#406 The Most Frequent Commandment in Scripture: "Fear Not!"

Christmas gift why not want chicken have a couple of chicken maybe it's not the get for your family, but it gives the perfect gift for poor family ninja chicken can break the cycle of poverty for poor family yes chicken chickens and provide nourishment for family and they can sell mosaics at the market for income when you donate a chicken or any other gospel for Asia. 100% of what you give goes to the field and get the ball went gospel fundraiser to support family and Jesus family this Christmas, give them six explanation see chickens and camping Rosenberg and one of the things I like to do on this podcast is feature bonus materials. Part of that is the sermon series on doing for my dear friend, Pastor Jim Bob Stevens about a church in Nashville Tennessee. Jim was my pastor for many many years. When we lived in Nashville and we still stay in regular touch. It's his sermons in his pastoral care for me is helped form the foundation of a lot of what I do on the show and through this podcast and all the things I do with writing and so forth.

In this particular message about trusting God when things look pretty frightening. The fear that we feel felt like would be very meaningful to you today so here's Pastor Jim Bob started Joshua now.

Last week we looked at the very unhappy seventh chapter of Joshua. Today is a little happier news as we look at the conquest of is really remember had great success. Initially in terms of invading the promised land, but stumbled badly when they tried to take AI there was sand in the camp man named Aiken stand against this holy God, who had instructed that that that the people take nothing for themselves, but that spoils of victory be devoted to the treasury of the Lord make him thought he could send secretly and he took some gold and silver and beautiful coat and they discovered that there is no such thing as secret sin on earth, and the interestingly the Lord looked at Aiken's sin as Israel's sin one man sin, but the Lord viewed it as the sand of the entire nation's anger burned against the entire nation, and therefore he withdrew his protection and Israel, which should have had no trouble defeating a much smaller city than Jericho was routed in battle 36 of their soldiers were fighting men were killed and Aiken and his entire family executed. Point being, every sins a big deal and necessitates a very big Savior, a great Savior.

I will take all of our sin upon himself. Give us all of his righteousness, instead.

Father, we thank you for your word and pray that you have a luminescent warn us and teach us that apart from you. We can do nothing that we must depend upon you for all things at all times. So speak to us by your spirit be our preacher this morning and laid us in the way everlasting pricing. Joshua eight and the Lord said to Joshua do not fear.

Do not be dismayed.

Take all the fighting in with you and arise, go up to AI CF given India hand, the King of AI and his people, the city in his land. You shut it.

I and its king as you did to Jericho and its king… Bilal and it's livestock you shall take this plunder yourselves. If Aiken had only been patient worked out like in ambush against the city behind the Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to AI and Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night and he commanded them, behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city behind it did not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready and on all the people are with me will approach the city when they come out against us, just as before, we shall flee before them and they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say they are fleeing from us, just as before, we will flee before them, then you shall rise up from the ambush and sees the city the Lord your God will give it into your hand, and as soon as you have taken city you shall set the city on fire you shall do according to the word of the Lord say I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them out and they went to the place in ambush and lay between Bethel and I to the west of Joshua spent that night. Among the people. Joshua rose early in the morning and most of the people in the in the elders of Israel before the people to AI and all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near, before the city encamped on the north side of the ravine between them. It took about 5000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and AI to the west of the city solicitation the forces main encampment that was north of the city and its rearguard west of the city.

Joshua spent that night in the Valley. Sin is a king and I saw this, he and all his people, city hurried went out early to the appointed place toward the arrival to meet Israel in battle.

He did not know there was an ambush against him on the city, Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness, so all the people during the city were called together to pursue them and as a pursue Joshua.

They were drawn away from the city, not a man was left of her Bethel who did not go out after Israel left the city open and proceed Israel, the Lord said to Joshua, stretch out the javelin that is in your hand. What I for I will give it into your hand.

Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city and the man in the ambush rose quickly out of their place as soon as it stretched out his hand that ran and entered the city captured in a hurry to set the city on fire, so when the minute I look back, hold smoke of the city went up to heaven and they had no power to flee this way or that the people who fled to the wilderness, turned back against the pursue Joshua and all Israel solidly ambush and capture the city and the smoke of the city will and they turned back and struck down the minute I and the others came out from the city against them so they were in the midst of Israel. Some on the side and Simone. That's and Israel struck them down until there was left none that survivors with the king of AI. They took alive and brought him near to Joshua when Israel finished killing all the inhabitants of AI in the open wilderness really pursued in all of them to the very last of fallen by the edge of the sword all Israel returned AI and struck it down the age of the soul, Dalton fell that day both men and women were 12,000 all the people of Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of AI to destruction over the livestock and the score that city. Israel took his or plunder. According to the word of the Lord that he commanded Joshua. Joshua burned day and made it forever.

