Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on JOSHUA: Getting Ready to Go, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Sin and Salvation
We're starting a brand new book of the Bible studying the book of Joshua so turn to Joshua chapter 1 we're gonna look at. The first couple verses this morning and as you're turning there let me tell you a little bit of how we got here as.
- Was already mentioned in your bulletin you should have received a little prayer card that says four prayers for what's next because last week.
- We did an entire study in Psalm 90 now Psalms is the book of prayers and worship for the Bible and to start this.
- New season the fall season the new series and also what we identified is really a new era for our church we started with.
- Prayer because when you're going through a transition or what's next you have to start with what's the same here's four prayers for that.
And so I just want to remind you if you go to this church even if you're just passing through if you're on to. The next thing then you need this too those are the four prayers that we are taking on as a church to pray through.
Prayer and Dependence
The Book of Joshua because it's really a biblical example maybe the best biblical example specifically in the Old Testament of what it looks. Like for one generation to pass the work of God to the next generation for the god that endures for generation to generation his.
- Work his word indoors a generation only goes so far and then it's time for them to pass it off for the new thing.
- And that's exactly what we find in the book of Joshua and so that's why we're studying it we're gonna go slowly through specifically.
- The first part of this book because it has everything to do with a transition of an old work the continued work towards the.
- Promises of God with a new generation so that's why we're here that's why you have the prayer cards because all of this is.
Going to be done as we pray for God to answer those requests in the prayer cards and then we're gonna study Joshua so. We get some biblical precedents for what it looks like for one generation in Joshua its Moses generation turning into the new generation that.
Grace and Justification
The way the people of God are going to be led the transition turns into a mission so there's a transitional stage of your. Life and there's a missional stage and they go into one another and it's it is it is the life that God has as. In the movement of God in your life begins with a transition think about this Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 you have been rescued. Or delivered from the power of darkness a life outside of God's will outside of the knowledge of God outside of the salvation of. God you've been transferred now into the kingdom of light or transitioned into a new kingdom every one of you who are a follower. Of Christ that the day you accepted the free gift of salvation your life went into transition Jesus says you want to be my. Disciple you better count the cost unless you hate your old life you let it go you lose your old life you can never. Be a follower of mine when you accept the call on your life to live for God he transitions your life into now the. Mission of your life a new purpose before you knew God you lived however you wanted or you look for some purpose outside of. The will of God for your life when he wins you over through His grace and his kindness leads you to a relationship with. Him he takes you from a transitional moment to a missional moment and that's now what we find in verse 2 transition from Moses's. Death to Joshua's leadership verse 2 says Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise and go there's a new mission Moses had a. Very specific mission it was something that he had to live out say it time and time again when the Lord spoke into Moses. His life and called him into the mission that he would be a charge of he said it's very simple I want you to. Go to Pharaoh and I want you to tell him let my people go on behalf of me on behalf of God his mission. Was this let my people go that they may serve me that's the mission that he was a part of in Moses was used. To break the chains of slavery and to set the people free into the wilderness and to lead them all the way up to. This Jordan River which separates the wilderness from the land of promise.
Faith and Obedience
The story of God starts by God's speaking into one man's life Abraham saying I'm giving you a promised land you got to trust. Me you got to believe in me there's this land now Moses takes them all the way up to the wilderness the promise of. Abraham now being delivered into the life of Moses he gets right to the Jordan River and it's time to transition and now the. Mission continues into Joshua we go from transitional to missional by saying to Joshua go take the land it's a new mission and those. Are the phases of your life as a follower of Christ and even if you're not your life is broken up to a number. Of different seasons each season representing a transition and then each season really has a reason that God has you there God places you. Into different times and seasons and cities and workplaces so that you can have a new work god says he's prepared to work for. You to walk in there's a mission to your life now transitional and missional are the easy bookends and there's something in between and. That's what we're gonna slow down and look at because if you're like me you can want to go right from the transition into. The mission and what we have to do is realize that there's a there's a there's a second connector to that there's a there's. A second middle phase that we need to really slow down and think about and I was reminded of this middle phase this week. I was asked to do a wedding in McCall at shore lodge if you ever get invited to a wedding in McCall at that. Lodge go it's beautiful and if you ever if you're planning a wedding that's a great venue to think about that's a non-promotional plug. Because it's just that nice now Thursday night is the rehearsal dinner and I'm walking into the rehearsal dinner and as I'm walking in. I actually see pastor Noah who just led us in some beautiful songs he was asked to sing songs for the wedding so he's. Walking in I'm walking in both going through the front doors and I noticed something startling about him here's what it was his hair. Was slicked back nice he was wearing a collared shirt a v-neck sweater pressed khaki pants brown leather shoes he looks really good now. It's startling because I realized what I'm wearing I went.
