Joshua: The God Who Fights for Us

What a man's summit search for like all week. In the spirit of Jesus is been present here in our services to heal and to deliver to some special way softly.

More about that for the end of our time together but let me first of all to say good morning to all of you at our campuses and I see used celebrate with you last weekend.

We had another hundred and 33 people join those that baptize me before. Which brings us to 250 for the last couple weeks, which if table we did last fall that brings us to 622 between the fullness ring you might remember that we ask God this year.

Let us see a thousand people be baptized, and so we are well on our way toward that number may be just as exciting for us is last week and 69 people at our United States church plants church were planted in the last few years. 69 people profess faith in Christ. Baptism and so I we're just really excited how God is multiplying the gospel come through this church around the world so one more time. Once you show your thankfulness to God for doing these things here got a Bible and love you take it out or look on with somebody it may be close to you. If they have one to Joshua chapter 1 Joshua is the sixth book in the Bible.

Open your Bible there if you can measure turning their data. One of my favorite 1980s movies is Hoosiers for what it is worth, I think that when we get to heaven we will see that Western culture reached its pinnacle in the late 1980s Chicago. Are your speed wagon run DMC Whitney Houston Chuck Norris Bon Jovi 1.0 Top Gun the Empire strikes back. The Indiana Jones trilogy. Come on y'all. I know that not everyone agrees with me in that assessment. But that's just because you're not fully filled with the spirit, yet these things are spiritually discerned. Hoosiers came out in 1986 was 1/8 grade we watched Hoosiers literally every year before my basketball team went into the tournament in the movie, which is based on a true story you have this little backwoods high school basketball team in Indiana that overcomes incredible odds and makes it all the way to the Indiana state championship where they played the school that is like 10 times bigger than they are in this humongous auditorium. Indiana University's auditorium, which is like 100 times bigger than anything they've ever played in before Jean Hackman who plays the coach walks the team into the arena and the day before the game and he can just sense how overwhelmed these little country boys are at how big this arena is and so can't sensing their fear. He gets out a tape measure he measures them in the distance between the rim of the floor 10 feet distance from the rim of the file.

You shall live 15 feet and his point is, it's the same it's the same as our little Jim back in and where we came from. I said look I the basics are the same. The arena is different but the basics are the same in the way that you're going to win this game is not much change… Can be doing the basics. The way that you've always done that is the exact same point that is being made in the opening scenes of the book of Joshua God's people are about to go into an entirely new arena but the basics of what it means to walk with God. Never change that in change in that day and they haven't changed in our day either in your life you're going to go through multiple seasons new season for some of you use in one now, how many years became a student maybe for some of you. It's getting married or having kids for other subunits. Building a career, some of you have just entered into retirement or maybe being single again or maybe it's becoming famous or going in the ministry. The arenas change, but none of the basics ever do sometimes when you go into a new arena you feel like the fear of the pressures and swallow you up and you start saying God will have what it takes to succeed in this God and are really going to be able to make it in the season of God in a sense, takes out a tape measure and he says all right you see this.

This is when the rim of the floor the same. It's just the basics of what brought you here is what to take you on the book of Joshua opens up like best, Joshua chapter 1 verse one after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of nun, which Dedan have any parents of this meant that his dad's name was none. Moses Moses Manker Terry verse two he said to him, Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise, go over this Jordan you and all this people into the land that I'm giving to them to the people of Israel will contact you in case you forgot this story from Sunday school were never one sizable Joseph I Joshua had been one of the 12 spies that 40 years prior to this have been sent in misfiled the land on others. 12 spies, two of them came back and said in a giant in this place are big but God is bigger. The other 10 came back and said the Giants are big and they would crush us and there's no way we can do this, to spies who gave the courageous report were Joshua and Caleb that we remember the other 10 spies.

We don't remember them at all. One, because they were not courageous and you never remember a coward on the other reason is because they have really strange names like show fat woman thing show fat parents are not name your kid show fat your kid show fat, it's time to go show well for them in high school, show fat deftly went to the prom by himself. I guarantee it. But we don't remember them. Joshua and Caleb do remember because of the courage verse three God told Joshua everyplace of a soldier foot will tread upon I given you. Just like a promise to Moses no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Why is your awesome notes because just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you only stop real quick. Some of you have been taught all of your life to look for confidence in the wrong place your parents or teachers or talkshows are all like look deep within your awesome your special your snowflake your rainbow, your schedule actually not okay not to find much looking within just God made you in a special way for a friend of mine is football coaches illustrated so well to him is that you know how irreplaceable you are missing put your hand in a bucket of water and pulled out what happens. The water that shows you how irreplaceable you are in the state. Joshua is not special God not saying hey look deep within your awesome.

