Resolution

Thank you. Forty-five percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions every single year. Here at Cross Connection, we're getting ready for the new year and thinking about those resolutions. The reality is that only about eight percent of people make good on the resolutions they set.

We are looking at the Scriptures that have to do with change and transition as we move from 2014 to 2015. We are considering what the Bible calls us to do regarding resolutions. So, open your Bibles to Joshua chapter 1 and consider this with us. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

In Joshua chapter 1, we find a great passage dealing with change and transition. A lot of major changes are happening for the people of Israel at this point in their journey. We read, "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, saying, 'Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore 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 to you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 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, 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. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate day and night in it, that you may observe to do according to all that is written.'"

In it, for then, will you make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success? Have I not commanded you to be strong and of good courage? Do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

God, I pray that you would give us insight and understanding and help us to make application from this text as we consider the things that you would say thousands of years ago to your people, the children of Israel, as they were standing at the edge of new things, at the beginning of a transition and a change. As many people can be apprehensive about such things, I pray, God, that you would speak to us through the things that you spoke to them. Although we live many thousands of years and culturally removed from the people to whom these things were first spoken, God, you have a word for us. Since your word is living and powerful, we pray that you would use your word to transform us by the renewing of our minds and make us more like you today, especially as we prepare to step into a new year. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed and said, "Amen."

You can be seated. For some people, this time of year is rather inconsequential. They are not really concerned or think much about the idea of a transition of years from one year to the next. It just kind of happens; the calendar page turns, the date changes, and you might have a few weeks where you forget to write 2015 instead of 2014, but they don't care much about it.

For others, this time of year means a major transition. This time of year means something that they put a significant amount of thought or consideration into. In fact, statisticians tell us that about 45 percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions every single year. Another 17 percent do it from time to time. The other 38 percent have realized that only 8 percent of those who actually make resolutions follow through on them, so they don't make them at all anymore.

The number one New Year's resolution, I'm sure you can guess what it is, is to lose weight, of course. So, over the next several weeks, all the fitness clubs in our area will make the bulk of their money on memberships that will probably...

Be used for about three to four weeks. If you plan on going to one of those fitness centers in the next three to four weeks, know that it will be hard to find any equipment to work out on until the fourth week of January. After that, it will be as light as can be, and you'll be just fine. You might want to delay your New Year's resolution until that point.

For most people, there is some form of contemplation about what is coming and the time that is ahead. Although many people don't make good on those resolutions, there are a lot of different resolutions that people have: to get out of debt, to lose weight, to spend more time with family, to go back to school, or whatever it may be. This time of year, for a fair amount of people, is a time of consideration, contemplation, change, and transition as they begin to look forward into a new year and new things.

I know for myself, every year as I come to this point, I think about my walk with the Lord, my relationship with my wife, our relationship with our children, and the work that God has called me to do with the church. As we step into a new year, those things need to change, or they need to be strengthened or built up. I always find myself thinking about it at this time of the year, even if it is just a date marker that means very little to many people.

As we come to this text in Joshua chapter 1, we find the children of Israel facing a significant transition and change. As I was thinking about New Year's resolutions and stepping from 2014 into 2015, this passage came to my mind quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. The children of Israel are standing at the edge of the land that God had promised to them hundreds of years before this event, to their father Abraham.

In Genesis chapter 12, it is recorded that God called a man named Abram. Years later, God changed his name to Abraham. He said, "Abraham, I want you to come and follow me. I want you to leave the home that you're used to, the family that you're living near in what is the Middle East today, far in the Middle East, in what was modern-day Iraq." God told him to come and follow Him to a land he had never been to.

God promised, "I’m going to show it to you. I’m going to give it to you and your descendants. As you follow Me, I’m going to bless you, and through you, all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed." The blessing that God was commissioning or calling through Abraham would ultimately come through one of his descendants, who would arrive thousands of years later through Jesus. God called this man because through him and his family, God had a plan for the whole world.

