The reading of the word this morning comes from Joshua, chapter 1, verse 10 through 18. And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, pass through the myths of the camps, and command the people. Prepare your provisions for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God has given you to possess. And to the Rubenites, the Gadis, and the half-cribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, the Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them. Until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, has he has to you. And they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then, you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan towards the sunrise. And they answered Joshua, all that you have commanded us, we will do. And wherever you send us, we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses and all things, so will we obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses, whoever rebelled against your commandment and disobeyed your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Certainly, be strong and courageous, Joshua 1, verses 10 through 18, may the Lord add a blessing to you with his words. History, beloved, is replete with great military leaders, George Washington, Napoleon, Sakazulu, Hannibal, many, many, many others. One of the things, one of the characteristics that makes for greatness in a battle is the ability to do more with less, to do more with less resources, with less manpower, with less time. Another is the ability to motivate others to get them to believe, to get them to believe in a cause, to get them to believe despite the art that victory is possible. This is not just true among military leaders, beloved, but this is also true in politics as well. And Barack Obama was first elected president, many of us found it hard to believe. Nothing like that had ever happened before, and many of us doubted it would ever happen. It was obvious from the get-go, however, that Mr. Obama believed in himself. The greatness of Mr. Obama and his campaign was that despite the arts, they believed and were able to galvanize others into believing and chanting over and over again, yes, we can't. Yes, we can. Some of you had those bumper stickers. Some of you were raised in your hands and know the rallies. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. When the call of God, and the word of God came to Joshua, the test for Joshua would be for him to believe it, for him to believe it. And as we saw last week, as Pastor Phil reminded us, God told Joshua three times. No less than three times to be strong, Joshua, to be courageous. I don't think this was without cause, I love it perhaps, perhaps. It was due to the fact that with Moses gone, Joshua might have been tempted to doubt himself. With Moses off the theme, Joshua may have been attempted to doubt the promises of God. Perhaps there was some reluctance in Joshua, and this would not be unusual, I mean, if you searched the history of redemption, you would find that in most of God's faithful servants, there was this reluctancy, there was this hesitancy, whether it's with Noah or Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and on and on and on. And with Moses no longer around, Joshua would have to find the courage. You see, with Moses around, and the huge character and the huge shadow that Moses cast upon the nation, you can imagine that it was easy for Joshua to be courageous, but with Moses gone. Well, that still be the case. If Joshua was going to believe God, if he was going to realize and internalize the word of God for himself, then it was going to take more than just lip service. We're not told, we're not told what Joshua's response was to the word of God that came to him in verses 1 through 9. All we have in verses 1 through 9 is the commands of the Lord, is the word of the Lord to Joshua. And we are not told Joshua's response to these words. Did he believe God? Was he willing to trust God's words? We don't have any words from Joshua. We know and we understand, at least we should, this morning, that belief, that true belief, is not just what you say or what you think. True belief, as the Bible reminds us, is more about what you do. Believing the word of God is not just hearing it, believing the word of God is not just meditating on it, but more importantly, as the Bible tells us in James, chapter 1, in verse 22, believing the word is doing the word. And acting upon the word trusting God, is acting upon God's words, is living upon God's word and Joshua, therefore we can say that Joshua believed the word of God, and he proved the word of God not so much by what he said, but by putting his money where his mouth is. We can say he believed it because he did what great leaders did, he rallied. He rallied everyone else to believe the word of God as well. Joshua believed the word of God. How do we know this? Our text is there's a couple ways that we can see. We know this because one, he shared God's plan with God's people. He shared the plan of God with the people of God. God's word, beloved, is the revelation of God's plan. Let's understand that. God's word is the revelation of God's plan. God has a plan for his creation. God has a plan for his people. God has a plan for you. The plan for me and that plan is revealed in God's word. So notice what the text says. After Joshua having heard the word of God come to him, notice