He says you're going to be special. You're going to have confidence not because of what's deep inside of you, but because of the one standing beside you. You and overconfidence comes from your life. It's not navelgazing within its looking at the God who walks with you everywhere that he sends you rights over 70 you to be strong and courageous. Be careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you have good success. Wherever you go you got obey because I'm the one that's fighting this battle and so your job is to walk with me in obedience, hand in hand to know your Bible Joshua five flip over there for chapters there to your right Joshua five in the not chapter verse 13 Joshua's first major challenge in taking land is Jericho is not an easy challenge that is Jericho's most fortified city in the world at the time, it's walls, historians say were so thick you could ride to chariots across them side by side with smells like a double lane highway. The scene here in Joshua 5 Takes Pl. on the eve of the Battle of Jericho.

Now as you can imagine Joshua's pretty nervous war is imminent. This is Joshua's first true moment of leadership. So understandably, Joshua was having a little trouble sleeping, so he goes out late at night, take a walk to calm his nerves late at night without Prater played Angry Birds on his phone or dip in the back. Whatever he did to unwind.

Verse 13 when Joshua was by Jericho.

Now the way that's written in Hebrew indicates that Joshua had snuck right up to the walls of Jericho because it literally says in Hebrew. When he was at Jericho when he was at Jericho, he lifted up his eyes looking the whole man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his aunt. Joshua went to him and said to him you ferocity for our adversaries, not first. Can we acknowledge Joshua is a man's man. I mean he is right by the enemy wall in the middle of the night by himself and he encounters a strange man in the dark with his sword wrong.

A lesser man like me would've hightailed it out of there but not Joshua. Joshua was right over to them and challenges the guy to a fight.

Come on now right to stand your Bible. Joshua is mature and better Chuck Norris, some before Superman pajamas Superman were Joshua pajamas death. 1 cm Joshua experience.

Okay, I just was that guy Joshua goes right up to limits as you prosper adversaries and the strange man said no, no, the Joshua even asked him how yes/no questions hey what's your name, note no means you're asking the wrong question, no, but I am the commander of the Army, the Lord now I have come. In other words, the question is not Joshua MI on your side question is are you on my side are not common is the Lieut. I'm coming as the general Joshua fell on his face of the earth and worship and study and what is my Lord and Savior was servant the command of the Lord's army said to Joshua, take off your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy. Joshua did so out real quick. Who is it exactly that Joshua is standing in front of you might say well is maybe it's an angel, but it can be an angel because this is a Joshua worship this man and whoever it was didn't stop them. Any other time in Scripture that somebody tries words of an angel like the Revelation chapter 22, the apostle John pulled on his face and is worshiping an angel named Luo Jack better get up because God whom you met both of us to be. Do not worship God alone. This guy didn't stop Joshua. He's not like low. Don't do that. He says thank you for worshiping me in a place where your standing is holy and is only one person who can make ground only. This is God himself is what theologians call a Chris stop and me, Christoph, and he just a fancy word that means a pre-nativity appearance of Jesus Christ before he was born in a manger before he came as Mary's child. He shows up here in Joshua five always the commander-in-chief of the Lord's armies and what he demanded. Man is what he demands now and that is complete and total surrender because he's telling them. Listen, this is not a battle that your fight for me with my help. This is a battle that I'm going to fight for you. You gotta make sure you get the order right.

By the way, we skip right over this with one of the middle chapters, whether they are exposed before Jericho. God has Joshua circumcised all the men in the Army you talk about some of make you vulnerable. All these guys are certain to why would they do that when they're exposed before the enemy because God said it's not about your strength. I'm in a fight this battle for you.

Chapter 6 verse one now Jericho was shot up inside and outside because of the people of Israel now went out. None came in. The Lord said to Joshua Seelig that I've given Jericho in your hand with skiing its mighty men of valor, the God proceeds to give Joshua instructions on how to take Jericho but the instructions are really odd.

Now keep in mind as much of it.

I only heard this if you grope and sons go with you.

With fresh ears. You never heard this before, they're all amped up for a fight.

