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: Culture of Willingness, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Sin and Salvation
I'm gonna start by reading the key verse of our study this morning which is Joshua chapter 1 verse 16 the context of this. Verse so the build up to this verse what has happened in the beginning of this book is it is clear now that.
- God is raising up new leadership Moses has completed what God will used him to do he's led the people all the way up.
- To the Jordan River and now Moses said the word of the Lord comes to Joshua and says here is the plan you're now.
- Going to be the leader and you are going to take these people across this river into this land that I promised generations ago.
- To Abraham and this is a story now of the context we're about to read how Joshua hears from the Lord he gets vision.
For what the Lord is doing to continue his work towards his promises and now Joshua has to take what he's heard from the. Lord and give it to the people because they're all in it together he's the leader but he's taking the word of the Lord.
Hope in Suffering
Who truly wants to receive what God has for them part of that culture in the church or in your life has to be. Whatever you say I'm going to do this is a challenge and we're gonna get to the crux of all of the things that.
- God has waiting for us or you and it's going to come to a head and how you are able to respond in the.
- Same way as these people are we a church are you a person that hears from the Lord and responds accordingly now before we.
- Get to that question I want to share with you how this is really a bigger issue than we realize years ago before I.
- Was the pastor of this church I was taking part in this church's apologetics ministry and there was a small group of us that.
Would go from different towns different places campus college campuses and we'd engage with what we'd hoped was an engagement with the non-believing world. Engagement with people of a different worldview than the Christian worldview and the point of that was to say as the word says we.
Faith and Obedience
Fill in all the gaps where your reason seems to be hitting a wall and you don't know how you could reasonably put faith. In it if everything could be answered about Christianity and Christianity could be proven true would you be a Christian that's an important question. Think about it's a question that will challenge whether this is a debate that simply happens in the mind or if this is a. Debate that often happens in the heart and the answers are telling so often the answer is this even if Christianity would shoot were. True I don't want to be a Christian why it's not necessarily because rationality doesn't allow me to be a Christian sometimes it's because. Of the high demands that Christ puts on your life and sometimes the non-believing world senses that better than the church that truly to. Follow Christ will completely shift you towards what Christ has planned for your life and when you reject the idea of God or the. Existence of God or the person of Christ as a person in history that is different altogether than any other religious figure you're not. Always just rejecting the historicity or the rationality oftentimes you're rejecting the lordship of Christ I don't want someone in my life telling me. What to do if I believe in God he will change my life that is true and that is an honest person rejecting Christ. Let me share a quote from a famous atheist named Thomas Nagel and this is how he puts it in similar terms I speak. From experience being strongly subject to this fear I want a theism to be true and made uneasy by the fact that some of. My most intelligent and well-informed friends are religious believers it isn't just that I don't believe in God and naturally hope that I'm right. In my belief it's that I hope there is no god I don't want there to be a God I don't want the universe. To be like that my guess is that cosmic is the problem and it causes so many people to reject the idea of God. Because if there is a God there is a God who has created this world and all that is in it and the proper. Response to that reality would be to give your life to that creator the cosmic authority problem now there's an honest atheist I don't. Want there to be a god I don't want the universe.
Faith and Obedience
To be like that I don't want to deal with the cosmic authority fear that I have if only believers were so honest what. We're studying this morning is the crux of what it really means to go from apologetics and belief in God that we can easily. Understand the concepts of God the concepts of salvation the idea of theology what does it look like to not just believe in that. But to realize that if it is true it changes radically the way that you respond to who God is in your life this. Is the example of a people group who realize that God is doing something and the only proper response is to say whatever you. Command me I'll do and wherever you send me I will go how do you get there how do you go from someone who. Believes up until the points to someone who says wherever and whatever this is the crux of what it means to believe we're not. Talking about a God that you can understand reasonably today and then go do whatever you want with what we're talking about when we. Study the plans of God and the promises of God given to us in his word we're talking about a God who has a. Command of your life if you take it seriously if you are an honest believer in God it should change the way you live. Your life today we try to answer that question if God really is God if Jesus really is alive if he really did die. And conquer death by raising again would you follow him and what does that look like in your life we'll look at three ways. That will from faith to obedience in ways that we can measure are we people who have faith that radically changes the way you. Respond to God and as we look at that we'll go back to verse 9 and work our way down to verse 16 and. I want to remind you because so much of learning means you have to learn things more than once if you're like me it's. Like 10 times a couple weeks ago we studied a very similar topic which is it's important to have vision from God to understand. The grand scope of his picture moving us toward the ultimate destination of his promises which is hope eternal that he's making all things. Right again and it's same that's true in the plans of Joshua.
