not to be a transition. "Moses, my servant, is dead," is what we are going to read in the opening words of Joshua, chapter one. Moses is gone, which was a big deal for Israel, the people, and for Joshua. You can be certain that there was within the minds and hearts of the people of Israel, at the death of Moses and during the 30-day period of mourning for Moses, a lot of anxiety about what was about to come. Because through the previous four decades, whenever there was a problem, they went to Moses for the solution. Whenever there was a question, they went.

To Moses for the answer, Moses was the guy; he was the direct connection, if you will, to God. Now Moses is dead, and the people are rightly anxious. I think Joshua was probably feeling a little anxious and ill-prepared in this situation.

Here, we are given information as to why Joshua was not ill-prepared. It was not because of something he did, but because of something he had in his life. Joshua was full of the Spirit. Thinking about this last week brought to mind a passage, which was actually the very first passage that I ever intentionally committed to memory.

You may feel like one of those people who has a hard time memorizing Scripture. I think everybody is concerned about their ability to memorize Scripture because we forget all kinds of different things. However, we still remember the songs that we sang in our youth perfectly. Sometimes we feel like we don't really have a good memory, but if we intentionally commit the Scriptures to memory, it is very important. There are ways to do that.

The first passage that I ever intentionally committed to memory was 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, where the Apostle Paul says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. He has enabled us to be ministers, servants of the New Covenant, not of the letter, the law, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." Those words are so important; they've been with me ever since I memorized them about 20 years ago.

Joshua, in and of himself, was not sufficient for the task and the call that God was giving him. He did not have the internal ability, power, or strength; he was not sufficient of himself. However, he had the fullness of the Spirit upon and in his life. It is God who enables us to serve Him in the task and the call that He has given to each of us.

If you're taking notes this morning, point number one is this: We do not trust in ourselves but in God, who enables and empowers us. It's not a profound statement, but it is essential.

It sure is one to think about. We do not trust in ourselves but in God, who enables and empowers us. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.

When we read here that Joshua was full of the Spirit of wisdom, it really brings to the surface the question: What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? This is something I mentioned in the announcements this morning. Last week, after the service, we had a different service than I had planned. Impromptu, we announced in the second service that we were going to have a time of worship and prayer after the service at 6 PM.

We did that, and there were quite a few people here last week. At a certain point, we opened it up and said we wanted to pray for people to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. Many came forward, but there were many who did not. The next day, Pastor Mark mentioned that a lot of people came forward last night, which was great, but there were many who did not. He asked me what I thought about that and why I thought they didn't come forward.

The first thing that came to my mind, which Mark affirmed, was the word "fear." There is a lot of fear, and many times fear is associated with ignorance. We just don't know what this is all about. I think there were questions about what this whole thing of the filling of the Holy Spirit is. I realized very quickly that this has a lot to do with me not having spent enough time recently talking about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

So, we are going to spend some time tonight in worship and prayer here at six o'clock. I would encourage you to come if you can. If you have other things, you can cancel them, and you should come here. We are going to spend some time in prayer, and I will talk about what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not a thing; it is not an "it." The Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is a Him, the third person of the Trinity. We will talk about what it means to be filled with the Spirit, not only at one time but to be continually filled with the Spirit. Paul, in one of his letters in Ephesians chapter 5, encourages and exhorts Christians to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

One great preacher and evangelist of God was a man in the 19th century named D.L. Moody. He often talked about the filling of the Spirit so much that one time a woman came to him and asked, "Why are you constantly talking about being filled? Haven't you been filled with the Holy Spirit?" He replied, "Yes, ma'am, but I leak."

There is that reality that we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit because we are not sufficient in ourselves to think anything is being of ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God. So, we are going to be talking about that tonight.

Spirit, what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? What does it not mean? I think there are a lot of bad teachings on that. However, as I expressed in my message last week and shared again last Sunday night, I believe we are at an important moment in our cultural history. With all the things that are happening in the world, it is not identical to, but similar to what Israel faced when they stood before the Promised Land.

At this moment, there is a desire in our culture for a genuine connection with God. There is a longing for God to move. When the people of God are brought to a place of growing anticipation and desire, we see throughout history that God moves in power in ways that are unexplainable, beyond simply saying, "That was of God."

I don't think it's a coincidence that last week a movie came out in theaters. Some of you may have seen it or at least seen the previews. This movie relates to the movement of churches we are a part of. You may or may not know that we have been connected to the Calvary Chapel movement of churches for decades. Calvary Chapel really had its start back in the 1960s during what was called the Jesus Movement.