And God tells them I don't want to fight how to put the ark of the covenant which houses my presence in front of you. I don't want you to march around the city in silence. One time each day for six days and on the seventh day. I want you to march around seven times in silence. On the seventh time even shout and I'll take care of the rest. Do not lose sight of how bizarre this is. These are real people write this, they're not different than you and me there all amped up for a bite Joshua's edge and approve himself imagine that this happened in a football game regular football team. The curses on offense. I don't want you to run a plate and hold hands and sing away in a manger or are don't go chasing waterfalls or something ridiculous like that. How hard must this have been for Joshua.

He wants to prove himself. But God says no fighting.

I'll do the fighting. Then God says. Verse 18, but you keep yourself in the things about a destruction all silver, gold, and every vessel bronze on their holy to the Lord to show the back of the treasury. The Lord now that's an important detail which will come back to later. While they do as instructed. Verse 20 and assumes the people on the seventh day after the circle seven times and heard the sound of the trumpet that shot a great shout wall fell down flat and then they devoted all in the city to destruction. Both men and women, young and old ox and sheep and donkeys with the edge of the sword, now required. One thing I want to deal with before we move on. This is not the main point of this of the message is little tangential, but I know that a lot of you have this question. Are you been asked this question so me to just a moment to deal with it you will read this miss it.

Was this a divinely ordered genocide. How can we say this is God's word when it says stuff like this Richard Dawkins, the cranky British atheist because of passages like this one says and I quote the God of the Old Testament is a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak and vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser, Sgt., is that homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal philosophical, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

If nothing else, that sentence proves that Richard Dawkins owns a thesaurus, which is how he regrets in its hung a few things to consider when you approach this question and if this goes right over your head. I'll put this on the blog this week so you can go through it more slowly. If you need to, but a few ways that you gotta approach this question.

The first one is the word authority. The rightness or wrongness of certain actions is based solely on whose authority stands behind. For example, if you start writing checks on behalf of your client of your company that can be wrong or right based on whether or not you have the authority I VEE there's one way you can do it where it's vertically fine if you don't have the authority, then you go to jail when it comes to issues of life and death. No one on earth has that kind of authority that God does and no one can take that authority to themselves.

God gave it for a special season to Israel with very clear instructions never again to be repeated. In fact, after this period of the conquest.

Israel is directly forbidden to ever do this again in Deuteronomy 4229.

Israel was not even allowed to keep a standing army, like the other nations there. Also in the stories are to notice that God does most of the fighting. He's the one that knocks the walls over these, one that sends hailstones from heaven, and a few chapters to wipe out another enemy.

Why because he didn't want this sitting on the shoulders of Israel.

This is his work, not bears. The second word. Remember first was authority site word is judgment.

This was about judgment on Canaan. God said very clearly that the Canaanites will be judged because of their evil both Scripture and history tell us that the Canaanites were some of the cruelest most oppressive societies ever walk the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 12 tells us that it was common for families to sacrifice one of their children up to two years old in the flames as a way of getting prosperity for themselves and I know these people seem really far removed from us, but would you feel differently if this was done, for example, to Isis, where if this were done to the Nazi party in the 1940s. This was all about judgment.

In fact, in one place, God told Israel that there was a certain part of the land that they couldn't have yet because the people who lived there weren't wicked enough yet wasn't about a wooden about genocide was about judgment.

Thirdly, this is got nothing to do with race.

There's two ways that we know that first way is a God's dared eight Rahab Mr. whittle it down to get into cheese, a Jericho woman just because she repents and believes in the implication is that he would've spared anybody in Jericho who repented and believe everybody in Jericho knew who Israel was new about Israel's God. She was the only one that responded that way there's the other reason we know it's not about race God told Israel repeatedly in Deuteronomy that these exact same things and worse would happen to them if they committed the idolatry and wickedness of the Canaanites now.

Lastly, you say well what about the innocent people.

If nobody else the kids could not of been that much at fault. I've explained before that we all recognize even today there is a communal dimension to our sin.

We in other words, if if a man cheats on his wife, his kids end up suffering for that decision, even though they were directly involved. God says he will never ultimately hold the innocent accountable for the sins of the guilty. It's just that from his perspective. Eternity will more than make up for whatever suffering any of us go through here on earth.