A heap of ruined as it is to this day, and he hang the king of AI on a tree until evening and just at sunset Joshua commanded, took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over the great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. All flesh is grass and all its leaven is like the flower of the field. The grass where the flower fades, the word of our God stands forever like God is brutal, same sort of brutal to me. One thing we have to remember is that the Israelites were instruments of God's judgments upon the Canaanites when the Israelites went into slavery, God said they would remain there until the iniquity of the Amorites was full and that took 400 and some odd years, Amorites of the Canaanites pretty much a synonym in the finally at long last, the iniquity of the Amorites are Canaanites was full and God sent his people as instruments of his judgment upon these wicked people we can understand why Israel was perhaps a little skittish about invading AI again the memories of their previous route were no doubt still very fresh in their minds. You and I might've been reluctant to have a a second run at it as well so it is noteworthy that the very first thing God did was to conquer their fear. Verse one the Lord said to Joshua do not fear, and do not be dismayed.

Take all the fighting man with you and Darius go up to see I have given into your hand, the king of AI people is city and is land the great doctor my chin used to say what we need is not good advice but good news and this was great news for Israel in the aftermath of that to disaster attempt number one was such a failure, but God immediately address their fear and said fear not, I have given you the king and his people and his land into your hand matter was settled, but have drawn sword yet, but the matter was settled nor was this the first time that the Lord addressed the people's fear. Back in chapter 6, verse two, before they ever went after Jericho.

The Lord said to Joshua say I have given Jericho into your hand. Matter fact back the very beginning of the book chapter 1 verse three the Lord does it again and every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you. I hadn't seen the first Canaanite then you cross the river. Yet then drawn sword yet, but the Lords of the matter settled. I've given it all to you. It's nice when the Lord is Jewish.

You do that for you and me when we have things that worry us things that frighten us, it's medical test.

Maybe it's a job interview. Maybe it's prodigal child that we're losing sleep over. Maybe the sermon we have to give Sunday morning or listen to thank you for that editorial comment. You know, preachers really try hard. They know though. Do you worry about the sermon what you should be impressed. Good pray for the brazier is good, but I know the preacher very well and I know other preachers very well and it be so nice if the Lord would come to us on Saturday night so don't worry there will be someone at church tomorrow if you people there like a fool out of yourself and consider etc. etc. but no matter how hard reducing the trial as you do something that goes awry here. The story about the old nearly retired minister in the deep South and he was sort of a country fell on ultraconservative and he decided preach one morning on the evils of alcoholism.

He railed away for 30 minutes. He said toward the end he said if I had all the beer in the world taken throwing the river.

If I had all the wine in the world and take it and throw it in the river to the Lowder's face turned red or they said if I have, although all the whiskey in the world taken throwing the river to Baines were bulging in his neck so he said I only felt pretty good about that message felt the Lord was surely pleased with him until song later came to the podium and set our closing hymn is number 99 shall we gather at the river. We all have things we worry about it. It would be so nice if the Lord would reassure us and you know what he has. He really all things work together for good, for God's people what's the most frequent commandment in Scripture. Fear not over and over and over and over and over and over. We are told, fear not, and why we told that over and over again because we keep fearing over and over again, worrying in the lordly service lines is let not your heart. You believe in God believe also in me all things work together for your good.

Consider the lilies of the field consider the birds of the air, I feed them my clothes and are you not of much more value than day and so before the ambush had ever been set.

The trap of ever been laid. Lord said it's yours. I have given it to you. The outcome is settled. He conquer their fair second, we see that he alone provides all that we need. He alone provides all that we need verse 18 the Lord said to Joshua, stretch out the javelin it's in your hands or for I will give it an Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. Verse 26 Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of a the destruction you see Joshua that hand outstretched and that the javelin in his hand. This was a symbol of his and Israel's dependence upon the Lord because the horse is made ready for the battle but victory rests with the Lord.

It may remind you of another event in the Old Testament when Moses stretched out his hands and had the staff in his hand as Israel did battle with Amalek you know that story as long as Moses is able to keep his hands up Israel prevailed in battle. How long can you keep your hands up is it that you get to and Moses got her name drop those and when you drop those hands. What happened Amalek began to prevail. So who came to the rescue Aaron in her came to the rescue held up his hands as long as they held hands until sunset. The Bible says that day Israel overwhelmed Amalek 905 been a casual observer.

I think I know myself well enough know I would've said Moses is what it said staff in your hand with that all about.

We need you down here fighting Willis get off your Hill and drop the staff and grab a sword and come down here and fight with us, and I probably would've said the same thing to Joshua what good does the javelin do in your outstretched hand. You need a sword. We need your help come fighting Willis nullified in the Army and was told to march around Jericho every day and seven times on the seventh day is it what is going to do. Also walls as a fortified city.

