Start Walking

This is a engram lots listen to me you have the power of God in your life you to do the more you loosely living in the life with grandma's and today's message from the book of Joshua started walking after many years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert Israelites were finally allowed to enter the land promised to their father. Joshua was destined to turn that promise into a reality and begins her message with God's powerful words to Joshua. In chapter 1. Here's an Joshua, be strong in your walk.

Joshua done things the way we were doing things to get my children Egypt use you Joshua to get them out of the promised land gate door on the past and looking over your shoulder to see him leave it like my sister was like a shepherd. He was a lawgiver.

Joshua was a warrior. He was a general Joshua tried to lead like Moses led and so God saying Joshua strong in your walk and be strong in your walk.

You have to close the door on the pass and be comfortable very familiar.

You just going in circles. No big responsibility. Just go with the flow. Everybody else is doing it in the past. The past relationship you keep comparing the leadership of somebody else's EU compare what God is calling you to what else to get me strong.

You're always looking over your shoulder.

Do you need to close the gate on the past, but you need to cross over the Jordan is get ready to cross Jordan in the Jordan was the border between the wilderness and the promised land. It was the barrier between wasted wilderness living and experiencing everything God had for them. It was the border between ways and experiencing the fullness of God's blessing now tell you upfront what it represents and represents the total surrender of your life to Christ giving him everything giving them your well in your dreams and your goals in your future, your hopes, your family, your life, everything. Anything you want to be strong in your walk across the Jordan you're going to go farther in your Christian life and you've ever been. You're going to advance. You're going to go higher in your faith you're going to cross the and surrender your life once and for all and experience everything that I have for you when you cross the Jordan, one of you totally surrendered everything the Lord that their lives are going to be strong in your walking on the close the gate across the Jordan you have to claim everything God has for you. In verse three he says I will give you every place where you set your foot as I promised Moses and where you set your foot that's where you walk, you not going to receive everything God has for you if you start walking reading your Bible every day. Listen for his voice to speak to applying it to your life. Surrender your will control and then everywhere you place your foot when you begin to walk God will give you will begin to experience the full what you can do it unless you start walking. So, be strong in your walk and be strong in your work. What is your work verse five God said no one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you so obese wrong and courageous. You will leave these people. Joshua's work was get the people out of the wilderness in the promised land. And he says you have his power, no one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life because you have the power of God in your life enable you to do the work. Anything you can be strong in the work God called you to because you have his power in your life. Jesus said in acts 18 you're going to save power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you in first John four forces of the power that comes upon you the power to you in the person of the Holy Spirit is greater than he that out in the world's in Ephesians 1 says that power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead for all those principalities and powers and see them at the right hand of the father, you have the power of God in your life enable you to do the work. He says in verse six, you will leave these people to inherit the land that was God's purpose for Joshua and Ephesians 2 says that God is created you for certain preordained works that you you and are not supposed we were in created to stand on the sidelines and watch the parade go back God means for us to get into the Christian life into God get involved in serving him and living for him and working for him.

Thirdly he says you can be strong in the word to be strong in your walk you. Be strong in your work and you. Be strong in the word verse seven. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you don't turn from it to the writer to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

The challenges not just to be the doer. How long have you been hearing the word going to church.

If you've ever visited the Dead Sea but it's like a big oily stagnant pond and its smelly, and they get a lot of minerals there, but it's just just a big stagnant pond because the rivers go into it, but nothing flows out of there a lot of Christians just like a stagnant pond.

Everything is flowing but they don't anything.

Don't be just a hearer when you do or be strong in the words and not just a learner but a teacher get this verse eight. Do not let the book of the law depart from your when you go home when you leave the Bible study when you're sharing with your friends or your family. Don't you share with them books about the Bible or your opinions about the Bible. Don't let the book depart from your mouth Scripture quote Scripture study the Scripture share the Scripture teach the Scripture and he goes on and says, day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything the world is hungry for the bread of life. Firstly, for the living water and you and we need to be willing to share.

Three times he says, verse six be strong and courageous.

Verse seven. Be strong and very courageous. Verse nine be strong and courageous.

You get the feeling that Joshua is God. I think Joshua was scared to deathgetting pale.

He just didn't think he could do a quick when it comes to serving the Lord you feel like you just can't do it. Good God can use the body.

Who knows their inadequate because when you know you inadequate than what you're dependent on the Laurentian God says Joshua, it's good to feel inadequate, but be strong you can be strong even while you feel weak, you can be courageous even when you feel scared to death.

You just do it. Be strong and courageous.

Paul said in second Timothy 17 that God is not given you and me a spirit of fear but a spirit of love and power and a sound mind.

So be strong in the words based strong in the walk, be strong in the work Joshua getting ready to experience everything that God has for opening is you.