All people eventually die, so in a sense, when the innocent get caught up in things like this. It's like God is just collecting them early in any suffering or deprivation. The experience here will more than be made out for eternity because what happens here in the 70 or 80 years that we live is just a drop in the bucket compared to what's going on up there to see. That's how you approach a question like that again. Some of you so I got us unscrewed a fire hydrant got blasted back about 700 feet output on the blog. You can go through it little by little, if that would help you but I want to show you how we approach a question like that now is why you like when we go to funny stories again. Are you and come right back in every chapter 7 verse one for the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things for Aiken, of the tribe of Judah took some of the devoted things never got told not to touch those things with the children hit him in his tent. Mangalore burned against the people of Israel. Now Joshua has no knowledge of this.

Joshua sent out spies from Jericho to the next city AI, which is the city ever never turned and said to him, this such a little town and be converted. Jericho, it's nothing really like think Jericho is like Raleigh and NAI's like stem, North Carolina, no. Since we live in stem but is just like you know it's like that. This is nothing, we just let two or 3000 people up there and attack AI for the people there a few 3000 men went out but they fled before the men of AI in the hearts of the people melted in the king's water is of the people are distraught about what happened, why is the power God left us so Joshua gets on his face before God and God reveals to him what Aiken had done that they got a get out that sin before God's presence that is power will come back on them. Notice how God describes what Aiken did. It's really important to understand everything was going on in the story. Chapter 7 verse one says that Aiken broke faith in God.

In other words, he violated Israel's posture of trust or faith in God, not think about that for a minute to it it it it looks to me like Aiken, just a little greedy but you just you want a little bit bigger piece of the pie am MMS will happen, but God says that what Aiken did literally is broke. His faith relationship to God.

In doing so. In other words, Aiken quit depending on God to fight the battle and meet his needs. Personally and to fill his life with meaning and happiness.

So in this one little area.

He took things back into his own control pieces. I don't trust God to give me enough I don't trust God to provide for meats. One is one little area, take matters back in my hands and I'm going to the high bee stings in my tent. From these stories I want us to focus on three postures that God had the people reassume as they went into this new arena on the promise land. All these are so foundational. Each one is literally a matter of life or death for you for you to succeed with God in any area of your life. Going to college one high school one in the marriage having kids career retirement being single again. Whatever these three postures you must reassume in every arena there is number one surrender number one surrender the man who appears to Joshua and chapter 5 makes clear that he comes not as a Lieut. to assist Joshua. He comes as a general command Joshua, here's my question for you. How do you see God in your life. How do you relate to God in your life that's appointed I make a lot because most of us tend to relate to God like he is our faithful Lieut. somebody you can influence us, guide us when we call on comfort us, take care of us. Help us through tough times.

Most of all, escort us to a safe place after death so that we don't have to be afraid you see this all the time at funerals right everybody. The funeral assumes that God is on their side. I reason I will do a graveyard. When the religious graveyards to regular graveyard and I noticed how every single tombstone every single one has something on it about a Bible verse about God, about the Angels make everything a person assume the guy was on their side when they died. No statistically always people to not live for God's wishes that they assume the God Lieut. that hey, when you know dies in a rush to my side and take care of everything. Listen, God wants to do all those things in your life. He wants to bless you. He wants to take care of you, but he comes in your life. First, as the Lord reservoirs and recalling evil Lord Jesus Christ, you can have the Jesus part of mother Christ part of them. If you don't think it was Lord when he invited me over to your house for dinner and I knock on the door and you open the door. You see, it's me and you like come in JD's payout. Greer I would know what to do right might well motivate animal Greer you can't rely, loving Jesus, and helpful. Jesus, I want save me that you have in Jesus I want, Lord Jesus, I want commanding Jesus. I don't want holy Jesus that you and your not get any in Jesus.

You can divide them up like he's a salad bar taken apart you one little part. You don't listen the greatest threat. The greatest threat to true authentic faith in your life you live in the South. You need to hear this, the greatest threat to true authentic faith in your life is religion and religion is always characterized by partial obedience. That's what you see with Aiken. It's not like Aiken switch sides is not like he's on working the Canaanite frequent believing in God he just broke his faith in God feeling like in that one little area. He needed to take back control from God to guarantee his happiness and security, and I'm sure I'm sure he said literally hurt anybody who describes from all the stuff anyway.

I didn't hurt anybody right Aiken's actions were evil, not because of what they did directly to other people.