God's plan to bring salvation to humanity began in Genesis chapter 12, where the first call came. God said, "I want you to come and follow me, and I'm going to give you this land for you and your descendants. I will make your name great, and I will make your family a blessing to all people." Abraham, as recorded in Genesis chapter 12, followed God. Years later, God gave him a son, and through that son, Isaac, God reaffirmed or confirmed that calling once again. He said to Abraham, "Through your son Isaac, this promise is going to be fulfilled."

As time passed, Isaac had two sons, one of whom he named Jacob. God confirmed that it would be through Jacob that He would accomplish this great work. Ultimately, as the Book of Genesis concludes, Jacob had twelve sons, and these twelve sons became the heads of what we refer to as the twelve tribes of Israel, as God changed Jacob's name to Israel. However, when the Book of Genesis closes in chapters 49 and 50, the children of Israel are not in the land that God had called Abraham to; instead, they are located much further south, in what is today Egypt.

Just as it was thousands of years ago, they were in Egypt through God's providence and leading. God protected and provided for His people while they were there, bringing salvation to the Egyptian people and to the family of Israel through the work He did through one of Jacob's sons named Joseph.

Fast forward between the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and the second book, Exodus. There is about 400 years of history that we are not told much about. When the Book of Exodus opens, 400 years have passed, and the key player is no longer Israel; it is a man named Moses. In the early chapters of Exodus, God calls this man through an amazing set of circumstances. He grew up in the household of Pharaoh, amidst interesting twists and turns occurring among the people of Israel. Many of you know this story because you have seen "The Ten Commandments," "The Prince of Egypt," or even a more recent movie called "Exodus." I haven't seen it, but it follows that story, perhaps loosely.

God calls Moses when he is in his forties, but he is not ready to follow that command, so he runs away.

Later on, when Moses is now in his 80s, 40 years after the burning bush scene, God calls him and says, "I want you to go down to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go." God calls this man, this leader, who, in and of himself, feels that he is nothing and lacks the ability to fulfill the calling placed upon him. He tries to get out of it, as so many people do, but God begins to put His hand and His call upon their lives. Despite Moses's reluctance, God gets His way, as He always does.

Moses goes down to Egypt and tells Pharaoh to let His people go. Pharaoh, however, does not want that to happen, leading to a back-and-forth struggle that culminates in ten plagues. Ultimately, we see that Pharaoh reluctantly releases the people of Israel under Moses's leadership. They begin their journey toward the Promised Land, and the next significant event in the story is the crossing of the Red Sea. God miraculously opens the Red Sea, allowing them to cross over on dry ground, and then devastates the army of the Egyptians. The children of Israel are finally free from their bondage.

In the wilderness, God begins to show His power and might, as He had already done through the Red Sea incident and the ten plagues. Early in their journey, the people find themselves without food and cry out to Moses. He, in turn, cries out to God. The next morning, they wake up to find something on the ground that wasn't there before. They ask Moses, "What is it?" This is what the word "Manna" actually means—"What is it?" Moses responds, "I don't know. Eat it. Pick it up and eat it." Thus, God provides them with this miraculous substance, Manna, which they would gather and eat day by day.

Later, they come to a point where they are thirsty and lack sufficient water for the camp. They cry out to Moses again, and God, through Moses, brings water out of rocks. For the next 38 years, the children of Israel experience these miraculous provisions. They arrive at Mount Sinai, which is the same place where God had first appeared to Moses and called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. It is at Mount Sinai that God gives the law and confirms His covenant with this people, declaring that they will be the ones through whom He will bring the Messiah, the Savior for the whole world.

About two years after leaving Egypt, they move out from Sinai and continue their journey toward the Promised Land. This brings us to the next chapter in their story.

The Book of Numbers follows Genesis and Exodus. Leviticus contains all the rights and rituals that the children of Israel were supposed to follow. The Book of Numbers describes their wilderness journey. The first 10 or 11 chapters detail their movement from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land. In chapters 12 and 13, they are right at the border, just two years after they have come out of Egypt.

