Obeying the Father- Part 1

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Welcome to Turning Point. Like every good father God wants his children to be prosperous and successful. Although not necessarily held the room. The fund zoster for the good of your markets is this truth was dramatically demonstrated in the life of Joshua from his series on spiritual growth like places is going writing the father, thank you for joining us today. You know what I was in seminary. We had a professor who used to say and demonstrate that there is a central passage in the Bible for every important thing. And if that is true. The central passage in the Bible for understanding how you are supposed to respond to the word of God is before us in these next two days. Joshua chapter 1 is the most incredible outline of what you should do when you read the Bible.

How you respond to it going to talk about that in just a few moments as we open the Scripture together to the first chapter of Joshua.

If you just joined us recently were in the midst of a series called the life God blesses and some inspirational series for the new year and this is one of the building blocks obeying the father hearing what he says and then doing what he says. This can happen to make your life a life that is blessed by God. Well, it started with today's lesson. What is it that God expects from you more than anything else.

Seems like wherever you go. These days somebody has a different idea about the number one priority of the Christian life. I have been to conferences where I have been told that it is so limiting.

It is witnessing and that if we are not doing that we are missing out on the blessing of God. I have gone to Bible conferences where it has been preached that it is the personal study of the word of God.

That is the key to your life and it's the number one priority for Christian. I've even had the chance to give an address at a music conference now and again have heard musicians stand up and talk about the priority of the Christian life being having a song in your soul and in your heart, depending on who you talk to these days you can get a different idea about what you need to do more than you need to do anything else in order for you to be successful. Well when we open the Bible to the first chapter of the book of Joshua we are at once put on notice that this is a chapter that has something to do with success and prosperity. As far as I know it is the only place in the Bible where you will find success and prosperity given as descriptions of the walk with God in the seventh verse.

The last phrase says that thou may us prosper wherever thou goest in the eighth verse it says and then thou shalt have good success.

I don't know any Christians who are interested in those two commodities being reproduced in their life, prosperity and success. I'm not talking about material things I'm talking about spiritual things spiritually prosperous, spiritually successful. This passage in my estimation has the key to that for every Christian.

It teaches us what we need to know if were going to walk in the way of prosperity and success spiritually. I believe it strips away all of the other priorities of the Christian experience and it gets down to the least common denominator of what's involved in having a prosperous and successful walk with God. The passage of Scripture is a watershed in the life of Joshua. And it's interesting to me because it is a portion of Scripture that gives to us what God said to a man when he was ready to take on a new assignment. It wasn't addressed by the Lord to Joshua as he was about to pick up the mantle from Moses and take the children of Israel on into the promised land for their inheritance. If you were God, what would you say to Joshua if you knew that his job would be to take over 2 million Jews into a land that was inhabited by enemies and possess that land in the name of God, you know that it was an overwhelming task as we discover when we read this book, what would your instruction to Joshua B well it's interesting to know what God told as we build toward the key to this passage I want to show you along the way, how God prepared this man to take on this assignment, which was a challenge in which demanded everything the man had first of all, I notice as I study the text that God convinced Joshua of past accomplishment you say what you mean by that.

Well, in essence what God did was he gave the Joshua history course.

He took Joshua back through what it happened in the past in his life as he walked with Moses and he communicated to him the truth of the blessing of God in the past.

One of the things that I noticed as I studied the first chapter was that even though this was an address given to Joshua Moses name keeps popping up all the time. Every time you turn around. His name is there.

For instance, the first thing God did as he taught Joshua concerning history was that he told him about the promise that he had made to Moses concerning the land. Notice verse three every place that the sole of your foot children upon that. Have I given unto you, here is as I said on the Moses, Joshua, just what I said to Moses, I want to know that promise is still good. And then notice in verse five he mentions Moses name again.

He said there shall not any man be able to stand before the all the days of thy life as I was with Moses, so I will be with me now.

That must've been a great deal to Joshua, who according to the first verse had been Moses minister.

In other words, he had walked with Moses through many of the experiences were God had demonstrated himself strong in behalf of Moses and so when the Lord said to Joshua, I'm going to be with you. Just like I was with Moses. I have an idea that a lot of things begin to play through the mind of that man is he remembered all that God had done for his leader and he thought, boy, that's something God is going to do for me just what he did for Moses. Notice the third time we see Moses name is in verse seven only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou may us to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded the God had given the law to Moses and God would continue to honor and to bless it in the life of Joshua. Now, by way of preliminary investigation we learn as we study this passage of Scripture that God is the same God.

What is the God of Moses or the God of Joshua and what he's trying to encourage Joshua to understand is that as he enters into this new venture as he takes on this new responsibility as this new project becomes is he can count on the same assistance that God gave to his predecessor know when I read this. I'm reminded of some instruction that was given to me as I started out in the ministry.