They were evil because of what they reveal about his confidence in God coming times you use that same line of reasoning to justify some area of disobedience in your life wasn't really hurt anybody when he said none of it with other people maybe got to do with the statement and makes about your relationship to God. So let me ask you this what is this Aiken kind of compromise look like in your life. But here's another way to ask it in what areas do you feel like you can't fully trust God's ways and so you take back matters in your own hands made certain habits you feel like you just can't be without that habit and be happy and fulfilled your cousin would hurt anybody switch to say secret things hidden in your tent but you won't really deal with given it up you will do a given it out because because you feel like you need it or maybe a maybe EA shows up in how you approach relationships offer many people. I see this spring up all around how they approach dating and marriage. That is the one area one area where they won't let God have his way. I know people who cannot surrender their sexuality to God or cannot do things on God's timetable and there like God. I don't want to be alone. You number them fast enough on this one area to take back for you. I see with people who say God I will not submit to you about whether or not I should get divorced because I need to be happy in this situation, and I know best. You might as well say call me Aiken.

Maybe it shows up in how you think about your children under many people for whom this is the one area that they will not let God have free reign in Navy is maybe today maybe it's your future plans.once she was a part of my life I see high school, college students to Isolde, I want to be part of my life.

I want you to bless me what you take care me 20 assume your well as long as your wills on the direction I wanted to go and I want you to bless you and want you to go with me but this is where I'm going in the future for this is what I need for many people. What will they do with their money.

God of so many people that that this is what they hide in their tent. If not that they're stingy they just don't feel like they can trust God enough that part of their life, their finances to fully turn it over to him and just obey him.

What is it that you keep hidden in your tent because you feel like you can't trust God with it because Lordship is one of those words. That's gotta be total if it has any meaning at all. I told you before, it's like I have. I said to my wife Veronica pay. I'm going to be all yours. I'm completely and totally yours except for Friday night between 8 PM and 4 AM.

Time is yours not calculated up this week is 93% of my week belongs or 93% she thought was a awful 93 applicant a you know know she's gonna say you're totally and wholly unfaithful to me in order for Jesus to be Lord at all in your life. He's gotta be Lord awful even come to be a part of your life.

He comes to take the whole thing over and the good news. Joshua Joshua is he's got plans far beyond what you have are trades CS Lewis of the coming of Jesus was. I live in his old rickety house. This is totally phone part you know with Bonaparte pipe leak in the Torah makes weird noises and roots came in and the carpets moly or whatever is her Jesus comes in and immediately Jesus goes to work on fixing up the house and are so excited about it because he's your patch on the roof and he's he's a taken a mold on the walls of these fixing the pipes but then all of a sudden Jesus tears on the wall you like and what is you turn off the wall but then you notice the ship lie behind the wall you like.

That's cool in the ribs of a carpet and you're like oh that under the shack carpet. There was this slight hardwood floor in your get all excited but Manny just totally knocks out an entire section of the house.

Lewis said you're like what's happening what is going on record CS Lewis. The explanation is that he's building quite a different house than the one you were expecting so he launches out a new wing over here. He puts on an extra floor up there. He starts running up towers he starts making courtyards you thought you were being made into a decent little cottage but he is building a palace, and he intends to come and live in a palace himself. God had a better plan for Joshua but it started with surrender God's got a better plan for you and it starts with total surrender on your part as well to the first war to surrender. Here's your second posture courage courage throughout the book of Joshua.

The primary thing that derails obedience is fear that one theologian said this, you write this down in the book of Joshua fear equals rebellion, fear equals rebellion which brings us to perhaps why God did things the way that he did them in the story know it is okay when you reach toys like this one to just ask why why God do it this way, not put yourself if you will, in the place of an Israelite warrior, you're ready to fight, but instead God tells you not to fight intelligent on March but he never tells you why, or even how long you're supposed to March. It never says a Joshua relay that information to them.

And while you're marching know literally nothing is happening is like the brick slowly start the quick is IPO.

They fall down one by one about basics you get there and they're not on day six and look exactly like it did on day one. Not a single thing that happened gonna know about you but I thought I need to see a little progress in what I'm doing in order for me to stay motivated. Are you like that minimizing these men going all night to their wives and I'm sure the men women were not that much but different back then to your wife ask you how was your day and because you know what that means.

This is not a straight recounting of the facts.

This is lots of details and what you thought about what happened and how you thought about what you thought it and I you thought about how you thought about what you thought you just got over talking about is a 90 minute conversation that involves a lot of words a lot of facial expressions. A lot of nodding water grunts. You've been there right so your wife says how to go in your like we walked around.