Moses sends 12 spies into the Promised Land to scout it out and see what kind of land it is. They return and share their findings with all the people, as recorded in Numbers chapter 13. They report that it is a good land, filled with milk and honey and wonderful things that God is giving to His people. However, 10 of the 12 spies say that although it is a good land, there are significant obstacles, including giants in the land. They claim, "We were in our own eyes like grasshoppers before them, and they will chew us up and spit us out."

The entire nation becomes fearful because of the testimony of these ten spies. In contrast, two of the spies stand up and say, "Yes, there are giants in the land, but God has given us the land. We need to go in." Unfortunately, the people do not listen to the minority report of those two spies. Their hearts are devastated, and Numbers chapter 13 records that they all went to bed crying themselves to sleep that night.

Because of their unbelief and their inability to step in and lay hold of what God was giving them, as well as their fear and lack of trust in God, He declares that they will not enter the Promised Land at that point. This entire generation will not reap the benefits of the Promised Land. For the next 38 years, they wander in the wilderness until that entire generation is gone. Only two individuals from that generation are given the opportunity to enter the Promised Land: the two spies who said the land is good and that they need to go in, trusting that God will give it to them. Their names were Joshua and Caleb.

When we come to the Book of Joshua, chapter 1, this is now at the end of all of that. This is after God called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is after they went down into Egypt, where the 12 tribes of Israel grew and multiplied. It is after Moses, by the power of God, brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. This is also after the death of Moses, as noted in the last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy is Moses calling the people together right before he is going to die, just before they go into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. He calls them to preach one last, long message about the law of God. Then, Deuteronomy chapter 34, the last chapter, ends with Moses dying. Now, with Moses gone, it is time for Joshua, who had been Moses's assistant and one of the 12 spies—one who had the minority report—to take the helm. He is called to take the leadership and to bring the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

This marks a massive transition, a huge change taking place as we come to Joshua chapter one. The reality is that most people do not like change. Most people are not excited when change comes to their lives. However, we all know that change is inevitable. There is no way to live this life without some sort of transitional changes occurring from time to time. Some are big, some are small, but we all experience transitional change to a certain extent.

One writer once noted that many people will not change until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. Sometimes, God actually puts us in difficult, rough, and painful situations to get us to say, "Okay, now finally I'm going to change. I'm going to move out; I'm going to move forward." It is amazing the kind of things that need to happen in people's lives to get them to change their behavior.

Consider those who have lived a hard life, spending a lot of time drinking alcohol or smoking. They may experience devastating effects, like heart disease or a heart attack. When their cardiologist comes and says, "You have to change or you're going to die," even at that point, people often have a hard time making those transitional changes without significant help.

We don't like change; we don't like to move into those things. But think about the people standing at the edge of the Promised Land as Joshua is now their leader. For 40 years, they had a certain measure of consistency. For those four decades, God's power had brought them up out of Egypt through Moses and his leadership. The people that Joshua is now called to lead into the Promised Land had known nothing different in their lives. They had known nothing different than being in the wilderness.

In the wilderness, the Israelites had known nothing different than waking up every single morning, going outside their tent, and finding their food on the ground, ready for them to pick up and eat. They had experienced God miraculously providing water when there was none, sometimes even out of rocks. They had known nothing different than God sustaining their clothes and their shoes. The books of Numbers and Exodus tell us that for those entire 38 years, their clothes never wore out, and their shoes never wore out. Some of you still have clothes from 40 years ago; it's amazing. This is a pretty awesome thing—never did their clothes wear out during those 40 years of wilderness wandering.

Think about the consistency of that. Think about the comfort of that. They had been provided for with manna, water from rocks, and clothes that didn't wear out. Now, their beloved leader, the one they went to every time there was a problem or anything lacking in their lives, was gone. They would go to Moses; they would go to Moses. He would always do the right thing and go to God, but the people always went to Moses. Now, he was gone. "Moses, my servant, is dead," Joshua 1:1 tells us. Moses is gone, and Joshua is at the helm. They are leaving the past behind, leaving everything they had known, everything that was comfortable and normal to them.