God's word would you do the same. Joshua did and secondly he opened his life to God's will and was God's will that he leave these people to remember. Verse six he said they strong and courageous because you will leave these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers. They give and that was God's will for Joshua that he would lead the people out of the wilderness into the promised land.

It was also God's will for Joshua himself that he would leave the wilderness for 40 years was doing.

He wanted to go on the promised land 40 years ago before you even drive through the wilderness and now God is Joshua you can go in and clean everything that was God's will for Joshua and I believe their friend is God's will for you and is God's will for me. Joshua just opened his life to God's will and I can tell that he did because immediately we see is obedience. In verse 10 so Joshua order the officers of the people go through the camp and tell the people get your supplies ready three across the Jordan here, to go and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own and we see Joshua's obedience is not standing on the sideline is doing. Just exactly what God told him to do this, God told you to do something. Have you been obedience and just embrace his welfare lie. Stop resisting them. Is there somebody here who is wrestling against God's will for your life. You struggle against the neighbors because you feel inadequate maintenance because you feel afraid never experience everything God has for you until you just open your life up to the will of God whatever inbox you may not understand fully. Joshua didn't know everything, he just knew the next step in the next step was to get ready to cross the Jordan opening his ears. The guys were opening his life to God's will. He was obedient and he was confident versus 12 to 15.

He tells 2 1/2 tribes that had agreed with Moses to some territory on the east side of the Jordan and Moses, and said they could settle on the east side of the Jordan. When they crossed the Jordan. They would cross also help their brothers settle the promised land on the west side of Jordan. So now Joshua goes close to half tribes. He said you promise not, that you across the Jordan with his new help us settle the promised land of Canaan and and were all settled. Then you go back and take your territory on the east bank and they agreed.

Joshua was just asserting his authority and we see his confidence and it was God's will that he leave these people not only is he being obedient means being confident he's just taking God's will and taking the authority that God-given pennies exercise confidence. Confidence to unite your family confidence to unite your church conference to get people together, maybe a Bible study or prayer group and lesson were going to get together were all going to cross together. Joshua was only obedience and confidence we see a firm in verse 16 Mansour Joshua, whatever you have commanded us.

We will do it wherever you send us. We will go just as we fully obey Moses, we will obey you in the last phrase in verse 18, only based strong and courageous interest. No, God just told Joshua that three different God has spoken to Joshua in private and yet these people use the very same words to encourage and affirm Joshua. I can imagine how encouraged Joshua felt when he heard that and it's a wonderful thing we step out in faith and where embracing God's will for our lives when somebody comes along side and affirms us here on the right course you're headed in the right direction. This is the right decision and maybe God would even use you and me to affirm somebody else but Joshua as the opening his life to God's will was affirmed by the people around you want to experience everything God has for you have to get ready you open your ears to God's word and you open your life to God's will know no struggle, no arguments, you just open your life that is will whatever he would have for you, whatever he calls you to then thirdly open your stew God's world here. Sometimes we talk about experiencing everything God has for us in coming into the fullness of God's blessing and we can almost become self-centered and it can only your house.

God going to blessing his will for my life hell asked serving men and I know this one particular lady who is very spiritual lady.

She's a mature Christian. She's known the Lord a long time. She has a very attentive handsome husband very wealthy. All of her material needs are met. She's a wonderful person she mentors and disciples.

Younger women, but I watched this lady she she just has blessing after blessing.

She doesn't offer material things, a matter wonderful husband committed Christian children.

She has a ministry and she's just soaking in the blessing of God and I watch that woman going to restaurant and work the restaurant to she can find the best table in the Bessie of the table and then I watched her get on a van with other people and maneuvering to. She has the front seat in the van and and I watched her walk around until she works the room until she gets in front of the person that she thinks that her mind is the most important person in the room and she's one of the most selfish women I've ever met.

And even when she's in history, and serving. She's thinking what a good job she's doing and you can just figure all wrapped up in yourself, and I think this third point is a warning when, where, seeking to experience everything God has for us.

We open our ears to his word and our life to his will listen to me, open your eyes to the world around you. Don't get self-centered don't get preoccupied with the blessings is given you in getting more blessing God blesses is that he loves to bless his children, but you are blessed to be a blessing to Joshua chapter 2 sends to spies to go out to Jericho and he says in verse one. Go look over the land, especially Jericho, and Joshua send them out to look at this land that is under the judgment of God. Canaan was the promised land for the Israelites. When the Israelites took it that was God's judgment on the Canaanites, so when looking at the world out there. They're looking at a world that is under God's judgment and when you look at the world out there, you do know the world out there is coming under God's judgment. You can't help when you read your newspaper. You watch the evening news to know that our wall is under condemnation. We need to open to the world that's under judgments spies went to look at the world and went into Jericho and they slipped into a house of prostitution. Now I'm just going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they went there because it's like a bar or Leica meeting house so they slipped into this house of prostitution and that's where they met Rahab, and Rahab was sinful and we know that because she was a Canaanites and archaeologist tell us that Canaanites were the most vile obscene culture.

