Be Strong! | Sunday, February 26, 2023

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' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel... Be strong and of good courage... Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you... This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1)

At every crossroads, God's people must arise and take ground by faith—because there is no standing still in the life of faith.

No Life Without Change

There is no life without change and transition, but change and transition are never without their challenges. Challenges can discourage us from moving forward and taking ground. Concern over the obstacles, hindrances, and troubles we might face can cause us almost to slow down to the point of standing completely still.

A few weeks ago I shared that in this life we are always either taking ground or we are backsliding. There really is no such thing as standing still. When we look forward to change and transition—knowing there will be difficulties—the temptation is to be idle and to stop. But if we do, we will begin backsliding, or drifting.

Living here in Southern California, you have likely been to the beach and experienced the currents that cause you to drift. You start out in front of one lifeguard tower, and within a couple of hours you are two or three towers down the beach. We are never standing still. We are either moving forward and taking ground, or we are backsliding and drifting.

Israel at the Border—Again

This was certainly the case in Numbers 13, when the children of Israel were on the border of the Promised Land the first time. Moses sent twelve spies into the land. All twelve agreed the land was good, but ten of them reported great enemies and obstacles—Giants, fortified cities, all kinds of problems. That assessment was actually true; it simply wasn't the whole story, because God had repeatedly told Israel He would be with them.

The majority report troubled the people, and as a result Israel did not enter the land. Instead they wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years until the entire Exodus generation—everyone twenty years and older who came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea—perished.

Now, thirty-eight years later, Israel stands at the border again. The land is still good and fruitful, just as the spies said. And the obstacles, enemies, fortified cities, and Giants are all still there. The obvious temptation was to be afraid. But Israel's progress would depend upon faithfulness and bold steps of faith—and that is always the case for you and me. This was a major crossroads moment, and we all face such moments in our lives.

Moses the Servant of the Lord

We read in Deuteronomy 34 that Moses went up Mount Nebo, where the Lord showed him all the land. The Lord said, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." So Moses died in Moab, and the Lord buried him in a place no one knows to this day. He was 120 years old, his eyes not dim nor his natural vigor diminished, and the children of Israel wept for him thirty days.

You don't have to be a serious student of Scripture to know Moses was extraordinary. He spent forty years in Pharaoh's household learning to be an Egyptian, then forty years in the wilderness learning to be a shepherd—perhaps unlearning his Egyptian training—so that he could spend his last forty years leading Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

How do you eulogize such a man? I love what Scripture says: "Moses the servant of the Lord." I thought a lot this week about how I want to be remembered, and how you want to be remembered. If ever there was someone who heard those words from Matthew's gospel—"Well done, good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of the Lord"—it had to be Moses. Those are the words I want to hear. It is required of servants that one be found faithful, and faithfulness to the calling and commission of God is exactly what Moses did.

A Transition of Necessity

Deuteronomy 34 continues: "Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him." The transition from Moses to Joshua was one of necessity. Some transitions cannot be avoided, and this was one of them.

Israel was surely anxious. Moses had led them for forty years; whenever they had any issue, they came to Moses, and now he was gone. And Joshua surely felt ill-prepared—nervous, stressed, anxious. That becomes clear from the words God speaks to him. But what made Joshua ready? He was full of the Spirit of wisdom.

One of the first passages I ever set out to memorize is 2 Corinthians 3, where Paul says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." It is God who enables us to serve and lead faithfully. We do not trust in ourselves, but in God who empowers us. Joshua could not trust in himself—anxious and concerned as he was—he had to trust in God.

Filled With the Spirit

This raises the question: what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? This past Sunday I gave a different message than I had planned, and afterward we had a powerful time of worship and prayer. I invited people to come forward to receive prayer for the filling of the Spirit, and many came—but a majority did not.

Two things came to mind. First, some people are a little freaked out by spiritual things they've never been around. Second, some apprehension simply comes from a lack of knowledge. So this Sunday night we will gather again for extended prayer and worship, and I will spend time teaching: Who is the Holy Spirit? What does He do? What does it mean—and not mean—to be filled with the Spirit?