I think Joshua had his unencumbered vision trip or something. I don't know day to come back home and seems like so baby how was the battle big warrior man you did you slay the bad guy for me and you're like now. John walked around again.

Minnesota walked around you. Do this for six days.

Can you imagine how describing what you say what you say.

Meanwhile, the people on the wall were taunting you.

You know that was happening there throwing stuff out yeah making fun of you walking around why did God do it that way because what God wanted to do them was much more significant than what he wanted to do through them God was preparing them for a promise. They were about to receive. You see, as they were walking around the walls, not the maven happening to those walls. Something important was happening to them.

God wanted them less focused on the outcome, and more focus on obedience because outcome is God's responsibility. Faithful obedience is ours.

You see, God does not really need you or them or any of us to accomplish anything for him. Does he now Inc. speak the world into existence. You need your money paid to make donkeys talking to need my preaching ability. God does not need us for anything so what we do for God is not nearly as important as who we become in God torture reminds me of the story about that. You are the proverbial sore little woodpecker.

That's definitely the telephone balked at that that that that that that another half of the telephone pole and as he is in the middle of tapping all the sudden lightning strikes the pole from heaven splits the note. Telephone pole into a little bigger like you gonna your looks at it minis crystallize often gets his friends and brings back you like Garcia's boys, there's years later.

What I did not his tapping had nothing to do with that pole splitting. It was heaven clear the lightning that split the pole what you got is you got obedience.

It often feels like that woodpecker visit tapping away and then God sends the power. It's not like your tapping caused it, but your tapping was the faint expression day after day that God can do what God said he was going to do. So here's my question. Where you right now where you right now feel like you're in the place of that woodpecker. Maybe it's in your parenting that he's plugging away. The job maybe was faithfully praying for sharing Christ with somebody but none seem to be listening to me talk is not doing any good Daniel. There are two things that I feel like I need from God. Whenever I obey. I need the why and I need to win my God, I will go to anything. I'll go to anything. I just gotta see it working and I got to know when it's over the house again this week about that applies. It is like every area of my life encompassed in dieting, I need to see. I need to eat a salad at lunch and have my close not fit the next day that's what I need right if it even better. I need to be a listing of the scale and eat the salad and watch the weight just drop it on the working out but I want to see my muscles get bigger like in the middle of the exercise, I know when it's over is is we'll work out a free and we're doing is time to wrap things up. He had built the clock like this is not in a work I need to know, like when we have 30 seconds left when we got 10 seconds because a lot of them is not to be able to make it. I got a note how much time is there. Here's the thing, God rarely gives us even know why or the with. Rarely does in the greatest danger is that you're going to collect one of these people would start on day six.

I would make today six on abandonment like they free and I guess I I everyday on the market that things went off every day and get my 10,000 that that's the only thing that's happening. That's it.

There's no way I would omit today. Six. What if they had stopped. Today 61. If you stop a day six. What if you stop and they said something is not working. Courage is the ability to keep going even when you can't see the results because you know that God is faithful. Courage is the ability to keep going for a long time, even when you don't see any progress, because you know the God who would do what he said he cannot do that right is that endurance is what courage looks like. Over the long haul.

Endurance is just courage repeated day in and day out because God is faithful. What derails most of us in obedience. What derails most of us is a lack of courage.

So Matthew wears fear keeping you from obedience this weekend. Maybe there's a relationship that you know you need to end, but you're scared you know God wants you to in this relationship that you're scared of what life is good to be like when you do maybe maybe it's impressing through a relationship that's where you're afraid, but you know God wants you to press through and it maybe it's maybe it's it's an coming clean with the sin admitting your problem.

Maybe it's in obeying God with your sexuality and you got lighthouses gonna work out and you know how this will work. Maybe it's in obeying God in your finances and in being obedient like he told you with the firstfruits of what is given you are making a financial sacrifice.

Maybe it's and having a hard conversation with somebody maybe telnet person about Jesus or her confronting them with hard truth and you're not sure how they're going to react.

For some of you ladies. Maybe it's quitting the job and stay home with your kids even sold this bill of goods by your culture about what you should do to have worth and you know that God is telling you to do something different. For some of you ladies maybe us to go back to work. We thought your basement judge you for doing that.