Several years ago I was told by a man of God that I greatly admired but one of the best things I could do to avoid discouragement and keep my heart alive, for God was to read the biographies of the great men of God who had ministered in years past. He said go out and find the life story of Charles Haddon Spurgeon find the life story of Vinnie get as many of us, you can just about all the time. Been reading what God did for somebody in the past and so in my study of a whole shelf full of those books and almost all the time I'm reading about what God is done in the life of somebody in the past and you know what happens to me when I do that is that there's something that wells up within my heart that's captured in just a very simple question and that question is why not, why not if God did it for him. Why not you know we have the idea that God had a special blessing for those who were leaders in the past but somehow God is run out of blessing and were living now and he doesn't do for us what he did for them. I hear discouraged pastor say all the time. You know God is doing today in the church what he used to do. I don't believe that I personally am naïve enough to believe that what God did for somebody back there, he's willing to do for anybody if they'll just lock into his program and I'd like to encourage those of you were involved in ministry when you get discouraged you grab hold of something that tells about what God did for somebody in the past and read it with the same question in your heart, why not a lot of those stories are right here in this book we call the Bible.

So God gave Joshua history course now I would never thought of that. I never in the world with the thought of sitting down my new leader and say now before you take your new assignment.

I like to give me some history. The second thing that God did as he prepared this man was this not only did he convince him of past accomplishments, but he challenged him with some proper attitudes throughout the text.

We are reminded of the attitudes that God expects from his service. First of all, he told him that he was to be strong. Notice verse six be strong.

Verse seven only be thou strong verse nine have not commanded the be strong and you get the idea that God expected Joshua to be strong. Three times he told them that it was important for him to have strength and firmness of character. God knew what Joshua would face when the challenges came he know that he needed to develop an attitude of resolute determination to accomplish the objective that God set before him with strength.

Someone reminded me a long time ago that the problem with most Christians is that they do not understand that triumph in the Christian life is made up of try and when you put those two together you have triumph, strength, determination, notice the second attitude, he said, be courageous. Verse six be strong and of good courage. Verse seven. Be strong and very courageous.

Verse nine have not I commanded the be strong, good courage. Three times God said to Joshua, don't lose heart.

Don't get discouraged you seen this courage is the lack of courage. Don't let your courage be taken away from you. I don't know about you but I find many discouraged people today in the church of the climate that we find in our country economically and internationally, and all that brings to us a tendency to be discouraged many discouraged men in the ministry and I can tell you for a fact it's easy for that to happen, but the best way to keep discouragement from happening is to develop an attitude of courage and with determination to lay hold of the promises God has given you. He said Joshua I want you to be strong I want you to be courageous in the notice. The third attitude he gave them in the ninth verse and he said don't be afraid or dismayed metal or dismayed really is a word which means to lose your orientation. Sometimes that happens in the midst of great challenges you get overwhelmed with all that you sense God wants you to do and before you know it you begin to lose your orientation or your direction and God said to Joshua, don't you be afraid and don't you lose your orientation you remember where your strength is in you stay on target. So God gave them a course of history you need. Told him about the past accomplishments and then gave him some proper attitudes, knowledge of the notice.

Thirdly, the God gave him a particular assignment. You know, there's nothing worse than knowing you're supposed to do something but not knowing for sure exactly what it is I think it's a very frustrating thing to be involved in a responsibility where you're not sure what's in your job description God gave to Joshua a particular assignment.

Notice what he said. He said you are to go over the land and to possess it and every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that. Have I given unto you, even as I set out to Moses verse two now arise go over and possess that simple. God said Joshua, here's your job you did go over to the land you get up first go to the land and take possession of that land and every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that yours Joshua you better get up and get walking get that land undertow that your property, your job is to possess the land now know Joshua may have wanted the Lord, how much of the land.

Can I walk on and so God is so specific he gives them the boundaries. In fact, he draws a map pieces Joshua from the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and the great Sea toward the going down of the sun all day shall be your border, Joshua, here's your assignment, here's your land now do it.

You know what I discovered as I read the Bible that there are very few things about which I need to be in doubt. You know, we have the doctrine of the doubtful thing and there are certainly some things that may fit into that gray area that we don't have any clear word from God on what you know, the vast majority of the Christian life is not lived in the doubtful thing. The vast majority of the Christian life is lived over here where we have a clear word for God.

Now there a lot of Christians like to take the clear word of God and move it over into the doubtful things because that makes them more comfortable when they don't do it. But the Scripture is so very clear with personal and particular assignments for the children of God. We don't have to be in doubt, wandering around trying to figure out what it is that God expects of us, if we will study this book will discover that God has given to us a particular assignment. There's not anything that brings more security to the heart them to know what God expects you to do.