Faith and Obedience
There is a destination he's taking these people there's vision to go from the wilderness to a land of inheritance where there's milk and. Honey to cross a river and inherit the land vision is wonderful it's wonderful for the preacher to proclaim the vision of eternity the. Hope of salvation the plans of God for your life big picture vision is necessary without it you perish but vision is only as. Strong as culture remember culture eats vision for breakfast in our setting last night we said culture eats vision for lunch or for dinner. Because it was nighttime whatever it is vision is where God wants to take you the culture that you're a part of is how. You get there so we spoke a lot about vision for crossing taking on the promises of God you better be bold and you. Better be courageous you better be part of a faith filled courageous culture if you want to see God move here's another aspect to. A culture commitment that has to be made if we're ever gonna see the vision of God's plan for this generation if we're ever. Gonna take part of where we're gonna hold on to it if we're gonna experience it there has to be a culture of willingness. Radical faith and obedience that says to God whatever you command I'm gonna do and wherever you send me I'm gonna go these people. Were part of that culture and it marked them totally different from the generation that went before them a generation that did not take. Part in the promises because they were not willing but in this we get one example of willing participants into the will of God. After the other it starts in verse nine God speaking to Joshua have I not commit commanded you have I not told you have. I not given you only one option this is what you must do be strong and good courage and do not be afraid nor. Dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go Joshua responds to the word of the Lord and the commands of. God to do what verse 10 then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying pass through the camp and you command the people. Saying prepare your provisions there is a culture of absolute willingness you tell me what to do and I'll respond accordingly and that word. Commandment is going to come up a lot as we study the.
Faith and Obedience
Transition from wilderness into promise these is these are the commands of God not the good ideas of God and that's one way our. Culture has to be challenged because we live in a church culture and a church stay and age where Jesus has been turned into. A teacher and a counselor and someone that you go to when you need good ideas for what to do with your life good. Ideas for who you should be marrying and what career you should choose and you take it or leave it depending on the good. Idea of the day what we believe in what we find throughout Scripture is a God who has exactly in mind what he wants. His people to do and they were given a choice will you respond with obedient faith or will you disobey this is the commandment. Of God without faith leading towards obedience to the commandments it's impossible please God Hebrews chapter 11 John chapter 4 Jesus says if you. Love me you will obey my Commandments not listen to my teaching not take good notes and reference in them when you need them. But listen to my Commandments and do them if you love me so what does that look like for our lives for our church. And what I want to do is look at these responses and the commands and give three ways to take a more measured approach. To what it means live out your faith to be a church a part of a generation that is so in tune with the. Will of God that we respond in obedience to what he wants to do three things number one as we look at the example. Of this what we find is that there is a general command across the river and that general command then comes into a very. Specific way that the roles and the responsibilities of the people must be obeyed uniquely follow with me as I read this the commanders. Have gone through given the plan within three days we're going to cross over the Jordan to possess the land that's the big picture. Commandment go over the river and take the land of God now let's get very detailed and unique here because this is a big. Group of people and there are a lot of different ways that God will move these people to accomplish his purposes verse 12 says. This and to the rubra nights the gadites and the half tribe.
Grace and Justification
Of manasseh joshua spoke this so there's a particular group of these people will have specific roles and responsibilities this is what he says. To these two-and-a-half tribes verse 13 remember the word which Moses the servant of the lord commanded you saying the Lord your God has. Given you rest and is giving you this land they're gonna stay on the east side of the Jordan this is a arrangement that. They made with Moses they're gonna stay in the promised land on the east side verse 14 your wives your little ones and your. Livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan the women and children are not gonna cross. They're gonna stay right there but in as it continues but the second half of verse 14 but you shall pass before your brethren. Armed all your mighty men of valor and help them until the Lord has given your brethren rest lot going on here let's look. At it what happens is the word of the Lord has come with Commandments that are specific acts of obedience for specific people for. The women and children how are they obedient to the commandment okay we are supposed to stay and let others go on before us. Some stay and remain in specific land the men of valor the Warriors arm yourselves and go fight some battles before you return and. Take rest some are supposed to go and so it is with the way that we think about putting our faith in God it. Starts generally first you believe in the Promised Land you believe that God's gonna give it to you believe that he's gonna be with. You once you have that now there are specific roles for that and it's true right now of what we're doing there is a. General gathering right now and there are things that apply to all of us broadly here's an example of one of them salvation in. Christ it is a general promise for all of us that there is one way truth and life to the Father it is the. Cross of Christ that secures our salvation it is the empty tomb of Christ that gives us newness of life by His Spirit for. All to receive by faith according to the grace of God that's the good news that we all get to celebrate but then as. We follow Christ and he sends us towards those.
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.