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: The Courage to Worship and Yield, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Faith and Obedience
So Joshua chapter 5 we're actually only going to look at three verses 13 through 15 in these verses we are going to pick. Up the theme of last week which is how important it is that we understand true heartfelt worship and trust in God before we.
- Expect him to send us on the mission of God and I'm gonna also remind you how challenging that was last week that was.
- Such a challenging thing to say because what we had to look at last week is how before they could take the land in.
- Full they had to recommit their vow to be cleansed of the old disobedience of the wilderness and that's a hard thing to preach.
- That the picture of circumcision has to do with getting rid of you're all disobedient life I'm gonna say it again as we talk.
About worship this morning shroo heartfelt worship to really trust God with all of your being to love him with your strength in your. Mind and your soul and everything you are it is one of the hardest things you'll ever do in your life when we need.
Sin and Salvation
Study the book of Joshua continually throughout our study we've had to look back to get the full context of this because this is. The story of God fulfilling his promise to give the promised land to the generations of Abraham and that came in the midst of.
- Some really unlikely circumstances because there was a period of the history of Israel where they were in slavery a long period they were.
- In slavery under the heavy hand of Pharaoh in Egypt and God raised up a servant named Moses to come and deliver his people.
- On behalf of the Lord so that they could be set free from slavery and then they could go walk towards the promises that's.
- A picture of the Christian life because Jesus says anyone who sins all of us is a slave to sin we need deliverance so.
That we can walk towards the promises of God I remind you of that now because what we find in Joshua worshiping in this. Moment is the fulfillment of the purposes of deliverance look what it says in Exodus chapter 9 then the Lord said to Moses giving.
Faith and Obedience
Would trust him with your mind and your strength in your soul and all of your possessions and all of your life that is. What you were made for and until you do that you won't be satisfied until you do that you'll be in bondage to sin. Or you'll be wandering in the wilderness of life wondering what you were made for this morning's reminder is that what we find in. The example of Joshua to fall down and worship is a fulfillment of the purposes of God in delivering his people and it's also. A fulfillment of our life this in so many ways is the picture of the Christian life and until you learn how to worship. Radically you will not be satisfied in your core being so how do you do it how do you worship God in a way. That is biblically endorsed because some ways are not biblically endorsed fact jesus says in his day as he looks at the people and. Their versions of worship there their ritual acts and their temple sacrifice and their adherence to the law he said you worship me with. Your lips but your hearts are far from me meaning that's not going to cut it that looks like worship but it's not and. It doesn't matter if it's not truly heartfelt worship this is biblically endorsed which raises the question what's going on as Joshua worships an. Angel of the Lord so let's just do a very quick theology lesson here who is this person that Joshua worships well the fact. Is as Joshua falls on his face there's a very good indicator that this is more than just your run-of-the-mill angel because throughout Scripture. As people encounter angels or messengers of the Lord there's often a temptation to treat them with the reverence that you would reserve for. The worship of God in fact we get an example of that in Revelation chapter 22 as John who is writing the book of. Revelation based off this encounter that he has with the glory of God it says this now I John saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things and then. The angel said this fellow servant do not do that for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren the profits and of. Those who keep the words of the book worship God only.
Sin and Salvation
When you find examples of people wrongly worshipping messengers of the Lord they are rebuked and told to worship God and that doesn't happen. Here what happens here is he falls down on his face to worship and the angel of the Lord says now go farther in. Your worship me more intimately which means that this is what the illusions call a christophany this is a moment where God invades human. History to give us a preview of what will happen in the incarnation of Christ when he is revealed as the visible image of. The invisible God and we have a preview of it here and that's important for us to understand Jesus coming into the world is. Not plan B for salvation as if God wanted to save his people through the nation of Israel and the law and yet somehow. He couldn't and needed to send his son through throughout the book of Genesis all the way through revelation we see signs that the. Main theme of theology is that God is doing the saving work and he is sending himself to be with his people not only. For his people and this is a moment when we get a preview of Christ and Jesus comes on to the scene to show. Himself with the people of God it's an incredible moment and in this moment Joshua has a holy encounter of worship that we ourselves. Can learn from because he is worshiping the commander of the Lord's army in a way that is drawn into an intimate relationship it's. What we all long for how does it happen I want to point out three things that we find in this interaction that Joshua. Does to bring himself to a moment of worship that is brought into a relationship with the Lord first we look at verse 13. It says this and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted his eyes and look looked and behold a. Man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand and here is the first thing that Joshua does to enter into a. Moment of worship as he sees this man with the sword drawn and the context is that he is entered into this land and. There are inhabitants of the land that are ready to defend their territory and so what does Joshua do as he sees the sword. Drawn armed to the teeth a man that looks like he's.