That's what happened. He was given a particular assignment.

Now, with his past accomplishments in his mind, and with these proper attitudes instilled within his spirit and with this particular assignment down on paper and ready to go. The next thing God gives to Joshua to get them ready is a plan of action gives him an action plan that will help them to accomplish his assignment and this is the real core of what I want to share with you.

God has given to every Christian to all of us who are believers. He is given to us a plan of action and my friends that plan of action is in this book is called Bible.

This is God's plan of action. This is what God has given to us so that we would know what he wants us to do.

You say pastor I hope it's not going to be another one of those situations where I come to church and the preacher stands up and he naïvely says now if you want to be blessed of God. Just read the Bible and I leave with my Bible under my arm and right back to the same kind of discouragement I've known what I want you to know I'm not let you off the hook that easy. I have some things to share with you from this text that go beyond just a general statement concerning the word of God. It is true that this book is God's plan of action for all of us, but it is also true that it is conditioned upon our response to the word of God as we find it in these verses of Scripture, and there are several responses several responsibilities that God gives to us concerning the Bible that determine whether or not we will be successful and prosperous in our Christian experience. So as we look at the plan of action. Notice first of all, that this book if it is to work for us in our lives, we must first of all read it obediently you say is a better way. Everybody reads it. No, in fact, there are two mentions in this text of a principal which the more I understand about it the more I believe is the most dynamic principal and Bible study that you find any place in the Scripture. If I had to say. There's one principle of the word of God that will open up the Scriptures to you more than any other principal. It's right here and here is it's wrapped up in this phrase observe to do observe to do notice verse seven only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou may assist observe to do. Verse eight this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth with thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may assist observe to do read it obediently. What that means, men and women is that when you open this book and began to study its contents, you do it with one perspective, with one goal and that goal is wrapped up in that phrase you're observing it to do it your reading it to understand that you might put it into practice in your life. Most Christians read the Bible in order to discover what it says so that they can then decide whether or not they want to do it and that's why more of the word of God is not opened up to Christians received. The Bible teaches us that God will only give to us that which we implement in our lives to those who have he gives more to those who have not. He takes away.

In other words, if you don't put into practice what God teaches you from this book, your Bible knowledge ends there. That explains why some men of God who have risen to the top and Christianity as leaders as teachers as educators as preachers, many of them have been men without any formal training in all men who have come up through the method of personal Bible study were they just opened this book every day and read it and studied it in whatever they read. They went out and did it and the more they read and the more they did, the more God revealed to him of his will, so that as they walked in the light they were given more like God is saying to Joshua as he says to us that if you want to know the blessing of God in your life if you want to know what it means to be prosperous and successful. Principle number one in your plan of action must be that you read the word of God with a determination that whatever God says to you as you read it.

That's what you're going to do no holds barred.

No conditions, no hidden agenda, Lord. This is your revelation to me and as I studied, read and understand it by your grace.

I'm doing read it obediently and then God's is not Joshua that's not all. After you understand that I want to teach another principal about your plan of action. You not only read it obediently, but number two you must meditate in it continued. Notice what it says in verse eight this book of the law shall not depart out of by mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.

Once you understand that you're supposed to do what you understand then you need to understand more and you need to make the book a part of your life you need to make the Scripture part of your being. You need to so involve yourself in the word of God meditating upon it reading it. Studying and memorizing it so that as it becomes a part of your life. It literally takes over, it becomes the controlling factor in your conduct. That's what it means in the New Testament it says were to bring every thought into captivity under Christ as we let the word of God's soul fill our lives in our minds and our spirits. It literally gets into the driver seat and are being so that every time we face a challenge during the day. Every time we have a decision that we have to make.

We have soul fill our minds with God's word that God's word just takes over and makes the decision for us.

We are so saturated with the truth.

From this book because we have meditated and it day and night will there's no good place to interrupt a message and yet we have to do that because we don't have time to finish it today will have to wait until after the weekend when you join us on Monday will conclude our discussion obeying the father next week will talk about bearing spiritual fruit and committing yourself to growth. Although this is a part of the series the life God blesses and it's the signature series for 2021 Jeremiah thank you for listening nemesis to the advertiser from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah senior positive. Would you like to tell us have turning 20 minutes this to you. Please write to us Turning Point PO Box 3830. I San Diego, CA 92163 or visit our website it Jeremiah thought/real company object comes from God's blessings just for you, which is 100 inspirational pleadings and reflections is yours for a gift of any amount you still have Chris today with you daily devotional for 2021 day there are still copies of.

It's a great way to get a dose of biblical truth real coffee. When you visit David Jeremiah thought/radio on very hopefully join us Monday as we continue the series the life God blessed him on Turning Point. Jeremiah taking time to listen from these increased in all