Now, the idea of living in a tent for 40 years does not sound comfortable or enjoyable to you or me, but realize that this was their norm. Because that was their normal, it was their comfort. It is hard for us to leave the past behind; it is hard for us to leave what is enjoyable, comfortable, or normal. It takes faith. We all experience, at various times in our lives, that step of faith—moving into uncharted territory, moving into something we haven't done before.

You may remember moving from elementary school into junior high school; there is some apprehension there. There is concern when moving from junior high school into high school, or graduating high school and moving out of your parents' house—maybe to go away to school, to go into the military, or to enter the workforce. Whatever it may be, there is faith involved in those transitions. Moving from being a single adult to getting married requires a significant measure of faith, as does moving from being a husband and wife to having children. Each of these steps involves faith as you move into new experiences.

Transitions can be tough, and faith is always involved when the details of the step we are moving into are not all worked out. We don't have every detail figured out regarding how it's going to work. There is a measure of faith, a measure of risk, and apprehension involved. As a result, those are the things that cause us to pause. We don't really know if we can step into this very thing. Leaving everything that is known and comfortable is hard, and the children of Israel were about ready to do that. The temptation is always to stay where it is comfortable.

I experience this every single morning when I wake up, and I'm sure many of you do as well. Especially this time of year, when it's colder. Right now, for us in Southern California, this feels like a tundra; it's freezing. I know I have friends who live in other parts of the world where it's a lot colder, where they're shoveling snow this morning. When I talk with them, they say, "Oh, it's so cold," and I look around and think, "It's 50 degrees! What do you mean it's cold?" They would be wearing shorts and t-shirts while we are bundled up in scarves, saying, "Oh my goodness, it's cold!"

When I wake up in the morning, I'm in my warm bed, and everything is just fine. I don't have an alarm clock because we have four little kids, and that's all you need. You don't need an alarm clock. But when they come in and it's time to get up, there's that part of me that just goes, "I don't want to get up. It's warm and comfortable, and I like that." The temptation is to stay where it is comfortable.

This temptation also came to the group of people, the twelve tribes. As you follow the story of Deuteronomy and the story of Joshua, you see that as the children of Israel came into the promised land, two and a half of the twelve tribes said, "We don't want to go in. We want to stay where we're at. We want to stay outside of the promised land on the east side of the Jordan River and not go in to possess our possession. We want to stay right here."

The amazing thing is that God allowed them to do that. However, as you follow the Book of Joshua, you find that they still had to send their men in to help the rest of the children of Israel take the land. They still had to experience the hardship and the battles of taking the land, but they didn't get the blessings of taking the land because they said, "We're comfortable; we don't want to step into that." The temptation is to stay where it is comfortable, to stay exactly where we are, and to never move forward.

That was the temptation that the children of Israel were facing. Joshua is now the leader, but Moses, their beloved leader, has just died. It's interesting because in Deuteronomy chapter 34, the last chapter just before Joshua, it says in verse 8 that the children of Israel mourned for Moses for thirty days. For thirty days after he died, they wept and mourned for him. They honored him by doing this; they honored all that God had done through Moses.

Over that thirty-day period, I can guarantee that there were times for many of the people mourning where they were wondering, "I don't know if we can move into this next thing. It's hard. Transition is hard." Yet, they honored Moses, which brings us to point number one on our outline. As they considered all these things of the past and remembered Moses, they honored him.

Point number one: Honor the past by learning from it, not lingering in it. After honoring what God had done through Moses in the last forty years—bringing them out of Egypt, into the Wilderness, and into the Covenant that God had prepared for His people—God says, "Listen, guys, Moses, My servant, is dead. Now therefore arise. It’s time to get up and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I have given to them, to the children of Israel."