Faith and Obedience
Ready for battle it says that Joshua went to him and this is the example that Joshua gives us throughout the story that we. Hear about this man he is a person that is continually moving forward with God it's not the first time he was in Jericho. He was there 40 years earlier when Moses sent him in to spy out the land and he was one of two spies that. Was not afraid to go in worship requires courage and sometimes our fear leads to disobedience because we're not willing to go in and. When you look at this and you consider the age this is a bold move by Joshua most commentators think that Joshua is somewhere. Around the age of 80 years old at this time and he himself is in charge of the people of Israel he would be. Considered the leader of these people and what does he do does he retreat as the sword is drawn and he goes to him. Now what does this have to do for us well if this is a picture of the Lord if this is a preview of. The coming one Jesus Christ I want you to know that this is an example that we all need to pay attention to because. To go to the Lord in worship true worship of Jesus Christ where you go to him will require you the same courage and. That requires us to get a fuller picture of the person of Jesus than we often have when we're at church or when we. Think about who Jesus is in our modern world because if you think about the pictures of Jesus that we see we often see. Jesus in that in the heavenly light with his amazing surfer hair and good beard and a glow to him the halo behind his. Head and if he's doing anything action-oriented he's usually carrying a sheep which is such a beautiful picture of the Shepherd's heart of Jesus. We very rarely see the picture hanging over the fireplace of Jesus with the sword that's to Old Testament that's the Jesus that Joshua. Encountered not the Jesus that the disciples encountered are we sure are we sure that we can leave Jesus contained to the Shepherd with. The Sheep around his shoulder well we have to read the Gospels and what we find is that Jesus came to bring hard cutting. Truth and anyone who truly followed him was challenged by that truth.
Faith and Obedience
As a sword cuts listen to what it says in Jesus's own words listen to what he says of himself Matthew chapter 10 not. A not a passage of scripture that's usually written over your mantle it's not a passage of Scripture that I usually think to use. As a go to pocket sermon for my most favorite things to preach about the person of Jesus but until we understand this passage. Of Scripture we can't really worship Him in the way that we're required to because Jesus requires him us to worship Him in a. Way that costs us something it's not supposed to just come to us in comfort and in peace this is what he says do. Not think that I came to bring peace on earth I did not come to bring peace but a sword for I've come to. Set a man against his father a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's enemies will be those. Of his own household he who loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me and he who loves son or. Daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not. Worthy of me he who finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for my sake will find it what. Did we just read we read that in the New Testament this Jesus who comes as the shepherd of his people also comes with. A dividing sword and that sword will cut deep to your most favorite relationships in this world it says I want you to think. About the love that you have for your mother and your father the love that you have for Christ will cut that and will. Separate it from you so that you love him more not enough for you how about how about your kids do you love Christ. More than your kids he comes with a sword to separate the real cherish love that you must have for him as your commander. Even greater than your children and now the relationship we all love the most he says anyone who loves their own life more than. Me he comes to cut us from the desires of our life apart from him I'm sorry that I have to preach that but. That's exactly what the word says that if we have any.
Prayer and Dependence
Desires that are greater than the common gender of the lord's army in our life that he will cut those desires from us or. Will have no part of him I don't like preaching that but that's the reality of the worship that were called to and you. Don't like hearing that I know you don't because all of us have this duality inside of us Galatians 5s calls it this inner. War that we have that you are flesh and you are spirit and they war against each other and Jesus came to put to. Death the flesh and to make you alive in your spirit and that war gets cut into by the sword of his word it's. Challenging I was challenged by it about a month ago my wife's sister came to visit us and she did a home visit without. Me asking for her to do that we should all have home visits from time to time because sometimes you live in your house. And you just get so used to the things in your house that you really can't see what's going on anymore you know this. Example is true if you ever go to your grandma's house and you realize it smells like mothballs she doesn't know that she's used. To it her house just smells that way and you come in you're like wow I'm so glad that you have no holes in. Your knit sweater because of all these mothballs now you can pick up that smell because you're not used to it and when people. Come into your home and they just observe sometimes they can pick up on some behaviors that you're just used to happen to me. My sister-in-law came in and she noticed a pattern that I have to give her credit for it was actually true we got into. This routine where you know you have long days and then your kids don't really care how tired you are and so you feed. Them and then you put them to bed and then it's time to unwind a little bit and in our unwinding sometimes Danielle and. I will just get into those marital disputes about life and we're just used to it maybe you're used to it the home visitor. Was not used to it so she came up to me and she said hey I've noticed that you guys bicker sometimes and I. Think that you should what you should do instead of going right.
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.