I don't know I'm not the Holy Spirit I'm just telling you that you have to listen to him and you to shut out the other voices you have to act without fear. Maybe God's been telling you in the season to quit the job or start the business, but you're just so scared because of the only security you've ever known. And you got so many questions God has so much for you, but it starts with obedience.

Maybe it's going on your first mission trip and there are a thousand reasons you can think up. You should not go. But there's one reason you know what you should go and that is God told you to go for some of you maybe it's actually go out you guys and by the rain and get down on one knee and asked the question you been dating her for seven years off-site. You don't need to know anything else right she knows you're not doing it is you're scared you know you're not doing it because you're scared right now. You sit beside each other.

You both feel awkward as you both know it is called you out.

You need to act in fear get you back but not your mom's purse and do what you know God wanted it right whatever it is, whatever it is you need to act with faith. I promise you that when you do when you say you want to do this was her well-being. He was fear it was fear to Christ. Do you know what is the most often repeated command in the Bible, not based on the context. You should be able to figure this out.

The most often repeated command of the Bible is fear not. 366 times I was older, that is, one for every single day of the year, including a leap year. There's not a single day you will ever live that God does not look at you and say you're not look at it from the other side is a very disconcerting line of the book of Revelation at the very end of the book when God describes all the people that are to go to hell usually says what this the cowardly, the unbelieving, the file, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars. They're the ones will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur now but a lot of things in a list. I would expect liars and violent, sexually immoral and idolaters, people practice magic.

People who think Harry Potter is for real and they try it. I get that but you notice the very first one, the cowardly, what leads off the list are those who do not that here they didn't know what they were supposed to do it that they didn't have the courage to actually act on it. Fear equals rebellion is rebellion to delay doing what God has told you to do today. Number three the faith to wait the faith the way and Joshua. The people ready to fight in the book of Joshua the question of faith is not. Are you ready to fight the book of Joshua.

Is he ready to wait. I hate waiting. I think it is the source of mine troubled relationship with Time Warner Cable. Why do you need my phone number again do not have caller ID software on the computer why my reentry. My phone number to you again hey I is why I hate flying to Atlanta under what it is about that city with their airport and I'm like why are we circling the did you not know that we were coming. Why is there a traffic jam. Just let us come. I can see the airports gimme a backpack and prayers you Kyle jumped out right here know what I want to go.

I hate so I made it whenever God calls people to do something in the Bible.

Always I can think of an exception may be, one always there is this time of circling and drives you crazy. Moses is called to deliver Israel 40 years in the desert for 40 years, exist between the call and when needed. Paul the apostle member. This more than the book of acts between the time that the apostle was always called on the Damascus road to the time he was actually commissioned in the ministry. Seven teen years, 17 years exist between the call and ask not what is commission in acts 13 as a lot of circling. That's a lot of reentering the phone number King David King David is anointed to be the next king of Israel.

What happens, you run off to the palace and prime roads are overly will rent no because back to the pasture where he shovel sheep dung for seven years.

That is substandard in the Bible. I would say it is par for the course that when God is going to call you what he's going to do first is he is going to begin to prepare.

You can have your circling because he didn't really need you to do that much for him because he's God what he wants to do is something in you and that is to teach you to trust and obey to where you suck on this. We can argue circling.

Don't give up you might be on lap six of the hardest faith of all y'all.

It's the hardest faith of all to the faith. The weight the time of circling the timer you can't see what God is doing. If that circling pattern. For example, sickness or poor health that circling pattern of singleness that circling pattern of the loss of a job you got passed over for a promotion. Maybe the mission board turned down your application. The circling the circling pattern of infertility. The circling pattern to be a student or an intern want to be doing some significant circling pattern of praying for a loved one to come to faith God says don't give up because I'll fight for you, but I want you to obey. Will Joshua leads him through this and many other conquests in the book of Joshua that he ends the book this way will glow in the last chapters of 24 measure this real quick. 724 Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel. Shechem sums all the elders, the heads of judges.

The officers of Israel may present themselves before God. Joshua gives his farewell sermon and reminding them of everything that God said in all the things got it done for them and then Joshua closes his farewell sermon like this.

Now therefore, fear the Lord, the Lord and serve in sincerity and in faithfulness to the way there's God to your father serve beyond the river in Indonesia.

My question is, what I still have them serve the Lord if it's evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, then choose this day whom you will serve make up your mind to the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now dwell. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord, then the people answered our prayer from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. Joshua said of evil you are not able serve the Lord talk about it.Indy.

