Obeying the Father- Part 2

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Dr. Jeremiah takes a closer look at Joshua and what we can learn from his example of if you're in need of some God-given comfort.

Listen, is that this is the conclusion of this message buying the farm and thank you for joining us today. We are so happy to have you. I hope you have a fantastic week and we want to add value to your week by teaching you the Scripture taking the word of God.

This week we'll talk about obeying the father today, tomorrow and Wednesday about how to bear spiritual fruit to be productive in your life and then on Thursday and Friday will talk about committing to growth. These are motivational messages right from the Scripture to help you move through life in obedience to the Lord, you know, there's no other way to be happy. Did you remember that song we used to sing, trust and obey. There's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Well here we go with the last part of obeying the father, it's Joshua chapter 1 central passage on obedience. I believe in the Bible scriptures together is nothing worse then knowing you're supposed to do something but not knowing for sure exactly what it is, God gave to Joshua a particular assignment.

Notice what he said.

He said you are to go over the land and 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 simple.

Your job is to possess the land Joshua made what it will Lord how much of the land. Can I walk on and so God is so specific he gives him the boundaries. In fact, he draws a map. This is Joshua from the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites of the great Sea toward the going down of the sun all day shall be your border, Joshua, here's your assignment. Here is 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 particular assignments or the children of God. We don't have to be in doubt. When not 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 him 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 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 is not 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 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, isn't that the 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 just observe to do. Verse eight this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth with thou shalt meditate therein day and night.

Thou may just observe to do read it obediently know 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 go. 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.

You see, 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 like. They were given more like an 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 started read and understand it by your grace to do it. 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 and 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 what 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 notice. Thirdly, not only was he to read it obediently and to meditated continually but he was still believe it totally Joshua if he followed the Lord's instruction could never have been a modern-day liberal preacher because God did not give him the option of choosing which part of this book he was going to implement in his ministry told him that he had to do all of from the beginning to the end. Verse seven says all the law, but thou may just observe to do according to all the law.

This book of all verse eight says, shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may just observe to do according to all that is written therein. Would it be nice if we could choose which part of the Bible. We like I could tell you some sections right now I'd like to get rid of because they really bother me and I really struggle with some of that truth when it be nice if the Lord would give you 4/5 you know five parts and you have to take for or it could be a multiple-choice but is like that is God's given us the whole thing and we have to believe it.

From the beginning to the end. That's what we call primary inspiration.

It's all God's word and it's culturally understood and interpreted. All that I know all that.

But the truth of this book is ours. From the beginning of the end and God makes us responsible for it all. The totality of it used to read it obediently and meditated continually, and to believe it totally. Now here's where the rubber meets the road. He is to follow it exclusively.

Notice verse seven only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou may just observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded the turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. He wants to set his face like a flint upon the star of the word of God, and he was to keep his eyes on that and he wasn't to go off here off there to stay right in the groove. This was to be the sole source of instruction for his life. Every time he had a question. He was a come back to this book. Every time he didn't know what to do was to let this book solve that problem in his life and he wasn't allowed to compromise it at all. He had no leniency given to him to go this way or that way all if there's anything that's going on in the Christian church today. It certainly is that men and women are compromising the word of God, but I hear it all the time we explained away by way of our culture, we save it.

Certainly God would expect this of us in the day such as this day we explained away in terms of our own habits in our own practices and I've learned that one of the most dangerous things that happens to all of us as Christians is that sometimes we determine what we are going to do and then we try to figure out a way to make our theology for our practice and we began to compromise with God's book has to say God said to Joshua. Joshua, here's my plan of action.

Now it's not one of many plans of action and it's not something that you mix with your own thoughts or the thoughts of a humanistic world. But here is my plan and you follow it exclusively you stay right on track. Don't you go this way or that way. Let this be your goal and your guide. The exclusiveness of the word of God.

I remember reading some time ago. Statement written by Henry Drummond in which he said there's a great instrument for finding God's will. This instrument can penetrate where others cannot go. It is a name which every child may understand even as the stupendous instrument itself, with all its mighty powers is sometimes moved an infant hands when others have tried in vain. The name of that instrument, he said his obedience, willingness to obey perfect obedience would be perfect happiness if we had perfect confidence in the power that we are obeying God says that the secret to success and prosperity in your life is all wrapped up in this thought that you have his plan and you're willing to do it.

That's the source of frustration that all the space that's the source of the frustration in your life.

If you're Christian today. You know what God is said and you know where you are and you know what God standard is in you know where your living and you just are struggling continually to get up to where God standard is because you don't want to obey and sometimes even when we obey we do it with the wrong spirit. I remember a story about a little boy who was misbehaving at the breakfast table one day and his mother finally in exasperation said Johnny go and sit in that chair till I tell you, you can get up. Well, he didn't do it.