The movie that came out last week is called "The Jesus Revolution." I went to see it with my family this week, and I encourage you to see it. It is worth watching, if only to show you what God has done and can do through the family of churches we are a part of. The film discusses the ministry of Pastor Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie, who is also part of this movement. It highlights what God has accomplished.

Some of you were part of that movement. When I talk about these things, some of you say, "I was there in the tent." If there are people around listening, they might wonder what you are talking about. You only know about the tent if you were part of that crew. However, you can go see the movie and understand what that was all about.

It serves as a good reminder that God does move in power, and often He moves when people have come to the end of themselves. That is what happened with that generation during the time of the hippies. Many people reached a point where they had tried all sorts of things, including psychedelic experiences, and ultimately realized those things were not satisfying. I have tried drinking from all kinds of different wells, and those things were not satisfying. I think we may be coming to a similar point now.

We saw the movie, and I was sitting next to my oldest son and my oldest daughter. My oldest son said to me, "I wish that could happen again." I asked, "What can?" My oldest daughter then said something I think was absolutely profound. She said, "I think the LGBTQ group is the new hippies."

It's something to think about because, at this moment, Generation Z and now this new generation coming up, Generation Alpha, are significant. I think the number is 37% of Generation Z identify as queer. They identify as that, and what they're going to discover is that none of those things will satisfy what they're being told by the culture. So, we need to pray that God would move because there is no hope in those things.

Joshua was now at this moment going to receive the mantle, if you will, of leadership. You wonder, was he prepared to do what God was calling him to do? In and of himself, no. But the answer to the question ultimately is yes. Why was he prepared? Not because he had gone to Moses's management leadership course for just $79.99, or because Mount Sinai is free to you today in three easy installments. That's not why he was prepared. He was prepared because he was full of the Spirit.

Now, notice it says that Moses had laid hands on him. This is associated throughout the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New. He had the spirit of wisdom, which is an aspect of the Spirit's work. He gives wisdom; God is the source of wisdom. The Holy Spirit is called in Isaiah chapter 11 the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. There are other things associated with Him, but the Holy Spirit brings wisdom.

Moses was going to need that as he stepped into this new time in his life. He was going to need wisdom, counsel, might, understanding, and knowledge. All of that is going to come from God. We need the Spirit to guide and direct. We need the Spirit upon our lives.

So again, I would encourage you to come back tonight if you want to hear more about that. But understand this: if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God has a call, mission, and purpose for your life. If you have yet to put your faith in Him...

Faith and trust in Jesus Christ recognize that God has something He wants to do in your life, and you cannot do that in and of yourself apart from the enabling power of God by His Spirit. Joshua had the fullness of the Spirit upon his life. Now, that does not mean that when you have the Spirit of God's power upon and in your life, you will not be nervous, apprehensive, or have a little bit of fear.

As we get into Joshua chapter one, we will see God encourage Joshua multiple times, telling him to be strong and of good courage. You do not encourage people to be strong and have courage if they are not feeling without strength and without courage. God is going to remind him constantly to be strong and very courageous. So, he had the fullness of the Spirit, but he still felt like he had insufficiency, and that will always be the case.

I remember when I was about 17 years old here at this church. A group of leaders, elders, and pastors gathered around me, laid hands on me, and prayed for me that God would fill me with His Holy Spirit. I believed, based upon the Scriptures, that Jesus said if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to him who asks? I believed by faith that God had given me His Holy Spirit abiding in my life.

Then, opportunities came for me to serve Him, and I felt, "I can't do that; there's no way I can do that." That's actually not a bad place to be because it forces you to rely upon God and call out for His strength. When you see things begin to happen and you walk through those challenges and succeed, you realize that certainly was not me; that was the Lord. He receives the glory, not us. That's the way it ought to be.

Having the Spirit of God does not mean that you will immediately have no more fear. You are walking in all this faith. I know there are some people who say otherwise in the church, but that has not been what we see in the Scriptures, nor has it been my experience or observation. Even though we have apprehension, fear, nervousness, anxiety, or whatever it is to step forward into what God is calling us to, we must step forward. We must always be moving forward or taking ground, or we are falling back.

So, we have to move forward in spite of fear. In Joshua chapter 1, verse 1, we read this: "After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses's assistant."

Moses, my servant, is dead. At that, Joshua probably said, "Yes, thanks for reminding me. I know Moses, my servant, is dead." Now, therefore, note this: Arise, go. Moses is dead. You've mourned for him for thirty days. Arise and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the children of Israel.