what it says in verse 10. And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, passed through the midst of the camp and command the people, prepare your provisions for within three days, you are to pass over this Jordan to go and to take possession of the land that the Lord, your God is giving you to present. What did Joshua do? After hearing the word of God, the word of God came to him. What did Joshua do? What the Bible says that he called for his colonels and he called for his captains. He called for his officers and he called for his gentlemen. They reminded them that once again the promise land was there and it was there for the taking and the time for the taking of it is now and so as someone has famously been saying for quite a while, get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready. Time is now just as you marched out of Egypt. Now it is time to march into the promise land, but this time beloved is going to be a little different. This time is going to be a little different, there's different leadership here. This is a different time in the nation's history, but I was remembering it's the same God. Got different leadership, got a different time, got a different place, but it's the same God who is ultimately working out the plan that he has revealed and he is revealing for his people. It's different, it's different time, it's different leadership. Moses, God, had lent them out of Egypt, under Joshua, God is leading them in to this promised land. They left Egypt without preparation. They left Egypt in a hurry. The Bible tells us, remember Exodus chapter 12 and verse 39, that they had to leave Egypt in haste. They had to leave in a hurry, they couldn't wait, they couldn't even wait for the leaven to ride. They had to make unleavened bread because the Bible says they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. Got a new leadership, got a new time. And the Moses, they came, they went in a hurry, they had no time for provisions, they had no time to prepare, they had to get out and get out quick. Joshua comes along and he says, men prepare yourself, prepare yourself. You got a plan this time, you got about three days to make some provisions, to make some plans and then we will cross over in the Jordan, different leadership, different time, same God. The God who brought them out, the same God who's going to bring them in, but he doesn't bring them in the same way that he brought them out. This is important to remember, I love it. They left Egypt fleeing from the enemy. They are now going into the land, pursuing the enemy. Different time, different leadership, same God. And the Moses, God delivered them from Egypt and they didn't even have to lift a finger. Even when they got to the Red Sea with the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh's army behind them in Exodus, chapter 14 and 13, God told them, be still. All you got to do is look and behold, you will behold the salvation of the Lord, your God. This time I have, this time, if they were going to inherit the land, they would have to organize, they would have to prepare, they would have to make provision. And they would have to fight. These are important, these are important directions, even though they are different directions. These are important times, even though they are different times because this is the same God. These are important differences to understand. Even for us, today, beloved, I want to suggest to you that these differences that we see between the leadership of Moses coming out of Egypt and leadership of Dasha were going into the Promised Land is the difference of what I want to suggest to you is the difference between getting saved and living saved. The difference between getting saved and living saved, both are in accord with God's plan for your life. Both proceed according to God's word. Both require trust in the Lord, but there are some differences between coming out of Egypt and going and living in the Promised Land. You got saved, beloved. And you got saved without your help and without your assistance. And really unbeknownst to you, God conquered the sin that had you bound. He conquered the sin that had you bound. And like Israel coming out of Egypt, he declared that you are no longer a slave to sin. That's what it says in Romans, chapter 6, you are no longer a slave to sin. But now that you are saved, now that you are saved and living God supplies, he supplies the plan, he provides the provisions, he gives you the power so that now you and I can work out that salvation with fear and trembling. He gives us the plan, he gives us the provision, provides us by his spirit, the power so that we can live in the fullness that is the joy of Jesus Christ. At the time of salvation, the time when you and I were saved, God conquered the grip that the enemy had on our souls. Now that we are saved, he provides his spirit who empowers us to conquer the grip that the world and the flesh and the devil is seeking to have upon our lives every day. Here is what I'm trying to say, beloved, don't you hear me? Do not have to live defeated, God has provided the plan. He has made provisions, has given you and I the power, have to live defeated. I know, I know some Christians do, want you to understand, you don't have to live that way. You can choose joy, you can walk according to the Spirit, beloved, there is a joy, promise to all those who trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. But the joy that I'm speaking about, beloved, comes post-salvation, the joy that we should seek to walk in every day as we are seeking to live out what the Bible says is the joy of your salvation. And to walk in it according to the Spirit, but it has to be fought for. You have to make provisions so that you can possess it. There's an enemy of your soul who is not interested in you walking in the land that is the joy of your salvation. You are not making provisions for it, beloved, it is going to be very difficult for you to possess. Listen, listen to me, listen to me this morning, God doesn't just want you saved. He wants you to live saved. And how do we know that, we know that because He had provided all that is necessary for you and I to live in the joy that is Jesus Christ, every day, every day, every day, every day. Second Peter, chapter 1, verse 3, the Bible says, His divine power has given us everything we need, everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him called us by His own glory and goodness. I want to be frank with you, you say you're already been. I'm going to be real frank with you this morning. If you lack joy, that's not God's problem, that's a you problem. If you lack joy, that is not God's problem, that is a you problem. If you lack joy, it isn't because of what you have or what you don't have. It isn't because of who is in your life or who isn't in your life. Your lack of joy is due to the fact that you choose not to fight for it. It's not someone else, that's you beloved. Paul says, Philippians, chapter 4, the universe 12, sometimes I have what I want and sometimes I don't. And I have learned in whatever state I am, I can have joy because I have Christ and because of Christ, I can do all things, not lacking anything. Keep me from walking in the joy of my salvation, God's plan, God's plan, so get ready, get ready. The time is now, for us to walk into that which God has already given us to possess. Now that I can do all things, the Christ Jesus, the strength of me. He spoke, he spoke God's plan, didn't he? And time, time to go, but he didn't just speak God's plan really mentally, he spoke God's plan to God's people, to God's people. I believe it when God speaks, okay, when God speaks, God speaks two ways here, right? He speaks universally, generally, and then he also speaks individually and specifically. He speaks both a general word and he speaks a specific word. And when Joshua spoke, he spoke first to the whole nation in general, but then he had a specific word from God for the tribe of Rubin, the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. God spoke universally, progenially, and this is important for us to understand because God's word, beloved, comes to us in community. His word speaks to us all, and in most respects, it speaks the same thing. When Joshua got it, all the nation in general, he was speaking to the whole nation, okay, to the whole nation, get ready, make provisions, we are all going up to fight. He spoke generally, he spoke to the whole community, and he spoke the same thing. But when we read the word, when God speaks, he speaks to everybody, he speaks to all of us. When he says, husband's love your wife, he's not just speaking to me, speaking to every husband in here. When he says, on your parents, he is speaking to every child born of a woman. When he says, love your enemies, he speaks to all of us. When he says, resist the devil, he's speaking to everyone. When he says, pray about everything, he is speaking to every individual in here. He is speaking to all of us as community. All of Israel was to prepare. All of Israel was to possess the land. All of Israel was to cross over because all of Israel was to fight. This is important, this is important to understand. It's important to understand, beloved, for your growth in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the reason this is important is important to remember that God's word doesn't just come to you. It doesn't just come to you. God, the word of God, comes to us primarily together, together. Unlike Islam, unlike Islam, where one person, the Prophet Muhammad, is said to have received the revelation of God, in Christianity, beloved, the word didn't just come to one person. The word of God came to persons in community. It came to God's people on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church. You know what it says in Acts chapter 2 and verse 1? It says, they were all together in one place. Holy Spirit came down as they were all gathered together in one place. And then it says in verse 4, and they were all filled with Holy Spirit. I'm going to share something with you in case you didn't realize it. And when you go through the book of Acts and you see people being filled with the Holy Spirit, the majority of times, when people are being filled with the Holy Spirit, they are being filled together. I know some people go around and say, well, the Holy Spirit moved and filled me while I was driving my car, or when I was in the shower, or when I was doing this and I was doing that. Well, I wasn't there. I can't tell. But I do know this, that God is pleased to fill His people as they are gathered together. As we come together, I don't know about you. I don't know about you, beloved, but I know me that I hear the Bible better when I listen with others. Understand the Bible