In other words, God says, "Hey, listen, we are not staying here any longer. It’s time to get up and move out. It’s time to move into the things that I’ve called you to." Yes, you can remember the past, and you can honor the past, and you can think about the great things that have happened in the past, but don’t linger there. Don’t stay there. God wants us to be in a progressive move forward, following Him.

So He says to the people, "Let’s move out. It’s time to go." We would like to linger in our accomplishments; we would like to hold on to the experiences of the past. We would like to boast in the victories and praise the exploits of the past. But God comes in and says, "No, it’s time to go. It’s time to get up." Even though the temptation for every single one of us is to just remain, linger, and stay, He comes and says, "No, it’s time to move on."

I believe the Apostle Paul speaks to this. He gives a caution in the New Testament in the book of Philippians. You can turn there if you’d like; it’s near the end of the Bible.

The Bible, past Galatians and Ephesians, then Philippians chapter 3, contains a caution from the Apostle Paul to those who are tempted to linger in the past, which is all of us. He begins by addressing the people there, acknowledging that some among them want to boast in their past and have confidence in it. Paul admits that he, too, has the temptation to have confidence in his past and to boast about it.

In Philippians chapter 3, verse 7, he states, "But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. I count those things as rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death, if by any means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Paul continues, "Not as though I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize

That would be detrimental and problematic if individuals still have the same tantrums and respond in the same way when someone takes their toy or cuts them off on the road. If they continue to react in the same manner, that is a problem. Those who never move forward never mature. Here, Paul is cautioning us against staying in one place. He says that maturity is letting go of those things that are in the past, learning from those experiences, and being blessed and honored by what has happened, but not lingering there. We must press on and lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us.

Christians are not supposed to stay where we were. Many of you might remember that Evangelical song that was popular about 20 years ago or more. It was played at all kinds of harvest crusades and similar events: "Come Just As You Are." Does anyone remember that song? They would repeat it over and over. I am quite happy that we have moved on beyond that song, to be honest.

It is true that we come to Christ just as we are; we don't have to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. However, although we come to Christ just as we are, we ought not to stay the way we were. There needs to be change and transformation. It is a sad fact that there are people in this church and churches all over the world who have been Christians for a year, five years, ten years, twenty years, or more, yet they haven't really progressed in their Christian walk.

There are people who have been Christians for a significant amount of time and have never been baptized. There are those who have never shared their faith with someone who doesn't believe, never invited someone to come to church, never tithed, never served in a church, or never read through the Bible. While we don't boast in these things or put our confidence in them, these should be some of the traits that begin to develop in the life of a mature believer.

Of course, there are other important spiritual aspects that are explicit in the Bible and should be evident in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is an important one that should be seen in my life and your life as Christians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. These qualities should be birthed and grow by the Spirit of God. One of the responsibilities that falls perfectly upon us as Christians is to follow the Lord in obedience, be baptized, and serve.

The Lord gives joyfully to those who read through the Scriptures, putting His word into us. These are not the things we put our confidence in, but they are, to a certain extent, measures of maturity that indicate we are growing in Christ. We need to be those who are moving forward into maturity, even though the temptation is to stay where it is comfortable, to remain with what we know, and to never move into what God has for us.

The children of Israel found themselves in that very same place in Joshua chapter one. God's word to them in verse two was, "Now arise and go." He urged them to get up and move out into what the Lord has for them. The children of Israel, like any of us, knew a lot about what God had for them. They knew about the Promised Land; they had heard stories about it, prophecies about it, and they had dreamed about it. They had thought about it and talked about it for four decades. Now, in Joshua chapter one, they could actually see it; it was right in front of them. The only immediate obstacle standing before them at that moment was the Jordan River.

There is a significant difference between knowing, talking, dreaming, and thinking about something, or even seeing it, and actually experiencing it. They had not yet tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord in the Promised Land. There are many Christians who can talk a lot about the good things that we have in Christ. They can think a lot about those things and hope for them, but they have not yet moved into those things that are theirs in Christ, which the Lord has prepared for those who love Him.