He just sort of played around by the table and finally she said to him again, Johnny.

I'm not going to tell you again you get in that chair and you sit there until I tell you, you can get up and finally, after he sat on the edge of the chair for a moment. Got up she went over as parents are prone to do, and she took hold of him by the shoulders and she literally put them overnight chair and she sat him down with authority and she said Johnny you said in that chair few minutes later he looked up at her and he said well okay I'm sitting down on the outside but I'm standing up on the inside that's the a lot of Christians obey the word of God, they're doing what God wants him to do on the outside but there's not a willing obedience in their heart to do what God asked him to do. God has given to Joshua.

All he needs to know to be successful as he takes on this new assignment and that success is wrapped up in his plan of action. Now let me just add one thing, along with the plan of action God comforts Joshua with the promise of assistance. This is the most exciting thing in the whole text verse nine says, for the Lord thy God is with the wherever thou goest know you have all God has done for this man. You have his obstructionist plan of action.

But the most important thing that he needed to hear from God is took on this overwhelming assignment was the reality that he wasn't going at it alone.

God was going to be with him. How was he going to be with him. Remember what he said earlier.

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will not fail you nor forsake the view go through the Scripture.

You will find almost inevitably that wherever God gives us a difficult command. There is always attached to it a promise of his assistance going into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and low I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. The promise of God's assistance. Are you aware of the fact that if you're in the center of God's will.

Being obedient to his word doing what he's asked you to do that you have been guaranteed by the Scripture. The personal presence and assistance of Almighty God.

How can you ever go wrong in my reading I was reminded of how easy it is for us to rebel against God and how quickly we leave off our obedience because we are afraid that if we are totally given over to God, and committed to him that he will ask us to do something we don't want to do. I can remember growing up thinking that if I said to the Lord, Lord, you can have my life that he would ask me to do something I didn't want to do. I don't remember what it was a may have been the go to the mission field of some dark continent and I know a lot of Christian people who were just hanging onto the reins of their lives because they're afraid that God will tell them to do something to which they will not want to be obedient, I came across an unusual testimony about a famous preacher in England named Chamness who said that when he was a boy living in the city of Manchester. He got up early on a Saturday morning and he did all this work. All of his chores and by noon he had finished everything that was on his assignment sheet for the day from his father. And so we went to his dad and he said dad I've done all my work and I've done it well and now I want to know if I can go to the football game which is really over there a soccer game with a college football good. I have enough money to go to the football game. His father, responding, not at all to the boys request of the gift to go to the football game. Said son. I have a big package here and I want you to deliver it to the paper man on the other side of town.

Father laid upon the boy a package that was heavy was bigger almost that he wasn't.

He was to take this package to the other side of Manchester and deliver it to the paper man when the kid was heartbroken.

He never spoke a word of disappointment and return but he was really, really shook the father laid upon him the burden and the boy replied yes sir and he obediently struggled with the big package and finally he made it to the railway station and he pushed the thing up on the streetcar that he was going to take across town and finally he got to the destination he got off with this big will have a package in a struggle with until he finally brought it to the man who makes paper and gave the package doing man picked it up and put it on the scales in looked it over and he sits on the slick fine linen paper boys lips were quivering and he was really feeling that his father hadn't even answered him work so hard he felt so disappointed he started to walk out of the store with his eyes full of tears bindings is walking out the proprietor of the shop said young man suggests her. He said there's a letter here from your father. The boy turned back and the man looked at the letter and he began to read it and he looked up at the boy and he said son your father says for me to weigh the paper and to give the money to you so that you can buy a ticket to the football game. Anyway, the paper and he gave the young boy more money than he could ever spend in one afternoon football with the spend every minute in the boy realized as he walked out of the shop that the football stadium was just around the corner and he was heard to say as he walked out. I wish the package it been four times heavier sometimes when God asked us to be obedient. We don't understand, and the load seems awfully heavy and it sometimes seems like he asked us to do something that's really not what we want to do that it takes is clear in the other direction. It's a heavy assignment and in our spirit, we get disappointed because we forget that just as that boy's father planned it all for him. Our father is planning at all. For us, and though he does not always tell us why he asks us to do what he asked us to do.

He has us in mind, and his plan is infinitely better than anything we can know if we could only understand that the trust and obey.

There is no other way to be happy in Jesus, just trust and obey. When I hear the music of that song playing in my ears and some of you to. We are beginning this new week with the conclusion of the obedience chapter tomorrow. One of the key passages in the Bible on how to be productive. How to be a fruit bearing Christian.

What is it mean to bear spiritual fruit if you want to read ahead jumping in John 15 and the first day versus a newbie ready teaching tomorrow as we open our Bibles together. Thank you so much for listening.

Be sure and join us tomorrow for the next edition of Turning Point message that I resided from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor would you like to tell us have turning 20 minutes this to you.

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