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: Details Ahead, Proceed with Faith, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Mission and Witness
So Joshua chapter 1 we're gonna study a very particular part of answering the question what's next I'm excited to have this element because. I think it's something that all of us asked from time to time what we're gonna study now in the timeline of Joshua's inheriting.
- This work of God to a new generation and leadership is how God is going to allow him to lead in the plan look.
- What it says in verse 9 where we left off last week have I not commanded you be strong and good of good courage.
- Don't be afraid nor dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go this is going to put a close to.
- This interaction that God has with Joshua after Moses died it says the word of the Lord appears to Joshua and the Lord gives.
Joshua this new vision to keep the mission moving the responsibility of Moses was to leave the elite the people from slavery in Egypt. All the way through the wilderness to the foot or the river that divides the wilderness from the promised land and then he died.
Life in the Church
Them and this is the question of all of you who are in the what's next season whenever you're asking the question what do. I do now what's next for my life you're always waiting for this moment what's the plan how many of you have felt the.
- Burden of trying to understand the plan that God has for your life it's all over the place it's one of the things I.
- Have to do as a pastor is to help people navigate the questions they have about how God is unveiling his plan to them.
- And it's not a church exclusive topic the world that you live in is full of decisions that you have to make about.
- The plans for your life a couple weeks ago I dropped off my sister-in-law Daniela's youngest sister to college we took her to Portland.
She walks into the first day or navigating where she needs to go first step sit down academic advisor we're going to go through. Your plan from freshman year to senior year because if you want to get through college you got to have an academic plan right.
Faith and Obedience
Tell them number one God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life now that's true it's all over Scripture Ephesians. Chapter 2 verse 10 says we are the handiwork of God created in Christ Jesus for good works that we should walk in meaning. God has made you for a purpose and a reason to walk in the work that he's planned for you he's got a plan. The question is when you leave the Sunday service and this idea of the plan of God has been given to you once again. Because you're at church to hear about purpose and the plans of God that are good for your life a question that we have. To navigate from time what does it actually look like what do I do with this desire I have to live a purpose filled. Life and the steps that I need to take to get there and I'll tell you right now that in this sanctuary without doing. An exact science survey there's probably two groups of people right now based off what I'm reading from the plan unveiled in the example. Of Joshua to the people but also just knowing life there are some of you who absolutely love the details of a good solid. Plan and some of you love what we just read that they're starting to get some details that says prepare provisions pack your bags. Within three days there's a little timeline for the detail people and then we're gonna cross great we've got our objectives we've got our. Marching orders some of you are detail people some of you love the daily calendar and you love to look at your weekly calendar. And you love your monthly calendar and then you put things in your yearly calendar and you know that in six months you're gonna. Go get coffee with a friend that's incredible I really respect people like you and you know who you are others of you are. Not so much details people you would be you'd be my people I'm what you would call a destination person we also have that. Here it says within three days you're going to cross the river immediate application obedience points because you're going to possess the land and. Possessing the land is the big picture of the plan and some of you are have that and god bless you we need that. Too we can't get caught up just.
Faith and Obedience
In the details because the details are only as good as the destination and so some of you know exactly what that's like you're. Not so detailed into the daily calendar or the daily plans but you've got pictures of where you're going and I can relate to. You in that here's what we're gonna find in this example given to us L as an example of a plan that is executed. Well and it does well it can be a prosperous plan to be a plan that we can learn from we need both you. Got to have the detail and you got to have the destination and then there's a third part of this that we're gonna look. At that makes it all go and here's what Joshua says here's your details within three days get ready here's your destination we're going. Over to possess the land that's the point of all of this and then he says this which is so important and it is. The difference between the plans putting your faith in God to allow him to do it and plans that will make you go crazy. For all the ways that you need to figure it out here's the third element in this it says that you're going to possess. The land second half of verse 11 which the Lord your God is giving you there's a part of all of this as we. Study the biblical example of a plan executed that requires you to believe whether you are looking at the details or whether you're looking. At the big picture destination it requires you to believe that in between the beginning the end and getting you there God is going. To fulfill his promise to make it work and we're gonna look simply you want a plan of God you want to know how. You execute following this promise of Scripture that God loves you in as a plan for your life there are three things I want. To draw out of this as examples for each one of us to build faith into the destination people are gonna have some faith. In the details this morning and the detail people I also want to give you some faith in where God's taking us so that. It won't get caught in the extremes so one you got to have a piece of the puzzle you got to have the. Thing that you can see as the immediate peace.