In Philippians chapter 3, verse 12, Paul says we need to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us. Each one of us today has been created by God, given giftings, talents, and abilities. He has called us and brought us to Himself. If you are a Christian today, you have been sealed by His Holy Spirit, and He has done all of that for a purpose. He created you and me for a specific task in His kingdom. He wants us to be a part of His body, with each part doing whatever it is supposed to do within the body of Christ. He saved you for a purpose, and He wants you and me to lay hold of the very thing that He saved us for. Paul expresses his desire to live his life in a way that he is laying hold of that purpose.

For which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. If you're not doing that, then I think you should recognize that if you're a Christian today and you're not stepping in and laying hold of the things that the Lord has created you for and set aside for you in His work, understand that God is going to do things in your life to make life uncomfortable until you do.

If things in your Christian walk seem to be a little uncomfortable right now, that may be the Lord. Like the eagle comes into the nest and starts to stir it up so that the little eaglets go, "Okay, this is not comfortable anymore; we need to move on." That's what the Lord sometimes does. You may ask, does He really do that? Yes, He does.

I think about the Apostle Paul. Before he stepped into what God had for him, he was fighting against what the Lord wanted him to do. Finally, God had to kind of slap him up beside the head and knock him down on the ground. The Lord says to him in Acts chapter 9, "Isn't it hard for you to kick against the goads?" Now, that may be language that we don't think much about today, but the idea for someone who lived in a farming society back in that day made a lot of sense.

A farmer, when he would plow his field, would have his ox in front of him, plowing the field and pulling the plow. He would have a long pole in his arm with a tapered pointed end called a goad. If that ox wasn't doing what he was supposed to do, the farmer would give him some incentive to move in the direction that he wanted him to go. That's what God was doing with the Apostle Paul's life, trying to say, "Hey, this is the way I'm directing you." Paul was kicking against it, and God was saying, "Listen, things are going to get a lot more uncomfortable until you yield."

Let me tell you, you don't want to fight against the Lord. There are a number of stories in the Bible of people who said, "I'm going to fight with God," and it never ends well. So stop it. If you're doing it, don't do it anymore; you could end up walking with a limp for your entire life.

God says to Joshua and to all of Israel, "Arise and go over the Jordan River and take possession of the land which I promise to give to you." It's one thing to know about something; it's entirely different to experience it. Now, the children of Israel are called to move away from just hearing about, dreaming about, thinking about, and talking about the Promised Land to actually coming into the Promised Land.

Of course, there were all kinds of obstacles, all kinds of things that could hinder them from coming into the possession of that land. But look at verses three and four again, back to Joshua chapter one. In Joshua 1:3, God reminds the children of Israel and Joshua that "every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, as I said to Moses, from the wilderness of this Lebanon as far as the Great..."

The river Euphrates to the land of the Hittites, the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. All that was before them, all that promised land, was theirs for the taking. All they had to do was merely move into it, even though there were obstacles. God reminds them of the truth of just stepping into this very early on in their journey.

As I mentioned a moment ago, the immediate obstacle that stood in their way was the Jordan River. The Bible in Joshua states that the Jordan River was overflowing its banks at this point in time in Israel's life. If you go with us to Israel next year in November and see the Jordan River, you might think, "Okay, that's more like the Jordan Creek." However, at this time, it was overflowing its banks, and they felt they couldn't cross it without God's help.

God had helped them 40 years before when they crossed over the Red Sea on dry ground. This time, God instructed Moses, later on in the Book of Joshua, to tell the priests who bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, which represented the presence of God, to go stand in the water of the Jordan River. As they put their feet in the water, the Bible describes the waters of the Jordan River parting, allowing the children of Israel to cross over on dry ground.

What was that? It was God saying, "Listen, what I told you back there at the beginning, Joshua, that every place that the sole of your foot treads upon is yours for the taking, I meant it. I am going to bring you into this. All you need to do is step in by faith." Even though it might be uncomfortable and you might feel like you can't do it, I want you to step into it, move out, and you will find that I have given it to you.