better when I'm praying and studying with others. And I think it's pretty safe to say that's true of you, too. The God did not give you the scriptures for your own private interpretation, but the Word of God that comes comes to us as His people. And yet, even, this is the glory and the grace and the mercy of God. Even as we are gathered together as a people to hear the Word of God together, and the Holy Spirit comes down and fills us afresh together even in the midst of that. God often has a word tailored just for you. And so you see here, hey, then just speak it, dearly. But as the Word goes out dearly amongst the people, there is often a word tailored specifically for you. Even though the Word comes to us collectively, that does not negate the need for a specific word from the Lord. Yes, yes, beloved. God has a word for us, but He also has a word for you, a specific word. Oh, that's my charismatic friends would say, a ramour word. I'm not going to get into all that mystery about what ramour mean and what it shouldn't mean. But I get the point. You have a ramour word for you. God had a word just for God. God had a word just for human. God had a word just for the half-tribe of an apple. But why? Why speak to them? Well, beloved because their situation was just slightly different from the others. They had something going on that the others didn't have going on, and they needed a specific word. So in verse 12, it speaks to the rumenite, it speaks to the gatties, and it speaks to the half-tribe of an apple who had already settled. They had already settled into their inheritance according to Numbers chapter 32. They had axed Moses previously. They had axed Moses previously if they could have the land just east of the Jordan River. Just east of the Jordan River. The trans-Jordan meaning that they would not have to cross over the Jordan in order to possess what they would possess according to the will of God. It was the land that was fertile. It was the land that was well grown. It was the land that would supply them and their need. It was good for grazing. It was good for herding sheep. It was good for herding the goats. And that land had already been cleared, and therefore in order for them to possess the land, they would not have to cross over the Jordan. They would not have to fight with the Canaanites. They already had this. And so the temptation for them would be to think that they already got theirs, that they were good. Now their homes were being built, and now their finances were in order. And they all was well with their families. And it was good, but the agreement that was made within at the time in Numbers 32 was that when the time came, if you're going to take the land in the trans-Jordan, if you're going to take the land that has already been cleared, if you're going to possess the land that doesn't require you to cross over to Jordan, cross over to Jordan and to fight the Canaanites, if you're going to possess your land before everyone else possesses them, there's when the time came, you would have to fight with the rest of the nation. So God has a word for them. Joshua has a word for them. He says, excuse me, y'all, I just need to speak with the Rubenites, the Gadites, and the Hav tribe of Manasseh. He's got a word for them, and it's one word. And the word is simple. Remember. You see that? Right there. That first word, right there. Remember. Remember. Remember the promises you made to Moses. Remember the promises that you made to your brothers and sisters. Remember. Remember that your brothers and sisters are still in need. And as you remember that, remember the faithfulness of God to you. And remember when Moses was faithful to you, when you were in need. Remember, remember, beloved, I am amazed that I often we forget. I am amazed that I often we forget the freeness of God's mercy and grace to us when it comes to, when it comes time for him to be merciful to us. And yet we forget when it's time for us to be merciful and gracious to others. You remember? Yad and Ruben? Y'all remember where you came from? Remember. Remember you were once in bondage and sin in the Egypt just like the rest of us. Remember. Remember that you at one time was held captive by nature's night. Remember. And remember how good and merciful God had been to you. Beloved, remember, don't ever forget. You know one of the things I believe made the Apostle Paul so effective in his ministry to the churches is that Paul never forgot where he came from. He never forgot the mercy and the goodness of God. He never forgot how an unworthy and undeserving sinner he was. You see this? First Timothy chapter 1, again in verse 15, we write the Timothy and he says, this is a trustworthy saying and everyone should accept it. Christ Jesus came into the world to save the sinners and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy so that Christ could use me as a prime example of his great patience even to the worst of sinners. He remembers what he's saying that when I remember the mercy of God to me, then I will remember to be merciful to others. When I remember as the Lord who has helped me, then I will be moved to help others. Beloved, I am amazed. I am amazed. And I am encouraged each week how the Lord speaks to us collectively from his words. But then also how he speaks to each of us in a different way, calling us where we are in our lives. I am amazed how many people come