Sin and Salvation
In a flannel shirt with crumbs on it because I drove up and I ate some of the roadtrip snack food I'm wearing dirty. Jeans and old Birkenstocks and a hat and underneath that hat is horrible hat hair I struggle with that so there's really no way. Out for me and I said look at no I said why are you so dressed up he says well I don't know. What this nights gonna be so I decided to prepare myself I decided to get ready just in case this is a formal affair. I decided to dress up like this and if it's not then I'll just be dressed up anyway and I realized he's absolutely right. That was very wise of him to prepare himself with that mindset and as I'm walking in panics coming over me I've got a. 50/50 shot here and I'm hoping that no is wrong and we walk in beautiful lake behind us and inside this venue everyone's waiting. For the rehearsal to begin with the guy who's singing songs and the officiant and my worst nightmare comes true everybody in there is. Wearing suits and ties and dresses and Noah looks great and I'm the officiant looking like a homeless person now what this represents is. That middle phase now marriage is a great picture for this marriage is the great transition of life when you go from being single. To married God has put you into the transitional season of life maybe the greatest picture of this in fact the word says that. When you get married when a man and woman come together they are to leave their mother and father and to cling to each. Other to become one flesh there's a great transition that's happening and the marriage puts you on a mission you don't get married just. To enjoy a beautiful comfortable lifestyle God uses your marriage as a way to use your lives now together for His purposes and there's. An in between there's a preparation that happens there's a rehearsal dinner there's the time when everybody gets together and they start thinking about. The best way for this ceremony to be executed and such is life is transitional and it's missional and there's a middle section where. God is always using the details in between to prepare you and it's right here in Josh where we already read it but because. Our minds are so fixed sometimes on the.
Faith and Obedience
Beginning in the end we forget this one simple word that comes to Joshua that we have to slow down and study if we. Want to be a church that prays and waits on God to do what he wants to do we have to reread verse 2. It says the Lord speaks to Joshua the trends is happening and he's pointing him towards the mission and what happens my it says. Verse to Moses my servant is dead transition now therefore arise and go is the mission and there's that one word with a comma. Or a pause so eloquently put to slow down and think about that one word arise in other words as it says in the. NIV it says servants dead transition get ready to go and there's a middle section of your life in between all of the transitions. And all of the new reasons that God has placed you where he has placed you in trust that he has there is a. Middle section where you are to be getting ready for all things never waste a day never waste a season as you wait for. Answers you remember that God uses the in-between to make preparations of your life to get people ready for what he has for them. This has to be a culture of a church that wants to be part of a generational ship there has to be a culture. Of getting ready of opening up your hands of asking God to do what he wants with your life you're ready to go when. He tells you to go it has to be a culture of your personal life you want to study the habits of successful people. One thing you'll find across the board is that there is a culture of strong morning routine there's a get readiness to people who. Are successful it's part of the in-betweens of life is that you're always getting ready you're making preparations for what the day has for. What the week has for what the year has and that was put into you by God wants to be on the move not. Just to transition people to Mission but to use that gray area in between to make ready to get ready for what he has. For you now as we read this I want to make it really simple for us because I see three ways that when the. Lord speaks into this transition of leadership he gives.
Prayer and Dependence
Three ways to get ready he says at first my servant is dead now go to the Jordan that's the mission you and all. This people so before they go Joshua is going to make provisions and preparations to move a bunch of people at once preparations has. To be have to be made for people to go so part of when you ask this question in your life what's next I'm. Praying these four prayers of transitional omission Olympic wean God prepares the people of the movement and that's part of this there's a community. Aspect to this there's a personal aspect to this the second thing is he says go over this Jordan he gives vision as to. Where he's taking them it's a specific place it's got a name it's got details in fact in verse three he's gonna he's gonna. Map it out down to the boundary of where he's taking God prepares places he prepares people to go to specific places that's the. Story of the promised land I want to take you my people to this land to this place and as part of the way. That preparations need to be made in your life and in our church remember this is a message for us as a generational shift. In who we are as a body of believers and then finally it says this I want you to go over with all these. People to the land which I am giving them a very important aspect of the preparations that are supposed to be made to go. To make the move is the people are in place the place is identified and then the promises are remember where God is moving. These people is absolutely the fulfillment of the promises he has and so part of the preparation is realizing that God is preparing people. For specific places to set the stage for all of us who want to be part of the movement of God who want to. Be on mission to realize that mission is a fulfillment of promises the purpose of your life is a fulfillment of a promise that. God made before you were even born that he made you with a purpose it's a fulfillment of the promises what he has for. You and what he has for this church so today we simply look at preparations to be made in people places and promises before. We do that I want to point something out as we start.
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.