This is true for us just as it was true for them. Even though we're not taking a physical land, it's true for us spiritually. In Second Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20, God, through the Apostle Paul, says that all the promises of God are yes and amen for us. Every promise that God has given to us, therefore, as Christians, is yes; they are going to be fulfilled in our lives.

In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 3, it says that God has given to the Christian every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. It's all ours; we just have to take possession of it. We merely have to walk into it. The Apostle Peter, in Second Peter chapter 1, verse 3, stated that by God's divine power, He has given to the Christian everything that pertains to life and godliness. Everything that you and I need to live this life in a godly manner, God has provided.

God has given us the promised land, just as He did to the children of Israel. All He asks is that we merely step into it. Some may ask, "What about the obstacles? What about the giants in the land?" Yes, those challenges exist, but look at verse 5 of Joshua chapter 1: "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 or forsake you."

This promise was practically true for the children of Israel; they witnessed God's power firsthand. It is also spiritually true for Christians. Paul states in First Corinthians chapter 10 that these events recorded in the books of Joshua, Numbers, and Exodus serve as examples for us. This is how God works. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. The Bible says in Romans chapter 8 that we, as Christians, are more than conquerors against anything that comes against us in this world. Neither death nor life, height nor depth, nor anything else can separate us from the love of God. The promises of God are all ours in Christ.

However, I notice an interesting condition in this passage. Most of us don't particularly like conditions or "ifs," but God presents them clearly. He says, "I want you to know what I'm calling you to do." In verse 6 of Joshua chapter 1, He expresses His desire for us to enter the land and take hold of it. "Every place that the sole of your foot treads upon is yours. I'm giving it to you. Nobody will be able to stand against you."

Then He instructs us to be strong and of good courage, for we shall divide the land as an inheritance to the people, just as He swore to their fathers. He emphasizes this by saying, "Only be strong and very courageous." This is the second time He mentions it. We are to observe and do according to all the law that Moses, His servant, commanded. We must not turn to the right or to the left from it, so that we may prosper wherever we go.

In verse 8, He continues, "This 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, when you do these things, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Finally, He commands us a third time: "Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

He says, "Come into this Promised Land. Leave the past behind. Although you've honored it and learned from it, leave it behind and step into the Promised Land. Everywhere that your foot treads upon, it's yours. I'm giving it to you, but you have to come in and take possession."

Then He says, "As you do this, you need to be strong and courageous." He repeats this command three times: "Be strong and courageous." But be strong and courageous on the basis of what? Just telling someone who is fearful to be strong is not enough. There are several places in Scripture where this occurs. For example, when the Philistines are preparing to fight against the Israelites, God comes among the children of Israel, and the Philistines are afraid. In 1 Samuel chapter 4, their leaders simply say, "Be strong, be strong." Sometimes, words alone are insufficient.

So, be strong and courageous on the basis of what? Notice that He gives us some things upon which we can stand with strength and courage in this passage. The first one is God's past promise. "Be strong and very courageous" on the basis of God's past promise. Where is that? In verse 6, He says, "You are going to take possession of the land which I swore, past tense, to your fathers." I have promised in the past that it will be so, and because I made a promise—"all of the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ"—I will make good on my promise. So, be strong and courageous on the basis of the past promises of God. I swore this in the past, and I will bring it to pass.

Secondly, be strong and courageous on the surety of God's future blessing. He says to Joshua and the children of Israel in verse 6, "You shall divide this land." It is certain; it's not a "maybe." You might divide this land as an inheritance among the children of Israel. No, He says, "You are going to divide this land among the children of Israel because of My power." There is no "maybe," there is no "might."

He goes on to say that one of the other reasons you can be strong and courageous is because "I am with you wherever you go." So, we have the past promise of God, the surety of His future blessing, and the certainty of His presence with us right now. These give us a basis from which we can be strong and courageous in the things that we step into and the things that we are a part of.