One of the most vile obscene civilizations as ever been on the planet.

They indulged in male and female prostitution as part of the religious practice. They indulged in human sacrifice as part of their religious practice and Rahab was a Canaanites, so we know she was sinful. How many sinful people do you know everybody right all sin we live in the midst of Canaanites, but Rahab was not only sinful. She was scarred by her sin, because she was a prostitute, not thinking Canaan probably a prostitute was a position of prominence because they use them in their religious worship. It was sort of a position of honor. So she may have had some prestige. She must might've been wealthy. She might've been glamorous, and so on the outside.

She look like chat altogether.

But on the inside.

I can tell you as a woman. She was scarred and she felt used and abused and dirty and unworthy and hopeless and helpless, and when we look at our world and we see the sinners there in our world and we tend to know some of you we witness doing someone we just write off because their marching to claim their right to sin and they are asserting their right to live a certain lifestyle, and they're just blatant in their sin, but on the inside. I'm telling this guards because sin is contrary to the human spirit is a disease of the human soul, and Rahab was sinful and she was scarred by her sin, and I believe that she was searching in verse two, she had the spies and then the king of Jericho came as honest and you got some Israelite spies that you're having any and Rahab.

Now she's a Canaanite she's never read God's moral law. She doesn't know it's wrong to lie. She's not not she's hiding them.

You know I'm not the art went down the road and she said, looking at all the trips down the road and then she goes up and she speaks to the spies, but I believe she despised her own life because she was searching for a way out should want to stay where she was. She wanted a different kind of life so she was not only searching I think she was scared that I know she was scared to death. Verse nine. I know that the Lord is given this land, doing a great view is following on all this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea. In verse 11 when we heard of it. Heart sank, and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below now then please swear by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family sure sign listen to me. I can be. Say no is coming on the judgment and I'm scared to death of dying and I just want to know how I can be saved from God's judgment and I believe out there in the world is coming under God's judgment. There are sinful scarred searching scared to death.

Rahab's people who want to know how to be saved and they're looking for somebody who will tell them about salvation into the spies credits were so focused on getting everything God had for them experiencing the fullness of his blessing and possessing the promised land that they have the time to stop until one little Canaanite prostitute how she could be. Say is that Rahab is a scarlet cord outside of your window. Everybody was in your house when scarlet cord dangles from the wind. Everybody in your house will be say so. Rahab agreed she put the matter. When then she told how to go back up in the mountain and get back to Joshua in three days and after they left I can just see Rahab getting a scarlet corner things just trembling.

She ties on her window dangles it outside of our neighbors ask a Rahab scarlet cord hanging out of your window trying to signaling all you just say she so serious about her salvation and that may be stretching it, but I don't think so the saying that scarlet cord, a symbol of the blood of the land in the city Rahab, placing her faith in the word of the spies in doing everything she knew she had been told in order to claim salvation for us is something that these Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and employees on the brink of the Jordan over to employees to cross the Jordan swarm of Jericho and take possession of everything God has. And God called the hall for one Canaanite prostitute who sinful scarred searching and scared and so serious about her salvation that she will hang that read cord from her when several days later when the Israelites crossed the Jordan walked around Jericho once a day for six days.

The seventh day they walked around seven times at the end of the seventh time they blew the trumpet, they shouted in the walls of Jericho collapsed in this huge mushroom cloud of dust and when the dust settles. There was one section of the wall like a finger still stand in on the top was a the wind of the house was a scarlet cord dangling giving testimony to the faith of the woman on the Rahab West say what you choose to experience everything that God has for you, would you choose to get ready. Open your God's word open your life to God's will open your eyes to God's will may be somebody's salvation depends on now here's and with this final word. Who is your Rahab, someone with whom you have interacted someone who desperately wants to belong to God someone who wants to embrace all that God offers, but doesn't feel their worthy someone whose life would be saved if you would choose to get ready to move forward in your Christian walk, listening for God to speak to you through his word open your life up to God's will that may be different than your own than opening your eyes to the world around you. You may never know who your Rahab is that other person may never be saved until you start listening as you read God's word and start obeying as you discover God's will and start looking with God's eyes at the world around you that he loves living in the light as a weekly study in God's word with teacher and author and Graham wants learn to listen to his voice, then start making the choice to keep on going and believing and trusting who God is go to Engram lot South Fork take advantage of the many helpful free resources to get you started.

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