Faith and Obedience
That you need to do next that's crossing secondly you got to have the picture you got to have the why you got to. Keep everything in context of the big picture of where God is taking you and then you gotta have a promise you got to. Have something in part of the piece of the puzzle and the big picture that is the promise of God that you're putting your. Faith into that he will make it work and that's why we're going to study this those three areas all require you to live. By faith and we're gonna study this in each one of them the piece of the puzzle the big picture and the promise I. Want to look at some examples of this of what it means to walk in faith from the details to the destinations and the. God that connects them that's what we're gonna study in this so number one to look at this I want to go back to. The roots of this story what we're reading this morning about Joshua inheriting the promised land is actually a continuation of a story that. Started in Genesis so turn to Genesis chapter 12 because as we look at the roots of this story we'll see that all of. This has been in there the whole time the root of this story the land that God has set aside for his people to. Possess this is not a new twist in the story of God and his people this happened has got to initially spoke into one. Man's life his name was Abram at the time and this is where these pieces of the puzzle the big picture and the promise. All come for come from look what it says in Genesis chapter 12 it says now the Lord has said to Abram here's the. Plan I want you to get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will. Show you I will make you a great nation I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who curse you and I will curse those who curse you and you all of the families of the earth. Shall be blessed now this is the foundation of the story that we've been studying from Moses to Joshua it's rooted right here in. This interaction that God has with one man and what does.
Faith and Obedience
He say he says look at this I've got some details for you that I need you to trust me on I want you. To leave your household of the father your father's household and your father's land to a land that I will show you now that. Is some details into one step first he's calling Abram to believe in him for one thing I want you to believe that if. You leave to follow me to separate yourselves from the tradition of your father and to follow me you believe me for one step. And I'll show you the next one you leave your father's house and I'll show you where I'm taking you now do you see. Why you need faith in the details because sometimes you details people you know what you want you want all the details you want. Every step along the way before you can go you need to see not only the first step you need to see the second. Step and third step in the fourth step in the fifth step what we are asking what we're the word is pointing us to. Is the need to put faith in one single step towards God and then it says he will show you how does he do. This how does he draw Abram into a following of him he gives him one detail and then he reminds him of a big. Picture take one step away from your father's house I'll show you where to go and now here's the big picture I'm gonna bless. You I'm gonna make your name great I'm gonna make you a blessing to the entire world that is the big picture of God. The big picture of God is that he used the faith of one man to grow them into a tribe into a nation and. Then to bring the Redeemer into the world to bless the world that is the picture of the word and what does it say. It says so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and he went on his way Abram is an example of a. Person seen one step that he needs to take and following God in it and that's what we're doing as a church right now. As a church what we're doing understand okay Lord we are through the transition from the generation 1 to generation 2 now we are. Taking a step forward towards what you have for us the.
Faith and Obedience
Details are forthcoming there was a woman who came up to me after church last week and last week we talked about the culture. Of our church we need to be bold and courageous to believe God in the face of fear because he's calling us to do. Things that only he can accomplish in us she came out to me and she said listen I'm so excited for where God has. Taken us as a church and then she said I was wondering could you fill me in on some of the exact details of. What this is going to look like and I thought to myself wow I'm so honored that she thinks I know and so you. Guys want to know the first step as a church you wanna know the first step is someone who's like okay where do I. Start the Lord is calling me I need one step this is why before we did anything in the book of Joshua we started. In Psalms our first step as a church is to do nothing else but to pray that God would continue to draw us towards. What he wants so I remind you of this because it's now coming up as a portion of the word an encouragement to us. As a church that we don't have a manifesto of the details of where God is calling us for our big picture what we. Have is the first step which is to say this God give us wisdom give us understanding is what it means to follow you. In this year in this city in this world for this time give us wisdom God make us joyful make us excited make us. People who are glad to follow you and then God you reveal the work sometimes we want to reveal the work to God have. You ever noticed that we want to be the ones to say okay God I think I figured it out now come bless it. Now what we see in the model of God and giving the plans is here's the detail here's the work revealed take a step. Of faith and I will follow you and this is what we're gonna find in the study of Joshua chapter one is one detail. It's all about getting over the river that's the one necessary ingredient that they have right now and they're getting one detail and then. They're getting a big picture and guess what between the river.
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.