Experience in our lives is essential. Point number three on your outline is to step in and lay hold of all that God has for you. It is yours for the taking. He has given us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. We will be talking a lot more about that in a couple of weeks when we start a new series in the book of Ephesians.

Step in and lay hold of the blessings that God has given to you. Remember that by His divine power, He has given you everything that you need to live this life in a godly manner. Be strong and courageous on the basis of His past promises, the surety of His future blessings, and the fact that He is with us right now.

But be strong and courageous to do what? Notice what He says in this section, verses six through nine of Joshua chapter one. Be strong and courageous. It tells us in verse seven that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, My servant, commanded you.

It is interesting to me because you would assume, in the flow of this passage, that God would say to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous to fight the battles in the promised land, to take the land, to go against your enemies, and to conquer the city." You would think that in the context of what has been stated, that is what He is going to say. But He doesn't say that. He says, "I want you to be strong and courageous to keep My word and My command. Be strong and courageous to walk in the word, to do all the things that Moses, My servant, commanded you to be obedient."

Point number four on your outline illustrates this with a simple cycle. There are two blanks, and you can put these words in either blank you want because it works either way: obedience and commitment. This is how it worked for the children of Israel thousands of years ago, and this is how it works in my life and yours today, in 2014 going into 2015.

Obedience strengthens our commitment, and commitment strengthens our obedience. This cycle goes over and over again. As we take a step of faith to obey the word of the Lord and what He has called us to do, it will strengthen our commitment to the Lord. As we commit ourselves to the Lord, it will strengthen our obedience.

Obedience to the Lord is essential, and this cycle will continue in our lives as we stay on the path of God's Word. If we keep His Word, His Word will keep us on the path. Notice that twice in this section of Scripture, in verses 7 and again in verse 8, it is emphasized. This is how you have a successful and prosperous journey with Jesus: you commit to obey, and as you obey, your commitment will be strengthened. In that, you will experience success and prosperity.

I recognize that we don't have time to delve into it today, but success and prosperity in the Kingdom of God are different from the measures of success and prosperity in our world. Even so, success and prosperity in the Kingdom of God continue into eternity. Success and prosperity in this life are temporal; they will fade away. However, He says if you want to be successful and prosperous in the life that God has for you, then stand in and walk in the Word of God. Keep it in your mouth, keep it in your mind, and keep it in your heart.

He says to be strong, not dismayed; be courageous, not afraid, as stated in verse 4 and verse 9. How do we do that? Well, again, He sums it up with this: "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." How are we strong and courageous? Ultimately, our strength and courage come from the fact that our Lord is with us wherever we go. The presence of God is sufficient.

Point number five on your outline: in 2015, resolve to possess your possessions in Christ. Among all the other resolutions that you could make—such as losing weight, getting out of debt, going back to school, getting a better job, spending more time with family, or going on a vacation—my encouragement, my exhortation as your pastor, is to resolve to possess your possessions in Christ. Lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of you. He saved you; He saved me for a purpose. The question is simple: are you fulfilling the purpose for which God ordained you? He saved us for a purpose, and He wants us to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us.

My hope is that as we move into this year, we will take new ground in our lives individually and in our life as a church corporately in the Kingdom of God and what He has for us. Amen.

Let's stand and we'll pray as we close. Father God, I thank You for Your Word.

I thank You for giving us the presence of Your Spirit. Lord, by the power of Your Word and the presence of Your Spirit, You will perfect those things that concern us. We can be confident in this very thing: You who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day that we stand before You, Jesus.

God, I pray that You would stir us to not linger in the past, but to learn from it and to move forward into greater maturity and Christlikeness in our lives. Help us to step in and lay hold of all that You have for us this year. May we make a commitment to be obedient, and as we step out in faith to do the things You have called us to do, may that strengthen our commitment.

Let our commitment strengthen our obedience, and may we grow more and more like You. In this year, may we possess more of our possessions in You than we did last year. God, shine brightly through each of our lives. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.