At this moment in our culture, I sense a real desire for a genuine, transcendent connection with God. That is what we are all about at Cross Connection Church—life in connection with God, one another, and the world through Jesus. There is only one good Transcendent to connect with, and that is God by His Spirit. Ultimately, what we need is the enabling and empowering of God by His Holy Spirit to walk in all He has called us into.

Fear at the Moment of Transition

The Spirit of the Lord is called in Scripture the Spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel and might, of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. We need the fullness of God's Spirit in and upon our lives so we can step into the fullness of His blessing.

God has a mission and calling for each of us, and we need His enabling power to fulfill it. I cannot do what God has called me to do—sharing the good news of the gospel—without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Yet even with that power, we will still sometimes feel anxiety and fear.

I remember decades ago when I first began stepping into the work God called me to—equipping the saints, teaching the Scriptures, praying for God's people—a calling I've had since I began serving the Lord at nineteen in 1999. A group laid hands on me, just as Moses laid hands on Joshua, and prayed God would empower me. Yet even believing what Scripture says, there was significant anxiety and trepidation, and it lingered for a while. Even with that fear, Israel needed to move forward and take ground—and so do we.

Arise and Go

So we come to Joshua 1: "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord... the Lord spoke to Joshua... 'Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan... to the land which I am giving to them... Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.'"

The temptation when facing change is to become idle—to freeze or run the other way. We do this out of fear. But God says, "Get up and go." They had mourned for Moses thirty days, and now God says, "I am giving you this land that I promised to Abraham; every place your foot treads, I have given to you. Get up and go."

Do you realize that God has won your salvation? From the cross Jesus said, "It is finished." Your salvation is secure in Christ Jesus. The law could not give you the fullness of life God gives in Christ. Ephesians 1 tells us we are "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ"—adoption, redemption, forgiveness of sins, grace that will be poured out to us throughout all eternity.

We Must Step In by Faith

Paul says all the promises of God are "Yes" in Jesus, and "Amen" to the glory of God through us. In Christ, God says yes to every promise given to us. Yet though He works His good pleasure in us, we still have to arise and go, faithfully stepping into all that God has promised by faith. The promises are all ours, but we must actually take hold of them.

Some who study Joshua have wrongly taught that Israel's entrance into the Promised Land typifies our future entry into heaven—as if crossing the Jordan pictures crossing death into eternity. I don't think that's the best interpretation. Rather, Israel's conquest and life in the land point to our laying hold of the fullness of the abundant life Jesus desires us to have.

In John 10, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." The life is eternal life—those who believe receive it. But He also wants us to have abundant life that begins now, enjoying and walking in the rest and joy of all the promises that are "Yes and Amen" in Him.

Three Places We Find Ourselves

Israel was redeemed from bondage in Egypt, yet wandered the wilderness forty years. God's aim was to bring them into the fullness of blessing. In the same way, the promises are ours by inheritance, but we must enter in by faith to take possession. We must lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us. Too often we are content to wander aimlessly in the wilderness—redeemed from Egypt, yet not tasting all of God's goodness.

At any stage of life we find ourselves in one of three places: enslaved in bondage like Egypt, wandering aimlessly in a wilderness, or at rest in the land of promise. God's aim is to redeem us from bondage, guide us through the wilderness, and bring us into a life of victory and rest.

So, where do you find yourself today? If you are enslaved to sin and death, Jesus came to redeem you through His death on the cross. He died in your place, He rose, and He is seated at God's right hand hearing your prayers. Call out to Him, trust in His work, and He redeems you. If you are wandering in the wilderness, it is God's desire to bring you into the promised land of blessing and rest—not without challenges and Giants to face, but with abundant life as you trust and follow Him.

Be Strong and Very Courageous

If anyone knew about the enemies in the land, it was Joshua. Thirty-eight years earlier he was one of the twelve spies; he saw the Giants and the fortified cities. He knew better than anyone except Caleb what they would face, and he was now in his eighties. So God speaks:

"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... Only be strong and very courageous, 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, that you may prosper wherever you go."