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon in the north, as far as the great river Euphrates—where Euphrates was at that time in what they would call Babylon and what we would call Iraq today—all the way to the Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the great sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea, toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

What we see in this is that God's description of the promised land was always a magnitude bigger than anything they ever took possession of. From the river Euphrates in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, to Lebanon in the north, and all the way down to Egypt in the south, this entire land, God says, I have given to you. They never took possession of the fullness of what God gave to them. What they took possession of was a very small strip, about the size of Rhode Island.

But God says, "This is all the land that I've given to you, and every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, it's yours. You just have to go in and take it." It's as if the deed is signed in their name: "This is your land. All you have to do is just walk in and say, 'Hey, that's my land. I'm taking it back.'" They never fully went into it, but God says, "Here is this great land I've given to you, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Arise and go."

Now, the temptation when facing change and the challenges associated with change is to step back in fear, as they did in Numbers Chapter 13 when they saw the obstacles, the enemies, and the fortified cities. It is to step back in fear and say, "We..."

They cannot do this because they saw their insufficiency. They were insufficient; they did not have the power or strength. They saw all the enemies and obstacles in light of who they were, not in light of who God is. As a result, they disengaged out of fear. Now, they are at that exact moment again, four decades later, and God says, "Go up, go in! I'm giving it to you. I gave it to you; it is yours."

For many years, different ways have emerged among Christians to approach this passage in type or symbolism related to the life of the Christian. Oftentimes, we see ourselves as the people of Israel, the children of Israel. We view the crossing of the Jordan River into the promised land as our movement forward into something greater. However, for many Christians, there has been an interpretation or view on this that I believe is the wrong way to see it. The crossing of the Jordan River and coming into the promised land is not like the Christian moving into eternity, Heaven, or Paradise.

This is the wrong perspective because when they enter the promised land, they experience battles, wars, difficulties, and challenges. This is not an experience of Heaven; it is an experience of the children of Israel moving from wandering in the wilderness to living a victorious life in the promises of God. As I shared several weeks ago, the children of God, the followers of God, are always living in one of three places: in bondage and slavery, if you will, in Egypt; wandering aimlessly in the wilderness; or living in rest and victory in God's promised blessing.

What we discover when we look at the Scriptures is that when you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, He redeems you from your bondage to slavery and sin, much like Egypt. He rescues you from that by His finished work on the cross. You have been redeemed and set free; you are no longer a slave to sin. Then, you come into a place where you are redeemed but still in the wilderness. That is where God establishes a covenant with you, where you begin to walk in faith and build a relationship with Him, interacting and worshiping with Him in a place like the Tabernacle.

God's aim is to get you into a place of victory and rest in Christ, in the promises of God. The sad reality is that many Christians find themselves wandering aimlessly in the wilderness for virtually their entire lives.

As a Christian, I find it concerning that many people are not experiencing the victory, rest, and blessings that are available in Christ. The land belonged to Israel; it was their possession by inheritance, given to them by God. Now, He says, "All I want you to do is just step in and take it. It's yours; it's right there for you to take." However, they were hindered from taking it thirty-eight years before because of their own fears and feelings of insufficiency. As a result, they wandered aimlessly in the wilderness until they all died, never moving into that rest.

I am worried that there are many who have been redeemed, if you will, out of Egypt. They have been rescued from sin and death by the finished work of Jesus Christ. He declared on the cross, "It is finished." We will be discussing that in seven weeks when we celebrate Good Friday and Easter. These individuals have trusted in the finished work of Christ; they are no longer in bondage to sin and death in Egypt. Yet, they find themselves wandering in the wilderness, not experiencing the fullness of rest and blessing in Christ Jesus, which is theirs for the taking if they would follow Christ into it.

In the New Testament book of Ephesians, Paul states that we have in Christ every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. These blessings are ours. He speaks of redemption, forgiveness of sins, and adoption into the family of God, along with an inheritance that Peter describes in one of his letters as an incorruptible inheritance that does not fade away. It is ours; God has given it to us. This huge bank account, if you will, of God's promises is affirmed by Paul in First Corinthians, where he says that all the promises of God are in Him, "Yes" and "Amen" to the glory of God in us.

What does that mean? It means that in Jesus, as you have trusted in Christ, all of God's promises—there are thousands of them in the Scriptures—are all yours. God says "yes" to every single one of them. The issue is that we need to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us. We need to step in by faith, boldly laying hold of those things and walking in the victory that God gives us in Christ Jesus. Yet, so many people are content to wander.

Jesus has redeemed us; He desires to rescue us from sin and death. He accomplishes this through His finished work on the cross, aiming to bring us into the fullness of the blessings He has for us. We are called to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us.

Point number two, if you're taking notes...