We got to get the walls down, Lord. This is just silly marching and shouting and blowing trumpets, sugary not only want to think that way when the priest told to take the ark of the covenant step in the watery banks of the flooding. Jordan River good is that going to do was priest look mighty silly doing that time again the Lord asked us to do things. It looks worse in men. When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness words, if you want to be healed to lift this bronze serpent upon a pole to pole to be healed ahead is anything sillier in the world.

Look at a man on the cross to be saved from our sins.

That's a very pointed. We look to the Lord alone.

Our help is in the name of the Lord made the heavens near Jesus, set apart from him. We can do nothing. Whether it's marching seven times around the city are taking an arc into the flooding waters are shouting and blowing trumpets are holding a javelin there holding a staff we do with the Lord tells us to do we trust and we obey and we look to him for salvation because her salvation and no other name given among men under heaven lifting how the cross as the world's utter foolishness preaching the cross. Paul said it is utter foolishness.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. This is a magnificent strategy.

By the way, that the Lord laid out this ambush. This trap if you will.

There is no military general that can compare to the King of Kings and Lord of lords right but as his genius as a strategy was, it would not have worked and not the people of God depended totally upon the Lord, and hence the symbol of Moses of the Joshua rather with that outstretched javelin. Point being, with the Lord's help mighty walls of Jericho can come crashing down and without the Lord's help little AI could route and did rent the people of God with the Lord's help mountains can be moved without the Lord's help, depending upon ourselves, we can succumb to the slightest temptation Lord conquer their fear the Lord proved once again that he alone is all that they need all that we need and third last Lord defeats our enemies. No great surprise here.

Verse 25 all fell that day both men and women were 12,000 all the people of AI. No one was spared. It took no prisoners for the key. He was just a temporary prisoner. Verse 28 so Joshua burned day and made it forever.

A heap of ruined as it is to this day total victory.

Can you imagine the dismay on the faces of the AI's as they pursued Israel. What were they thinking you know they had to be thinking we gotta miss time we got six last time, and we're going to get all this time there already on the wrong end of the wilderness, and they pursued in hot pursuit brimming with confidence but there's that little verse, but they did not know and can you imagine dismay on their faces when they probably first smell the smoke and then turned to look saw their town going up and it was too late. Then the ambush and been set. The trap of been laid. Victory belonged to the Lord.

Overconfidence can be fatal spiritual overconfidence can be deadly, you who stand Paul says take. He, lest you fall. This story reminds me of another monumental day in human history when the demonic world and all the principalities and powers must've thrown a great party because the King of Kings and Lord of lords was dead. Remember how CS Lewis described so magnificently fictionally still magnificent. The passion and death of the Lord in the jubilation of the demonic world. The file has come bind him fast cried.

The wicked witch for hags grinning and leering made a dart at him and shrieked with triumph.

When they found he made no resistance at all the others. Evil dwarfs and apes rushed in to help them and between them they rolled a huge lion over on his back and tied all four paws together, shouting and cheering as if they had done something brave and first be shamed which know the roar of meeting laughter went up from her followers as an older with a pair of shears came forward. Snip snip snip went to shears and masses of curling gold began to fall to the ground why he's only a great cat after all cried one is only been afraid of said another that surged around the great lion jeering saying things like how many mice have you caught today. Would you like a little saucer of milk. The line was muzzled and then killed in the which said their cowardly followers follow me, it will not take us long to crush the human vermin in the traders now that the great fool great cat last day they were badly overconfident because what Lewis called deeper Magic from before the dawn of time.

Ambush the day of the Lord came upon them like a thief in the night is like a different area. Lewis powerfully speculates their reactions to the resurrection when he writes as if he were one of them says what screams of rage and anger were heard everywhere in our kingdom below.

How totally helpless we felt at that moment.

We were outmaneuvered never in a million years we have imagined that the enemy would really love those humans enough to go through with why should they be of such worth the day of the Lord came like a thief in the night for a became like a thief in the night the rich fool who built those big borrowings. Instead, rely so overconfident, eat, drink and be merry. Midnight.

His soul was required.

Lord doctors are fears the Lord proved time and again that he alone is all we need looking without him Lord of the one who defeats our enemy phrases not father thank you for the gospel. Thank you for defeating the evil forces that would ambush us if they could teach us that apart from you. We are utterly helpless.

Make us watchful and vigilant always prepared that we would be ready for the day of the Lord, we pray father that you would hasten that day when we shall see him as he when every knee will bow and every tongue confess his Lordship when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Hasten that day, through Jesus Christ our Savior