up to me and say something about the sermon that spoke to them that I say to myself. I wasn't even sending to say that. That wasn't even the point. It's amazing. It's amazing how even as the Lord speaks to us together, he is here by his spirit, opening hearts and speaking to each of us individually where our greatest need is reminding us to remember, to remember. It's a different in different ways and it's the same word. It's the same God. I love this. I love this word. I love this word that that Joshua gives to to God and to have trouble. Manasseh. I love it because it reminds us of how we are called to fight for each other. How we are called to fight for each other. You may not be where I am. But that doesn't mean that you don't fight for me. I may not be going through what you're going through but that doesn't mean that I don't fight with you in prayer. It doesn't matter. Married or single, we fight together. Children of childless, we fight together. Younger or older, we fight together. Employed or jobless, we fight together. We fight for one another. This is why we get together. This is why we pray together. We already have my house fighting for yours. This is what God calls us to do. We fight for one another. We fight with one another. But I am not totally satisfied until we all are walking in there. This is the word of God to its people. We do this thing together. We fight with and for one another. Don't be selfish for love. Don't be spiritually selfish. It's amazing. That's what Paul says, right, and Philippians chapter two and verse three. It was a plan just to, don't be selfish. All right, just don't be selfish. Don't be spiritually selfish. How can I good you think you got it? You fight for your brothers and sisters. How can I much you think you know? I'm amazed. I'm amazed sometimes that people would have the audacity to say, well you know I ain't coming to Bible say because you know I already know that. Brothers and sisters who haven't ended the promise land yet aren't you there fighting with them? If you know so much coming share it. Don't be selfish. People, we fight together. Won't you get settled in the train's joint and your brothers and sisters are trying to cross the Jordan to get into the promise land? You get up and fight. You get up and pray. You get up and seek the Lord with them. You make sure that they possess their inheritance as you are possessing yours. He speaks to them a word speaks a word that is generally speaks a word that is specific but then he speaks the word that is a shoe. He speaks the shoe a word to them. That's what God does. This is what God does. He speaks to us generally. He speaks us individually but then when he speaks he speaks assuredly. This is a sure word. This is a sure word. You see that in Joshua chapter one of verse 13, right? The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land. Will. Will. Hit providing your place of rest and will give you this land. God's people beloved can be confident in God's word because God is confident in God's word. God's people be confident because God is confident. Know what gives children confidence. When the parent is confident, what child going to do if you scare? They call you for the boogeyman. They in the room and they got a boogeyman in the closet and you scared in your room because you got a boogeyman in your closet. What are you going to do with that, Don? Give the child confidence that you walk in the room and declare there is no boogeyman. God's people can be confident in God's word because God is confident in God's word. What the Bible said. So I'm chapter 12, verse 6. The words of the Lord are pure words. The word pure there means sure. It means flawless. It means this is the word that God himself has declared and he's confident in. In proper of chapter 30 and verse 5. Every word of God proves true. Now why is this important? Why is this important, beloved? This is important because he made a promise upon which the hope and the promise was that he, this is important, beloved. Rest, the word rest is like the word teach. The word rest is like shalom. You know how important shalom is to the people of God. Well, shalom is important to people of God but so is the word noah. Noah, which is rest because this has been the promise of God from all creation. In the beginning, God promised the creation would have rest. This is a major theme that runs around the Bible. This is a theme that not only is promised here in Joshua but will reoccur in Joshua because this is a theme that God gave to all creation and redemption from the very beginning. Rest. After he created the the world and in six days the Bible says on the seven day God entered a rest. The goal for all of creation was that there would be rest. I have a long Adam and Eve were to work. There was always going to be a day of rest, rest, rest. This was the goal of creation. This is what was celebrated and God celebrated the Sabbath. Rest is the blessing. Rest is the blessing of being brought out of Egypt, out of slavery. They were going to come out of their slavery in Egypt and God was going to give them rest. Rest is what the nation of Israel would ultimately enjoy on the Joshua. Rest is what the prophesied over and over again the day would have this rest. Rest is what Jesus came to give in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 20, 80 says come to me. All you labor are heavy laden and