Do you want victory over what stands before you? Do you want to prosper, to have good success? God gives Joshua, Israel, and us the process for victory. Victory would not go to the strong or the swift—Israel's enemies were bigger, stronger, and better defended. Victory in Christ is found by courage in and obedience to God's word. Be strong and courageous to stick to God's word—to apply and obey it by His enabling power.

Meditate Day and Night

A companion passage worth memorizing is Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly... but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night... He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water... and whatever he does shall prosper."

This may seem an oversimplification, but it is reiterated dozens of times in Scripture. Joshua 1:8 says, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in 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."

There is no possession of God's blessings without possessing God's word in your heart. How much of God's word have you hidden in your heart? The more of God's word in your heart, the more your heart will be gripped by it, and the more you will succeed and prosper. Have you tested it? You may think it's too simple, but I have seen in my own life and in the lives of those I respect that these things are true.

A Different Measure of Success

Some who don't heed God's word appear to have great wealth and success by cultural standards, yet they are not as prosperous as you might think. This past week in my devotions I read Proverbs 23:17–18: "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off."

It is easy to look at those who don't walk after God and assume their position or wealth means they have it all. But such an assessment ignores the hereafter. The psalmist says the same in Psalm 73: he saw the prosperity of the wicked and grew discouraged until he went into the house of God and was reminded there is more to life than right now. True success is measured not by what one has in this life, but by where one's hope is for the next.

The more God's word governs your heart, mind, and steps, the more you will experience God's victory, success, prosperity, blessing, and rest—even if measured by a different standard than the world's. When the Bible speaks of prosperity, I guarantee it is different from what Hollywood and pop media put forth, and it is better than any prosperity you might attain here.

Prepare to Cross Over

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

Joshua was a man of faith and faithfulness. Israel's progress depended on bold steps of faith, and here Joshua calls the people to one. The temptation was to stay put in Moab. Two and a half of the twelve tribes had already taken possession east of the Jordan, and there were excuses galore to remain: it would be hard work, Moses was gone, they were not prepared for battle, the enemies had stronger battlements.

But thirty-eight years prior, the only thing that came between Israel and the Promised Land was unbelief. What is keeping you from laying hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of you? Victory, rest, blessing, and success are yours in Christ. As Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." We must press forward and take ground, or else we are backsliding and drifting.

The Two and a Half Tribes

Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, reminding them of their vow. Their wives, children, and livestock would remain east of the Jordan, but their mighty men of valor would cross over armed and help their brethren until the Lord gave them rest. Then they could return to enjoy their possession.

This takes us back to Numbers 31 and 32. After Israel's victory over the Midianites east of the Jordan, the heads of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh petitioned to settle there. Moses responded, "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land?" So they struck an agreement: they would be armed and go before Israel until everyone received his inheritance.

Now they fulfill that vow. They answer Joshua: "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go... Only be strong and of good courage." This is the right heart for those who follow God—"Here am I, send me." The successful servant of God stands before Him with a ready heart, and they even strengthen and encourage their leader.

For Such a Time as This

I taught through Joshua on Saturday nights at this church twenty years ago, in 2003, when I was twenty-three. I believed then, and believe all the more now, that God has great things for His church and this community in the years to come. As God would later say in Joshua 13, "There remains very much land yet to be possessed." There is so much more God desires to do in, with, and through us.

The only way we will take that ground is by trusting His enabling power—by His Spirit, His power, and His word at work in our lives, coming before Him with a ready heart willing to take bold steps of faith.

I am convinced we have come to the book of Joshua for such a time as this. The Christian church in America has wandered in defeat and discouragement in the wilderness far too long. God seems to be stirring His people for a fresh work—but nothing will come of it if we sit idly on the sidelines. So God's word to Moses is His word to us: arise, and go to the land that I am giving to you.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I pray that we would hear Your Spirit speaking—he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church. God, there is a need for us to rise up in Your power, by Your Spirit, with Your word in our hearts and Your word like a sword in our hand, to go out and take possession of that which You have called us to. Whatever town, state, or nation we live in, You have a call for us. I pray we would not walk in defeat and discouragement, wandering in the wilderness any longer, but that we would step into by faith what You have for us. Do work, speak to us through this book we are studying, and do a work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.