This morning, by faith, we must take possession of what God has granted us in Christ. He has granted us exceedingly great and precious promises in Christ Jesus, and by faith, we need to take hold of those things. We must move out of the enslaved life of sin and death in Egypt, away from the place of wandering in the wilderness, and into the fullness of God's blessing.

Yes, there are things that cause us fear and anxiety, but look at what God says to Joshua in chapter 1, verse 5: "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them. Only be strong and very courageous."

This is the second time He tells us to be strong and very courageous. Why? That you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, My servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.

I don't think I even need to ask the question because I assume the answer, but I'm going to ask it anyway: How many of you today desire to be prosperous in everything that you do? If you're not raising your hand, you're not paying attention, so pay attention. How many of you desire to have victory in your life? I think it's a right assumption to say that everyone wants that.

God's word, not just in this place but in many places, clearly tells us this is the path to blessing. I would have called it before the algorithm of blessing. What's an algorithm? If this, then that. If you do this, then this is the outcome. This is what you will reap. It's the principle of sowing and reaping, and it is what we see throughout the Scriptures so many different times.

God says, "I'm telling you explicitly how this is going to come about. Do you want a prosperous life? Do you want good success? Do you want victory?" If the answer to any of those things is yes, then we are given the instructions here about how to step into that victory, that rest, and that blessing.

What we find here is that the victory would not necessarily go to the one who was the strongest and the most swift. If that were the case, Israel's enemies in the Promised Land were stronger, better prepared, and more defended. They could stop the children of Israel. If it was all just a worldly situation, Israel was toast. Their victory, their prosperity, and their success were not assured by their power, strength, or strategy.

Where did it come from? Point number three: victory for them and for us in Christ is found by courage in and obedience to God's Word. Be strong and of good courage. Only be strong and very courageous to do what? That you may observe to do according to all the law. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

Be strong and courageous to stick to God's Word, to endeavor by His enabling power, by His abiding Spirit and strength, to do, apply, and obey His Word. Companion to this is that great, famous first verse of the Psalms from King David. This would be a great passage to memorize. David opens the Psalms by saying, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of God, and in God's law he meditates day and night."

This person shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. He puts down his roots, brings forth fruit in his season, his leaf does not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. It is the same idea. I recognize when I talk about things like this and say, "You need to take courage in God's Word and abide in God's Word," and have God's Word abide...

In you, you need to buy His enabling power. Seek to do His word, apply it, and obey it, and you will experience God's success, prosperity, and victory. I get it; the measurements of success, prosperity, blessing, and all these things are different in the world than in the economy of God. Yes, when I say these things to people, I can see in their response that it seems like a major oversimplification.

Come on, that's all it is. It is a great story. Someday, decades from now, we'll get to Kings and Chronicles and we'll see it. There was a commander of the army of Syria, which was not an ally to Israel but rather an enemy, named Naaman. He was stricken with a terminal disease called leprosy, and he realized what this meant for him. Someone close to him said, "You know, there's this prophet among the people of Israel. His name's Elisha, and maybe you should go talk to him. Maybe he could heal you."

So, he goes and talks to Elisha. Elisha doesn't even speak to him; he sends one of his servants. This ticked Naaman off. He thought, "Don't you know who I am?" The servant of Elisha comes and says, "Okay, the prophet says if you go and baptize yourself, dunk yourself seven times in the Jordan River, you'll be clean." Naaman gets all angry and leaves, pouting and fuming. He says, "We have better rivers in my country than this dirty, disgusting Jordan River. I'm not doing that stupid thing."

One of his servants says, "Hey, maybe just try it. It's worth a try. You're going to die anyway. It may seem stupid, but you could try it." He does, and he is clean. You might say this is a hyper oversimplification. I need to take courage, trust in God, read His word, apply it, and hide it in my heart. Then I will experience God's victory, prosperity, success, and blessing through His word.

It may seem like a hyper oversimplification, but my simple question to you would be this: Have you tried it? Really? Because in my own life, I see victory and all of these things associated with God's word as I am doing that. The children of Israel, as we will see, once they come into the promised land, will have rest in the promised land.

The rest in the promised land was not continuous or assured. Every time the Israelites would leave God's word, they would end up in bondage. However, when they returned to God with faith, obedience, and faithfulness, God would defend them, take care of them, and bless them. In my own life, and through my observations of the scriptures and the people I respect, I have seen this to be true time and time again.

So I ask, have you even tried to commit your way to the Lord? The book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Be strong and of good courage, as we read in Joshua chapter 1, verse 9. Do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. God's word is powerful, living, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It works in our lives, and through adherence to God's word, the people of God experience His blessings, rest, and victory.

In verse 10 of Joshua chapter 1, Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves.'" I love this, for within three days, you will cross over this Jordan to go in and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving to you.