Imagine having of a political rally for Enoch and ESPN, the taking of the coaches locker room at halftime. Yeah Roy Williams in there with the team you like done. We got we got 20 minutes we had 20 minutes in front of us there bigger there stronger there faster. There better shooters, which is lower than a loose because you guys got it. There does better and you are so we might as well hang it on going out there and endured. It will be over soon I will cuss creatures that that is exactly the way Joshua ends this book Joshua was unlike Moses has been unable to lead the people to be courageous. This book of the Bible ends like every single book of the Old Testament. Another Joshua, another Joshua can have to come this Joshua was going to give you the courage to actually available way because this Joshua is going to show you an even clearer ways that he was fighting for you. Because the real city that stood in our way was not Jericho. It was the city of our sin and the curse of death that was upon us and Jesus, by the way switches is the Greek version of the name Joshua yes you are.

Jesus Jesus when he shows up. He says you can't lift a finger to take the city down I go to do it for you. There's nothing you can do, I'll do it for you.

So we went to the cross and in the Bible tells us that when he dies he shouted with a loud voice, he lifted up his voice and he shouted when he did so he knocked down, not walls of brick-and-mortar buddy, not down the wall of eternal separation from God. The sword of our judgment that he carried in his hands. He turned on himself and placed in his own heart, and they said just watch. Just watch and believe and shout and worship is just what it means to be a Christian if you shout.

I believe I believe that you did what you said you did when you not down these walls. I believe Jesus when he died, not down this wall of separation and when you shout. I believe the walls of separation between you and God fall down immediately and then for the rest of your life. You just keep shouting. I believe, listen, listen, you keep shouting. I believe that if you won that battle for me. Then you will also give me the power to live the Christian life you give me the power to be a good husband or to be a good dad or good mom you give me the power to accomplish your will in my career to be a faithful witness overcome temptation to face vent cancer victoriously to endure this season with patience and joy in victory because of you, not down the biggest city of all, not condemnation, then surely you will take care of these lesser cities like cancer. I'm sure that she'll do it because of either the burial to the lesser. The Christian life is not used for Jesus is Jesus for you and in Jesus in you and through you. We obtain victory in life not by superior battle techniques, but by constantly declaring our belief that he overcame the greatest battle of all. For us, and that he will continue to do so through us as we let them fight for us. All it takes for you to succeed in this season of your life in any arena of your life is for you to surrender for you to have the courage to obey and not give up. And for you to have the patience to wait on God. That's what it takes just a minute. All of our campuses were getting in this message within this message by together participating in what is the greatest symbol of the God who folks who fought for us. It is the bread and the carpet is what we call communion in just a minute. Our teams are, all of our campuses and distribute the bread and the cop and hold in our hands. The symbol that our greatest our greatest enemy.

Jesus overcame it for us is you that are believers. I want you to think of it differently this time. I want you to think of it, yes. Is Jesus taking care of your Sam but I want you to think of it also is a promise that the Jesus who overcame your sin is also to give you the power to live victoriously wherever you feel like there's a Jericho Jesus ago to give you the ability to either overcome it or will do it successfully better to believe our team to come right now. Come right now.

Nestor, let me explain one of the thing to you. What IS the if you're not a believer this weekend. What you understand this. This symbol is not for you and your exclusive jerk.

When I say that it shows that Jesus gave that to his people. It was a symbol for them.

I compare to my wedding ring which you put on after you get married. The symbol is for believers to remember when they trusted in Christ the Savior. If you never trusted in Christ assembled them along the side of magic amulets going to give you extra points with God. But here's the good news. What is for you is what the symbol points to what the symbol points to his Jesus's blood was shed for you and his resurrection, which was given on your behalf. And so other people are taking these bread and the cup just let them pass you by.

But maybe for the first time in your life as other people taking the bread and cup you could lift up your heart to God is a Jesus.

I receive the real thing. I'll take you as my personal Lord and Savior right now, others are participating in the symbol you experienced the reality so that the bread and cup are going by at all campuses. You receive Jesus for the first time.

If you never have what you bow your heads all of our campuses. When you get the bread. The couple wanted us to ponder, ponder, a new what the Almighty can do that if you did this for you at Calvary.

This is how he'll take care you for the rest of your days. You ponder, that is, our teams, and are our campus pastors will calm the leaders in the taking of the bread and the gun