I will do what? I will give you rest. Rest is what Jesus came to give all those who trust in him. And rest is the promise of God at the end of the fight. That's it beloved. That's why this is important because there is a rest that is promised to the people of God. But this rest comes after the fight. Don't sleep now. Don't sleep now. Now is not the time to be sleeping. Now is the time to strive. Now is the time to labor. Now is the time to fight. Now there is a rest already and there is a rest not yet. Let's give this understood. There is a rest already but there is a rest not yet. Come to Jesus. If you come to Jesus today, if you come to Jesus today and he will give you rest, rest from your worry, rest from your anxiety, rest from your doubt, rest from the guilt of your sin, rest from the weight of your guilt. These will give you rest and yet even Jesus says, this still remains a rest for the people of God. And Hebrews chapter 4 verse 11 says, if we're going to get that rest, we got to strive. Strive. Strive therefore to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience as the Israelites fail to and fail to enter into the rest that God has promised them. But love, you must strive. You must labor. You must fight to enter into it. It is a labor that comes. It is a rest that comes when the battles are won. It is what the old spiritual was saying. I remember singing it when I was a young boy, I'm going to lay down my sword and shield. Down by the riverside. Down by the riverside. Down by the riverside. I'm going to lay down my sword and shield. Down by the riverside. And I'm going to study one. No more. But now it's not the time to lay it down. There it's coming the time. You're going to be able to lay down your sword. And you're going to be able to lay down your shield. And you're going to study one no more. But right now God's people got to fight. And you need your sword and you need your shield because now is the time to fight. But there's a rest that is promised. And it is coming. And it's a rest that is that you could be confident in because the Lord your God has promised you that you are more than a conqueror. And that rest is guaranteed to you. You just keep striving. You just keep labeling. You just keep fighting. What happens? What happens now? What happens? After the word of God is spoken. What happens when God speaks, you know, collectively what happens when God speaks individually? What happens when God speaks assuredly? What should happen? Well, the commands of God demand a response. God's people should respond. God's people should say amen. God's people should stand up and shout. God's people should lift their hands in the air and say, yeah, preacher, preach, preacher. Amen, preacher. When God speaks, his people respond. This is this is what distinguishes God's people from all other people in the world. When God's people here to wear them, God, they respond to it. It's not just all hum. It's not just all well. They respond to it. Jesus says, and John chapter 10, the first 20, 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. That's what distinguishes God's people from all the other people in the world. God's people here, God's word and they respond. Notice what they said when they heard the word of God through Joshua. Verse 16, and they answered Joshua, all that you have commanded us, we will do and wherever you send us, we will go. All that you command us, what he says, right? All that you command us, we will do. Whoever you send, we will go. Can't you hear what they say? He hears what they say. They all in unison are standing up and they say, yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can trust in the promises of God. Yes, we can. Yes, we can take the land. Yes, we can. Yes, we can follow you, Joshua. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Joshua trusted the promises of God. It encouraged the people to do the same thing and sort of set the people set to Joshua, the same thing God said to Joshua. Joshua, we can do it. Yes, we can. You just be strong and you be courageous. We believe in God. We're going to believe in God with you. Just don't stop believing, Joshua. Believe. Yes, yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can trust the promises. Yes, we can stand on the promises of God. If you see, God sent me here this morning to share a general word with you. But they also sent me here this morning because somebody needs to hear a specific word this morning. God has the words for us. But God has got a word for you. And that word is this that God can do anything. But fail. This is what the people are listening to hearing Joshua say. We can do this. We love it. God can do anything but fail. That's what Jesus said. Mark chapter 10, the verse 27. Jesus said, all things are possible with God. All things are possible with God. You got to do this, believe. In that rhetorical question that God asked Abraham, is there anything too hard for the Lord, your God? No, there is nothing too hard for God. God can do anything, but fail. He can save anything. He can heal anything. I know he can't anything. And I know he will. Anything. God can't do anything.
What's fail? He wasn't going to fail. His nation going into the promised land. Beloved, he's not going to fail you and he's not going to fail me. Just don't stop, believe it. Be strong and be courageous. And together, together, yes, we can. Let's pray.