Point number four, which I shared a few weeks ago, is worth discussing again: Israel's progress depended upon faithfulness and bold steps of faith. Joshua wasted no time. He went to the people and told their leaders to get ready. He instructed them to inform all the people in their households and parts of the camp to prepare provisions and pack up because within three days, they were going in.

Yes, within three days! God had said to go, and they were going in. Thirty-eight years prior, the only thing that had come between Israel and their possession of the promised land was their own unbelief and lack of faith in God. In applying the scripture, the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us of this truth.

Take careful note of that Exodus generation that died in the wilderness and consider the application for the Christian. In Hebrews 4:11, it says, "Let us therefore..." That word "therefore" is there so that we would look back and remember what happened to that Exodus generation that died in the wilderness in unbelief. He says, "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." There remains much land to be possessed.

Now, I have no more time, but I have some verses to cover, so look at verse 12. In Joshua 1:12, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke. There are twelve tribes in Israel, and these are two and a half of those twelve tribes. Joshua has a little powwow; he meets with all the heads of the tribes and says, "Within three days, we're going in." He calls out, "Hey, Reuben, Gad, you Manasseh guys, come over here. Let's talk."

He reminds them of the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded them, saying, "The Lord your God is giving you rest and giving you this land." This goes back to the Book of Numbers, chapter 32. The children of Israel had been victorious over the kings of Moab and Ammon on the east side of the Jordan River. Remember, the promised land was bigger than just what the children of Israel would go and possess on the west side. They had been victorious over the kings on the east side, and so the heads of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had come to Moses in Numbers chapter 32 and said, "We want to stay here in this land."

Moses responded, "What are you thinking? You're going to discourage the hearts of the people. You're not going to go with them and help them take possession of their land. You can't do this." They said, "No, no, time out. We'll make a vow with you. We will send our fighting-age guys to help you take possession, but we want to stay in this part of the land." So they made a vow.

Now, Joshua calls them together as they are getting ready to go in. He says, "Remember what Moses had said to you. You're going to help us." In verse 14, he continues, "Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but you shall pass over before your brethren, armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them until the Lord has given your brethren rest as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land for your possession and enjoy it, which Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise."

He reminds them of their vow, saying, "We're getting ready to go in three days. Remember your vow." So they answered.

Look at this verse: "They answered, saying, 'All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.'"

Point number five: the successful servant of God stands before Him with a ready heart. "Here am I, send me." I don't feel like I have power, strength, ability, or anything to offer, but "Here am I, send me." So they answered and said, "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go." Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we're going to heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, like He was with Moses. We're going to follow you; we just want to make sure you follow God.

"Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words in all that you command him shall be put to death. We will deal decisively with him." And then notice how they encourage their leader: "Only be strong and of good courage."

The successful servant of God stands before God with a ready heart. This is a good place to end today because God has called you and me to step into this promised blessing that He has given to us. I don't know exactly all the ins and outs of what that means, but as the Scriptures say, when we get to Joshua chapter 13, there remains much land to be possessed. There remains a lot more work for God to do.

When things get hard for Christians, there are times and seasons when things seem to be more challenging. I talk with people, and for some, things seem to be more difficult. I constantly hear this: "Oh Lord, come quickly!" Yes, amen, praise God, "Lord, come quickly!" But there remains much land to be possessed, and He obviously has decided He is not done with His work yet here in North County, here in California. I know there are plenty of people who say, "I'm out of there; it's the end of the world in California." I get it; I've seen my gas bill too. There remains much land to be possessed, and God has a task for you to be a part of.

What He is looking for is a servant who is saying, "Here am I, send me." I don't feel like I have anything to offer. I don't feel like I have ability, power, strength, or any strategy, but God fills us with Himself, His power, and His strength. He uses His people mightily, and He wants to use you. I don't know in what way, and you don't know in what way, but may He do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think. We need God to move.

He says, "Listen, in three days we're moving out." No more hanging out in Kadesh Barnea. It doesn't even sound like a good place; it sounds like a hindrance. So, God, strengthen us to move into that.

Let's stand and pray. Father God, we need Your grace. We need Your strength. Lord, I know in me I have no ability, power, or sufficiency apart from Your power and Your Spirit. So, God, would You fill us up? Lord, do whatever You need to do to bring us to a place where we are crying out for Your power.

I think Joshua felt completely insufficient. All he had was You, and so with that, he was willing to say, "In three days we're moving out." God, help us to have that mindset and that heart as ready and willing servants, saying, "Here am I, send me." Do work in Your church, we pray. Do work here in this community, God, a work that would blow our minds if someone told us about it. God, pour out, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.